Chapter 3

Before I could even react, a group of angry men rushed into the room, grabbed me, and dragged me out of the ward.

The sheer, violent force of their grip made me dizzy.

They dragged me down the stairs without mercy, even kicking me down the last flight.

My head spun as I hit the concrete, and the warm blood pooling over my eyes temporarily blinded me.

They didn't stop until they dragged me all the way out of the hospital building, tossing me like trash onto the asphalt courtyard.

My parents, having made sure Chloe was secure, came running down in a panic.

Martha followed closely behind. The moment she saw me on the ground, she shouted an order to the crowd.

"Beat him! Don't stop until he promises to call off this divorce!"

I finally realized who these people were. They were Martha’s roughneck relatives and neighbors from her old hometown.

I remembered someone once warning me that people from Chloe’s old neighborhood were notoriously violent and clannish. But back when I first met Chloe, I refused to believe it.

Now, I was getting a firsthand demonstration.

My parents immediately threw themselves over me to shield me. Even though they were furious with me, they couldn't bear to see me beaten to death.

They tried to hold Martha back.

"Martha, please! Ethan is just temporarily confused. We will talk sense into him. We promise we won't let him divorce Chloe!"

Martha’s face darkened. With surprising strength, she violently shoved my parents aside.

The force of her push shocked them into silence.

Before they could recover, the mob surrounded me, raining fists and kicks down on me.

I couldn't even stand up. I could only curl into a ball, protecting my head from the heavy blows.

My parents screamed and tried to pull the men off me, but how could two elderly people fight off a dozen angry thugs?

Suddenly, Chloe, clutching her bleeding abdomen, stumbled out of the building. She ran over and threw her body over mine to shield me.

Martha tried to pull her up, furious at her weakness, but Chloe fell to her knees, refusing to budge.

"Martha, I beg you, stop! If you kill Ethan, I won't live either!"

Frustrated, Martha let go of her, shooting me a look of pure hatred. But I recognized that look—it was a look I had seen too many times before.

Chloe held me tight, completely ignoring her own reopened stitches.

She frantically checked me for injuries.

"Ethan, you're safe now. I'll talk to Martha. We're going to be fine, okay? Let me take you inside to get patched up."

I didn't respond. I didn't even look at her.

With all the strength I had left, I shoved her away, pushed through the whispering crowd, and walked out of the hospital gates.

I had only taken a few steps when my parents' panicked voices echoed behind me.

"Chloe! Chloe, wake up! What's wrong with you?!"

I didn't turn back. I hailed a cab and went straight to my company.

But I underestimated how fast bad news travels on social media. The moment I stepped into the lobby, I was met by a swarm of reporters and angry business partners.

They swarmed me instantly.

"Ethan! We only partner with you because of your family-man brand! Now our stores are being flooded with return requests! Can you even afford these losses?!"

Before I could answer, another partner grabbed me by the collar, shaking me violently.

"We built your company! If you want to ruin yourself, don't drag us down with you! Refund our investment right now!"

"Your affair is your own damn problem! Don't make us pay for your sins!"

Naturally, people only believed what they saw on their screens.

I checked my watch. Time was running out, and I didn't have time to argue with them. I tried to push past them.

But the partners had no intention of letting me walk away.

One of them kicked my knee from behind, sending me crashing to the floor. They pinned my arms and slammed my forehead against the marble tiles, over and over.

"We aren't losing our money because of you! Get on your knees, look at the camera, and apologize to save the company's image!"