Stars Shine, No Return

…

“Lily Evans, you bitch!”

Chloe Miller spat the words through clenched teeth.

The next second, my fist slammed into her, knocking out two of her front teeth. Blood poured down her chin.

“Say that again?”

Chloe clutched her mouth, unable to speak.

I had seen through her long ago—she was nothing but a paper tiger. She thought building some muscles made her as strong as a man. She rejected being a woman, always bragging “we men” this and “you women” that. She strutted in front of women and pretended in front of men.

But what she didn’t know was that I had trained at a martial arts gym since I was a child. Even my father used to say I could outfight my own brother. I never had to fear anyone bullying me.

Now that Chloe came looking for trouble, she had only run into a steel wall.

Still covering her mouth, she tried a sneak attack with her free hand. I slashed her hand with my knife, and her shriek tore through the room.

Only then did Ethan Walker snap out of his daze. He rushed over, grabbed my wrist, and shoved me back.

“Lily, that’s enough. You’ve already stabbed Chloe—what more do you want?”

The way he said it, you’d think I was the unreasonable one.

I turned to him in disbelief.

“Didn’t you see it was her who started it?”

Expressionless, I picked up a fistful of my torn-out hair from the table and shoved it at him.

“See this? Each strand costs me two thousand dollars’ worth of care. All this, ripped out because of her. Now tell me—how should this debt be settled?”

Ethan’s confidence faltered instantly. He knew I wasn’t lying.

I was an heiress, raised in wealth, with investments in every aspect of my body. I had spent fortunes on my hair alone. And everyone here had seen that Chloe struck first.

But Ethan, pale-faced, still shielded Chloe behind him, scolding me instead.

“You’re the one making a big deal out of nothing, clinging to that check. I already gave it to Chloe, why are you making things hard for her?”

“She’s been my buddy since childhood. Even for my sake, you shouldn’t have treated her like that…”

The next second, my palm cracked across Ethan’s face.

“Lily, you hit me?”

He stared at me in shock.

I met his gaze coldly.

“Now, it’s your turn to settle accounts.”

“Lily, don’t tell me you’re talking about divorce again?” Ethan gave a bitter laugh. He touched the cheek I had just slapped, then gripped my wrist tightly.

“Can’t you drop the spoiled princess act? Every time something upsets you, it’s divorce. Who else could put up with you but me?”

I shook my head with a smile.

“You’re wrong. It’s not just about divorce.”

All these years, Ethan’s rise had come entirely from my family’s resources—mine and my father’s. If he was going to leave, there was no way he’d walk away with what belonged to us. I intended to take everything back.

Ethan’s expression faltered, fear flashing in his eyes. He softened his tone.

“Baby, don’t you believe me? I really only see Chloe as a brother. We’re innocent—”

“Innocent?” I sneered.

“You mean when you popped her implant, that was innocent? Or when she clung to you and slobbered all over you in front of everyone—was that innocent?”