Chapter 6

Samantha didn't even get the chance to ask the man who he was. After she fully regained her mental faculties, she instantly appointed a lawyer to bring that evidence to the police. The next day, Samantha's housekeeper was feeding her some oatmeal when there was a commotion outside the door. Seconds later, Hector ignored the hospital staff's attempts to stop him and kicked the ward door open. He then barged inside like a madman, a grim-looking Raymond close behind him. "Samantha! How could you file a lawsuit against Tiffany?" Staring at the man who had grown up alongside her, all she felt was a deep sense of unfamiliarity. "I simply reported the case to the police. As for them bringing in the suspect for questioning, that's within their job responsibilities. Then again, judging from how anxious you are, I can assume you know better than I whether she truly is innocent or not." Utterly infuriated, Hector roared, "You clearly know that once news of this gets out, Tiffany will still be affected even if she's innocent! She'll lose the audition chance that she so painstakingly got! She's your younger sister; how could you do this to her?" Disgust had Samantha retching as she replied, "I've never accepted her as my sister. Besides, after Mom and Dad's deaths, didn't you kick me out of the family and announce to the world that I was no longer a Norton? How fucking dare you morally blackmail me now!" She ordered her bodyguard to throw her so-called brother out, then turned to Raymond, who had remained silent thus far. "Are you also standing on Tiffany's side?" Raymond hesitated for several seconds before answering lowly, "Tiffany is simply naive and immature. Don't ruin her life." Samantha's eyes gradually reddened as she stared at him. "Raymond Holt, is she truly worth you abandoning your principles?" When the man she used to love with all her heart nodded, despair washed over her. "I'm simply seeking justice for what I suffered. As for you, you can do whatever you like. I hope you'll never regret this." At the police station, Samantha was brought in in a wheelchair, and all relevant people to the case had been summoned. In the interrogation room, Tiffany was dressed in a white dress. Without any makeup, her usual delicate and sweet image was gone, transforming her into a frail porcelain doll instead. "Sammy." Upon seeing Samantha, Tiffany instantly lunged over to kneel before her. Samantha shoved her away and instead turned to look at the lawyer behind Tiffany. He held the confession statement of the staff member who had tampered with the brakes and a suitcase of cash. There were also several other employees from the racetrack present to serve as witnesses. In that moment, Samantha knew they had come prepared. "Tiffany, don't worry. Everything will be fine." Hector had a distressed look on his face as he protected her. It was the exact same expression he had whenever a young Samantha made a mistake and he stepped forward to take the blame. Once upon a time, this older brother of hers had loved and spoiled her like there was no tomorrow. Now, he had reserved the softest spot in his heart for Tiffany. As they went through the necessary legal procedures, the employee who had tampered with the brakes insisted that he was just an overzealous fan who had done it to Samantha to get revenge for Tiffany. In the end, Tiffany was pronounced innocent. After exiting the police station, Raymond immediately called for a press conference. Tiffany's assistant, Martha, said, "Oh, Tiffany, you truly had me scared half to death. A lot of reporters are here today to see the conclusion of the case." Tiffany couldn't stop the triumphant smirk from curling her lips as she glanced at Samantha in the wheelchair. "Well, though things didn't turn out as a certain someone wanted, I still lost that role…" "It doesn't matter. Every cloud has a silver lining." Martha busied herself with putting on Tiffany's makeup. "Be sure to say the right thing when the reporters arrive later, okay?" When it was time for the reporters to ask their questions, Tiffany once again played the innocent victim card. However, there was one question that instantly drew everyone's attention. "Ms. Jensen, does Mr. Goodwin know about this incident? Did he send you a message of comfort?" Tiffany swiftly blushed a bright red. "How could you ask that? After such a major incident, I can only hope he doesn't hate me. After all, my image is at rock bottom now." She had barely finished speaking when the doors to the hall were pushed open. "Ms. Jensen, in honor of your innocence being proven, Mr. Goodwin has gifted you these as a small token of his intentions." Following that, the multitude of boxes were opened, revealing precious gems, contracts to attend top entertainment shows, and endorsement deals for various luxury brands. The cameras in the hall wouldn't stop flashing. "Mr. Goodwin sure is a romantic." "At the previous press conference, he easily invested 200 million dollars just so Tiffany could get the role of lead actress. Now, to comfort her, he once again spends an exorbitant amount of money. Seems like Tiffany is destined to marry into a wealthy family." The press conference devolved into an opportunity for Raymond to show the world just how much he loved Tiffany. Some of the reporters were shooting Samantha sympathetic looks. She was clearly the victim in this incident, yet in the end, she became nothing but a joke. Telling her assistant that she wanted to be alone in the lounge, she silently wheeled herself forward. She gently picked up the phone Caleb had left her. It seemed only he cared about her now. "Caleb Sharp, just what are you hiding from me? Can I trust you?" she wondered. A voice piped up behind her, interrupting her thoughts. "You're alone here, Sammy?" Tiffany truly was like an unwanted piece of gum, sticking to Samantha even when she didn't want her to. After glancing around and confirming they were alone, she allowed her true colors to show. "Why are you still pretending? Hector already told me that you plan on retiring from the industry and heading overseas with nothing to your name!" Her voice was soft yet struck like pinpricks of needles. "Your dad lost to mine, so it's only natural that you would lose to me as well." Samantha's head whipped up. "What do you mean?" "What do I mean?" With a wolfish smile, Tiffany continued in a sinister tone, "Did you really think the accident back then was truly just an accident? My dad slept with your mom–" Yet, she didn't finish her sentence as she abruptly grabbed a cup nearby and splashed the contents on her own face. Then, she slumped to the floor and started crying so hard that her shoulders shook. Less than five seconds later, Raymond appeared, having been drawn by the commotion. "I'm so sorry, Sammy…" Tiffany bit her lip. "I shouldn't have come to apologize…" Subsequently, Hector and some reporters also arrived. Once again, Samantha was at the receiving end of the crowd's disdainful looks, just like she had been ten years ago. "Samantha Norton!" Hector bellowed. "Are you venting your anger on Tiffany because you failed to slander her?" The onlookers began talking to each other in not-so-soft voices, their words hurtling toward Samantha like bullets. "This truly is a ridiculous farce. In what world does it make sense for an older sister to sue her younger sister?" "That's so true. That employee probably couldn't stand Samantha's behavior, and that's why he did what he did. I heard that Samantha only got to where she is today thanks to underhanded measures." Samantha was at a loss for words, unsure of what she could say in response to such despicable slander. She had long since learned that the stupidest thing someone could do was try to prove their innocence. Hence, she wheeled herself toward Tiffany before slapping her with as much force as she could muster. "You bitch!" Seizing Tiffany by the hair, she yelled furiously, "I, Samantha Norton, have never needed to throw a glass of water at someone. Besides, a slap suits you much better!" With that, she gestured for her assistant and housekeeper to take her out of there. Before leaving, she looked over her shoulder and realized that Raymond had already lost all composure and stepped forward to comfort Tiffany. Samantha's fists tightened further at the sight. At the underground parking lot, Samantha had only just gotten in the car when another person forcefully squeezed their way inside. Raymond looked murderous as he seized her by the throat. The sheer force he was exerting was as though he wanted to strangle her to death. "Samantha!" He took several deep breaths, fighting hard to control his murderous impulse, before letting her go. Immediately, Samantha burst into a fit of violent coughing as she gasped for air. "You want revenge? Go on then, hire someone to slap me a hundred times!" Raymond froze in surprise, the color draining from his face. Did she already know?