Lauren was aware of the situation and offered to accompany me, but I declined. I didn't want her to get involved. I suspected she had ulterior motives for wanting to be there, but I told her to let it go. There was no need for her to get mixed up in this mess. Lauren relented, so I brought Carol, who used to work at Tanum Corporation. I had my reasons for bringing her, and I didn't have to explain them. Carol was perfectly capable of handling the situation on her own.The party for the baby took place at La Dolce Vita. The venue was packed, and Matthew stood at the entrance, welcoming guests from all directions. When Johnson brought my car to the entrance, Matthew rushed down the steps and opened the car door.He seemed a little unhappy when asked, "Chlo... where's my little girl?"I calmly said, "Everyone already knows you have a son and a daughter.”He forced a smile and said, "Well, you better come in!"Carol quickly stood by my side and handed two cash envelopes to Matth

I gently held Carol’s wrist with a strained smile. "Melanie, are you sure about this?"Seeing that Carol was already upset, Stella added fuel to the fire. "Melanie, why bring this up at a time like this?"Melanie knew her words were having an impact and continued to play the victim."I'm happy. Otherwise, none of you would get to see my son today, and Matthew wouldn't be as happy as he is now! Let’s not hold grudges, Chloe. I won’t blame you for causing me to give birth prematurely. Can’t we all get along? After all, we're all part of the Murphy family!”"I'm not part of it," I couldn't help but retort.The onlookers immediately turned their stern gazes toward me. I could tell that if I said "no," they might tear me apart. I smirked, realizing how cunningly they had orchestrated this.It was a blatant attempt to turn everyone against me. One wrong step and my reputation in the city would be irreparable. I would be labeled a scheming woman.This was precisely what the three women

The sudden brightness in the banquet hall stunned everyone. All the large screens had lit up, capturing everyone’s attention.A familiar video played on the screens. It was footage of Ava’s birthday when Matthew had carried her out of the school gate to collect her gift. Then, Melanie arrived.The people in the banquet hall were puzzled and started whispering, “What’s going on?”Even I was surprised, wondering who had orchestrated it. It seemed I had an unexpected ally in attendance. I couldn’t help but glance at Johnson, who had come over with Matthew earlier. Besides Matthew and Melanie, Johnson was likely the only one who knew the whole story.As the video played for the second time, someone exclaimed, “Oh my, isn’t that Melanie? What's she—?!”The person’s exclamation drew even more attention as everyone focused on the repeated violent scenes. Finally, someone made a bold guess, “Isn’t that Melanie? She’s pregnant yet causing trouble at a kindergarten. She even kicked someone

I almost laughed aloud after finally realizing who that woman was. She was Melanie’s biological mother. The woman was a drama queen. She kept repeating, “You made it hard for me to find you.”However, her expression felt out of place. I wondered what she was looking for.After birthing Melanie, the woman left her with the Murphys and showed no concern over the years. Since that was the case, I couldn’t believe her struggles to find Melanie.The Murphys caused a stir when they moved out of their old place. The woman would only need to ask around to find their new place. Considering her attire, she probably didn’t fare well alone. Now, she had found a lucky break.I knew she was a troublemaker, too. Her return meant that the Murphys, especially Grace, were in for dark times ahead. I couldn’t help but glance at Grace, shaking with anger. I felt genuine sympathy for her.After all, she had sincerely cared for Ava over the years.I admired Lauren for managing to find that woman. I won

When I finished explaining my plan, Lauren slammed the table. “I knew you were a sly fox! Your plan is the way to go. We either stay still or make a big move. Let’s go with your plan.”After some thought, even Carol exclaimed, “Ms. Chloe, you blew my mind! I know what to do for your next steps.”We were elated as we celebrated our newfound determination.“I’ve had this idea for a while now,” I said as I looked at Lauren thoughtfully, “It’s just that the timing wasn’t right. I wanted to keep it to myself, but they kept pushing me. The Murphys thought I was an easy target, didn’t they?”Lauren dipped a mushroom into the fondue and added, “They don’t deserve forgiveness. Ivanna was right when she said you were too kind-hearted. Being that way brings more trouble, Chloe. It’s not about avoiding the Murphys. You must get rid of them if you want to live in peace.”Carol concurred, “Let them tremble at the mere thought of you.”I nodded, knowing Carol and Lauren were more ruthless than