Chapter 3

"Seraphina, what the hell is wrong with you!"

Julian snapped back to reality, wiping the red wine from his face, trembling with rage.

His face was flushed with anger, but his flickering eyes couldn't hide his guilt.

Before I could question him further, Mr. Davies, the chief lawyer from a rival firm, incited the crowd's anger:

"Security! Why are you letting any crazy person in here!"

"This is a top-tier legal networking event. Who do you think you are, impersonating Mrs. Julian and slandering our Mr. Julian?"

"You're deliberately damaging someone's reputation. Apologize now!"

The junior lawyers, eager to follow suit, chimed in:

"You've come to the wrong place to throw a tantrum! We deal with law here. There are plenty of legal ways to sue you!"

"Mr. Julian is too kind to bother with you, but we must uphold justice!"

I let out a sarcastic laugh, looking at Julian:

"You want to 'bother with me'?"

"Setting everything else aside, Mr. Big-Shot Lawyer, living together as husband and wife, that de facto marriage, it already constitutes bigamy. You wouldn't be unaware of that, would you?"

"Just now you said 'fifth wedding anniversary,' that could get you two years, you know!"

Chloe's eyes instantly welled up, and she shrank into my husband's arms, looking pitiful:

"Sera, please don't make trouble for Julian. It's all my fault..."

Seeing Chloe's teary-eyed look, Julian immediately flared up, giving me a cold warning:

"Seraphina, what nonsense are you talking about bigamy? Get home, now!"

That phrase, "Get home," made everyone present smell gossip, and they began to scrutinize me with renewed curiosity.

I scoffed:

"Afraid your fake wife can't handle the truth?"

"Sera! Even though your mother worked for Julian's family and took care of him since he was little, you're going too far!"

Chloe raised her voice, righteous indignation coloring her tone.

"Even if you like Julian, he and I have a baby on the way! Please, stop trying to ruin my family, I'm begging you!"

"I felt sorry for you and got you a job at the firm. Why are you so ungrateful?"

I was stunned, utterly bewildered. Weren't those *my* lines?

Chloe had no shame!

Julian, seeing the suspicion in everyone's eyes, added solemnly:

"I always kept my distance from Seraphina. I never imagined she'd be so shameless, causing a scene like this. I apologize for the embarrassment!"

"Seraphina, if you keep this up, don't blame me for firing you and kicking you out of my house!"

It was then that everyone finally dismissed their doubts, whispering amongst themselves:

"So she's the Julian family's housekeeper? No wonder she said 'get home' earlier."

"She looks decent, but she's just a gold-digger trying to sleep her way to the top! Spreading rumors about Mr. Julian's bigamy, she's got a death wish."

"Women like that will do anything to climb the ladder, forget selling themselves, they'd disown their own parents."

Listening to these words, I playfully looked at Chloe, whose smile grew increasingly stiff.

To be insulted directly and still manage to smile, Chloe was quite something.

I nodded, giving Chloe a disdainful look:

"You're absolutely right. People like that will disown their own parents to climb the ladder!"

"Chloe, wouldn't you agree?"

"What did you say when you first seduced Julian, got thrown out by his family, and begged me to take you in?"

"Is marrying my husband and bearing his child your way of repaying me?"