‘Just listen to those harsh words. Fortunately, I already regarded Leonard as an a*shole.’

Lisa's gaze swept across each member of the Parker family. She could see the disgust in their eyes. She knew they would crush her without mercy, like squashing an ant. Nonetheless, she would never back down.

"Yes, I love money. I admit it. Who in this world doesn't? If you don't love money, you’ve achieved financial freedom. Why are you still working so hard, then?" Lisa's unflinching eyes collided with Leonard's. "As for my so-called greed for money, I dare ask, what money have I taken from your family?"

Leonard did not speak, but Michelle replied, "You married into our family for two million dollars! How is that not greedy for money?”

Lisa sneered. "Everyone knows Leonard got in a car accident, and the doctor told you to prepare for a funeral. I received the money as a dowry to marry him and 

"Hey, enough with the arguing,” Suddenly, a policewoman spoke, "Is this the necklace you mentioned?"

All eyes turned toward the policewoman holding a sparkling blue diamond necklace in her white-gloved hand.

"Yes, that's it! That's it!" Michelle eagerly rushed to retrieve the necklace. "Where’d you find it? Was it in this woman's room?"

Lisa rolled her eyes.

The policewoman pointed to the living room. "It was under that sofa."

Michelle angrily glared at Lisa, saying, "How clever of you! You feared we’d search your room, so you hid the necklace under the sofa to retrieve it later! Truly, the most dangerous place is the safest!"

"What’s wrong with you?!" Finally, Lisa had enough of Michelle’s shenanigans. She clenched her fists so tightly that her veins were about to burst.

"Lisa, why are you speaking to Michelle like that? Can’t you be more polite?" Jeffrey chided.

"Excuse me, but

Lisa pulled out her phone and declared, "I can leave this house, and you can tell Leonard to divorce me! However, I won't leave with false accusations hanging over me. You all seem to believe I stole the necklace, right? Well, I'll call the police and let them investigate."

David scoffed, "Nonsense! Do you think you haven’t humiliated us enough? Now you want to involve the police?"

"That's right! Could you please stop embarrassing us?" His wife added, "You can't expose our family like this!"

"Are you more concerned about our family's reputation than my innocence?" Lisa responded firmly. Without further hesitation, she proceeded to call the police.

David attempted to snatch the phone from her, but the agile Lisa swiftly retreated to the bathroom and made the call.

"This is a complete betrayal!" David erupted in anger and then turned away to dial Leonard's number.

"Come home immediately! Lisa, that b*tch! She’s calling the police to our house!" David yelled angrily at his son over the phone.

Leonard was busy in the office. He thought, ‘What happened? Dad treated Kisa like a precious baby and told me to bring her home. Now she’s a b*tch?’

Even someone as smart as Leonard was confused. He finally asked, “Dad, what’s happening over there?”

"Lisa stole Michelle's five million dollar necklace and fought with her. She still refuses to admit it. We demanded she hand it over, but she called the police instead. Come home quickly!"

Leonard was shocked.

‘They’re fighting because Lisa stole a necklace? I admire Lisa a little bit.’

However, he sensed his parents had turned against Lisa. It made him wonder if it was an opportunity to pursue a divorce. He abandoned his work with a sense of urgency and drove back home.

Indeed, Lisa had called the police. Two police cars were in the driveway while Lisa gave her statement. When Leonard entered the scene, he overheard Lisa’s tearful conversation with the police officer.

"That's right. I'm not rich or powerful. I came from a humble background and was fortunate to marry into the Parker family. My parents have always taught me not to take other people's belongings, no matter how small.

“Am I a sinner because I’m poor? Does it mean I must resort to theft when I see rare and precious things? If you were in my shoes, could you accept that?"

The policewoman assigned to the case showed empathy as she listened to Lisa's statement. Most of these officers did not come from affluent families and could relate to her situation.

The family accusing Lisa of theft without evidence simply because she was not wealthy was profoundly unfair and unacceptable.

Michelle felt uneasy as she heard Lisa's statement. She retorted, "Tell me then. You were the only one in the living room when it happened. Who else could have taken it?"

Lisa suggested, "Perhaps you’re intentionally slandering me. It's no secret you hate me. Your words have been sharp and hurtful since I joined this family. By the way, the necklace was a gift from my husband's ex-girlfriend.

“She visited our house today, and Michelle had a lengthy conversation with her. She even told me to step aside."

"You're spouting nonsense. I'm not that despicable," Michelle defended herself. She noticed the officers’ suspicious gazes and threw herself into Jeffrey’s arms. “Jeff, she’s shameless. Let her leave. I don’t want to look at her anymore.”

Jeffrey frowned as he saw his wife's messy hair, unkempt face, and several scars on her face. “My wife would never do such a thing.”

"I also have faith in my sister-in-law," Leonard asserted as he entered the room with a stern expression.

He cast a cold gaze at Lisa and continued, "I’m Lisa's husband, and I can attest she loves money and is driven by greed. Unsurprisingly, someone like her would engage in petty theft for financial gain."

Lisa's heart sank.

‘Just listen to those harsh words. Fortunately, I already regarded Leonard as an a*shole.’

Lisa's gaze swept across each member of the Parker family. She could see the disgust in their eyes. She knew they would crush her without mercy, like squashing an ant. Nonetheless, she would never back down.

"Yes, I love money. I admit it. Who in this world doesn't? If you don't love money, you’ve achieved financial freedom. Why are you still working so hard, then?" Lisa's unflinching eyes collided with Leonard's. "As for my so-called greed for money, I dare ask, what money have I taken from your family?"

Leonard did not speak, but Michelle replied, "You married into our family for two million dollars! How is that not greedy for money?”

Lisa sneered. "Everyone knows Leonard got in a car accident, and the doctor told you to prepare for a funeral. I received the money as a dowry to marry him and save his life. Excuse me, but who would marry someone on the verge of death if it weren't for the mo

Chapter 18