OBSESSIVELY MINE18

Phoenix Rising: The Scarred Heiress's Revenge

Xiao Hong Mao

I lived as the "scarred ghost" of the Stephens penthouse, a wife kept in the shadows because my facial burns offended my billionaire husband's aesthetic. For years, I endured Kason's coldness and my family's abuse, a submissive puppet who believed she had nowhere else to go. The end came with a blue folder tossed onto my silk sheets. Kason's mistress was back, and he wanted me out by sunset, offering a five-million-dollar "silence fee" to go hide my face in the countryside. The betrayal cut deep when I discovered my father had already traded my divorce for a corporate bailout. My step-sister mocked my "trashy" appearance at a high-end boutique, while the sales staff treated me like a common thief. At home, my father threatened to cut off my mother's life-saving medicine unless I crawled back to Kason to beg for a better deal. I was the girl who took the blame for a fire she didn't start, the wife who worshipped a man who never looked her in the eye, and the daughter used as a human bargaining chip. I was supposed to be broken, penniless, and desperate. But the woman who stood up wasn't the weak Elease Finch anymore; she was Phoenix, a tactical predator with a $500 million secret. I signed the divorce papers without a single tear, walked past my stunned husband, and wiped the Finch family's bank accounts clean with a few taps on my phone. "Your money is dirty," I told Kason with a cold smile. "I prefer clean hands." The cage is open, the hunt has begun, and I'm starting with the people who thought a scar made me weak.

Modern Revenge

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"Someone help me! I'm being attacked!"

The desperate screams of Linda Harris filled the air, drawing an increasing crowd of onlookers to the scene.

Hadley Pearson was poised at the top of the staircase, her gaze fixed on Linda who lay crumpled below. A look of utter confusion washed over Hadley as she stared down at her own hands, completely bewildered.

Murmuring to herself, Hadley said, "How could this have happened..."

Why did Linda collapse so suddenly?

"What's going on here?"

With today marking the Flynn family's grand banquet, the estate was bustling with guests. Those who heard the commotion quickly encircled Linda, who was sprawled out from her fall down the stairs.

"What's going on? How did she end up falling?"

"Look up there. She..."

Struggling through her pain, Linda managed to lift her head and look up towards where Hadley stood.

It was then that the gathered crowd pieced together the apparent events.

"Hadley pushed Linda!"

"Good heavens! Hadley, regardless of your feelings towards Linda, such harshness is unthinkable! And she's expecting a child!"

"You've crossed the line!"

"No, that's not true..."

As accusations flew, Hadley's complexion blanched, and she vehemently shook her head in denial.

She tried to assert her innocence, insisting she hadn't pushed Linda.

However, her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Make way!"

A commanding male voice disrupted the gathering, asserting his presence authoritatively.

That voice belonged to Eric Flynn, Hadley's new husband for only a brief period.

"Eric..."

A wave of relief washed over Hadley as she turned to him for support.

Yet, as Eric's eyes met hers, they were sharp and accusing. "You hurt her!"

"I didn't!" Hadley protested, her denial forceful as she shook her head desperately. "I wasn't the one..."

"Then who did?" Eric asked, his disbelief apparent.

His look of disdain and anger was directed squarely at Hadley, his features twisted in revulsion.

"Are you suggesting Linda threw herself down the stairs? You're known to be overbearing. Haven't you been antagonizing her all this time? Must I remind you of all the incidents?" Eric continued.

Hadley remained motionless.

The severity in her husband's voice rendered her speechless.

"Ah..."

Cradling her stomach, Linda leaned on Eric, her voice faint. "Eric, it's so painful. It really hurts!"

"Linda?" Eric's grandmother, Nyla Flynn, approached, alarmed. "What has happened here?" she demanded.

"There's blood!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.

"Look, she's bleeding!"

Beneath Linda, a crimson stain was expanding steadily.

Clutching at Eric's neck, Linda broke down in tears. "Eric! My baby! Help my baby..."

"Don't worry!"

Eric tried to reassure her, but his face betrayed his own fear as panic set in.

"We need to get to the hospital immediately!"