Chapter 230

As soon as the door opened, Shirley couldn't contain her urge to insult Cynthia. Fear wasn't the issue; she simply wanted to provoke her. However, concerned about Jonathan's impression, she deliberately lowered her voice.

She hadn't expected Jonathan to answer the door, so she panicked. Looking up at the tall Jonathan, she stammered, "I… I didn't mean to…"

This was Shirley's first time so close to Jonathan. She could even smell his alluring scent—cold and refreshing, like a mountain spring—drawing her in. She felt embarrassed but refused to back down. "Well, I actually…"

"Think twice before you speak," Jonathan said indifferently.

A wave of icy coldness washed over her. Shirley shivered from head to toe. Jonathan's overwhelming presence made it hard for her to breathe. The sharpness in his gaze, directed at her, was starkly different from how he looked at Cynthia.

Instinctively, Shirley took a step back. Clearly uninterested, Jonathan turned and left the room.

It took a moment for Shirley to process what had just happened. Jonathan almost sidestepped to avoid me, as if I were a virus, she thought. What did he really mean by that?

Confused, she wondered, "If he truly dislikes me, why would he agree to keep me as his secretary? That makes no sense! He's probably just trying to appease Cynthia, his so-called fiancée!"

That thought replaced her embarrassment with a sense of triumph as she entered Cynthia's room.

She glanced around and asked, "Do you like this room, Cynthia? Is it comfortable?"

"This room used to be a guest room, Shirley," Cynthia replied. "The smallest one in the villa, actually. My original room was long ago taken over…"

After Shirley's return, Cynthia had moved into this room, but had moved out long ago. Over the past three years, she had barely slept there.

Cynthia continued, "Unlike you, I don't have to live here. I own dozens of villas. Didn't Mom and Dad tell you that?" Shirley knew those villas had been bought for Cynthia by the Yates family since childhood. Even after Cynthia and Filip separated, they'd never been reclaimed. Shirley wondered about the Yates family's motives.

The thought of Cynthia's wealth infuriated Shirley. "Are you trying to show off, Cynthia?"

"Yes. Not only do I have dozens of villas, but I also own twenty percent of the company. By the way, you owe me six million dollars. Your salary is deposited into my account every month, so I guess that makes you broke, right?"

Cynthia lounged on the couch like a cat, radiating casual superiority.

Shirley gritted her teeth in frustration. She hated being called broke more than anything. After years of struggle, she'd finally regained her wealth, yet still felt financially insecure. I've endured so much hardship because of lack of money, and now this fraud is mocking me for it? she thought. How dare she?

"How dare you talk to me like that, Cynthia? Everything you have should belong to me!" Shirley shouted, lunging at Cynthia in a fit of rage. She couldn't bear seeing Cynthia's comfortable life while she suffered.

Cynthia simply extended her leg, and Shirley tripped, landing face-first on the carpet.

Cynthia sat up straight, her expression serious. "How many times are you going to make the same mistake, Shirley?"

Shirley gritted her teeth, but deep down, she knew she was no match for Cynthia, who was skilled in boxing.

"How dare you be so arrogant in my house, Cynthia?" Shirley sneered. "Don't get too full of yourself. I'll have you beneath my feet sooner or later."

"I curse you to be abandoned by Jonathan. Your marriage will end in disaster," Shirley gritted her teeth.

Cynthia squatted down, a playful smile on her face. "Even if I break up with Jonathan, he won't be interested in you."

Fuming, Shirley struggled to her feet. "What do you mean, Cynthia?"

Cynthia settled back onto the couch. Even seated, her gaze was overwhelmingly condescending. "I see right through you, Shirley. I know you're obsessed with Jonathan. Do you think that by ruining my driving license, you'll get what you want?"

Realizing Cynthia's anger, Shirley's own anger faded, replaced by smug satisfaction.

"You can't decide what I'll get. You haven't married him yet, and who he chooses as his wife is still unknown," Shirley said.

Cynthia watched her indifferently. "So you admit that you deliberately destroyed my license, right?"

"Yes, but so what? Even Jonathan didn't blame me for that. What's your problem? It looks like he isn't eager to marry you. You should let me take your place. You're a fraud with an ordinary background. Do you think you deserve him?" Shirley asked.

Suddenly, Shirley received a slap across the face. Shocked, she cried, "How dare you hit me again, Cynthia?"

"It's the 21st century. Stop talking nonsense about social class. Just because someone comes from humble beginnings doesn't make them cheap, and designer clothes won't hide your ignorance. If you want to put yourself in a cage, go ahead, but don't judge people casually," Cynthia retorted.

"I never thought being a Jones made me superior, and now I don't feel inferior just because I'm someone else's daughter. I'm satisfied with every stage of my life," Cynthia declared.

Cynthia had learned much from her experiences. Family upheavals had hurt her, especially her parents' sudden change in attitude and the betrayal of her childhood friend. However, she'd never felt inferior because of her background. She believed everyone was born equal, at least in spirit.

However, Shirley only saw Cynthia's words as the arrogance of someone in power. Cynthia's been spoiled since childhood, she thought. Even without being a Jones, she's never been homeless. The Yates family treated her like their own, and now she's Jonathan's fiancée. It's easy for her to talk about equality when she's never faced real hardship. What a joke.

"Let's see if you still feel that way when Jonathan dumps you, Cynthia!" Shirley said.

Cynthia grabbed Shirley's face, forcing her to look up. "Shirley, I'll warn you one last time. Jonathan is my man. Keep your dirty thoughts to yourself. I won't allow you to approach him."

Shirley, her cheeks pinched, struggled to speak clearly. "Who do you think you are? I'll keep pursuing Jonathan until I die. What can you do about it?"

Cynthia released her grip, but Shirley only grew bolder. "Don't you think the affair between a man and his sister-in-law is thrilling, Cynthia?"

Cynthia suddenly smiled. "Indeed. I just hope after you check your phone, you still find it thrilling."

Shirley felt something was wrong. She grabbed her phone and was shocked to see a video. It recorded her entire conversation with Cynthia, in crystal-clear detail. The most terrifying part was that the video had been sent to all her contacts. Shirley froze in disbelief.

Furious, she stammered, "You spied on me! I'm going to sue you for invading my privacy! You'll end up in prison!"

Cynthia casually walked to the mirror, reaching into a tiny gap at the top to pull out a miniature camera. "Shirley, wasn't it you who installed surveillance in my room? You know what? That video was captured by the very cameras you installed."