Jack flinched when Hector slammed him against the wall as soon as the words left his lips. For a moment, he thought someone significant was holding him, but when he looked up and realized it was Hector, a sneer spread across his face.“What are you doing, loser?” Jack sneered. “If my shirt gets ruined, you can’t afford it.”“I asked you a question,” Hector replied, glaring at Jack. “Why are you spreading that rumor about Madison?!”Seeing that Hector’s raised voice had drawn attention, Jack frowned, their glares mirroring each other. Jack couldn't let his plans be ruined by Hector, and his blood boiled with humiliation.“What the hell are you talking about?” Jack retorted, glaring daggers at him. “All I said is the truth! I didn’t spread any rumors; they can’t be called rumors since they’re true! Madison and I slept together, and I made sure everyone knew so you’d stop being delusional.”“You’re the one being delusional, you punk!” Hector snapped. “How dare you lie and frame her?! Don

“Did you just say that the Jayden family went bankrupt?” Abigail questioned, her eyes widening in surprise. “How is that even possible? How can their family go bankrupt in just a few minutes?”Mr. Edmund glanced at Abigail, his expression mirroring her shock. “I don’t know. Apparently, his father refused to explain or tell us what went wrong!”Everyone turned to Jack, who seemed unfazed by the commotion and was still kneeling in front of Madison.“I am sorry for what I did,” Jack muttered. “Please forgive me!”Madison looked at Jack, still puzzled about why he was pleading with her, even after hearing about his family’s bankruptcy.“Even if his family went bankrupt, why is he groveling at Madison’s feet?” Fiona wondered, still disappointed that the Jayde family had gone bankrupt. It was as if her plan to torment Madison had crumbled, and there was no way to rebuild it.“How can the family go bankrupt? It must be fake news! There’s no way the family went bankrupt!” Julia argued, drawing

The next day, Hector was in high spirits, despite the gloomy atmosphere surrounding the Edmund family. They were still reeling from the previous day’s events. Abigail was the most affected, with dark circles under her eyes from a sleepless night.Hector, on the other hand, was thrilled that Jack was finally out of his wife's life, and he no longer had to worry about her marrying someone else.He paid no attention to anyone in the house except his wife, whom he helped pick an outfit for her outing, while the rest of the family chose to ignore him. After all, they had severed all ties with the Jayden family in a single day.As he had promised Jack, he lifted their bankruptcy, and news of them retaining their wealth had suffused the internet alongside his public disgrace. That alone left Edmund terrified of what the Jayden family might do to them for allowing one of their members to crawl among guests in the few minutes their family faced bankruptcy.Hector said nothing to them, letting t

Hector bought the last items he needed and hefted the bags in his hands. Glancing at his wristwatch, he frowned—it was already time for Madison to get home, and he still hadn’t finished shopping.Quickening his pace, he exited the store and headed to the last stop, where he intended to buy her favorite food—crab.As he approached the store, a man stepped into his path, blocking his way. The man was tall and broad, casting a shadow over Hector. He looked down at him with a mischievous grin.Before Hector could react, three more men joined, each wearing the same cocky expression.“Who are you?” Hector asked, his voice calm as he barely glanced at them. “I don’t have time for this. Move aside.”The men exchanged amused looks, their smirks widening.“We were told to keep you here as long as possible,” one said. “But we can let you go—for $20,000.”Hector raised an eyebrow, meeting their gaze with a frown. He didn’t recognize them, and their demands made no sense.“Why $20,000?” Hector aske

Peering at Dan, Hector couldn’t understand how Dan dared to enter the house and boldly propose to Madison. It made him realize she must have dealt with this alone, even with her mother—who should have been on her side—siding with a man brazen enough to propose to a married woman.He had come to see how shameless the men in the city were, openly courting married women without hesitation. Hector noticed right away that Madison seemed uncomfortable with Dan, and his gaze shifted to Abigail.‘Why is she forcing this situation?’ he wondered. ‘Is she that obsessed with money?’Dan frowned and folded his arms, resisting the urge to punch Hector. Once again, Hector had ignored him, but this time, Dan wasn’t going to let it slide like before.“Madison claims you’re her husband, yet you don’t even have a job,” Dan taunted. “Is that how useless you are? I even went out of my way to offer you a job, but I guess you’re too proud to take it.”Hector remained silent, and Dan’s anger bubbled over.“To