Chapter 4

Linda had always believed that I was the one shamelessly freeloading off Jason’s luxury car every day, while secretly trying to seduce her boyfriend.

How ridiculous.

As she spoke, Linda turned around and loudly announced to her friends, “Do you know how shameless this woman is?

“She clings to my boyfriend’s car every single day. We couldn’t get rid of her no matter what we did!

“I even put up a note telling her not to ride in my boyfriend’s car anymore, but she got furious and called the police, accusing my boyfriend of mistreating an employee.

“He had no choice but to protect the company’s reputation, so every day, he takes me to work first, then drives back to pick her up.

“I’ve never encountered such a shameless b*tch before!”

My eyes widened instantly.

No wonder Jason had been late every day recently.

He had secretly been picking up Linda first, then coming back for me.

What a joke.

‘Jason, you really did take me for a fool. Since you chose to play me, don’t blame me for what happens next!’

Right there, I pulled out my phone and called the company’s legal department.

“Get a team here immediately. Come to my Peach Blossom Villa—”

Before I could finish, Linda suddenly snatched my phone and smashed it onto the ground.

“You shameless woman! Why are you pretending to be so important?

“Your villa? Bullsh*t! This is my boyfriend’s place!”

Linda’s friends immediately joined in, looking at me with disgust.

“See? She’s exactly the kind of shameless woman we thought she was. She hasn’t even managed to marry into wealth, yet she’s already treating someone else’s villa like her own?”

“Some people are just that pathetic. The moment they see a rich man, they can’t wait to throw themselves at him. Disgusting!”

“Linda, you’re way too kind. If I were dealing with someone like her, I would’ve torn her mouth apart already!”

Linda became even more confident after she listened to them. She grabbed my collar and pulled me closer.

“Did you hear that? Everyone thinks you’re shameless.”

Then, her eyes suddenly fell on the jade pendant necklace around my neck. Her expression brightened.

“That necklace looks expensive. Did you get it by selling yourself to some rich guy?”

The moment she finished speaking, she yanked hard and ripped the necklace off my neck.

Linda was too fast and too forceful. Before I could react, the necklace was already in her hand.

My expression changed instantly. “Give it back!”

Linda sneered when she noticed how anxious I was. “You’re that desperate for it? Looks like this necklace is worth quite a lot.”

I panicked and quickly replied, “It’s not valuable, but it means a lot to me. Please, just give it back.”

I reached out to take it from her.

That jade pendant necklace was the protective charm my mother had obtained for me at the cost of her own life.

I had been weak and sickly since childhood. When I was four years old, I became critically ill and was hospitalized. I was unconscious for days.

The doctors told my parents to prepare for the worst.

My mother could not accept losing me, so she went to a temple to pray for my recovery.

To show her sincerity, she climbed the mountain in the scorching hundred-degree summer heat, kneeling and praying with every step from the foot of the mountain all the way to the top.

She continued until her knees were torn and bleeding, until the bones beneath her skin were almost visible, until her knuckles were covered in blood, and until she could barely stay conscious. Only then did she receive this jade pendant necklace.

Perhaps even Heaven was moved by my mother’s devotion.

The child who had been unconscious for so long miraculously woke up.

However, my mother became seriously ill because of it.

Before she passed away, she placed the necklace in my hands and told me to treasure it forever.

I treasured this necklace more than anything and had carried it with me everywhere since I was a child.

It was something my mother had traded her life for. It was what I cared most about in the world.

I would never allow anyone to lay a finger on it!

“The more you want it, the more I want to destroy it.”