Payback in Blood
Outside the window, heavy snowflakes drifted down, blanketing the world in pristine white.
I sat in the car, holding the freshly made chocolate cake in my hands.
Written in chocolate on the cake were the words, Zack, happy third anniversary.
Wayne, our driver, drove steadily, murmuring, "Mrs. Lucas, the snow is heavy so we should drive carefully, hoping we would not make Mr. Lucas impatient."
I smiled and shook my head. "No rush, safety first."
But inside, I was brimming with anticipation.
Zachary is the CEO of the Lucas Group, usually so busy he barely has a moment to breathe.
For this anniversary, he had made a special effort to cancel all his appointments, saying he wanted to spend it properly with me.
The car had just turned past the third intersection when the accident suddenly occurred.
An out-of-control big truck came barreling from the side, crashing into our car with a loud "bang."
I felt myself violently thrown toward the passenger seat, my forehead slamming against the car window in sharp pain.
Then, another loud crash followed—a car rear-ended us from behind.
A chain reaction of crashes.
I tried to sit up, but a sudden, tearing pain erupted in my abdomen.
Warm liquid trickled down my leg, staining my beige cashmere pants crimson.
Panic surged in my heart as I instinctively reached toward my lower abdomen.
There, our child—Zachary's and mine—had just reached three months.
"The child... my child..." My voice trembled as I tried to pull out my phone to call Zachary.
The phone slipped under the seat; its screen shattered.
Wayne had already lost consciousness, blood soaking his forehead.
I forced open the car door; cold wind mixed with snowflakes rushed in, chilling me to the bone.
Not far away, Zachary's car was also at the scene of the accident.
He was holding a girl, hurrying toward the arriving ambulance.
That girl is Monica, the daughter of Katy, who is our housemaid.
I saw that Monica had scraped her arm and was leaning against Zachary's chest, crying.
"Zack!" I shouted through the stabbing pain in my abdomen, "I'm here! My stomach... the child..."
Zachary glanced back at me.
His gaze was calm, completely devoid of worry, yet tinged with impatience.
"I'm busy. Wait a moment," he said. After saying this, he held Monica tightly and climbed into the ambulance; the door slammed shut with a bang as it sped away.
I stood in the snow, my entire body freezing cold.
He saw my misery, saw the blood on my leg, yet chose to save Monica, who was lightly injured.
Tears mixed with melted snow ran down my face, then froze, burning painfully.
A passing traffic officer spotted me and rushed over: "Are you okay? I'll take you to the hospital!"
The officer helped me into the police car, and all the while, the pain in my stomach grew more intense.
When we arrived at the hospital, I was rushed directly into the emergency room.
The doctor came out, his face grave as he looked at me: "Mrs. Lucas, I'm sorry, your child couldn't be saved."
My mind buzzed once, then went completely blank.
The child is gone.
Our child—Zachary's and mine—is gone.
I lay in the hospital bed, tears silently streaming down my face.
After an uncertain stretch of time, I heard the hospital ward door being pushed open.
It was Zachary.
He still had snow clinging to him, carrying a fruit basket in his hand.
"How are you?" He walked to the bedside, his tone neutral, as if speaking to a stranger.
I looked at him and suddenly recalled his coldness at the scene of the car accident.
A surge of anger and hurt welled up inside me.
I yanked the IV needle out from the back of my hand, stumbled out of bed, and rushed out of the ward.
The nurse tried to stop me, but I pushed her aside.
I know which ward Monica is in—the traffic police just told me the ambulance took her to the surgical ward of the city center hospital.
I found a mop in the corridor, snapped the wooden handle off with all my strength, and gripping the bare stick, charged toward the surgical ward.
The ward door was ajar.
Monica was leaning against the bed, eating the fruit Zachary had made for her, a triumphant smile playing on her lips.
There was only a small adhesive bandage on her arm.
"Monica!" I rushed in, raising the wooden stick to strike her.
Zachary quickly blocked me and pushed me aside. "Luna! Are you out of your mind?"
"I'm out of my mind?" Tears streamed down my face as I looked at him once more. "Zachary, look at me! I lost our child! And her? She just has a small scrape, yet you held her as you got into the ambulance, leaving me alone in the snow!"
Zachary frowned. "I treat Monica as my younger sister—there was no physical betrayal."
"Your sister?" I sneered, "Does sister mean you'd be here caring for her while your wife is miscarrying?"
"Don't be unreasonable!" Zachary's tone turned stern. "Monica is still young and frightened. What's wrong with me taking care of her? As for you, you've always been such a spoiled brat, nothing like a dignified lady should be."
I looked at him and suddenly felt like a stranger.
This man is the husband I've loved for three years.
But now, after I lost our child, he blames me for being a spoiled brat.
My heart slowly grew cold.
I put down the wooden stick in my hand, my voice terrifyingly calm: "Zachary Lucas, I want a divorce."
Zachary was momentarily stunned, as if he hadn't expected me to say that.
"Luna, don't be so ridiculous."
"I'm not joking." I looked into his eyes. "I'm serious. I'm divorcing you."
I completed the discharge procedures and returned home.
That was the marital home Zachary and I shared, the house my father had prepared for me before he passed.
As I pushed open the door, a familiar scent of disinfectant washed over me.
As a housemaid, Katy was sitting on the living room sofa, cracking sunflower seeds as she watched TV.
The moment she saw me return, she immediately stood up, a mocking smile on her face.
"Wow, Mrs. Lucas is back? What, without the child, and you still have the nerve to come back?"
I ignored her and headed straight for the bedroom.
Katy suddenly stepped forward and blocked my way.
"Stop right there!" She shoved me. "Who do you think you are? What right do you have to be so harsh with my Monica? If it weren't for you, Monica wouldn't be so frightened."
I lost my balance and fell to the ground.
The wound on my belly hadn't healed yet, and when I hit the floor, a sharp pain shot through me.
"Katy, how dare you!" I gritted my teeth against the pain, trying to stand.
But Katy suddenly lunged at me, sat on me, and slapped me across the face.
"How dare I? Listen well—you have no say in this house!" She cursed as she struck me repeatedly, "You good-for-nothing hen that can't lay an egg! You're occupying the position of the Mrs. Lucas and still dare to bully my daughter? I'll beat you to death, you jinx"
My face burned fiercely with pain, and my hair was pulled into a tangled mess.
Just then, the door opened.
Zachary walked in, carrying Monica in his arms.
Frowning at the scene before him, he furrowed his brows.
Katy immediately released me, stood up, and cried as she threw herself before Zachary: "Mr. Lucas! You're finally back! Mrs. Lucas bullied me and even hit me! Look, my arm is all red from where she squeezed!"
As she spoke, she revealed a red mark on her arm that had been carefully prepared—one she had made herself by squeezing her skin.
Monica stood beside her, rubbing her eyes softly, whispering, "Zack, don't blame Luna. She's just too upset."
Though her words seemed to defend me, they actually implied that I had indeed bullied Katy.
Zachary looked at me, his eyes filled with disappointment.
"Luna, I never expected you to be so cruel, even to a nanny."
"I didn't!" I struggled to stand. "She hit me first!"
"Stop making excuses!" Zachary interrupted. "Katy has worked for our family for so many years. I know exactly what kind of person she is. Apologize to Katy right now!"
"I won't apologize!" I met his gaze. "I'm not wrong. Why should I apologize?"
"You won't apologize, huh?" Zachary's expression darkened.
He stepped forward, grabbed my arm, and forcefully pinned me to the ground.
"Kneel down! Apologize to Katy with a kowtow!"
My knees struck the cold floor, sending a sharp pain through me.
"Zachary, let me go!" I struggled desperately.
But his grip was powerful; he held me down firmly, refusing to let me rise.
"Apologize!" he growled.
Katy stood aside, watching me with a smug expression, a cold smile curling at her lips.
Monica also showed a victorious smile.
I looked into Zachary's cold eyes and felt utterly hopeless.
This man was no longer the Zachary I once knew.
For the sake of a nanny and her daughter, he actually treated me this way.
I stopped struggling, letting him press my head against the floor.
"I'm sorry." My voice was hoarse, trembling with tears of humiliation.
Only then did Zachary release me.
At that moment, Monica walked over, tugged on Zachary's sleeve, and timidly said, "Zack, I heard Luna's father's cremated ashes are still at home."
She paused, then continued, "I think it's not right to keep the ashes at home. Let me take care of them. By doing this, Luna can have peace of mind and stop dwelling on the past."
I suddenly raised my head, staring at Monica in disbelief.
My father's cremated ashes are the most precious thing to me.
She actually wants to keep my father's ashes as tool to threaten me!
"No!" I immediately refused. "Those are my father's ashes. I won't give them to you!"
Monica's eyes grew red as she looked at Zachary. "Zack, I only wanted to help Luna... I didn't mean any harm..."
Zachary frowned and looked at me. "Luna, Monica means well. There's nothing wrong with entrusting the ashes to her care."
"Zachary Lucas!" I stared at him. "That's my father! How could you let an outsider keep my father's cremated ashes?"
"Monica is not an outsider." Zachary's tone was firm. "And if you don't agree, don't blame me for doing something to you."
He paused, then added, "Also, the Luna Manor, you need to transfer it to Monica. After all, she's just a little girl with little sense of security. Having the manor will give her peace of mind."
The Luna Manor.
It was my father's dowry, prepared for me while he was alive. Later, after I married Zachary, we planned to leave it to our child.
Now, he actually wants me to transfer ownership of the manor to Monica.
He even wants me to hand over my father's cremated ashes to her.
I looked at Zachary, then at the triumphant Katy and Monica.
I knew I had no choice.
If I refused, who knows what else they might do to me.
More importantly, I couldn't let my father's ashes be harmed.
"Fine." I gritted my teeth and agreed, "I can transfer ownership of Luna Manor to Monica, and I can let her keep my father's ashes. But you have to promise to me that you won't harm my father's ashes. Otherwise, even if it costs me my life, I will never let you off."
Zachary nodded. "Alright. Tomorrow I'll have the lawyer prepare the transfer documents. Also, Monica's room—you need to redecorate it to match her taste."
I said nothing, turned, walked into the bedroom, and closed the door.
The room was dark. I leaned against the door, tears silently streaming down my cheeks.
"Dad, I'm sorry."
"It was me being so useless that I failed to protect your cremated ashes and even let the manor you left me fall into someone else's hands."
"But rest assured, one day I will reclaim everything that belongs to us."
The next day, I redecorated Monica's room according to Zachary's instructions.
She liked pink, so I painted the walls pink and bought a pink bed, a pink wardrobe, and pink curtains.
The entire room felt like a pink prison.
After finishing the room, my wound began to bleed again.
I sat on the floor, trying to find a tissue to stop the bleeding.
Suddenly, Zachary burst in, grabbed my arm, and slapped me hard.
"Luna! Are you doing this on purpose?" His eyes burned with anger.
I was stunned from the blow, unable to grasp what was happening.
"What's wrong?"
"You're still asking me what's wrong?" Zachary pointed outside the door. "Monica hurt her arm trying to protect you from the vase! Did you put the vase there on purpose to hurt her?"
I followed his finger and saw Monica leaning against the doorframe, her arm wrapped in bandages, her face full of hurt.
That vase—I placed it by the window; it simply couldn't have fallen on its own.
It's obvious Monica pretended to take the hit to frame me.
"I didn't." I explained, "The vase was placed very securely; it wouldn't have fallen on its own. She did it deliberately."
"You're still making excuses!" Zachary didn't believe me for a second. "Monica is so kind, how could she hurt herself on purpose? Luna, you've really let me down!"
After saying that, he turned and walked out, not forgetting to comfort Monica, "Monica, don't be angry. I'll make sure she will pay for this."
I sat on the floor, staring at my bleeding wound, feeling a cold emptiness inside.
At that moment, my phone rang.
It was Bill calling.
Bill Musk was an old subordinate of my father and a member of the Alliance of the Four Great Consortium.
"Miss Walton, are you alright?" Bill's voice was full of concern. "I heard you had a miscarriage at the hospital and also had a conflict with Zachary."
"Bill, I'm fine." I fought back my tears. "Is there something wrong?"
"Miss Walton, I've found out something." Bill's voice softened, "On the day of the car accident, Zachary actually saw you, but he still chose to save Monica first. Moreover, I discovered that when Zachary married you back then, it wasn't out of love; he was compelled by the status of the Walton family—he needed our resources to reinforce the Lucas Group."
Boom!
My mind felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer.
So, he never loved me.
He married me only for the Walton family's power.
Now that my father is dead, he no longer needs to pretend and has shown his true colors.
"Bill," my voice trembled, "I want a divorce. I want to take back everything that belongs to me."
"Miss Walton, rest assured." Bill's voice was firm: "I've already contacted the Waltz, Shatner, and Mars Clans to launch a meeting among the Alliance of the Four Great Consortium. Whenever you need us, we're ready to help."
After hanging up Bill's call, I felt assured.
At that moment, my phone buzzed with a new message.
It was from Monica.
"Luna, thank you for the Luna Manor. Zack said it will be mine from now on. By the way, your father's ashes—I've already placed them in my room and will be 'taking care' of them every day."
A photo was attached to the message.
In the photo, my father's urn sat on Monica's pink vanity, a doll beside it, making the scene look both absurd and humiliating.
I gripped my phone tightly, my nails digging into my skin.
Monica, just wait.
I won't let you off.
I've started planning the divorce.
I know Zachary dotes on Monica and often accompanies her to buy luxury items.
I contacted the lawyer and had the divorce agreement prepared.
Then, I deliberately showed up at the jewelry store while Zachary was there with Monica shopping for jewels.
"Zachary," I said as I approached, holding a folder, "there's a document here that needs your signature. It's a supplementary agreement about the cooperation between the Lucas Group and the Walton Group—Bill has been pushing for it urgently."
Zachary was busy picking out a necklace for Monica when he impatiently took the document folder. "Got it. Leave it here, I'll sign it later."
"No, Zachary." I pretended to be anxious. "Bill said it must be signed today, or the deal will fall through. Just sign it quickly for now."
Monica chimed in from the side, "Zack, just sign it now. Don't hold up the important stuff."
Zachary had no choice but to take the pen I handed him. Without even glancing at the agreement inside the folder, he signed his name.
He had no idea that the agreement was not a supplementary cooperation contract at all.
It was a divorce agreement that I had prepared with the lawyer.
The agreement explicitly stated that Zachary voluntarily renounced all marital property and, due to his infidelity during the marriage, was required to pay me a hefty compensation.
I took the signed divorce agreement and finally let out a sigh of relief.
Zachary, your days of ease are over.
The day after signing the divorce agreement, the Lucas Group convened a shareholders' meeting.
I stormed the shareholders' meeting with Bill, Mr. Waltz, Mr. Shatner, Mrs. Mars, plus a group of bodyguards and lawyers.
In the conference room, Zachary sat at the head of the table, confidently outlining the company's future plans.
Seeing me enter, he froze for a moment, then frowned. "Luna, why are you here? This is a shareholders' meeting, not a place you should be."
"Why can't I be here?" I walked over to him and threw the divorce agreement down. "Zachary, we are already divorced. According to the divorce agreement, you voluntarily give up all marital property, including the 60% stake in the Walton Group held by you as Luna Walton's legal husband, as well as your position as CEO of the Lucas Group—after all, you became CEO largely because you married me and gained the support of the Walton Group."
Zachary picked up the divorce agreement, his face turning paler with every look.
"Luna! How dare you scheme against me!" He suddenly stood and pointed at me. "This agreement is fake! I never signed it!"
"Whether it's fake or not, you can see the signature for yourself." I sneered coldly, "And I also have surveillance footage of you signing it."
I had the lawyer play the surveillance tape from the jewelry store.
The footage clearly showed Zachary taking the document and signing his name.
The shareholders began whispering among themselves.
"I never thought Mr. Lucas could be this kind of person."
"Rising through a marriage alliance, and now being divorced by his wife—what a disgrace."
"Losing the shares of the Walton Group, the future of the Lucas Group looks bleak."
Zachary's face darkened with every passing second. He tried to justify himself: "Fellow shareholders, Luna and I just hit a rough patch. This divorce agreement is invalid! Moreover, the Lucas Group can't operate without me. Without me, the company simply can't run!"
"Is that so?" I stared at him before suddenly pulling a fruit knife from my bag and forcefully stabbing his arm.
Blood immediately poured out.
Zachary screamed in pain, clutching his arm. "Luna! You're insane!"
"I'm not insane." I stared at him, my eyes ice-cold. "I just want you to know that I'm not someone you can bully. You don't dare call the police, nor do you dare harm me—because if you do, your extramarital affair and your scheming against the Walton Group will spread across the entire business world. Then, you'll be utterly finished."
Zachary looked at me, his eyes filled with terror.
He knew I was telling the truth.
I turned around and said to the shareholders, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have something here that I want you all to see."
I asked the lawyer to play a surveillance video.
In the video, Monica was holding my father's urn, opened the lid, poured the cremated ashes onto the floor, then released several cockroaches, watching them crawl over the ashes with a twisted smile.
Zachary stood beside her; not only did he not stop her, but he even said, "Stop messing around, be careful not to dirty the room."
The shareholders were stunned when they saw this.
"This is outrageous! How dare they treat the deceased's cremated ashes this way!"
"How can Mr. Lucas let such a thing happen?"
"Someone like this has no right to be our CEO!"
At that moment, the elderly Mr. Waltz stood up and said solemnly, "Fellow shareholders, according to the agreement of the Alliance of the Four Great Consortium, our four families—the Walton, Musk, Shatner, and Mars—unanimously support Miss Luna Walton in taking over the Walton Group and removing Zachary from his position as CEO of the Lucas Group. Anyone who objects is opposing the four of us."
Members of the Shatner and Mars families also spoke up one after another: "We support Miss Luna Walton!"
The shareholders exchanged uneasy glances; no one dared to oppose.
The Four Great Clans held immense power in the business world, and no one was willing to cross them.
Zachary watched everything unfold, realizing his fate was sealed.
He slumped in his chair, his eyes hollow and empty.
I ordered the bodyguards to lift Zachary up and escort him out of the conference room.
"Zachary, from this day forward, you are no longer the CEO of the Lucas Group, nor a shareholder of the Walton Group. Return to where you came from."
As Zachary was shoved out of the conference room, he kept yelling, "Luna! I will never let you off!"
I ignored him.
I know he no longer has the power to threaten me.
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