Irina's POV
"Keep your money for your husband, Mrs. Bernard," I said, letting ice drip from every word. "He'll need it for those mistresses of his. I hear they don't come cheap."
"You—" Linda's face went scarlet as she choked on her own rage. Buck's hands balled into fists so tight his knuckles went bone-white. If we weren't surrounded by half the city's elite, I'm pretty sure he would've tried to strangle me right here.
Everyone knew the score. Linda's family had bankrolled Buck when he was nobody, buying him his status along with their marriage certificate. But once he'd climbed the ladder, he'd never spared a second glance for his plain wife—too busy chasing after younger, prettier tail. The whole social circle whispered about it behind closed doors, but nobody had the balls to say it out loud.
Until now. One sentence from me, and their perfect family facade just crumbled to dust.
Buck's jaw went rigid. 'If I'd known she'd turn out like this,' he was probably thinking, 'I should've left her to rot in that damn lab.'
The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Erik's frown carved deeper lines into his face—clearly this was news to him too. He yanked his arm free from Annie's grip.
Annie had just gotten back, so she knew exactly what kind of mess this really was. She couldn't let me keep talking or her whole carefully orchestrated plan would go up in smoke.
"Mom, Dad, there's no point fighting with Irina," she said, plastering on that practiced smile of hers and forcing sweetness into her voice. "Let's head inside. We shouldn't keep the Shaw family waiting."
Her gentle tone snapped Buck back to reality. He smoothed his expression like flipping a switch, slipping back into his public mask.
To save face, Buck fixed me with his sternest look. "If you're having money troubles, just say so. I'm happy to help. But don't spread lies to damage our reputation."
Then he took Linda's arm, sighing like some disappointed father. "And you're too soft-hearted. This is what happens when kindness gets thrown back in your face."
Linda flushed red with humiliation, shooting me a look that could kill. But with all these eyes watching, she forced on a wounded expression and nodded along.
I tilted my head, letting my gaze bore into them—cold and sharp enough to cut glass.
Linda almost lost it completely, ready to explode, but Annie quickly pulled her aside. "Mom, she's not worth it," she hissed. "Remember what's at stake today. Don't let something this petty ruin everything."
That brought Linda back down to earth. She dabbed at tears that weren't there and sighed dramatically. "It breaks my heart. I only wanted to help, and this is the thanks I get? I should've known better."
Annie played right along. "Mom, you're absolutely right. Some people would rather protect their pride than face the truth. Offer them a lifeline, and they'll refuse it just to save face."
I almost laughed out loud. 'Are they seriously trying to paint me as some broke liar now?' I watched their little theater performance with cold amusement.
Seeing my silence, Annie stepped forward with this graceful bow. "Irina, I apologize for my mother's behavior. But if you won't accept our help, then stop making trouble for us. My mom has a good heart. She's too trusting to see through your games."
Her words hit that perfect sweet spot—firm but diplomatic. The crowd was eating it up, glancing between Annie's picture-perfect poise and my indifferent stance. The contrast couldn't have been more obvious.
I caught every layer of bullshit in Annie's tone. I lifted my chin, lips curving into a knowing smirk, letting my gaze slice right through her act.
For some reason, that look made Annie squirm. She hated my guts, but something about my stare sent chills down her spine.
She was sneering inside, thinking, 'Irina's getting bold today—reckless and defiant. Since when? After living with my family for years, does she really think she's some kind of princess now?'
"Annie's absolutely right," Erik cut in, stepping forward. "People who are struggling often confuse pride with dignity. They mistake generosity for pity. It's a common weakness."
His eyes landed on me, dripping with contempt. "The Bernard family helped you out. The least you could do is show some gratitude. Acting like this just makes you look small."
I listened, then suddenly asked, "You're Erik Cross, aren't you?"
"That's correct," Erik replied, lifting his chin with that arrogant tilt, his frown deepening.
"Good eye," Annie added smoothly. "Mr. Cross runs Hillview Medical Group and he's one of our most respected doctors. What exactly are you getting at?"
"Nothing major," I said with an easy smile, nodding toward the street. "I read tarot cards, and yours just flashed before my eyes. Your family member—the one who cuts corners and has no clue what she's doing—almost killed someone today. Right now, she's on the ground begging for mercy. Why don't you go see for yourself?"
Erik scoffed internally. 'My only family in medicine is Louise, top of her class at Anastasia Medical University. No way she'd endanger a patient.'
"You fool," he spat. "How dare you spread such lies! The Cross family has practiced medicine for generations. We would never—"
Before he could finish, some elegantly dressed woman came rushing over in tears. "Erik, you need to check on Louise right now. She collapsed and can't move or speak. It's like she's been cursed."
Erik's confident smile turned to stone.
Heavy silence fell over the crowd. His face burned red with humiliation as he stormed off toward wherever Louise was.
"Oh, and one more piece of advice," I called after him, waving casually. "Tonight, take the back roads home. Stay off the main streets."
Nobody had ever disrespected Erik like this. He spun around to glare at me, his eyes promising this wasn't over.
But I couldn't care less. 'The Cross family had this coming,' I thought. 'Corrupting medical standards and destroying the entire healthcare system. Someone should've stopped them years ago.'
'That so-called "top doctor" is nothing but a fraud, selling medical licenses to unqualified hacks and churning out generations of arrogant, incompetent quacks. If I don't step in, they'll keep using my reputation to drag the profession deeper into the gutter. Hillview doesn't just need a new top doctor—it needs a complete overhaul.'
Linda, trailing behind Erik, hid a smug smile. 'The Cross family controls Hillview's medical scene,' she was thinking. 'By making an enemy of their head, Irina just destroyed any future she might've had in this city. Time for this country girl to crawl back to whatever backwater hole she came from.'
After they disappeared, I turned to leave.
But Buck stepped right in front of me, blocking my path. His face was twisted with rage as he jabbed a finger at me. "We took care of you for years," he shouted. "And this is how you repay us? You ungrateful little bitch, I shouldn't have been so generous."
My gaze turned to ice. The Bernard family had never shown me an ounce of kindness. For years, they'd given me nothing but cold shoulders, beatings, and curses. Living with them had been worse than the orphanage.
I'd once hoped we could be family. But there was no love—only cruelty. And then Buck had sold me off like livestock, all for money.
At that memory, the purple rose tattoo behind my ear started throbbing. If not for them, I never would've suffered so much. My head snapped up, eyes blazing with fury.