Nevaeh's expression suddenly turned icy.
Ever since her grandmother passed away, it felt like a wound had been carved open in her heart.
The pain inside her chest quickly twisted into anger when she heard those mocking words.
Noticing Nevaeh's silence, the woman continued, her tone dripping with cruelty.
"Oh, I forgot, you're an orphan with no family. You only had your grandmother. Is it because she died… Ah! What are you doing? It stinks!"
Before the woman could finish, Nevaeh lifted the mop in her hand and shoved it straight toward her mouth.
If her mouth was filthy, then Nevaeh would help her clean it.
Screams and curses broke out all around.
Normally, Nevaeh could endure the woman's insults. But making fun of her grandmother's death, that was crossing the line!
The commotion drew the store manager, who rushed over. Seeing the scene before him, his face froze in shock.
The usually quiet and gentle Nevaeh was acting fierce, almost unrecognizable.
"Nevaeh, what are you doing? Let go!" the manager shouted angrily.
Nevaeh released the mop, letting it clatter to the floor.
The woman pointed pitifully at the water dripping down her face and whined,
"Manager, you have to help me! She used a dirty mop from the bathroom to cover my mouth!"
The manager frowned in disgust, stepping back as if the sight itself offended him.
"Nevaeh, what's going on here? Bullying your coworker? Do you even want to keep your job?"
Nevaeh raised her head, her eyes sharp.
"I bullied her? Do you have proof?"
"I clearly saw... "
"My uniform was cut, my lunchbox thrown away, my bus card stolen, and even the medicine I prepared was deliberately swapped out. When she bullied me, did you ever step in to help?"
The manager faltered, but quickly recovered.
"That's just your side of the story. This time, I saw you bullying Henley with my own eyes. Apologize to her and compensate her, or I'll have to fire you."
"I don't need you to fire me. I'm quitting!"
Nevaeh quickly tore off her uniform and threw it to the ground, turning to leave.
But as she turned, her path was blocked.
"Pay two thousand dollars, or you're not leaving here."
"Not a chance," Nevaeh snapped.
Why should she hand over her hard-earned money to these petty people?
For three years, she had endured their bullying, both openly and secretly. Now, after standing up for herself once, they wanted money from her?
Impossible.
"Not going to pay? Then hold her down and throw her in the pool. Let's see if she changes her mind."
At those words, Nevaeh immediately pulled out a silver needle, ready to fight.
But just as she was about to strike, a sharp voice cut through the chaos.
"What's going on here?"
A cold-faced man in a wheelchair appeared, his deep voice surprisingly pleasant to the ear.
Nevaeh froze for a moment, startled by Cassius's sudden arrival.
Still, she answered honestly,
"She insulted my grandmother, so I stuffed a mop in her mouth. Now she wants two thousand dollars as compensation."
At that, Cassius extended his hand behind him.
Frank quickly pulled out a thick stack of cash and placed it in Cassius's palm.
"Cassius, you…"
Nevaeh frowned, unsure of what he was planning to do, but before she could say more, he silenced her with a look.
His gaze swept coldly over Henley.
"You want compensation?"
Henley froze. She had never seen such a handsome man with such a commanding aura.
For a moment, she was stunned before quickly nodding.
"An apology and the money are both yours."
An apology in exchange for a thousand dollars?
That was three times her monthly paycheck.
Without hesitation, Henley turned toward Nevaeh and muttered,
"I'm sorry."
Cassius tossed the money onto the floor.
As Henley bent down to pick it up, a furious voice roared, "Take both of them and dunk them in the pool to wake them up!"
Girard appeared, grabbing one with each hand.
Screams rang out.
Ten seconds later, two soaked and trembling people were thrown at Cassius's feet.
"Acquire this pharmacy. Fire them all," Cassius commanded.
Frank immediately stepped forward to handle it.
The drenched manager staggered to his feet, glaring. "Who do you think you are? This is a chain pharmacy! My brother-in-law is the manager here, you can't just kick me out! I'll call him right now!"
Before he could dial, a sharply dressed man walked in. "Mr. Cassius, I'm the HR manager of this chain. I apologize. From now on, this pharmacy belongs to you. We'll replace everyone you want."
Frank pointed at the manager and Henley.
"These two, along with the pharmacy manager, are fired. The rest can stay."
"Understood!"
Cassius wore a cold expression as he pulled Nevaeh's arm, leading her out of the pharmacy.
Though she didn't understand why he had suddenly appeared, he had helped her just moments ago, so Nevaeh decided to speak up. "Thank you."
In the next moment, Cassius turned around, his already icy face growing even colder. "Don't forget your place. Acting like this only brings shame to the family."
Nevaeh's smile faded.
So, he was just worried about losing face.
"You were the one who chose to help me," Nevaeh replied, lifting her gaze, her stubbornness tinged with hurt.
Cassius's hawk-like eyes fixed on her.
This woman really didn't know how to appreciate kindness. He had just helped her, yet she acted like a porcupine, all prickly and defensive.
He tightened his grip around the jade bracelet in his palm.
He was here at his grandfather's request, to return the ancestral jade bracelet to Nevaeh, a symbol of her status as Mrs. Bennett.
However, judging by her reaction, it seemed she had no intention of accepting that title at all.
Earlier, he thought she was just playing hard to get, but now it was clear she genuinely wanted a divorce.
If it weren't for his grandfather's health, he wouldn't even spare her a glance.
"Unappreciative!"
After Cassius left, Frank kindly tried to console her. "Madam, why bother? The young master still cares about you."
Nevaeh scoffed with disdain. "What he cares about is his own pride."
Leaving the pharmacy, Nevaeh was unsure of where to go.
She initially thought about going back to rest, but the memory of Cassius's cold face made her hesitate.
Maybe it was better to wait until nightfall.
Thinking about the innovation competition, she decided to head to the library to look for relevant books.
Just as she was about to catch a ride, a figure suddenly blocked her path.
Seeing Cyrille's face, Nevaeh pretended not to notice and turned to walk away.
But her arm was suddenly grabbed. "Nevaeh, we need to talk."
Nevaeh pulled her arm away in disgust. "What's there to talk about with you? Go find your girlfriend and leave me alone."
"Are you jealous?"
Nevaeh laughed in anger. "Jealous of someone like you? How blind would I have to be?"
"Nevaeh, I know you're upset with me. I shouldn't have hidden my relationship with Noreen from you, but it's not entirely my fault. She stood in front of me, completely naked. I'm still a man; who could resist that kind of temptation?"
Nevaeh let out a cold laugh. "You really know how to make excuses for your pathetic nature, Cyrille. Not all men are driven by their lower instincts."
"I admit I was wrong, Nevaeh. You can hate me all you want, but you betrayed me by marrying my brother. Let's not judge each other; we're even now, okay?" Cyrille reached out to grab Nevaeh's arm. "Nevaeh, let's team up. Once my brother wakes up, he'll take everything from the family. Will you help me?"
So he was just trying to use her.
Nevaeh stepped back, ready to slap him, but before she could, a flying kick struck Cyrille in the chest, sending him flying three meters away.
"Brother!" After being kicked by Girard, Cyrille turned to see Cassius's bloodthirsty gaze. His voice trembled with fear. "Y-you're here, what are you doing here?"
A storm brewed in Cassius's eyes. "Shouldn't I be asking you what you're doing?"
He had clearly seen them holding hands just moments ago.
"I…" Cyrille's face went pale as he pointed at Nevaeh. "It's her! She thinks my brother is disabled and is trying to seduce me!"
Nevaeh was completely taken aback.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Cassius sat in his wheelchair, his dark eyes deep and unfathomable.
Sawyer, noticing the tension, kicked again. "What kind of trash dares to slander the young mistress?"
Cyrille let out a desperate cry. "I'm not lying! I swear, sis, before she married you, she was my girlfriend. We were together for three years. She only married you for the money and to bring you good luck. She's never gotten over me and wants to cling to me!"