Chapter 116

“You!” Amelia clenched her fists, fury burning inside her. In the past, she would have slapped Guinevere back. But now, no longer part of the Galvez family, no one would defend her.

Amelia turned to leave. If she couldn't fight back, she could at least avoid the conflict.

"Hold it. Who said you could leave?" Guinevere wasn't about to let her go so easily.

"What do you want?" Amelia asked.

Guinevere slapped Amelia's face, leaving a stinging mark. She sneered, her eyes filled with malice. "I just wanted to teach you a lesson." She wouldn't risk getting Isabel into trouble, but she had no fear of confronting someone she considered a fraud.

"You—" Anselma uttered a cry.

"Guinevere, she's still Uncle Samuel's adopted daughter. He raised her for eighteen years. Maybe you should go easier on her," Joanna said, attempting to mediate.

"Joanna, don't play the good guy here. Save it for Grandma. I'm not falling for it," Guinevere retorted before storming off.

Joanna didn't seem fazed. Instead, she turned to comfort Amelia. "Amelia, are you okay? Guinevere's always been like this. You two never got along growing up. Don't let it get to you," she smiled gently.

"Okay," Amelia nodded.

Label watched the unfolded scene. Joanna was definitely better at handling such situations than Guinevere. No wonder Sophia liked her so much. As for Amelia, she'd tried so hard to fit in with the Galvez family, insisting on attending. Today's humiliation was self-inflicted.

When they left the Galvez residence, Amelia tearfully complained to Hannah about Guinevere's bullying.

Hannah sighed. "I told you not to come, but you wouldn't listen."

Amelia pursed her lips and remained silent.

Rey, however, couldn't resist adding, "She brought it on herself."

"Roy," Isabel called out softly.

"Yeah, Isabel! What's up?" Roy replied.

Isabel asked quietly, "Roy, are you close with Fritz?"

At the mention of Fritz, Roy's face flushed, and Isabel noticed it immediately.

She explained, "We met a few times when we were little. Back then, my family wasn't well-off. Whenever Mom took me to the Galvez residence, Guinevere and the others would bully me. Fritz always stood up for me."

"That's why I talked to him a bit more today. He's a really nice guy," Roy added.

Isabel understood. Roy was probably experiencing a crush. Fritz was a handsome, well-mannered young man who had just returned from studying at a top overseas university. With his charm and their childhood connection, it made perfect sense.

"You don't like Fritz?" Roy asked curiously.

"No, he seems like a good guy. If he's going to help Dad with the finances, I'm cool with it," Isabel replied.

Roy felt relieved that Isabel also thought highly of Fritz.

Then, Isabel's phone buzzed. She checked it and saw a message from Chris. She told her family to head back; she had something to attend to.

After the Galvez family left, Isabel walked to the roadside. A sleek Maybach pulled up. Chris got out. "Boss."

"Yeah," Isabel replied, opening the back door and getting in.

Chris followed, producing some documents. "Boss, here's the financial report from last quarter. It covers all the company's earnings, and here are the files you need to review."

Isabel quickly flipped through them and held out her hand. Chris handed her a pen.

"Everything's going smoothly with Mr. Galvez. He's got some great ideas and is way better than that Caius guy," Chris said, still worried the Amelia incident had upset Isabel.

"Got it," Isabel said, her tone neutral. She knew her father was capable. He'd always wanted to make a significant move, not just drift through life. So she was supporting him in taking charge again.

The truth was that Isabel would do anything to make her family happy. She would support them no matter what.

Seeing Isabel wasn't angry, Chris relaxed.

"Oh, and how's your mom doing?" Isabel suddenly asked.

"My mom's great. Ever since she took the medicine you gave her, she hasn't had any more attacks," Chris said gratefully.

Back then, he and his mother had been disowned by his father. They'd been mistreated, and his stepmother and half-brother hadn't relented. The boy had even bullied him.

No one knew that the polished Oceania Group CEO, Chris, had such a heartbreaking past. Growing up neglected and miserable, it was Isabel who had pulled him through.

He remembered years ago when Hank Jovian and his gang had pinned him down, scribbled on his face, and forced him to eat rotten food. Just thinking about it made him feel sick. He'd developed a severe aversion to anything dirty. The sight of filth made him nauseous for days.

When he'd been at his lowest, Isabel had appeared. She'd stood up to those bullies and pulled him up without a hint of disgust. She'd taken him to the river and pointed at the water. "Go on, clean yourself up."

He'd stumbled to the river, buried his head in the water, and scrubbed furiously, trying to wash away the humiliation. But he couldn't stop gagging. He knew he'd never truly feel clean.

In that moment, he'd wanted to die. But then Isabel had yanked him out of the water and said, "Dying solves nothing. It just makes your enemies happy and those who care about you miserable. If you want revenge, I can help. But you need to get stronger first. No one will bully you if you're powerful."

He'd looked into her eyes, which seemed to shine with light. "I… I want revenge." He'd finally decided.

After the bullying, he'd been so traumatized that he'd lost over ten pounds and vomited anything he ate. Isabel had grabbed him and forced food into his mouth. "You want revenge! You can't do that if you're this weak! Eat it and keep it down!"

His mouth was stuffed with food, but he still gagged as he tried to swallow.

"Don't you dare throw up," she ordered.

He'd clenched his fists and forced himself to swallow, even though he still gagged. With her help, he'd finally overcome his fear and was able to eat normally again. She'd even treated his mother's illness and restored her health.

From being downtrodden, he'd transformed into the head of Oceania Group—Chris.