Chapter 2

Was she crazy?

Watching Tiffany's ugly, greedy face, I almost laughed out loud.

How could someone just make up prices like that?

But before I could retort, my daughter was already crying hysterically, gasping for breath.

After all, I'm an adult, I can handle the psychological pressure.

But Lily was only three.

The whispers and accusations from the crowd, and all the judgmental stares, were too much for her small body to bear.

My daughter was crying uncontrollably, sobbing and clinging tightly to my leg.

"Mommy, I'm scared... let's go home... please, can we go home?"

My heart ached as I squatted down to hug my daughter, gently patting her back, constantly reassuring her.

It was then that a woman in a business suit, with long, wavy, tea-colored hair, walked in, carrying the latest Chanel bag.

As soon as she entered, she frowned.

"Tiffany, what's going on? All this shouting."

Seeing who it was, Tiffany immediately said proudly, "My husband is a CEO and he's too busy, so he sent his secretary, Scarlett, to help me!"

"You're finally here! This mother and daughter stole thousands of dollars worth of snacks from our store, and I just asked them to pay, but they not only refused, they tried to argue and accuse me of framing them! And they tried to hit me!"

The woman's face instantly darkened at her words.

She immediately walked to the surveillance screen, glanced at it, and pointed at several blurry, unidentifiable small figures at different time segments. She then turned to me and said,

"See for yourself, who else could this be but your daughter?"

"Wearing a pink jacket, with a ponytail, exactly like this little thief next to you. The evidence is conclusive, what more do you have to say?"

"Just pay the amount Tiffany asked for, or I'll have my boss, the owner of this street, kick you off this street and never allow you to step foot here again!"

I looked at the footage she pulled up and couldn't help but sneer.

That pink jacket looked nothing like my daughter's, except for being pink. And there were countless little girls with ponytails across the country.

Could they really condemn us based on such blurry footage?

Besides, during those time segments she pulled up, my daughter and I were on vacation in Bali!

I took a deep breath, just about to reveal my identity and tell them exactly whose property this street truly was, and expose that the woman wasn't my husband's secretary. But Tiffany suddenly stepped forward and shoved my daughter to the ground.

"Stop dragging your feet! Pay up, or I won't be so nice!"

My daughter fell, and the soft palm of her hand instantly scraped, leaving a trail of blood.

My rage instantly ignited.

I swung my hand and slapped Tiffany across the face.

"Who gave you permission to touch my daughter?"

She froze, stunned by the slap, then let out a piercing shriek that almost tore through the roof.

"You Bitch, who gave you permission to hit me?! I'll fight you to the death!"

With that, Tiffany waved her long, manicured nails, flailing her arms as she lunged at me.

But her hand didn't even touch me; I sidestepped, dodging her.

Tiffany lost her balance and fell to the ground, becoming even more furious.

"You dare to dodge?!"

"I can't touch you, but I can touch the little one! I'll rip her face to shreds! I'll make her just like you, learning bad habits at a young age! A thief when she's little, and a cheap hooker when she grows up!"

She yelled, reaching out again to grab my daughter.

My daughter cried even harder, terrified.

Seeing my daughter's pale face, I immediately shielded her behind me, my eyes as cold as ice as I looked at Tiffany.

"Try to touch her again."

"First, the amount you claim we stole keeps changing, from $1,500 to $100,000. Which is it? Are you playing some kind of price-gouging game?"

"Second, watch your language. My daughter picked up a chocolate. From the moment I realized it, I offered to pay. There was no attempt to avoid payment. What you're doing is extortion, plain and simple."

"I should be the one calling the police to arrest you!"

Tiffany's eyes darted nervously.