Chapter 1

Over the weekend, I went with my best friend to one of the premium auto shops owned by my company to get her car serviced. Just as we were about to leave, someone stopped me and ordered me to wipe down her car.

I explained that I didn't work there, but she got angry anyway. She flipped a 10-cent coin at my face.

"Consider it an honor that I'm letting you wash my car. A broke girl like you has probably never even seen a luxury car in her life! I'm trying to broaden your horizons, and you're not even grateful?"

I shot back, "You're right. I've never met a car owner who can only spare 10 cents. Consider my horizons broadened."

She exploded on the spot. "Do you even know who I am? The chairman of the Penzo Group is my mother-in-law! Scared now?"

I paused for a beat, then calmly called Leo Penzo.

"I hear your mother went behind my back and found you a new wife?"

Chapter 1

I had just stepped out of the lab when my best friend Carmen Ramsay called.

"Samantha, come with me to the North District premium auto shop. The car I sent in two days ago is ready, and we can grab a meal afterward."

I suddenly remembered that the acquisition task my mother assigned me for the Lestade HQ was also in the North District, so I agreed without hesitation.

"Sure, I'm on my way."

A few minutes later, we met at the shop.

While Carmen handled the paperwork, I stood by the entrance, bored and waiting for her.

"Hey, you there." A voice came from somewhere behind me.

I turned and saw a woman in a flashy short skirt, her makeup so shiny it might as well reflect light. She lifted her chin at me.

Pointing at a brand-new red sports car beside her, she barked, "Wash my car. Now."

My brows knit instinctively, and I explained, "I don't work here."

She let out a cold laugh, rummaged through her designer purse for a long moment, then pulled out a single 10 cent coin and tossed it at me.

The coin bounced lightly off me and clattered onto the ground with a crisp ring.

"Consider it an honor that I'm letting you wash it!"

She jabbed a finger so close it nearly hit my nose, her spit flying with every word.

"Look at you—you look dirt poor. Have you even touched the steering wheel of a car like this in your life? I'm trying to broaden your horizons, and you're not grateful?"

People around us immediately stopped to watch. Those who didn't know what was happening pointed at me and whispered.

"Is she trying to scam her? She picked the wrong target today."

"Look at her—she's dressed like a janitor."

"Maybe she's cosplaying."

…

I had rushed out too quickly, still wearing faded everyday clothes and old sneakers. I definitely stood out among all these luxury cars, but I had no intention of explaining myself.

Carmen finished her paperwork and saw a crowd forming around me. Her expression darkened, and she was about to rush over when I stopped her with a look.

I bent down and picked up the dusty coin from the ground.

Holding it between my fingers, I met the woman's provocative stare. "You're right. I've never seen anything like this. Especially a car owner who can only spare 10 cents for a car wash. I've truly… learned something new today."

Chapter 2

The woman in the gaudy short skirt flushed an angry shade of red right before my eyes.

"What the hell did you just say?!"

She let out a furious roar and lunged at me, grabbing a fistful of my collar.

"Got a sharp tongue, don't you? Do you even know who I am? How dare you talk to me like that?"

She shoved me hard against the red sports car, my back slamming into the cold metal.

Instead of getting angry, I laughed. "First, I have zero interest in who you are. Second, this is a lawful society, and what you're doing right now counts as assault."

But she burst into crazed laughter.

"I'm Lily Jenkins, and here in Grebour City, I am the law!"

I stared at her, speechless. Someone had clearly read too many melodramatic novels.

Still, the name Lily Jenkins did ring a faint bell.

My silence only seemed to fuel her arrogance. She pointed to a tiny speck of dirt on the car's hood, her smile twisting into something vicious.

"Scared now? Good. Then use your tongue and lick this spot clean. Maybe—maybe—if I'm in a good mood, I won't hold this against you."

The crowd erupted into poorly stifled laughter.

"Now this is going to be a show!"

"A poor girl going head-to-head with a rich heiress—amazing!"

"Hurry and record it. Post it online—this might go viral."

Even the auto shop salespeople didn't intervene. Instead, they whispered among themselves, eyes full of mockery and disdain.

To them, it was obvious who deserved to be trampled—the rich girl stepping out of a multi-million-dollar sports car, or the plainly dressed girl in faded clothes.

Seeing me stare at her expressionlessly only inflated Lily's vanity further. She leaned close to my ear, lowering her voice in what she thought was triumphant whispering.

"Wendy Penzo, Chairman of the Penzo Group—ever heard of her? She's my future mother-in-law. Grebour City's Penzo family. Ring any bells?

"If you offend me, you offend the entire Penzo family. Get on your knees and lick my car clean, and maybe I'll let you go."

Wendy Penzo… wasn't that my mother-in-law? She was the mother of my husband, Leo Penzo—the man I had been married to for three years.

And now I remembered: Lily was the "girl next door" he often mentioned. He once said I couldn't compare to even half a finger of hers. I never expected this was the face behind those words.

Expression blank, I lifted my hand and pushed away the grip she had clamped on my shoulder.

"I've never heard that Wendy had a daughter-in-law like you."

Her gaze darted around, panic flashing in her eyes.

Then I pulled out my phone and dialed a number in full view of everyone.

"I should ask her son, Leo Penzo, whether he recognizes you as his wife."

The call connected; background noise filtered through the receiver.

I spoke into the phone, my voice calm and devoid of emotion.

"Honey. I heard your mother went behind my back and found you a new wife?"

Chapter 3

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line. Then an unfamiliar male voice came through.

"Miss Johnson, hello. I'm Mr. Penzo's secretary. Mr. Penzo is currently in a very important meeting and is unable to take your call.

"Moreover, Mr. Penzo previously instructed that during meetings, your calls are not to be forwarded under any circumstances.

"If you have something to discuss, please wait until his meeting concludes."

Without giving me a chance to respond, he hung up cleanly and decisively.

Beep… beep… beep…

Seeing this, Lily immediately convinced herself I had been bluffing, and fury overtook her.

"Still trying to scare me, you bitch?!" She screamed with rage, her face twisted by the force of it.

"Someone get over here! Hold her down! Today, I'll make her lick this whole damn car clean!"

The two bodyguards in black behind her moved at once.

They seized my arms—one on each side—their grips as unyielding as iron clamps, pinning me in place.

"Samantha!" Carmen cried out and tried to rush to me, but another bodyguard who had been standing nearby shoved her hard to the floor.

She gasped, landing heavily, pain beading sweat across her forehead. For a moment, she couldn't even stand.

Just then, hurried footsteps approached.

Shawn Hartman, the manager of the auto shop—a middle-aged man in his forties—jogged toward us.

He took in the tense scene with a quick glance. The second his eyes landed on Lily, his anxious expression melted instantly into a fawning, almost groveling smile.

"Oh! Miss Jenkins! What brings you here?"

He bowed and scraped in greeting, then abruptly spun toward me, barking sharply.

"Who do you think you are, daring to offend Miss Jenkins here? Do you not want to survive in Grebour City?"

At his cue, several security guards rushed over and surrounded us completely, sealing off every escape.

He jabbed a finger at my face and delivered his verdict in a self-righteous roar.

"Girl, I don't care who you are. Right now, you're going to lick Miss Jenkins's car and apologize! Otherwise, believe it or not, I'll have the guards break your legs and throw you out!"

The security guards cracked their knuckles and advanced step by step, eyes filled with menace.

Chapter 4

Just as one of the security guards reached out, ready to shove my head down onto the hood of the red sports car, the glass doors of the auto shop swung open from the outside.

Walking in was my mother-in-law, Wendy—and behind her, my husband, Leo.

The moment Lily saw them, her arrogance vanished, replaced instantly by joy and obsequious flattery. She let go of me at once and hurried forward, looping her arm through Wendy's as she began to complain.

"Wendy! Leo! You came just in time!

"Look at this blind fool! Not only did she insult the Penzo family, but she tried to smash my car!

"I was just about to teach her a lesson—show her what the Penzo family is capable of!"

She twisted the truth without a shred of shame, piling every bit of blame onto me.

My mother-in-law's expression darkened to pitch black.

She had always despised me for my ordinary background—for being a 'useless' researcher she believed unworthy of her son. In the past three years, she had never once shown me a pleasant face.

She immediately exploded.

"Samantha! Know your place! You've embarrassed the entire Shen family, you country bumpkin! Apologize to Lily right now!"

But I didn't look at her. My eyes passed over the crowd and settled on Leo's face.

This man I had loved for three years.

I hoped—naively, perhaps—for even a single sentence spoken in my defense.

But he only stood behind his mother, gaze evasive, refusing to meet my eyes.

In that instant, my heart went cold.

Three years of marriage. Three years of sacrifice.

I stayed in Grebour City for him, gave up everything in Jezy City, and willingly worked as an obscure researcher in a lab.

I believed marriage meant standing together through wealth or hardship—being each other's strongest support despite the world's noise.

But it turned out… that was only my wishful thinking.

In the face of his family's interests and their so-called pride, I was worth nothing.

Suddenly, I laughed—loud and uncontrollably.

My laughter stunned everyone.

Wendy bristled, unsettled by the sound. Her face twisted with shame-fueled anger.

"What are you laughing at?!" she roared, her voice distorted by rage. "You gold-digger! If not for our family, you wouldn't even eat—what right do you have to laugh?!"

I slowly stopped laughing, my expression going eerily calm.

"I'm laughing," I said, enunciating each word, "because you mistake trash for treasure."

Wendy's face froze.

I continued, "Wendy, you've always wondered how a 'poor researcher' like me could afford a standalone villa in Starlit Bay for our wedding home, haven't you?"

I turned my head toward the now-pale, trembling Shawn.

"Go."

My voice wasn't loud, but carried an unmistakable command.

"Turn on the largest LED display in your showroom. Connect it to my phone."

Overwhelmed by my aura, he obeyed almost instinctively despite his confusion.

Moments later, the massive LED screen in the center of the showroom lit up.

Displayed was a freshly completed online contract.

Everyone's attention shifted toward it.

The contract title appeared in bold, striking characters.

It was an acquisition agreement for the exclusive general agency rights of a luxury auto brand.

Under "Acquiring Party" was a graceful, elegant signature: Samantha Johnson.