Whenever I go out and encounter the elderly, I always help them cross the street, and whenever I spot beggars along the road, I give them money—so why must a mistress be labeled a vile person across the board?!

Blowing at my reddened hand, I kicked the door in a fit of resentment. Damn it, what absolute misfortune!

In a flash, my originally decent mood turned thoroughly wretched. Filled with a suffocating wave of irritation, I returned from fetching the water and headed straight to the hospital rooftop to get some fresh air.

The spring wind was incredibly fierce, its rough currents slicing against my skin until my face ached. Staring down at the endless stream of vehicles below, I fell into a silent daze. My thoughts were whipped into a chaotic mess by the wind, refusing to settle until a sudden voice shattered my contemplation from behind.

"What are you looking at? Does being called a homewrecker cut that deeply?"

Whipping around sharply, I met that devastatingly handsome, wicked face. Why was this man so incredibly frustrating?

Following me literally everywhere I went!

Julian leaned against the rooftop railing, casting a glance downward before letting out a soft click of his tongue. "Dozens of stories high; if you go down from here, you won't even secure a whole corpse."

Yanking unceremoniously at the back of my collar, he pulled my entire body backward, dragging me safely away from the edge of the rooftop. "I can't let anything fatal happen to you, you still owe me a massive amount of favors. Not just favors, but money too, along with that one encounter that was cut clean in half—" I quickly clamped my hand over his mouth. "That's enough."

Julian picked up on my foul mood, pulling out two cigarettes and offering one to me, which I refused to take.

Reaching into my bag to pull out cash, I muttered sullenly, "Double the amount, paying you back."

He simply stared at me, a gaze that left me slightly trance-like; a man like him honestly shouldn't possess eyes that looked so remarkably clear.

Julian let out a sharp chuckle. "Simply because you were labeled a vile woman? You aren't actually throwing a tantrum, are you, Chloe?" Taking a puff of his cigarette, he caught me by the wrist, exhaling the smoke lazily right across my face. "Since things have already reached this point, why not turn thoroughly corrupt? How about becoming a wicked woman who rides two boats at once?"

Extinguishing Julian's cigarette between my fingers, I stared straight into his eyes, offering a lazy smile. "Aren't you worried I might end up riding three boats at once, Mr. Julian?"

Julian's expression shifted instantly, turning a shade of green. Only after a long silence did he ground out through his teeth: "Staying by Christian's side offers zero future, you ought to know that."

Ah, urging me to wash my hands clean of this life.

Nodding with supreme gravity, I raised my eyes to meet his dark gaze. "I happen to be exactly this kind of person—stubborn to a fault." Pausing for a moment, I offered a half-smile. "Is Mr. Julian disappointed?"

Julian didn't take the bait. "The wind is pick up and the weather is about to turn, let's head downstairs."

Terrified that Christian wouldn't care for the hospital meals, I headed outside at noon to purchase food. Julian's crow-like mouth turned out to be entirely accurate; halfway through my journey, dark clouds gathered overhead, the sky turning completely grim as a downpour threatened to erupt. By the time I stepped out of the restaurant clutching the lunch, the rain was already falling in sheets.

Lacking an umbrella, many patrons were crowded at the restaurant entrance, waiting for the downpour to ease before departing. I leaned against a pillar on the side, waiting along with them.

I never expected to cross paths with an acquaintance at a juncture like this.

A woman dressed in a camel-colored trench coat shifted closer to my side, directing multiple intense stares at me before extending a hand. "You're Chloe, right?"

The woman possessed a decent face, though her makeup was incredibly heavy, adorned with exaggerated false eyelashes, the fine lines around her eyes betraying a hint of age. Her gaze scanned up and down my body, taking me in from head to toe. Before I could even recall her name, an instinctive wave of revulsion surged from the depths of my heart.

Her face paled slightly, annoyed by my failure to recognize her. "I'm Tiffany! We were in the same class back in middle school."

The timeline was rather distant. Racking my brain, the memory finally resurfaced—back in middle school, I had transferred into her class, completely usurping her title as the reigning class beauty.

Chapter 32: Looking for Trouble

No wonder she remembered me so clearly.

Tiffany looked down, fiddling with her glittering diamond ring, and curled her lips into a smile. "You've certainly changed quite a lot now."

During our years in the same class, the two of us never got along. Back then, I was a perfectly proper, good girl—attaining excellent grades, coming from a wealthy family, and possessing beautiful looks, always remaining a step ahead of her.

Displeased by this, she looked for trouble with me both openly and covertly, and her single greatest passion in life was tripping me up.

Later, I had no idea from where she discovered the news of my family's bankruptcy, my father's suicide, and soon after, my mother passing away from an illness. This girl still kept me on her mind, seizing the opportunity to come straight to my door and mock me ruthlessly, claiming my father was an economic criminal who committed suicide to escape punishment.

In an instant, the rumors spread across the entire school.

I offered a smile, the cool, light drizzle from outside brushing against my face as I stared down at the tips of my shoes. "It is quite a big change."

The woman lowered her volume, letting out an exclamation and nudging my shoulder with a look of intense admiration. "I heard you hooked up with an official?"

Her voice was naturally loud, and even though she had lowered her volume, the surrounding crowd could still hear her with absolute clarity. A fair amount of patrons were already gathered at the entrance initially, and following her remark, everyone turned their eyes toward me, each face displaying a colorful array of expressions.

Over a decade had passed, yet some individuals remained stubbornly unchanged; the moment you crossed paths again, they could still easily disgust you.

My expression remained unbothered as I raised my hand and shifted closer to her. Assuming I was about to strike her, she dodged backward, but I simply laughed. "Your false eyelashes fell off."

Tiffany let out a cold snort. "Why aren't you replying? I take it you've already been discarded." The moment she finished speaking, she waved a hand toward the outside, prompting a BMW to pull up at the entrance. Taking two steps out, she looked back at me, triumph and pity interweaving within her eyes. "No one is picking you up, right? Where are you heading? I can have my husband give you a ride!"

A few whispers erupted among the onlookers.

"That car must cost over a million, right?"

"Tsk, wealthy people..."

"It's the latest model, just hit the market, incredibly impressive..."

Hearing this, Tiffany tilted her head even higher, looking like a majestic peacock. Seeing that I remained completely unmoved, the corners of her lips curved up. "We're old classmates, don't be a stranger."

Her sheer arrogance was enough to make anyone grind their teeth in pure hatred.

What a pity, I could only grit my teeth and endure it today. After all, the man of my house was still staying inside the hospital.

It just so happened that the downpour began to ease, so I walked straight into the curtain of rain. Before I could take a few paces, someone called out my name. Before I could even react, a suit jacket was draped over my shoulders. Looking up, I saw a black umbrella overhead, with a starkly prominent, elegant hand gripping the handle, looking exceptionally beautiful.

Julian cast a side glance at me. "Satisfied?" He offered an explanation, "This time I truly was just passing by, I actually have legitimate business at the hospital today..."

"No need to explain." Casting a glance at Julian's far more extravagant vehicle parked nearby, I pressed my index finger against his lips. The man's lips were unexpectedly soft and warm, and I offered a sly smile, blinking my eyes. "Do me a favor?"

Julian's driver possessed excellent skills, colliding with absolute accuracy straight into that newly started BMW, while Julian's vehicle emerged completely unscathed.

Rolling down the car window, I elegantly rested my face in my hand to peer ahead. Tiffany and a heavily built man leaped out of the vehicle, bouncing on their feet with pure fury as the woman launched into a bitter, malicious tirade. "...Chloe, you did that on purpose, didn't you!"