Chapter 10

“Hey, lady! It’s an offense to hurt someone like that! Calm down, and talk it out, or I will call the police! I even took a video of you bullying the poor girl. If this got out, not only will it affect you but your husband as well!” The woman turned to Mona. Mona’s young and beautiful looks further fueled the woman’s jealousy and anger. “Who are you to speak to me like that? You took a video?! Then I’ll beat you as well!” The woman threw herself over to Mona like a predator jumping on prey. She slapped Mona on the face. Fortunately, Mona was quick enough to dodge the full slap. Nothing too serious that would damage her face, but the woman’s nails left a few scratches at the edge of her lips. Someone called the police after the woman tried to slap Mona. The woman did not want the authorities to get involved, so she led her men away swiftly. Her leave marked the end of the farce. That night, Mona dragged her exhausted body home, and her twins sharply noticed the scratches on her face. They rushed to her nervously. “Mommy, what happened to your face? Does it hurt?” Millie stroked her lips and the scratches. Her lips protruded, and her eyes got teary. “I’m okay, I’m okay. Mommy actually did a good thing today.” Mona explained what happened earlier to her kids. She saw herself in the poor girl. When she first started as a model, she was also bullied, not only at work but at social gatherings too. However, in order to survive and for her kids, she bit the bullet and made it through. As well as offering a helping hand to a fellow model, it was to remind herself to be stronger than her old self. She had to be strong whenever the situation required it. Bobby then told Millie to bring the first-aid kit to treat Mona’s injuries. He tried to be as mature by forcing a straight face, but his eyes were teary as well. He, too, was worried about his mother. Mona hugged the boy and kissed him on the forehead. Looking at his blush-stained cheeks, she said, “Good boy. You don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself. Let’s go and have dinner.” After tucking her kids to sleep, Mona pulled her phone out to check her work schedule for next week. Strangely, her slots had suddenly been replaced by other models at a last minute notice. She called her agent to ask for an explanation, and her agent told her that she had offended the woman earlier. Due to her influence, Mona had been blacklisted by the entire industry. Hence why her jobs were replaced by someone else. “Why? I’m not the one who slept with her husband.” Whenever Mona spoke, the scratches at the edge of her lips would hurt. She carefully touched her lips before she continued, “Who is that woman anyway? What kind of influence does she have? Why is she so arrogant?” The agent got nervous. “You’ve just offended the second most powerful person in Worchester City. I’m not even joking. You might not be able to stay here anymore. I don’t even dare to say that I know you. Please don’t contact me anymore. I don’t want to be dragged into this mess.” Mona was disheartened when the monotonous beep sounded. She rubbed the center of her brows frustratedly. Losing her jobs meant no income, which meant she could not live with her kids. The thought made her anxious. She had a way to solve the matter at hand— to call Thaddeus. However, Thaddeus was in another country with another woman. Would he even care to help her? With the thought of giving it a try, she called Thaddeus. The call got through after two rings, but before she could say a word, a meek voice entered her ear. “Thaddeus is in the shower. You can leave a message with me, and I’ll pass it to him.”