Chapter 7

Grace was so furious that her chest ached. She wanted to quickly gather all her important documents, but when she opened the last drawer, she froze. Inside was a pile of certificates. Among them were the Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst certificates, two of the most prestigious credentials in the finance industry. Some of these certificates were known as the golden tickets to Varnell Street, yet they had been shoved into the most neglected corner. Wasn't she supposed to be a useless woman who only knew how to chase after a man? She scanned them briefly. Unwilling to stay in this house any longer, she quickly packed a few sets of clothes and prepared to leave. Just then, Liam walked in. "Grace, are you running away from home again? Cut it out. I'm starving." He strode over and yanked the suitcase out of her hands. "If you don't go apologize to Mom and Alice right now, no one will bother themselves with you anymore. How long do you plan to be gone this time? Wasn't it just yesterday that you pulled this same stunt? "You were gone for only a few hours before crawling back. You're embarrassing yourself, you know that? You're ruining the harmony of this household." As he spoke, he angrily tossed her suitcase to the side, scattering her neatly packed clothes onto the floor. "Do you know why everyone likes Alice more? She's gentle, educated, and competent at work. She's miles ahead of you. Seeing how Mom and Dad refuse to give you any shares, shouldn't you reflect on your own actions and attitude?" While looking at her clothes on the floor, Grace's patience ran out. She raised her hand and slapped him across the face. Liam clutched his cheek in shock. A red mark instantly swelled on his face. "You hit me?" Grace had always been the one to endure everything in silence, always indulging him. And now, she had actually hit him? His heart twisted for a moment, but soon, anger replaced the shock. "You hit me? You actually hit me? Grace, I swear I'm done with you! Unless you cook for me for an entire year, don't even think about talking to me again! Just leave already! We all know you'll come crawling back in a few days anyway!" He stormed off furiously. As Grace dragged her suitcase downstairs, she heard Carmen's sharp voice. "Unbelievable! Grace, you actually hit your own brother! You're completely out of control! Get outside and kneel until we're satisfied. Otherwise, you're no longer welcome in this house!" Grace glanced at the couch. Alice was gently massaging Liam's swollen cheek, her eyes filled with concern. Liam looked deeply moved. When he turned toward Grace, he even snorted coldly, exaggerating his reaction. A stabbing pain shot through her heart. However, she had truly lost her memories. She no longer had the instinct to grovel for their affection. She calmly pulled her suitcase toward the door and said evenly, "Good. I don't want to stay here anyway. Since I'm no longer welcome here, I'll leave. The four of you can live happily together. I won't disturb you anymore. Goodbye." Carmen thought she had misheard. She trembled with rage. "You-you…! How did I give birth to such an ungrateful child? Fine, go! You've never worked a day in your life. Let's see how long you last out there. You'll be back begging in no time!" Grace's response was the loud slam of the door. Carmen's body trembled with fury. She collapsed onto the couch, hands trembling as she reached for a glass of water. "I shouldn't have given birth to her!" Alice's eyes sparkled with amusement, though her expression remained worried. "Mom, don't worry. She always talks big. The harsher her words, the faster she comes back." Liam quickly agreed. "Yeah, and after what she did to me today, I'll never forgive her." … Grace dragged her suitcase out of the house. She had only the ten thousand dollars Joanne had sent her, and her first priority was finding a place to stay. Although Joanne had offered her a place, she didn't want to impose. She searched online for nearby rentals, aiming to find a place close to Henderson Group. But the company was located in the heart of Druville, where every inch of land was worth a fortune. The cheapest apartment she found was nearly 20 thousand dollars a month, which was far beyond what she could afford. If she rented somewhere farther away, the daily taxi fare would cost a fortune. After thinking it over, she spotted a nearby free electric scooter station. With no other choice, she decided to rent a place in an older neighborhood. A scooter ride to Henderson Group would take about 20 minutes. She unlocked a scooter parked outside the complex and took a practice ride on the main road. Since she had no memory of her past, she wasn't sure if she even knew how to ride one. Watching others, it looked easy enough. However, as soon as she started, the scooter wobbled like crazy. It was painfully slow, and every passing vehicle honked at her. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she clung to the handlebar, staying as close to the roadside as possible to avoid an accident. Meanwhile, in a luxury car nearby, Ethan sat in the backseat, reviewing a stack of documents on his lap. When the car came to a halt at the traffic light, he closed the folder and turned to glance outside—only to see Grace struggling to control a scooter on the road. Today, she had tied her hair into a ponytail. Under the sunlight, her skin looked almost translucent, radiating a fresh, youthful energy. However, her riding skills were atrocious, and she nearly crashed into a turning car. Ethan's gaze froze for a moment, his fingertips curling slightly. From the driver's seat, Tim Bennet spoke up. "Isn't that Grace? What's she up to now? Didn't she used to refuse to ride anything that was cheaper than three million dollars?" Tim was Ethan's assistant and had just returned to the country with him. He glanced at the rearview mirror and met Ethan's eyes. "Sir, let's stay far away from that walking disaster. The last thing we need is for her to drag you into trouble again."