FROM DEATH TO DOMINATION

GRANNY VICTORIA'S SEVENTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY

COLLINS MANSION

The Collins mansion was aglow with bulbs and neon lights, and soft music played inside.

A celebration was underway, as Granny Victoria Regina, the matriarch of the Collins family, marked her seventy-fifth birthday tonight.

She sat on a special seat that once belonged to her late husband.

With a warm smile, she welcomed prestigious guests to her party.

" Grandma Victoria, I've brought a jade hairpin worth $30,000." someone said.

" Happy birthday, Granny. I've brought you a gift. This box contains the most expensive medical skincare, which will make you look even younger." another person added, and many more gifts followed.

Granny Victoria has two sons and a daughter, with many grandchildren, including Sophia, Slade's wife.

Sophia is the daughter of Granny Victoria's first son.

As Granny Victoria looked around, she couldn't find Slade anywhere, causing a frown to appear on her face.

With a stern look and cold voice, she turned sharply towards Sophia, who stood at a corner, phone pressed against her chest.

She seemed worried, glancing occasionally at the entrance door.

" Sophia!" Granny Victoria called sternly, causing Sophia to bite her lip aggressively.

She already knew why she was being called – it was all because of her husband, Slade Ryan.

Despite reminding him about Granny Victoria's birthday at the hospital the previous day, he still hadn't arrived.

Sophia had been expecting her family to win over Granny Victoria's favor with the gift Slade was supposed to pick up.

But now, he was nowhere to be found, and she was running out of time.

Sophia had been standing at a corner, hoping to avoid attention until Slade arrived, but Granny Victoria's sharp eyes caught her immediately.

" I'm here, Grandma." Sophia said with a smile, her head hung low.

" Where is that worthless piece of trash you call your husband?" Granny Victoria lashed out in anger.

" Isn't he supposed to be here? Even if he's too poor to buy me a gift, at least he should do the dishes when the party's over!"

" I'm sorry, Grandma. I will call him again." Sophia apologized, dialing Slade's number for the tenth time that day.

She sighed and bit her lower lip, as the call was directed to voicemail.

All Sophia wanted was for Slade to deliver the gift he was asked to pick up.

She didn't care if he breaks an arm or a leg, so far he brings the gift with him, she's okay with that.

" He only eats and does nothing, such worthless trash!" a masculine voice said, fueling the already blazing fire.

Sophia raised her head sharply, glaring at the man who spoke up.

" What? Am I not telling the truth, dear cousin?" Nathan asked with a grin.

At that moment, Sophia would have loved to wipe the grin off his lips and seal his mouth forever.

" Enough, Nathan!" Granny Victoria raised her hand, and pin-drop silence followed immediately.

" Even though your family manages a small branch of Collingwood Enterprise, I'm sure you can afford a gift for me, can't you?" Granny Victoria raised an eyebrow.

" Oh yes, Grandma. I sent Slade to bring the gift with him, but he isn't back yet."

Sophia's voice trailed off at the latter words.

She shut her eyes and bit her lips, almost drawing blood. She couldn't be more embarrassed than she was at that moment.

It was all because of her worthless husband.

He had once again embarrassed her in front of many prestigious guests who were invited to the birthday party.

" You know how slow your husband can be, so why did you send such a slow snail like him?" a feminine voice asked, her voice filled with mockery.

She is Mulan, Nathan's younger sister.

Both Nathan and Mulan happened to be the children of Grandma Victoria's second son.

They disliked Sophia as much as they disliked her husband and her whole family.

Associating with Sophia and her entire family could bring bad luck to them, according to what their father had told them.

Ever since Dominic, Sophia's father, made a great mistake and was demoted to a small branch of Collingwood Enterprise, it has been hell for Sophia and her family.

They had to constantly face mockery and gossip from other members of the Collins family.

They were literally the lowest in the family business.

" I was busy with other things, so I had Slade pick up the gifts." Sophia replied, glaring at Mulan, who also returned the glare with the same enthusiasm.

" Can't he just quit his job at the hospital? He's useless there. How can a surgeon not be able to perform surgery because he killed someone?" Nathan mocked, and all eyes instantly fell on him.

" What are you talking about?" Granny Victoria squinted her eyes, her voice stern.

" I heard that he killed a patient during surgery due to excessive bleeding, yesterday." Nathan replied.

" I see. He's just useless and worthless. He can't even save the life of his patients; how can he save himself and his wife?" Mulan added.

" I don't think so, Nathan. He never said anything about that." Sophia interrupted.

" Why would a loser like him tell his wife that he killed a patient during surgery?"

Nathan was trying hard to ridicule and make jest of Slade in front of the whole family and the invited guests.

He wanted nothing more than to reduce Slade to nothing and make Sophia divorce him.

" And what makes you think that I killed my patient?" came a masculine, sharp voice from the entrance door.

The aura from the voice alone sent chills down the spines of some of the guests.

Everyone turned around to take a look, and to their surprise, it was Slade standing at the entrance door.

" Were you kicked out of Goshen Medical Center? I can't believe even your family kicked you out of their lives. You're indeed useless." Nathan mocked.

" Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, cousin-in-law, but no one died, and I wasn't kicked out of Goshen Medical Center." Slade replied and walked fully into the hall.

" What took you so long?" Sophia glared as she rushed to take the box of gifts from his hand. "I will deal with you later at home."

" What are you talking about? Didn't your patient die? He died of excessive bleeding, isn't that true?" Nathan smiled nervously as he asked.

He was making it obvious that he also planned to set Slade up, alongside Caleb and Michael.

" And what makes you think that my patient died from excessive bleeding? Did you join hands with my step-brothers?"

Slade asked, a smirk dancing at the corners of his lips, his eyes on Nathan, who swallowed nervously.

After what Slade said, all eyes instantly fell on Nathan.

" What are you talking about? Join your brothers for what? I never did such a thing!" His voice was louder than normal, making the guests even more suspicious.

" Why would anyone want to believe the piece of trash coming out of your mouth?"

" Because I'm a pain in your ass, and you will do anything and everything to get rid of me. Isn't that it?" Slade grinned widely.