Chapter 4

The director of the orphanage started off by thanking Charlie and Zara. Tears formed in his eyes as he said, "If it weren't for Mr. Listford's support and Zara's hard work, our orphanage would not have made it this far." The screen lit up with pictures of Charlie and Zara. Charlie had given up a deal worth tens of millions so he could volunteer with Zara at the orphanage. He donated ten million to the charity foundation that he had started in her name. The hands that controlled the industry at his every beck and call were shown at a piano class, playing a duet with Zara. Yasmine sat in the audience as her face grew steadily paler. She felt like a rat stealing glances at other people's happiness. Just as she was about to lose her composure, the screen suddenly began to flicker. Suddenly, private pictures of Zara began to fill the screen. The pictures showed Zara in short, sexy dresses as she sat on the laps of many different men while dancing provocatively. There were pictures of her passing liquor to men through mouth-to-mouth and pressing up against them as she writhed seductively. Some of the tycoons in the pictures were well past their 50s. There were words typed out in a bloody font next to the pictures. "Zara Lane, the slut who ruins families!" "You'll die for trying to take my place as Mrs. Listford!" The room was silent enough for people to hear a pin drop. However, everyone could tell how badly edited those photos were. Yasmine froze, feeling her mind going blank. She could hear the twins scream from not too far away. "Ms. Zara!" Zara had almost fainted from how hard she was crying. Charlie exuded a terrifyingly chilly aura as he ripped the cord from the wall and carried Zara onto a long bench. He began to console her softly. However, the glare he shot at Yasmine was full of hatred. He began to approach her, and she began to stumble backward. She was forced to stop when his strong hand closed around her throat. He glared at her. "Why?" Yasmine was forced to look up at him, feeling her heart ache from both a lack of oxygen and heartbreak. She managed to choke out the words, "Don't you believe me?" He was the one who said he would stand up for her even if she destroyed the world. Perhaps the sorrow in her eyes finally woke him up, because he froze and eventually released his grip. Suddenly, Rachel crashed into his embrace with a red, tear-streaked face. Zachary pointed a finger at Yasmine as he said loudly, "Rach and I both saw her! It was Mom who tried to embarrass Ms. Zara!" Yasmine's face grew pale. She immediately said, "I didn't. They're lying." "Why would they lie?" Charlie said as his gaze became sharp once again. His hands were trembling as he continued, "Yasmine, what happened to you?" Before she could reply, Zara suddenly fainted. In his rush to get to Zara, Charlie shoved Yasmine aside, causing her to slam into the edge of the table. The scar on her lower stomach from the attack she had taken for Charlie suddenly began to burn with pain. The kids were next to her, but they simply stared at her coldly. "If it weren't for Mom, Ms. Zara wouldn't have fainted!" "Evil Mom! It's all her fault!" The very next second, they pushed over the catering table in front of Yasmine. The champagne tower immediately crashed to the floor as the wax from the candles dripped onto her arm, leaving a big ring of blisters on her skin. However, Charlie was too anxious in his rush to get Zara to the hospital. He was too preoccupied to even look back at Yasmine. … When Yasmine came to, she found herself in the sauna room of their house. It felt incredibly hot. She felt like she was roasting over an open fire. Fear filled her every pore as she watched the temperature on the thermometer slowly rise. She was dizzy from the heat and mustered up the strength to bang against the door, calling out, "Is anyone there? Open the door! Let me out!" However, all she heard was Zachary's evil giggle. "She shouldn't have done that to Ms. Zara! Let's turn it up all the way to 212°F and hear her beg for mercy." "What if Dad finds out?" Rachel asked, frowning. "Don't worry. Dad likes Ms. Zara so much that he'll be on our side for sure!" Yasmine's sweat mixed with her tears and dripped onto her dry, cracked lips. Her breathing was becoming faster and faster as her vision grew blurry. She was terrified of high temperatures. Their high school had caught on fire once. The thick, dark smoke had almost suffocated her to death. Amidst the bright flames, Charlie had run into the school to save her without caring about his own safety. His back was bloody from the flames burning his skin, but he still managed to smile as he dried her tears. "I just want you to be safe." The man who had once treasured her life like his own was now pushing her past the point of no return. Suddenly, her lower stomach clenched painfully, and she felt a warm gush of liquid rushing out of her. She finally couldn't stay upright any longer. Her bloody fingers dropped to the ground as she collapsed. There was so much blood around her that it began to seep out from under the door. Before she lost consciousness, she thought she heard a panicked, helpless voice calling out. The voice was hoarse from shouting her name. "Yasmine!"