Chapter 5

Enna's eyes widened, and she looked angrily at Enrica. "Are you stupid? What right do the Zuckers have to make you go through with the divorce without offering any compensation at all when they're so rich?" She snorted before continuing, "Your father requires several thousand dollars every month for his rehabilitation, and Julian's school fees are expensive. I'm nowhere near as noble as you. In my eyes, they should give you money for the divorce! Otherwise, you're the one who's going to have to pay up!" Enrica felt rather helpless. "I've always given you money, Enna." "That's different," Enna said stubbornly. "In the past, you had the Zuckers backing you and could provide that money, but now, you have nothing. How are you going to come up with that money in the future?" Enrica had no choice but to explain, "I've never asked the Zuckers for a single cent. The money I've given you over the past two years all came from my previous savings. I still have some savings left, and I'll be earning money soon. I guarantee that I won't give you any less than before." "You really are an idiot! You should've just kept your savings for when Julian finds himself a woman to marry! Why didn't you take money from the Zuckers since you were already married to them? You've let someone sleep with you for two years for zero benefits!" Enna shoved Enrica hard, furious. In her eyes, it was ridiculous that Enrica had been married to such a good family, but she had not squeezed a single benefit out of them. Enrica staggered back a few steps. She could not make Enna see reason, and their exchange had made her so angry that she was trembling with rage. Unable to hold back any longer, she snapped, "I legally married him and divorced him just as legally, so what do you mean by saying I let him sleep with me for zero benefits? It's not like I whored myself out!" Enna did not take her words seriously at all. Instead, she said arrogantly, "Are you picking a fight with me? If you have a problem with me, you might as well strangle your father for marrying me in the first place! Do you think I can't handle you, you little bitch?" Just then, Enna's phone rang, and she answered the call grumpily. "Hello! Who is it?" The person on the other end said something that caused her to pale instantly, and she said fearfully, "Please don't get angry. I'll head over immediately. Let's talk face-to-face." After hanging up the call, she glared viciously at Enrica. "I'll settle the score with you later!" She then left in a hurry. As soon as she was gone, Enrica finally sighed in relief. Three years ago, her parents were involved in a traffic accident. Her mother died on the spot while her father's legs were injured. A kind neighbor then introduced her father to Enna. Enna had a son of her own who was already in high school. She had originally looked down on Charles, who had lost his ability to work, but she later heard that Enrica was going to marry Miguel. Because of that, she actually agreed to marry Enrica's father. Enrica had always known that Enna was only in it for the money, but Charles had limited mobility and required long-term care. She had not been able to come up with a better solution than having Enna marry into their family, so she accepted her money-grubbing ways and acknowledged that the money she gave Enna was a sum she had to pay for her help in taking care of Charles. However, she had never expected Enna to try and get her hands on a piece of the Zuckers' pie. The power that the Zuckers held in Evernorth was overwhelming. If ordinary people were to try and contend with them, it would be like throwing an egg at a stone wall. Had it not been enough of a lesson when she had come out of the marriage battered and bruised? She laughed bitterly. Just as she was about to leave, the tightly-shut villa door suddenly opened. Jilliana stood on top of the stairs with her arms crossed over her chest. "Since you're already divorced, keep a proper eye on your crazy family," she said snidely. "It's not like our house is a garbage dump that will take in all your trash!" Enna had been too aggressive, and Jilliana had known that she would not be able to win an argument with her, so she had hidden in the villa. However, now that the madwoman had left, she naturally appeared to throw her weight around. After all, Enrica was nothing in her eyes. Enrica stopped and looked at Jilliana, subconsciously swallowing her words of greeting. The past two years had deeply ingrained one principle in her. If someone saw her as insignificant, then she should not bother trying to ingratiate herself with them. No matter how bitter she felt, she did not let it show on her face. "Sorry. This sort of thing won't happen again. However, please be careful with your wording. My family members aren't crazy." She had no desire to get caught up with Jilliana, so she turned to leave. "Stay right there!" shouted Jilliana, walking down the steps and staring coldly at her. "Is this how you speak to your elders? It looks like you really were just pretending to be meek and subservient before! You're showing your true colors now that you're divorced!" Enrica's fists momentarily tightened at her sides before she relaxed again and smiled weakly. She laughed inwardly at her own stupidity. In the two years that she had been Jilliana's daughter-in-law, she had devoted herself to waiting respectfully on Jilliana. When Jilliana was diagnosed with uterine fibroids and subsequently underwent surgery last year, she remained by her bedside day and night, tirelessly taking care of her. However, what had that earned her in the end? Verbal abuse, humiliation, and ridicule. From beginning to end, none of the Zuckers had ever thought highly of her. She lowered her gaze. "When it comes to you, I'm certain that my conscience is clear." She spoke every word calmly, feeling almost numb to the pain in her heart. Just then, a silver-gray sports car suddenly came to a skidding stop in front of the villa. Miguel got out of the car and marched aggressively up to them. "Why are you coming here to pester us again, Enrica?" he asked coldly. "Why can't you just let up?" Enrica was stunned at his sudden appearance. She wanted to explain herself, but Miguel did not give her the opportunity and started lecturing her harshly. "You've been pestering me endlessly for the past few days. Do you think doing this will make me change my mind? Here I thought that you easily agreed to the divorce because you were willing to let me and Sheila be together, but I didn't expect it to be part of your stalling tactics instead! Your hypocrisy makes me sick!" Enrica paled, and she met his gaze directly. When she spoke, her voice trembled uncontrollably due to her anger. "Miguel Zucker! Do you think I'm someone who can't move on? Yes, I did love you before, but from the moment we walked out of the courthouse, I've never thought of looking back! What right do you have to slander me without properly understanding the situation?" Sheila, who had come over at some point, sighed lightly and said, "Considering that Miguel is such an outstanding person, it's perfectly normal that you're unable to move on from him, Ms. Schubert. But no matter what, you shouldn't bother Mrs. Zucker over something like this." After saying that, she walked over to Jilliana with a concerned expression on her face and asked gently, "Are you alright, Mrs. Zucker? You look very pale. Could it be your high blood pressure acting up again?" Jilliana liked Sheila very much as she was respectful and highly educated. She held Sheila's hand in hers and replied, "I'm alright. I was so angry with that little bitch that I gave myself a headache, but I'm feeling much better after seeing you." Sheila said guiltily, "It's our fault. If we had arrived earlier, you wouldn't have had to deal with such a huge grievance." Her voice was gentle, but her words were as sharp as knives, each one seemingly stabbing into Enrica and pinning her with unfounded charges. Miguel's expression turned uglier than ever, and he glared at Enrica while saying coldly, "Is this your goal? Are you only going to be satisfied once you've angered my mother so badly that her health suffers?" Enrica struggled hard to hold back her tears. She was tired—really tired—of the feeling that her attempts to explain herself never got anywhere. In the two years she had been married to Miguel, there had been countless such conversations, and they had always turned out like this. Miguel believed in everyone but her. It always seemed as if anyone and everyone was more qualified and of higher standing than her. All she had done was fall in love with someone and go into a marriage with a heart full of expectations. Why did she deserve to become so miserable in the end?