My childhood friend’s lover was a thug. I was sitting in first class on my way back to the country when a blanket from the seat in front of me suddenly hit my leg. The flight attendant hurried over and crouched down, her face full of apology. “I’m so sorry, ma’am. Miss Joelle says she likes it quiet and really can’t stand any noise around her.” “She’s willing to pay 100 dollars to have you move to economy. Would that be okay?” I set down my water glass, smiled faintly, and threw the blanket back hard. “I’ll pay 101 dollars for her to move.” The blanket landed right on the woman in front, and she shot to her feet, pointing at me in anger as she cursed. “Who do you think you are, refusing to give me face? Do you know who I am?!” “Garcia, my boyfriend, owns this entire Harmony Airlines!” “Let me make this clear today. If you don’t move, I’ll have the whole airline blacklist you and make sure you never step on a plane again for the rest of your life!” I lifted my brows and smiled with interest. Garcia? Wasn’t that my childhood friend with a marriage contract? So the thug Christina’s mom had been going on about, the one she told me to come back and deal with, was her?
“Are you deaf? I told you to move to economy. Didn’t you hear me?” Seeing that I hadn’t moved at all, Joelle pointed at me in anger. I smiled. “Ma’am, I was sitting here perfectly fine. You hit me with a blanket and tried to insult me with 100 dollars. Why would I move?” “Besides, I offered you one extra dollar. Why don’t you move?” After hearing me, the flight attendant sucked in a sharp breath. “Ma’am, Mr. Garcia specifically told us to meet Miss Joelle’s needs. How about you name a compensation amount? We’ll definitely make it happen.” Joelle looked proud and haughty. “Did you hear that? I’m carrying the Stevens family’s baby now. The whole Stevens family has to cater to me!” I sat back down, covered my legs with the blanket, and put my earbuds back in. “This is my seat. I’m not going anywhere.” Joelle turned angrily to the flight attendant. “Are you blind? The first-class cabin is empty except for her!” “Use your heads and you’d know Garcia booked the whole cabin for me!” “Strip her naked and throw her out. Let her learn the consequences of trespassing in first class!” The flight attendant looked troubled. Even if Mr. Garcia had given instructions, this demand was simply too unreasonable. I looked up and stared at Joelle with a hint of provocation. “What? You think only you can get Garcia to book a ticket?” Joelle’s gaze paused for a moment. “W-What do you mean?” She turned to the flight attendant. “Check her ticket! If she’s not supposed to be sitting here, call the police and arrest her right now!!” The flight attendant quickly opened the system panel and typed my name in at speed. After that, she replied a little awkwardly. “Miss Joelle, Miss Sophia’s seat is normal. It also shows that it was booked through the Stevens family’s internal system.” I snickered to myself. Christina had booked this seat for me a long time ago. A hint of panic appeared in Joelle’s eyes. “Could you be Garcia’s… new mistress?” “How shameless! You dare seduce Garcia while I’m pregnant? I just got rid of one, and here comes another!” “This time I’ll make sure all of you sluts remember your lesson!” Her hand rose into the air, and it looked like it was about to land. I grabbed her wrist. “Isn’t Garcia’s engagement next month to someone else?” “You’d better figure out your own position before you talk!” I twisted her wrist and slapped her hard in return. The crack of the slap echoed through the entire first-class cabin. Joelle clutched her face in disbelief. No one had ever dared to treat her like that. “So what if Garcia has a fiancée? Only the unloved ones are mistresses!” “Even if his fiancée were here, I’d still say the same thing!” Her face flushed red as she thought about how to retaliate. At that moment, the flight attendant suddenly stepped forward to hold her back. “Miss Joelle, the plane is still taxiing, so you can’t move around like this. You’re pregnant, so please sit down and stay calm.” “There’s a rest area in the cockpit. Let me take you there.” The flight attendant knew neither side could be offended, so she had no choice but to separate us first. Joelle was escorted away while cursing nonstop. The first-class cabin was left with just me, and my ears finally got some peace. After the plane landed, I pushed my luggage along the VIP corridor when I was suddenly surrounded by a group of tall men in black. “It’s her! She slapped me on the plane. Lock her in the holding room!” Joelle appeared with this group of people. After hearing the order, the men in black immediately pressed my shoulders down hard, and I couldn’t break free. Joelle let out a mocking laugh. “These are all private bodyguards Garcia arranged for me. Every single one of them is a pro. Let’s see how you move now.” “Today I’m going to teach you sluts a lesson myself. I’ll slap you a hundred times and rip your mouth apart so you remember it!” Her face was full of vindication and smugness as she raised her hand high. Just then, a man’s voice rang out. “Stop!” It was Garcia.
“Honey, what happened? Why did you do it yourself?” Garcia walked up beside Joelle and said with concern, “You’re pregnant. Don’t upset the baby.” His gaze swept over me, surrounded by black-clad bodyguards, and his expression suddenly froze. “Sophia, why are you back?” Joelle asked in confusion, “Honey, who is she?” She stamped her foot, about to throw a tantrum, and Garcia quickly soothed her. “Honey, she’s just my childhood friend who has a marriage contract with me.” “She’s been abroad for three years, and I’ve already lost most contact with her. Don’t misunderstand.” Then he looked at me. “Sophia, perfect timing. Let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Joelle.” I looked at him, completely baffled. “Your girlfriend is Joelle? Then what am I to you?” “Did you forget? We’re supposed to get engaged next month.” A contemptuous smile flashed across Garcia’s face. “Sophia, you and I both know this is a business marriage.” “Since when does a business marriage ever have real feelings?” “Joelle is already carrying my child. She belongs to me.” “From now on, we can do our own thing. On the surface, we’re still one family. Isn’t that better?” I almost laughed myself sick at those words. Everyone knew the Franklin family had strict values and would never tolerate something like this. “Garcia, while I was gone these past few years, did a pig eat your brain?” With Garcia backing her up, Joelle’s face grew even more arrogant. “No wonder you were so smug. So you’re just the marriage partner, not the one he really loves.” “Baby, do you know? She even slapped me on the plane. Look, my face is still red.” Joelle pouted as if she had suffered some huge injustice. “There’s even something like this?” Garcia frowned. Joelle glared at me viciously. “You’re backing me up, so I want to get that slap back!” She raised her hand again, but Garcia stopped her once more. “After all, she’s the Franklin family heir. You can’t hit her.” “Besides, what if you hurt yourself and the baby?” Joelle rolled her eyes. “Fine, then I won’t hit her for your sake.” “Just have her apologize to me, then call me sis, and I’ll forgive her.” “Let her know who the real lady of the Stevens family is.” Garcia’s expression darkened, and he nodded. “Sophia, it looks like there’s some misunderstanding between you and Joelle.” “Just do what Joelle said. After that, once the misunderstanding is cleared up, our engagement next week will go on as planned.” I let out a cold laugh. “How about this? I’ll give her one chance. If she kneels and apologizes to me, I’ll consider letting her go.” Before I came back to the country, Christina had already told me how she planned to deal with her, and that method was a lot harsher than anything I’d imagined. Garcia’s voice turned sharp. “Sophia, don’t push this too far.” “Joelle is pregnant, and you hit her. You were in the wrong first.” “Joelle has already shown you understanding and made a concession. You should know gratitude and stop being ungrateful.” I shook my head. “Looks like you really don’t have a brain. Don’t even think about making me apologize.” Garcia’s face turned stern. “Sophia, if you insist, then I can only cancel the engagement.” His tone carried unquestionable authority. At those words, a flash of delight crossed Joelle’s eyes. I sneered inwardly. A business marriage wasn’t something he could just cancel so easily. I said coldly, “Garcia, did you forget that if you don’t marry me, you can’t inherit the family business?”
“Honey, is that true?” A trace of unease flashed across Joelle’s face, and she quickly looked up at Garcia. Garcia let out a contemptuous laugh, his voice full of scorn. “Sophia, don’t think you can threaten me with that.” “Not long ago, my own company was already making millions in profit.” “At this rate, within ten years, my assets will be close to the entire Stevens family’s.” “I negotiated every deal myself. I didn’t use a single bit of family resources or connections.” “I already have the ability to make my own decisions. I don’t need to rely on anyone anymore.” He lifted his chin, looking incredibly arrogant. I remembered one night last year when Christina suddenly contacted me. She said Garcia was insisting on starting his own business, and Christina was afraid his first venture would fail and he would lose confidence later, so she specifically reached out to me. She repeatedly told me not to reveal any connection to the Stevens family. I contacted classmates overseas, and my dad also asked some more distant business partners to work with Garcia. That was how I helped Garcia earn the first chunk of money for his company. Thinking about it now was ridiculous. “Garcia, does Christina know all of this?” A little more anger entered Garcia’s eyes. “Sophia, you’re trying to use my mom to pressure me again!” “You’ve been doing this since you were little. Besides this trick, what else can you do?” “I’ve been controlled by my mom since I was a kid, and I’ve had enough of you doing the same!” “From now on, none of the Stevens family’s business is any of your concern. And from now on, I decide who the lady of the Stevens family is!” Joelle’s eyes lit up with stars. “Baby, you’re a real man!” She looked at me provocatively. “Garcia is the Stevens family’s only legitimate grandson. If he doesn’t call the shots for the Stevens family in the future, then who will?” I lowered my eyes. Garcia’s father died early. Christina had struggled alone for so many years to keep the company going, and I saw it all. The Franklin family and the Stevens family had been in-laws for generations, and the friendship and interests between our families were too deeply tied together. If this engagement were ruined because of me, I’d never forgive myself. “Garcia, I’ll give you one last chance.” “Not only does Joelle need to kneel and apologize to me, you need to kneel and apologize too.” “Not just to me, but to the Franklin family.” “As long as you apologize, I’ll act like nothing happened today. Otherwise, don’t blame me for whatever happens next.” Garcia looked utterly disdainful. “From childhood until now, I already see right through you. All you know how to do is threaten people with your family. What else do you have?” I looked calmly at them both, took out my phone, and asked one last time, “Are you kneeling or not?” Joelle laughed out loud. “You’re just humiliating yourself.” She turned to Garcia. “Honey, she’s like a crazy dog. Let’s go.” I didn’t hesitate any longer and dialed the number. Into the phone, I said calmly, “Joelle really is, as you said, an idiot.” Joelle stopped walking. “She’s rude and brainless. She doesn’t belong in any rich family at all.” Joelle stared at me in disbelief, her eyes wide. “Just like you said, it’s best to cut out her tendons and throw her to Alaska, make her an illegal resident, and never let her come back.” Joelle flew into a rage, rushed forward, and snatched my phone away. She shouted into the phone, “Who the hell do you think you are!!” “Dare to say your name, and I’ll have someone deal with you tonight so you’re kicked out of Los Angeles forever!” “You’ll have nowhere to put your ashes even after you die!!” Garcia stepped forward and held her. “Honey, don’t get worked up. She’s just trying to scare you. As long as I’m here, no one can do anything to you.” I took my phone back and turned on speaker. The voice on the other end exploded like firecrackers. “Garcia! Is this the thug you found?!” “If you insist on being with her, then never come back to the Stevens family again!!” Garcia’s pupils widened, and after a long moment, a sound finally came from his throat. “…Mom?!”
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