Chapter 4

Ashley stared at me, her eyes gleaming with malice as she realized I wouldn't bow down. Suddenly, a sick smile spread across her face.

"Fine. Since you want to play the tough girl, I’m going to make sure you break."

"I'll teach you what happens when you mess with me."

Before I could react, two large bodyguards grabbed my arms and pinned me down.

No matter how much I struggled, I couldn't break free from their grip.

"What are you doing? This is a hospital! This is kidnapping!"

Lily tried to rush forward to help me, but Ashley stepped up and slapped her hard across the face.

"Birds of a feather flock together. Since you love this bitch so much, you can join her."

Before I could scream, a heavy blow landed on the back of my neck, and everything went black.

When I finally woke up, I was in the back of a moving vehicle. The bumpy road made my stomach churn, and the post-surgery pain in my finger made me break out in a cold sweat.

Looking out the window, I gasped. The luxury villa coming into view was all too familiar.

When the Vance family first brought me back, they had set me up in this villa. But because I felt incredibly uncomfortable around them, I had moved back to my own apartment after just a few days.

Ashley had actually brought us here.

Well, even better.

I wanted to see with my own eyes what exactly was going on.

Why my biological parents were parading Ashley around as their "only daughter" to the world.

The thought actually gave me a strange rush of adrenaline.

But as we stepped inside, I noticed how much the place had changed.

The once-empty living room was now littered with luxury designer bags, makeup, and clothes belonging to a young girl.

I looked around but didn't see Arthur or Beatrice Vance. Mr. Miller, the factory manager, looked even more disappointed than I was. He had clearly hoped to use this opportunity to kiss up to my biological parents.

The moment Ashley walked in, she plugged her nose and yelled to her staff,

"Open all the windows! Letting these lower-class trash in has made the air smell absolutely filthy."

I sneered, my eyes falling on her bandaged hand.

"I thought you only had hives. Did you manage to break your own bones too?"

Ashley’s expression instantly turned vicious. She gestured to her bodyguards.

Before I could move, the guards slammed me face-first onto the hard marble floor.

"Ashley! What do you think you're doing?!"

I thrashed wildly, but they held me down like a vice.

Mr. Miller stood by, watching. He opened his mouth to say something, but one look from Ashley’s cold eyes made him swallow his words.

She slowly walked over to me, looking down like a queen.

"If it weren't for your filthy blood, my skin wouldn't have broken out like this! You ask what I'm doing? I'm going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget."

Before the words fully left her mouth, she raised her hand and slammed a vicious slap across my face.

"Weren't you acting tough earlier?"

She gritted her teeth. "This slap is to teach you your place. To me, you are nothing but dirt."

My cheek burned like fire, and a loud ringing filled my ears.

She leaned down, whispering in my ear,

"If you dare to breathe a single word about what happened today to anyone, I will make sure you disappear. Try me."

The bodyguards looked at each other, but none of them dared to let go of me.

Mr. Miller’s face had gone completely pale. He stood frozen in the corner.

"Make me disappear?"

I turned my head, spitting a mouthful of blood right onto her expensive dress.

"Go ahead. Let's see if you actually have the balls to do it."

Ashley shrieked in horror, but before she could strike me again, a bodyguard stepped up and whispered something in her ear.

Her eyes lit up with a wicked gleam. "Oh, that is an excellent idea."

She pulled out her phone and started a TikTok Live.

Then, she gestured to the trembling Mr. Miller.

Mr. Miller hesitated, "Miss Vance... is this really a good idea? The legal repercussions..."

Ashley’s eyes went cold.

"What are you scared of? We’ll put a mask on you. Who’s going to recognize you?"

Frightened by her threat, Mr. Miller nodded quickly.

On her command, the bodyguards began violently ripping at my shirt.

I thrashed wildly. "This is a felony! Let go of me!"

Seeing Mr. Miller’s trembling hands reaching toward me, my stomach turned.

"Get away from me! Don't touch me!"

I gathered all my strength and kicked him hard in the shin.

Mr. Miller groaned in pain and stumbled backward.

Ashley, who was filming everything, stepped forward and slapped me twice more across the face.

"Behave yourself, you bitch!"

She barked at the bodyguards, who pinned my arms even tighter to the floor.

Under Ashley's glare, Mr. Miller put on a show for the camera, shouting,

"Oh, I love it when they fight back."

"If you're already selling your body for cash, stop pretending to be an innocent virgin!"

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