Page 99 of Billionaire’s Cruelty

Unromantic.

“You will not,” Mrs. Li and I protested at the same time.

Well, that was unexpected. Seemed like we finally had something in common.

“Why not?” Kai countered. “She’s perfect. Exactly how I imagined my wife would look.”

Still, it didn’t sound like love. Not even close.

A nervous chuckle slipped my lips, thin and forced.

Was that all anyone ever saw in me? The perfect wife?

Dannie had certainly thought so years ago.

“Lucy is the perfect wife. Beautiful. Smart. From a prestigious family.” Then Mrs. Li threw me a withering look. “Chinese, through and through.”

Ouch.

I had never truly faced racism until now. And I couldn’t believe it was coming from my own people.

Lucy had stopped crying. Yet, she hadn’t said a word to defend herself. How could she just stand there and let Mrs. Li talk about her like that? Like she was some kind of prized possession on display. Unless… she wanted to marry Kai.

“Will you marry me June?”

“Kai…”

Before I could even say no, a sharp pain sliced through me. I gasped and looked down.

Mrs. Li’s hand was clenched into a fist, gripping something.

A nail file.

I was bleeding. Again.

The stab couldn’t have been deep. Whatever expensive nail file rich people bought, it couldn’t be that sharp—could it? My mind scrambled for logic as I forced myself to breathe.

In. Out. In. Out.

I wasn’t going to bleed out. I was going to live. That much was clear.

Breathe. Focus on nothing but breathing.

Then I was yanked backward. A collective gasp erupted in the room. Faces twisted in alarm, concern, helplessness.

No, I hadn’t just fallen.

Mrs. Li had grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled.

Hard.

I barely managed to catch myself before I hit the ground. If I hadn’t, I would have lost a good chuck of my hair along with my dignity.

“Careful what you say next,” she hissed.

The not-so-pathetic nail file was now pressed against my neck.

“What the fuck are you doing, Mama.”