Chapter 2

I was so enraged by Maverick''s entitled tone that I laughed. "No matter how frugal I am, I don''t have a habit of picking up other people''s leftovers. Just like that cake, you''ve already been used by Emma. I don''t want you anymore."

Maverick''s brows furrowed. "Ophelia, weren''t you the one who was so desperate to marry me? You were the one who said that if your mom didn''t see you get married, she wouldn''t be at peace."

The mention of my mother sent a wave of grief surging through me.

If she''d still been alive, I would''ve endured anything. But she was gone now.

Maverick suddenly grabbed my arm and started dragging me outside. "Fine, let''s go tell Layla right now that we''re getting married. That should put her at ease, right?"

I struggled, but he forced me into the car and drove toward the hospital.

What kind of expression would he have when he got there and found out my mother had passed away?

Shock? Disbelief? Or would he actually feel sorrow?

He had lost his mother at a young age. His stepmother had never cared for him, and his father treated him like he was invisible.

After we got together, my mother had felt sorry for him for the hardships he had endured as a child. She had treated him like her own son.

She hadn''t hesitated before giving him her entire life''s savings when he''d started his business and lacked funds. She''d always been worried he''d overwork himself, so she''d often cooked for him and made the soups he loved.

Because of this, he had always respected and cared for my mother. I''d once thought we could live a simple and happy life like that forever.

But everything had changed after Emma returned from abroad.

Even when my mother was seriously ill, the number of times Maverick had visited her in the hospital could be counted on one hand.

Halfway through the drive, the distinct ringtone belonging to Emma rang out once again.

Maverick immediately answered, his voice softening without him realizing it. "Emma, what''s wrong?

"What? Stay where you are, I''ll be right there!"

He slammed on the brakes so suddenly that I lurched forward, my forehead smacking against the dashboard, sending a searing pain through my head.

Before I could even react, he unbuckled my seatbelt and shoved me out of the passenger seat. "Emma got into a car accident. I need to go to her right now."

I grabbed onto the car door and stared at him. "Maverick, how long has it been since you last visited my mom?"

A flicker of guilt flashed across his face, but he quickly masked it with anger. "Emma just got into an accident, and all you can think about is competing with her? Layla would never be as cold-blooded as you—she would understand!"

I roared, "No, she wouldn''t! Because she''s alrea—"

Before I could finish, he pried my fingers off the door and sped away, leaving me standing there, stunned.

Not long after, Emma updated her social media. "Injured my hand in a car accident. Luckily, he was the first one to rush to my side."

In the video, there was only a tiny scrape on the back of her hand. It was barely even a scratch, and there wasn''t even a single drop of blood.

Meanwhile, Maverick was running around anxiously, registering her at the hospital and arranging for her to see a doctor. The concern in his eyes was practically spilling out of the screen.

A bitter smile crept onto my lips.

For him, my mother and I weren''t even worth one of Emma''s fingers.

I turned and started walking toward the cemetery. It took me three full hours to reach my mother''s grave.

Kneeling before her tombstone, I finally lost control. Tears streamed down my face.

"Mom, I''m sorry. I misjudged him. And because of me, you wasted your kindness on the wrong person… Since he''s this ungrateful, I won''t let him have it easy."

I picked up my phone and dialed a number.

"I agree to sell my 20% stake for 30 million dollars."