Chapter 4
Joshua carried Avery into the elevator and set her down as soon as the doors closed.
“Mister?”
“Don’t call me that.”
Avery looked at his cold, sharp profile, feeling a bit confused. If he had feelings for her, why had he set her down right away after getting into the elevator? He didn’t even allow her to call him “Mister“.
And if he didn’t have feelings for her, why did he even help her?
As she puzzled over it, Joshua abruptly broke the silence. “You slept with me, and I helped you. Now we’re even.‘
Avery was caught off guard by his bluntness and didn’t know how to respond. After a moment, she finally said, “Mr. Smith, with how blunt you are, it might be hard for you to find a wife one day.”
Joshua chuckled softly. “Oh? If I can’t find one, will you volunteer to set me up with someone?
Avery batted her eyes at him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I’ll gladly volunteer myself. How does that sound, Mr. Smith?”
Joshua pulled her waist close into his embrace. Then, he lowered his head to steal a kiss that left her breathless. He only released her when she could barely catch her breath.
Panting, Avery clung to his neck to try to regain her balance.
The elevator dinged when they reached the ground floor.
Joshua let go of Avery. Seeing that she could stand on her feet, he stepped out, leaving her with only the sight of his confident stride as he walked away.
Avery rubbed her waist as she exited the elevator. She muttered under her breath while
watching Joshua, who was already a distance away, “He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Avery stepped onto the street, and after just a few steps, a sweet–looking lady ran toward her. “Ave, I saw what happened at the wedding! That was satisfying!”
Hearing that, Avery gave a small smile.
The lady linked her arm around hers while grinning. “You finally got rid of that jerk, Clyde! This calls for a celebration!”
With that, she pulled Avery toward her red sports car.
Chap 4
The lady was Cassandra Clay, Avery’s best friend. Though she looked gentle, her personality was fierce.
e Smiths? Why is she leaving in her wedding dress
“Laurelle, look. Isn’t she the lady of the s
before the wedding is even over?”
“Mr. Smith must no longer want to marry her, so he kicked her out. I bet she didn’t even have time to change.”
The women who were gossiping laughed.
Avery turned and saw two women dressed in provocative clothes laughing exaggeratedly. One of them was the Watsons‘ adopted daughter, Teresa Maves, and the other was the daughter of the Sanders, Laurelle Sander.
The two of them had once tried to get on Avery’s good side, but she had found them bothersome and ignored them. She hadn’t expected to meet them there.
“Something funny?” Avery looked at them coolly.
Teresa sneered, “Avery, do you think you’re still the Smiths‘ future lady who everyone needs to bow and scrape to?”
Her gaze was scornful as she glanced at Avery’s bare skin. “You don’t even know your place. Did you think that shamelessly getting into bed with Mr. Joshua would turn you into a swan when you’re nothing more than an ugly duckling? What a shame. You’ve gotten yourself into a worse position.”
Laurelle chimed in, “That’s right! You think you can worm your way into his life. How about try looking into the mirror for once-”
But before she could finish, Avery slapped her across the face. The smacking sound was clear and loud, silencing everyone.
Avery rubbed her tingling hand. “Laurelle, your skin’s so thick that my hand hurts from slapping you.”
Cassandra quickly took a tissue out of her handbag for Avery to clean her hand.
Avery looked at Teresa, who had shock plastered over her face, and asked with a smile, “What? You want one too?”
Avery’s smirk sent a chill down Teresa’s spine, and she quickly shrank behind Laurelle.
Meanwhile, Laurelle came to her senses and lunged at Avery, clawing. “You bitch! How dare you hit me!”
Cassandra stepped forward and grabbed Laurelle’s wrist. There was the sharp sound of bones cracking, and Laurelle’s hand went limp.
Chopper
4
As Laurelle opened her mouth to scream, Avery stuffed the crumpled tissue she had just used
into it.
Seeing Laurelle fall to the ground coughing and wheezing, Teresa’s face drained of color as her
hands began to shake in fear.
Cassandra wanted to give her a taste of it too. But seeing her cowardly expression, she lost her interest. “How boring. Let’s go, Ave.”
Avery nodded. Just when she was about to leave with Cassandra, she remembered something.
When Teresa saw her walking over again, she started sobbing. While retreating nervously, she threatened in a trembling voice, “D–Don’t come any closer! I’ll shout!”
Avery found it hilarious. She grabbed Teresa’s arm and whispered in her ear, “If I find out you or your friend here mess with Cassie over what happened today, I’ll let everyone know about how you seduced your foster brother.”
Teresa’s eyes widened with terror. How did Avery know about that?
Without wasting any more time with Teresa, Avery released her and turned to pull Cassandra toward the sports car.
Teresa sank to the ground and stared ahead blankly.
“Ave, look. Isn’t that Joshua in that car?”
Avery looked in the direction Cassandra pointed and met Joshua’s eyes, his gaze full of affection. Just as she was about to go up to him, he raised the window and drove off, leaving only a trail of dust behind.
She gritted her teeth in anger. She silently cursed the man who acted like he didn’t know her after having sex with her.
Cassandra held back her laughter as she looked at Avery’s frustrated expression. She offered while still trying to hold in her laughter, “Want me to chase him down?”
Avery scoffed. “Forget it. Aren’t we celebrating? Let’s go!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
In the sports car with the roof down, the rush of wind gradually soothed Avery’s lingering anger. She had called off the wedding and taken revenge on Clyde and Abigail in front of everyone on the same day.
Cassandra asked curiously, “So, Joshua defended you at the wedding… Did you two really
“Yup, three times.”
Cassandra shot her a thumbs–up. “That’s my girl”
From her peripheral view, she noticed Avery’s right wrist. “Wait… That red bracelet you’re always wearing, is it gone?”
Avery glanced down and found that the bracelet was gone from her right wrist. It disappeared before she could even take it off herself.
She smiled wistfully. “Guess it was time to lose the gift given to me by that piece of trash anyway.”
