Chapter 2

Wendy's face slowly turned red with rage as she realized I was ignoring her.

I did not give her a chance to speak as I stood up, "Alright. If there's nothing else, the meeting is adjourned."

Everyone stood up at once and gathered their things as if fleeing a disaster.

"Nobody moves!" Wendy slammed her palm on the table before pointing at my face. "Cheshire, you need to know your place! Joey hasn't said anything yet! What gives you the right to end the meeting?!"

She turned to Joey and gave him a gentle shove. "Joey, show them you're the chairman."

Joey looked as if someone had put a knife to his throat. Trembling, he walked over with his voice shaking as if he were about to cry. "Cheshire... I'm sorry..."

Wendy looked as though she had been humiliated. She grabbed Joey's arm and raised her voice. "Why are you apologizing to her?! You're the heir to Shaw Group! Why are you afraid of one woman?"

Joey pulled his arm from her grip.

"Shut up!" He roared the words, then carefully studied my expression as he said, "Cheshire, Wendy knows nothing. I promise this will never happen again..."

Wendy froze for a moment, then seemed to realize something. "Joey, has she been using her position as your older sister to bully you? It's okay. I'll decide for you. If you can't say it, I will."

She turned back to me, once again acting all smug. "Cheshire, I'll let today's behavior slide because you're Joey's older sister, but mark my words. Your simple days at the company are over. You can either marry Ryan without making trouble, or..."

She paused, her lips curving into a cruel smile. "I'll make you the third wife of that fifty-year-old CEO from the Lewis family. I heard he beat his last wife until she was partially paralyzed. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

I watched her in silence.

Malice flashed across Wendy's face. "I'm the Shaw family's daughter-in-law and the future head of this family. Everything I do is for the good of the Shaw family. You're only a daughter who'll marry into someone else's family, so you'd better show me some respect. Otherwise, I'll make sure you have no family to come home to after the marriage!"

The others from the management lowered their heads and hurried out, afraid of getting caught in the middle of the war.

Joey covered her mouth and dragged her toward the door. "Cheshire, I'm so sorry. I'll get her out of here right now, and I'll never let her come to the company and bother you again!"

Wendy fought him, her eyes blazing with hatred. She had expected everyone to fawn over her and put her on a pedestal so that she could secure her place as the Shaw family's daughter-in-law. Instead, she was dragged out like some trash.

I didn't even spare her a glance as I walked away, though I could feel her gaze burning into my back.

Someone like Wendy wasn't worth another thought.

If she ever married into the Shaw family, I would admit defeat.

-

The next day was my mother's birthday party.

The Riverview Hotel, which belonged to the Shaw family, was closed to the public for the evening. The party would be held in the ballroom on the top floor.

Almost every prominent figure in Central City attended.

While the guests drank and mingled downstairs, I sat in a lounge, flipping through a project proposal. The door suddenly burst open. A man in a tacky red suit stumbled inside, reeking of alcohol.

It was Ryan, the Lane family's second son.