Chapter 29
Nadine said, “Mom, really… You don’t need to worry about our business.”
“How can I not worry? And listen, what you did two years ago-you can’t do anything like that again. It was
far too risky!
“If anything had happened to Elena, that would be one thing, but if you ended up in jail, how could I face your late parents?”
Elena let out a quiet laugh.
The truth she had uncovered these past few days and everything she had experienced left her strangely calm. Nothing shook her too deeply anymore.
She was simply relieved to hear Josephine say those words. She no longer needed to fool herself into thinking Josephine had ever truly cared about her.
Elena turned and headed straight to her room to start packing.
She didn’t have much to take with her-everything at the Riggs residence was things she could easily
leave behind.
So, she simply packed a few changes of clothes and some essentials into a small suitcase.
When she came out of the room with her suitcase, Josephine and Nadine were just returning from the balcony, having finished their conversation.
“Who’s there?” Josephine exclaimed, startled by the figure in the darkened living room.
She quickly reached for the wall switch and turned on the lights.
The sudden brightness in the living room made Elena squint instinctively.
Josephine exhaled in relief. “Elena, it’s so late, why aren’t you… Wait, where are you going?”
Her eyes fell on the suitcase Elena was carrying, and she stared in curiosity.
Elena glanced at her and ignored her, heading straight for the front door.
“Hey, Elena!”
Nadine stepped forward angrily, blocking her path. “My mom’s talking to you! Didn’t you hear her? What
kind of attitude is that toward your elders?”
“Step aside,” Elena said coldly.
“Nadine, don’t speak to Elena like that.”
Josephine hurried over to smooth things over. “Elena, are you leaving for a business trip? Why so sudden? Couldn’t it wait until tomorrow morning?”
Elena smiled faintly. “Mrs. Riggs, I forgot to tell you. Justin and I have already broken up.”
Josephine gasped. “What… What did you say? Broken up? When did this happen? Why?”
She was so shocked that Josephine didn’t even notice Elena had started addressing her differently.
“You’ve broken up with Jus?” Nadine’s expression lit up with excitement and surprise.
She remembered that Justin had always insisted Elena would be his true wife, so their sudden breakup completely surprised Nadine.
At that moment, Justin came out of the bedroom after hearing the commotion. He looked groggy, his hair
tousled, still half-asleep.
“It’s so late… What’s going on here?” he asked.
“Justin, Lena says you two broke up. What’s going on?” Josephine’s voice was sharp with disbelief.
Even though Josephine had always looked down on Elena’s family background, she knew that without
Elena, there was no one left who could keep Justin and Nadine apart.
Justin frowned at Elena, his expression dark. “It’s late at night-what are you making a scene here for?”
“Justin, I’ve made myself clear tonight. We’re breaking up,” Elena said coldly.
Justin froze, a mix of anger and panic surging through him. He had assumed that after going home together and having dinner, the whole issue would be over, and Elena wouldn’t truly want to break up with
him.
But now she was dragging a suitcase, ready to leave.
He couldn’t believe it.
She had to be joking-there was no way she was serious. She was just trying to scare him, nothing more.
Justin snapped, “You’re going too far! I can tolerate your antics when it’s just the two of us, but now, in front of my mom, you’re still acting like this?”
“Justin, aren’t you even a little embarrassed to say that?” The smirk on Elena’s face reminded Justin of
that morning’s events.
A flicker of shame crossed his face, but he quickly added, “We can talk about it in the morning. My mom isn’t feeling well. Do you really have to upset her at this hour?”
He thought that once he said this, Elena would consider Josephine’s health and give in. However, Elena’s
gaze swept past Josephine indifferently.
Josephine’s heart skipped a beat. She instinctively reached out and grabbed the handle of Elena’s
suitcase.
“Lena, what did Justin do to upset you? Tell me and I’ll handle him! You’ve been together for five years,
جمال
Chapter 29
you even have your marriage certificate-how can you just say you’re breaking up?” Josephine said, growing more anxious with every word.
3/3
To be fair, Elena had been a considerate daughter-in-law, always respectful and attentive. There had been
a time when Josephine’s health was poor, and Elena took care of her tirelessly, showing more concern
than Justin or Nadine ever had.
If only her family background had been better…
“Speaking of that, Mrs. Riggs,” Elena said, looking at her.
“Justin and I have been together for five years, yet you’ve never suggested meeting my family.”
Josephine’s expression stiffened. She had always looked down on Elena’s family and had no intention of
respecting them or treating them as in-laws.
Elena had never brought it up before, so Josephine wondered why she was suddenly making a fuss about
it now.
Honestly, Elena wasn’t really concerned about the issue herself, especially since Samuel hadn’t approved
of Justin in the first place.
Samuel’s disapproval had always been clear-he simply opposed it.
On the other hand, Josephine looked down on her and her family, yet she still pretended to be kind and gentle. She acted as if she cared, but in reality, she was using Elena. The hypocrisy made Elena feel sick.
Now, Elena just wanted to expose Josephine’s hypocrisy.
“Please let go,” Elena said coldly. Josephine instinctively released her grip, and Elena pulled her suitcase
toward the door.
Justin hurried after her and grabbed her wrist. “Lena! It’s so late, where are you going?”
Elena couldn’t help but smile at the question. The streets were full of hotels-she could go wherever she
wanted.
“None of your business. Let go!” she snapped, yanking her hand free from his grasp.
Nadine, who had been standing to the side the whole time, was seething with anger. She had assumed
Justin had dumped Elena, but it turned out that Elena was the one initiating the breakup.
She had no right to act like that.
On top of that, Justin and Josephine had been trying to stop Elena from leaving, while Elena carried herself with an air of superiority.
“Elena, you’ve gone too far. What are you playing at?” Nadine snapped, striding forward. Without warning, she swung her hand and shoved Elena hard.
Caught completely off guard, Elena lost her balance, fell backward, and hit the back of her head against the cabinet. Her head spun, and her vision blurred.
