They Called Us Worthless, But Our Family Runs Everything

In the Bostonbridge antique trade, there were two famously useless people.

One was me, Marjorie Hughes. I owned a chain of antique boutiques, yet I spent my days eating, drinking, and doing nothing, so everyone called me the Hughes family airhead.

The other was my childhood sweetheart, Terry Henson, who couldn't stand bright light and had a serious heart condition. To everyone else, he was the useless heir.

But what nobody knew was that my eldest brother, Dudley Hughes, commanded both legitimate and underworld circles.

My second brother, Joseph Hughes, ran a top international antique auction house.

As for Terry.

His eldest sister, Cicely Henson, was one of the country's top attorneys.

His second sister was the heir to a heritage line of traditional medicine, and the life-saving medicinal pouch Terry kept on him at all times was made by her alone.

Terry and I had signed the papers and married purely as a business arrangement.

After the wedding we settled comfortably into being good-for-nothings, swiping my eldest brother's card and freeloading meals off my second brother.

Terry's sisters came by on schedule, bringing carefully prepared restorative herbs.

More than half a year drifted past like that, easy and content.

Then one day, Dudley got called away on a last-minute business trip, and the Bostonbridge antique gala he was supposed to attend in person fell to Terry and me instead.

But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it.

At that gala, Terry and I were beaten nearly to death by a woman.

Inside the banquet hall, the finest appraisers from home and abroad had gathered.

Holding Terry's arm, I was crossing the floor toward the buffet table to grab some honey-glazed pound cake.

It's you! You shameless woman!

A woman's shrill voice cut through the air behind me.

It was Diana Pruitt, eldest daughter of the Pruitt family of Bostonbridge.

Fury churned across her exquisite face, her hand clenched around a phone showing a blurry photo of someone's back.

In the picture, beside a black town car, a woman in a cheongsam identical to mine rose onto her toes and kissed a man in a suit.

You actually had the nerve to seduce my fianc, Ferdinand Gilbert. What a shameless little fox!

I frowned, but kept my patience and explained.

Miss Pruitt, you've got the wrong person. That isn't me in the photo.

Besides, I've never even met Ferdinand Gilbert. This is my husb

Diana wouldn't hear a word of it. Her hand flew up and a slap came straight at me.

A dark shape flashed in front of me as Terry threw himself between us.

Crack!

The slap rang out, landing full on his face.

Already frail, he took the blow hard, swaying on his feet as a thin line of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Oh, please.

Diana's eyes swept over Terry with contempt.

A scheming little fox and a sickly weakling. A perfect match, really.

She waved over two bodyguards.

Teach this shameless little couple a good lesson!

My heart lurched. I scrambled for my phone and dialed Dudley.

Dudley, someone's hurting us, come quick

I'd barely gotten half the words out when Diana snatched the phone from my hand and hurled it down onto the marble floor.

It shattered, pieces scattering everywhere, the call cut dead.

I drew a deep breath and forced my anger down.

Miss Pruitt, I already told you, you've got the wrong person!

Apologize now, and I'll forgive you.

Forgive me? Ha, ha, ha

She mistook my generosity for a guilty conscience.

Glancing around at the guests gathering to watch, she raised her voice in triumph.

You all heard that, didn't you? A shameless homewrecker, caught red-handed, and instead of showing any remorse she has the gall to turn it around and say she'll forgive me!

The moment she finished, the whole hall broke into jeers.

What a little fox. Disgusting!

No wonder someone like her even qualifies for a gala like this. She's been selling herself around to land herself some 'brothers,' has she?

Every word burrowed into my ears. My face must have looked terrible.

Diana jabbed a manicured finger toward my forehead, stopping just short.

Hmph, still putting up a front? Hit her! Beat her until she gives in!

At her word, the bodyguards swarmed in.

Fists came at me like rain.

I shut my eyes on instinct, frozen, not knowing what to do. But after a few seconds, the blows I'd braced for never came.

What I felt instead was a warm pair of arms.

Terry had thrown his arms wide and pulled me tight against him, and the fists rained down wildly on his back.

Don't youdon't you dare hurt Marjorie.

His voice was thin, his face draining white in an instant, every word an effort.

He'd forgotten his own body entirely. All he wanted was to protect me.

Terry! Get out of the way!

I fought frantically to break free, trying to drag him behind me.

But Terry summoned a strength I'd never seen in him, locking me against his chest.

The fists kept slamming down on his back.

I watched the color leave his face, his body trembling faintly with the pain.

And still he managed to give me a strained little smile.

Marjorie, don't worry, I'mI'm fine.

Even like this, he was still trying to comfort me.

Fool. This complete fool.

My heart clenched into a knot, and a surge of courage rose up with it. Eyes blazing red, I screamed.

Stop it! Terry has a heart condition. If you keep hitting him, you'll kill him!

The lead bodyguard, watching Terry's condition turn worse and worse, hesitated, then turned to Diana.

Miss Pruitt, he doesn't look right. If someone ends up dead here, then

Since when do you get a say over me?!

Diana slapped the bodyguard across the face and said coldly,

He's just a sickly piece of garbage. If we beat ten of them to death, the Pruitt family can pay for it just the same. Keep hitting him!

Drag this filthy pair to the middle of the stage. I'm going to expose this little fox for what she really is, in front of everyone!

The bodyguards didn't dare argue, dragging Terry and me roughly to the center of the stage.

Terry's breath came in shallow gasps, yet he still held my hand and wouldn't let go.

I felt like a sheet of paper drifting to the floor, letting them tear at me, and at last the tears came rolling down despite myself.

Diana Pruitt, whatever you want, take it out on me. Don't hurt him!

In the end my voice gave in, but it earned me not a shred of Diana's pity.

She looked down at me from above.

What a touching little scene, the fox saving her sickly weakling. Let's see how this one plays out today!

Beat them to death for me. Not one of you hold back!

If they really die, I'll take the fall!

Terry and I were dragged bodily to the center of the red carpet.

Diana Pruitt stood beside me, raised a hand for silence, then lifted her chin toward one corner of the room.

In an instant, blinding lights snapped on overhead.

On the huge LED screen behind me appeared the blurry photo from her phone.

"Look closely, everyone! This is the little homewrecker in the picture!"

"Ferdinand was going to marry me this month, until this woman got her claws into him and he actually decided to call it off!"

"So tell me, a shameless slut like this, should I or shouldn't I beat her?!"

The whole room erupted, accusations and curses rolling in one after another.

I ground out through clenched teeth, "I already told you, that's not me in the picture!"

Blown up that large, the photo only got blurrier. You could just make out that the woman's height and qipao were similar to mine, not a hint of her face.

But every one of them lined up behind Diana and her lies anyway.

"Tch, that's clearly the same person! What's there to argue about? The nerve, a mistress this brazen!"

"Does she think we're all blind? Seducing Miss Pruitt's own fianc."

"Looks so innocent, but what a tramp. That poor fool next to her, probably doesn't even know he's been cheated on."

The venom poured into my ears, wave after wave.

But I suddenly turned to look at Terry beside me.

He couldn't bear bright light, and his heart was fragile. Already his breathing had gone fast and ragged.

His lips had started to turn purple. It didn't look good at all.

"Terry!"

Panic hit me all at once. I clapped both hands over his ears to block out the noise.

"How are you? Terry, breathe deep, you're all right!"

He shook in my arms, his hand gripping my sleeve, and gave a weak little laugh.

"Marjorie, I'm... fine..."

Then his breath caught as if something had lodged in his throat, his whole face going blue-purple, and he clawed at his own throat, his expression twisted with pain.

"Terry!"

I lost my head completely, scrabbling with shaking hands into his pocket for the pouch.

It was the life-saving medicinal pouch Polly had made with her own hands, his only chance right now!

The second I pulled it out, Diana was faster, her heel kicking my hand hard.

The pain shot through me and I flinched back. She snatched up the pouch and turned it over in her fingers, taunting.

"You want this to save him? Fine! Kneel right now and apologize to me!"

"Say you'll never go after my fianc again, and I'll give it back and save this fool!"

Terry's breathing was choked off now, and through the painful rattle in his throat I could just make out the words.

"Marjorie... don't, don't kneel..."

My head buzzed, tears spilling out, my teeth nearly grinding to dust.

Through the blur, I looked at Diana.

"Diana Pruitt! Do you have any idea? My eldest brother, Dudley Hughes, runs both sides of the line in Bostonbridge! My second brother heads an international auction house!

"His sisters, one's a famous attorney, one's a master of traditional medicine. Touch us, and the Pruitt family is finished!"

Diana froze for a beat, then burst out laughing.

"Both sides of the line? Heads an international auction house?"

"A sickly little wreck and a shameless mistress, daring to claim ties to the Hughes family of Bostonbridge?"

"Please. If you're a Hughes, then I'm a saint reborn!"

The more she said, the more vicious her face became.

"Still lying to threaten me. I'm going to show you exactly who you're dealing with this year!"

And with that, Diana hurled the pouch to the floor and crushed it under her heel, grinding like a madwoman.

White powder scattered across the floor in an instant.

"No! No, please!!"

I lunged forward like I'd gone mad to stop her, that was the medicine that kept Terry alive!

But a bodyguard kicked me to the ground in a heartbeat, and Diana grabbed a fistful of my hair, forcing my face up to hers.

"Now it hurts, does it? Heh, then kneel down nicely and apologize!"

"You just say the word and I'll keep mine, I'll even be merciful enough to forgive you and send this sickly wreck to the best hospital for treatment!"

"Well?"

Diana arched her brows, deliberately goading.

"Marjorie... don't."

Terry caught my hand, trembling, and shook his head with the last of his strength.

Seeing him like that hurt worse than dying. What did I care about dignity now?

Without another thought, my knee bent and I started to go down.

Just as I was about to kneel.

Outside the ballroom's fire door came a sudden, relentless, thunderous pounding!

"Miss Hughes, are you in there?!"

The pounding on the door hadn't stopped, and in an instant the whole room fell silent.

Surprise and curiosity flickered across every face.

But inside me, a thread of hope flared to life.

That voice

It was my eldest brother Dudley Hughes's right-hand man. He'd come to save us!

"I'm in here! Hurry, get inside! Save Terry, please!"

I screamed until my voice cracked and split.

Diana only curled her lip in irritation.

"Hmph. Bold. Let's see exactly who dares to ruin Diana Pruitt's evening!"

She snatched up a walkie-talkie and barked into it.

"All security, move out! I want every one of them outside taken down. Break their arms and legs!"

"Drop every gate. Not even a fly gets out!"

As her words faded, the heavy steel gates around the ballroom slammed down on all sides.

The sounds of the fight outside cut off in an instant, muffled to nothing.

I threw myself at the door like a madwoman, beating on the cold steel with everything I had.

Bang! Bang, bang, Bang! Blow after blow, my palms torn to raw flesh, and I felt none of it.

"Open the door! We're in here! Terry's dying, come save him!"

But no matter how I pounded, nothing moved on the other side.

Diana seized me by the collar from behind, looked at me with vicious glee, and threw me to the floor.

I hit the ground with a heavy thud.

So this last hope was gone too?

"Go on, scream. Why aren't you screaming anymore? Keep banging on the door. Let's see if your dear brother comes to save you."

She drove her foot into my chest, and I felt no pain, only stared at Terry beside me, his face gone blue.

He lay motionless on the floor, barely breathing.

"Regret it now? Look at the state of him. This is all your doing!"

"If you'd just knelt for me sooner, would he be dying like this?"

My nails nearly dug into my own flesh, tears blurring everything, and there was nothing I could do.

All I could manage was a wretched laugh.

"I, Marjorie Hughes, swear it. Your entire Pruitt family will go into the grave with Terry!"

"Diana Pruitt, you just wait!"

Diana threw back her head and laughed, contempt all over her face.

"Into the grave? You? A little homewrecker like you? Ha, what a joke!"

The words were barely out when a guard hurried over and murmured something to her.

Diana's eyes lit up.

"Ferdinand Gilbert's here!"

She thought it ruined me, but it set hope blazing in my chest again.

Ferdinand had come!

If he'd just back me up, the misunderstanding would be cleared, and Terry could be treated at once.

Ferdinand walked in, polished and refined in his suit.

Diana hurried to him, clinging to his arm, sobbing out a list of my "crimes."

Ferdinand lowered his gaze and gave me one glance.

I dragged my aching body across the floor to him and grabbed at his trousers.

"Mr. Gilbert, please, tell everyone the truth. The woman in that photo isn't me. I don't even know you!"

But Ferdinand only frowned, something sly crossing his face.

He didn't tell the truth. Instead he put on a tone of pity.

"Miss Hughes, I told you before to stop chasing after me. Why have you made a scene all the way here?"

"You"

My mind went blank with a roar, and ice ran through me, as if I'd been thrown into a freezer.

"You're lying! I don't know you at all!"

Ferdinand shrugged, wrapping an arm around Diana, the picture of righteousness.

"Diana, she's the one who's been chasing me. I have no interest in her whatsoever!"

"You animal!"

Rage shook through me as I lunged at him.

Diana's foot slammed into my stomach. The pain doubled me over on the floor, my whole body trembling.

"Hmph. Drag this sickly thing into the storage room out back!"

She pointed at Terry and ordered the guards.

My head whipped around toward the storage room. It was barely a hundred square feet, dark year-round, no lights.

Terry was claustrophobic. That place would kill him.

"No, don't! That'll finish him off! Please, let him go!"

I shrieked, but no one paid me any mind.

As the guards dragged Terry toward the storage room, I heard the monitor on him let out a shrill alarm.

The instant they neared that cold, black room, his body began convulsing wildly.

"Terry!"

I clawed my way toward him, and Diana cracked me across the face, twice.

My cheek swelled at once, blood at the corner of my mouth.

"You filthy whore!"

"This first slap, for not knowing your place as a wife, throwing yourself at men everywhere!"

"This second slap, to teach you what a lowly thing you really are!"

She snatched a fruit knife from a waiter and swung it at my face.

"You think you can flaunt that pretty face all over town?"

"Tonight I'll cut it to ribbons. Let's see how you whore yourself out after that!"

The fruit knife touched my face, cold as ice, and I flinched without thinking.

Just as the tip was about to split my skin, there came an enormous crash.

Boom!

The brutally solid steel gate of the ballroom was torn open from the outside, ripped into a gaping hole!

A man's voice, carrying every ounce of danger, rang out through the whole room.

"Let's see who dares lay a finger on my sister!"