Chapter 4

Kate stared at Ruth with red eyes filled with hatred. Her voice was dripping with rage as she confronted, “Ruth, are you trying to harm me?” Ruth took this slap out of the blue. Her face turned to the side as she fell to the ground. A burning sensation spread across her cheek, where the clear imprint of five fingers remained. Humiliation and anger surged within Ruth as she clenched her fists tightly. Her eyes concealed the deep resentment and hatred she harboured, though she struggled to keep these emotions in check. How dare this b*tch slap me? What’s driving this b*tch to suddenly attack me? The hatred in her heart churned. Though Ruth wanted to retaliate, she forced herself to hold back. It wasn’t the right time, and she couldn’t afford to sever ties with Kate. With tears streaming down her face, Ruth covered her burning cheek in grievances. She gazed at Kate with teary eyes, and her voice was tinged with sorrow. Ruth asked, “Why did you slap me? How could I ever wish harm upon you?” Kate sneered. Her eyes were brimming with unmasked animosity as she bluntly stated, “Didn’t you instruct me to threaten Eric with a knife?” A flicker of panic flashed in Ruth’s eyes. On the surface, she appeared even more aggrieved and denied, “Kate, I didn’t do it!” Wearing a placating smile, Ruth leaned in closer and said in a low voice, “I just suggest that Eric deeply cares for you. If you were to act a bit more dramatic, he would surely give in. I never intended for any harm to come to him.” Pausing for a moment, Ruth whispered, “Simon is deeply touched when he learns how much effort you’ve put in. He asked me to deliver a message to you.” At the mention of Simon, Kate’s fist clenched even tighter. Her nails were digging into her palm and causing a sharp pain. Struggling to suppress the hatred welling up inside her, she feigned surprise and asked, “Is that so?” Observing the shift in Kate’s demeanour, Ruth inwardly sneered. What a fool! It seemed that the slap earlier was a result of Kate’s fear of legal consequences, which prompted her impulsive action. Ruth had almost believed that Kate had uncovered their scheme. However, when she mentioned Simon, this fool’s expression immediately changed. “Simon asked you to bear with it a little longer. He will work hard to grow his company and will definitely rescue you from Eric’s grasp! “Eric is quite the character, I’ve heard … ” Ruth bit her lip at this point. She appeared conflicted about continuing. She glanced at Kate’s expression, paused, and then proceeded, “I’ve heard that his company had a project that conflicted with your family company. They resorted to underhanded tactics to snatch the project away.” She quickly added, “Kate, this is just a rumour. Don’t do anything impulsively!” Kate listened to Ruth’s words impassively. She felt a sharp pain in the palm of her hand. Ruth deliberately said this to provoke her. In her previous life, after stabbing Eric, she had said something similar. Back then, she had flown into a rage upon hearing them, leading to a major confrontation with Eric. She believed it was Eric’s doing. In reality, it was Simon who pulled the strings behind the scenes. Kate had placed too much trust in Ruth and Simon. There was a time when Kate was hell-bent to marry Simon. However, her family disagreed, and they forced her to marry Eric instead. They expressed concerns about Simon’s character and advised her to keep her distance from him. She rebelled against this decision, feeling that they were trying to interfere in her relationship. Consequently, she harboured resentment towards her family and had minimal contact with them. Eric always looked out for her, so she remained unaware of the true situation of the Lowe Group. Therefore, in her previous life, when Ruth made those remarks, she readily believed them.