The heavy glass doors of the grand medical facility slid shut behind Kayla as she stepped out into the crisp, morning air.
Though her physical frame was still recovering, a cold, unyielding determination burned within her chest, completely masking the exhaustion of her recent discharge.
She walked toward her parked vehicle, slipped into the driver's seat, and aggressively started the engine, shifting the gears with a sharp flick of her wrist.
The car tore down the asphalt, navigating away from the city center and heading directly toward the high-end suburban district of Skylane House—the ancestral estate belonging entirely to the Oliver family.
As the trees blurred past her window, Kayla gripped the steering wheel, her voice dropping into a bitter, broken whisper as she spoke to the empty interior.
"I willingly handed over absolutely all of my personal money, the vast inheritance my late father spent his entire lifetime earning, and my entire corporate business network to Oliver."
"I granted him complete, unrestricted administrative access to all my textile manufacturing businesses and my private bank accounts, simply because I loved him more than my own life."
"I even explicitly told him a countless number of times that Leah is the most important person to me in this world, that she is equal to my own family and the sister I never had."
"Even after knowing all of that, how could Oliver possibly stoop so incredibly low?"
"Why on earth did he deliberately order all financial transactions to be completely frozen from my personal accounts while I was hospitalized?"
"Without the advanced medical treatment, Leah would have surely died in that ICU bed."
"That is a horrific crime which I can never forgive myself for, and I will absolutely never forgive Oliver for as long as I breathe."
Kayla's mind drifted into a dark review of Oliver's increasingly toxic behavior ever since their wedding day.
He had consistently begun coming home exceptionally late, throwing sudden tantrums, getting angry at her without any logical reason, and systematically blaming her for each and every structural problem in their lives.
She remembered how his phone would ring violently at all hours of the night, and he would dismissively snap, "There are urgent corporate meetings at the main office that require my personal attention."
A sudden spark of suspicion ignited in Kayla's mind; she pulled her vehicle over to the side of the road, retrieved her smartphone, and rapidly dialed a specific number.
She was calling the long-time Manager of Oliver Industries, Mr. Jason.
The phone rang continuously for several agonizing seconds before a cautious, polite voice answered on the line.
"Hello? Ma'am?"
Kayla forced her tone to remain perfectly steady.
"Hello, Jason. How exactly are you doing?"
"I am doing good, Ma'am," Jason replied instantly. "Is there something you need?"
Kayla leaned back against the headrest, her eyes narrowing.
"Tell me, Jason, is there any major corporate meeting scheduled ahead in the main office right now, or have there been any continuous emergency meetings over the past thirty days?"
Jason went completely silent on the other end, his confusion palpable across the line.
"Please wait for a single minute, Ma'am."
The faint rustle of papers and the distinct tapping of a tablet screen echoed through the receiver as Jason double-checked the official company calendar.
"No, Ma'am," Jason revealed, his voice laced with absolute certainty.
"Ever since the legal company name was officially changed from Kayla Industries to Oliver Industries, absolutely no new corporate meetings have been called or conducted by Oliver sir."
Kayla felt a freezing chill run down her spine as the realization of his continuous lies hit her.
"Thank you, Jason," Kayla whispered, her heart pounding. "I will call you back later."
"Wait, Ma'am, please don't hang up yet," Jason interrupted frantically, lowering his voice to a cautious murmur. "There is far more vital information regarding the firm that I desperately need to tell you."
Kayla gripped the phone tighter.
"Tell me everything, Jason."
"Ma'am... the entire company is currently trapped in massive, catastrophic financial losses," Jason revealed in a broken tone.
"Sir has literally never worked even a single productive day for this company since taking over the assets, Ma'am."
"He spends his entire time simply shouting at the veteran employees and firing them unnecessarily without a single shred of cause."
"And furthermore, I personally happened to overhear sir's private phone conversation with an outside individual just the other day, explicitly stating that he is actively planning to sell the entirety of Oliver Industries to the Thomas Group, Ma'am... and that too, very soon."
Kayla's breath hitched completely, and she shouted into the phone in absolute shock.
"WHAT?!"
Jason pushed forward, desperate to expose the corruption.
"Ma'am, sir is completely failing to take care of any office responsibilities, and there is a specific girl who is regularly meeting Oliver sir inside his private cabin every single day."
"Her name is Susy, and she is technically working here right now under the title of Assistant Manager."
"Sir is actively planning to bypass all corporate protocols to make her the official Vice President of the firm within this very month."
A profound, white-hot rage swept through Kayla's entire body, her tears completely drying up as her voice turned into pure steel.
"Do not worry about a single thing anymore, Jason; I will personally take care of absolutely everything from this moment onward."
"I will never let Oliver sell my father's company, which was built entirely on my own sweat and hard work."
Kayla took a deep breath, steadying her voice.
"Thank you so much, Jason, for providing me with this critical information."
"Please mention it not, Ma'am," Jason stammered, his tone suddenly turning incredibly fearful.
"But I beg of you, please do not tell Oliver sir about the fact that I have told you all of this."
"If he finds out I exposed his plans, he would never spare me alive."
"Rest assured, Jason, I will absolutely never reveal a single thing about your involvement," Kayla promised firmly.
Without waiting another second, she cut the call, slammed her foot onto the accelerator, and drove at a breakneck speed until her car screeched to a halt in the grand driveway of Skylane Mansion.
Kayla marched up the stone steps and pushed the heavy front doors open, storming directly into the main foyer.
The household maids and old servants immediately stopped their chores, looking at Kayla with an overwhelming mixture of deep pity and sheer terror as she walked past them.
Ignoring their anxious glances, Kayla climbed the grand staircase, walked down the long corridor to her master bedroom, and violently threw the double doors open.
The scene unfolding before her eyes froze the blood in her veins.
Susy was lounging lazily directly on top of Kayla's expensive silk bedsheets, wearing one of Kayla's casual luxury dresses, completely relaxed as she painted her fingernails with a bright red polish.
Furthermore, Susy had pulled open the private vanity and was casually wearing Kayla's priceless family jewelry pieces around her neck and wrists.
Susy slowly raised her head, her eyes locking onto Kayla's rigid, trembling frame.
Instead of showing a single ounce of fear or guilt, Susy slowly sat up, a wicked, triumphant smile spreading across her features.
Kayla's mind reeled in absolute shock as she stared at the interloper, the ugly truth slamming into her memory as she recalled that Susy had once been her classmate in college—and was a notorious, loyal pet to Amy Thomas.
Before Kayla could utter a single syllable, the door to the attached master bathroom swung open.
Oliver walked out into the bedroom, holding a half-empty glass of expensive red wine, still clad in his silk bathrobe.
The moment his eyes fell upon Kayla standing at the entrance, his face turned completely pale with shock, the wine glass trembling slightly in his fingers.
Susy merely laughed out loud, leaning back against the pillows as she watched Kayla's composure begin to fracture.
The sheer weight of the absolute betrayal crushed Kayla's remaining strength; her knees turned to water, and she broke down completely, falling heavily onto her knees upon the hard hardwood floor, her chest heaving with silent sobs.
Susy scoffed, swinging her legs off the bed as she looked down at the weeping wife.
"Hey, baby! Why on earth are you crying like a pathetic child?"
"At the very least, I am incredibly happy right now because neither me nor Oliver have to waste our energy pretending in front of your face anymore."
Oliver quickly walked over to the side of the bed, his confidence returning as he stood next to his mistress.
Susy casually reached out, plucked the wine glass directly from Oliver's hand, and took a slow, deliberate sip, staring directly into Kayla's tearing eyes with pure malice.
Kayla raised her head, her voice cracking into a desperate, agonizing scream.
"WHY?"
"WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME, OLIVER?!"
"I loved you with every single fiber of my being, and you swore to me that you loved me too!"
"We literally got married in front of the world!"
"My best friend, Leah—who is absolutely my everything—repeatedly warned me against your character from the very beginning!"
"Even my own father didn't like you a single bit!"
"But I foolishly chose to believe in your false words, and I got married to you by actively going against absolutely all of my loved ones!"
"I gave everything I possessed to you and your ungrateful family!"
"I sacrificed my entire professional career, my personal goals, and my whole life's dreams just to make you happy!"
"Even when you suddenly demanded full control of my company, without thinking twice, I immediately legally transferred fifty percent of the corporate shares into your name!"
Oliver and Susy exchanged a dark glance before bursting into a loud, mocking round of laughter, completely ridiculing her pain.
Susy stood up, her designer red dress swaying around her ankles as she clutched the wine glass; she walked over and dropped down onto her knees directly next to Kayla, leaning in close as she laughed in her face.
"Poor, pathetic baby."
"Yes, it was never just Oliver acting alone."
"We have systematically cheated you out of absolutely everything since day one."
Kayla stared at Susy and Oliver in absolute horror, her breath caught in her throat as the sheer scale of their long-term conspiracy was laid bare.
As the two villains looked at each other, their minds drifted backward into a vivid flashback, occurring a mere three hours before the grand wedding had taken place.
Inside a secluded, luxury hotel suite, Oliver had thrown his arms tightly around Susy's waist, whispering into her ear with intense passion.
"I love you so incredibly much, Susy."
Susy placed her manicured hand firmly against Oliver's chest, leaning into his embrace with a sharp smile.
"I love you too, Oliver."
Oliver pulled back slightly, his face twisting into a grimace of pure disgust.
"I am unfortunately forced to get married within the next three hours to that complete idiot, Kayla."
"I absolutely hate her, and I don't possess a single shred of romantic feelings for that girl; she is far too simple, boring, and homely, and I utterly detest those types of women."
Susy giggled, running her fingers along his jawline as she flirted with him aggressively.
"Which exact type of girls do you truly want in your life, Oliver?"
Oliver smiled darkly, kissing her cheek.
"I only want a woman who is undeniably hot, intelligent, evil, and entirely greedy like you, Susy."
Susy smirked, stepping out of his embrace and crossing her arms as she reminded him of their grim reality.
"But the fact remains that you currently have absolutely nothing of value to give me, Oliver... you have literally lost all of your family wealth."
Oliver's expression turned violently angry, and in a fit of frustration, he hurled his wine glass against the wall, shattering it into pieces.
"It is nothing more than a legal marriage contract, Oliver," Susy stated smoothly, her eyes gleaming with calculation.
"Just go ahead and get married to that foolish, naive Kayla."
"She has been head over heels in love with you ever since our early college days anyway."
"After the marriage ceremony is complete, just spend a little bit of temporary time with her until absolutely all of her vast family assets, properties, and corporate companies belong legally to you."
"After that goal is fully achieved, just leave her in the dirt."
"We can finally permanently unite at that exact moment, live luxuriously off her immense wealth, and gain absolutely everything back."
Oliver's face lit up with a brilliant smile as he looked at Susy, but a sudden shadow of fear crossed his eyes.
"Still... it is not going to be that simple, Susy."
"Kayla possesses a fierce best friend named Leah, and that girl is incredibly protective of her and remarkably intelligent."
"Back during our college days, she literally delivered a massive, resounding slap across my face for misbehaving with Kayla."
"I would never, ever forget that humiliating slap, nor will I ever forget the terrifying warning that stupid Leah gave to me in the corridor."
The flashback shifted deeper, recalling Leah's fierce eyes as she had cornered Oliver against the locker walls years ago.
"Kayla is my absolute life," young Leah had stated, her voice vibrating with pure steel.
"If anyone ever dares to threaten her, or if I feel even for a single second that someone is actively trying to harm her..."
"I will completely abandon all of my innocence, my patience, and everything else."
"I WOULD PERSONALLY KILL THEM AND BURY THEM ALIVE."
"DO NOT FORGET IT."
Oliver had trembled in fear back then, stammering out a desperate lie to save his skin.
"I... I truly love her, Leah!"
Leah had looked at Oliver with an intense, serious expression, her voice ringing with absolute, pure authority.
"If you truly love her, then Kayla would never have a single reason to cry because of your daily behavior."
"A man who genuinely, truly loves his girl would never try to harm her, nor would he ever let his girl get tears in her eyes because of him or by anyone else's actions."
"He would stand firmly for her protection, no matter what the circumstances may be."
"That is what true love and its ultimate purity look like."
"If you truly love someone, you should always see them as your most precious treasure, and you should take immense care of them and respect them."
"But you simply misbehaved with Kayla through your disgusting actions."
"Which is a crime I would never forgive anyone for committing."
Leah had leaned in closer, her eyes flashing like a dangerous storm.
"REMEMBER THIS MTR. OLIVER... IF KAYLA REMAINS HAPPY WITH YOU AND SAFE BY YOUR SIDE, I WILL BE EXCEPTIONALLY HAPPY AND I WOULD RESPECT YOU LIKE A GOD."
"BUT IF KAYLA EVER FEELS THE SLIGHTEST BIT SCARED BECAUSE OF YOU, OR GETS HARMED BECAUSE OF YOUR ACTIONS..."
"I WILL PERSONALLY BRING UTTER HELL DIRECTLY TO YOUR DOORSTEP."
Back in the hotel suite, Susy scoffed loudly, breaking Oliver out of his memory as she questioned him with pure annoyance.
"Why on earth did you let that two-bit, stupid girl like Leah talk to you in that manner when she warned you?"
Oliver shouted back, his voice cracking with lingering anxiety.
"IT IS ENTIRELY BECAUSE OF LEONARDO KINGSTON!"
"Leo will absolutely never tolerate it if any man misbehaves with a woman, and he has a bizarre, unyielding connection to this specific Leah!"
"I don't know why this billionaire mogul, Leo, always suddenly becomes the ultimate protector or savior for this pathetic Leah!"
"Generally speaking, I don't believe in destiny or fate at all... but these two specific people, Leah and Leo, always manage to meet each other again and again in the strangest situations, yet they never see each other's faces!"
"What on earth is truly written in their fate and destiny?!"
Susy waved her hand dismissively, letting out a sharp, mocking laugh.
"BULLSHIT!"
"There is absolutely no such thing as destiny and fate!"
"How can a rich, multi-billionaire, incredibly hot and handsome person like Leo Kingston ever truly become a permanent protector to a two-bit, simple, ordinary girl like Leah?"
Susy sneered, patting Oliver's cheek.
"Everything you are saying is complete nonsense."
"You just go out there and marry Kayla right now, and I will personally take immense care of ensuring that Leah is dealt with."
Oliver had agreed, a wicked smile returning to his face as he left the suite to hug Kayla at the altar.
Meanwhile, Susy had pulled out her phone and rapidly sent a hidden text message directly to Easton Kingston.
"LEAH IS CURRENTLY INSIDE KAYLA'S DRESSING ROOM. JUST TAKE HER AWAY WITH YOU AND DO WHATEVER YOU WANT."
Within seconds, Susy had received a simple thumbs-up emoji reply from Easton, sealing Leah's horrific fate.
The flashback dissolved completely, snapping back into the brutal reality of the bedroom.
Kayla sat frozen on the floor as Oliver and Susy walked out of the master bedroom, laughing loudly as they headed down the corridor, leaving her completely alone in her shattered world.
Tears poured down Kayla's face as the crushing weight of the truth settled into her soul.
"I was entirely responsible for absolutely everything..." she whispered into the empty air, her voice breaking into a painful sob.
"I should have listened to Leah's warnings..."
Her mind suddenly flashed to the countless times Leah had pulled her aside before the wedding, always asking with deep, sisterly concern.
"Kayla... are you truly happy with Oliver?"
And Kayla remembered her own naive, smiling response.
"Yes, Leah! I trust him completely, exactly like I trust you!"
Leah had looked at her with a heavy, serious expression.
"Just think about it carefully one more time, Kayla... because you are a genuinely good, loving girl with an entirely pure heart."
Kayla had giggled, brushing off the concern.
"Thank you for the compliment, Leah!"
"But... Oliver..." Leah had tried to push, her brow furrowing.
"He is also an incredibly good man, Leah, trust me," Kayla had insisted.
Leah had exhaled a quiet sigh, her protective gaze softening.
"If you are saying that with certainty, then it's okay."
"But if you are getting married to him out of some hidden pressure for your family's sake, just say the word."
"I will personally stop this entire marriage right now, I will put absolutely all the blame entirely on myself, and I would never let a single person raise a finger against your character."
"Your ultimate happiness is the only thing I value most in this world."
Kayla remembered hugging Leah tightly, blindly stating, "I love Oliver."
Leah had remained completely silent, hugging her back with a fierce, quiet intensity.
"I always want to be right by your side through every single one of your problems, Kayla."
"Never hide a single thing from me."
"Give me a solemn promise right now, Kayla."
And Kayla had willingly given her that promise.
Back in the silent, empty bedroom, Kayla came completely out of the painful memories, clutching her head as fresh tears soaked her cheeks.
"It is entirely my fault..." she cried out into the quiet room, her heart breaking into a million pieces.
"I am so incredibly sorry, Leah..."