Chapter 33: If Anyone Makes You Suffer, You Go After Them

It had been half a month since Gloria found out that Jadeite Lane had been transferred from AW.Inc. to Daniel. During this time, she had been at the hospital, personally caring for Evelyn, who had injured her thigh with shards of glass.

Though the injury itself wasn't severe, the moment Evelyn had collapsed, too much force had caused several fragments to embed into her skin. Even though anesthesia had been applied beforehand, Evelyn couldn't help but cry out in pain when she saw the bloody wound. The scene was pitiful.

Gloria stood by, torn between worry and frustration. Winter was always slow for wounds to heal, and with the strain her thigh had to bear when she used the restroom, some wounds had reopened, bleeding through the white bandages. Evelyn screamed in pain, throwing anything she could reach in the VIP hospital room.

"Mom, how long do I have to stay in the hospital?" Evelyn cried, her frustration evident.

She couldn't wear her beautiful dresses, her legs wrapped up like a mummy. Newly married, with Ethan, ever the restless type, there were so many issues piling up that Evelyn felt like she was on the verge of a breakdown.

Gloria wasn't in a better situation. Usually, she'd wake up naturally every day, sip her morning tea, enjoy some beauty treatments, play cards with other wealthy women, and live a comfortable life.

But that day, when Vivian barged into the house, Evelyn got hurt. To avoid gossip from the neighbors at the mountain villa, Gloria had to drive Evelyn herself to the hospital. She ran back and forth, lying to her social circle, and after days of exhaustion, her hair and face had long been neglected. Dark circles under her eyes had turned her into a panda.

She wasn't a patient person to begin with, and dealing with Evelyn's daily complaints only tested her patience.

"Stop whining! If you hadn't rushed into things, Vivian would be the one sitting in jail right now!" Gloria snapped, tossing a plastic basin onto the floor with a loud clatter.

The smell of urine filled the room. Since Evelyn's thigh wound had reopened, the doctors suggested she avoid using the restroom, and instead, she had to use a bedpan.

The Smith family was a well-known name in Lumina, yet because they were covering up the situation, they couldn't even hire a nurse to take care of Evelyn for fear of rumors getting out.

Everything—feeding, changing, even helping with bodily functions—was Gloria's responsibility.

After handing Evelyn the bedpan, she heard the same complaints again, and Gloria, having been suppressing her frustration, could no longer hold it in.

"You brought this on yourself!" Gloria shouted, throwing the window open to air out the room. She didn't care if the breeze might make Evelyn sick. "This is your punishment. Think about who's to blame for your suffering!"

Gloria gently patted Evelyn's cheek, her voice low but firm, "If you're hurting, it's because of someone. You know who to blame."

Evelyn, still confused, blinked as tears filled her eyes. "But, mom, I did what you told me…"

She had only followed her mother's instructions, trying to hurt Vivian, but why was her mother still dissatisfied? She had come so close last time!

Gloria sighed, a deep frustration welling up inside her. "Eve, you need to learn how to use other people's strength to your advantage. Do you understand?"

Seeing that Evelyn didn't fully understand, Gloria sighed again, speaking a little clearer. "For example, do you think Ethan really wanted to marry you? No, he didn't."

Evelyn's expression darkened as Gloria hit on her deepest insecurities.

"Davis family isn't what it used to be. They need a marriage alliance that will maintain their wealthy lifestyle. Ethan, even if he doesn't marry you, will marry a woman who can help his family stay afloat."

Men, after all, are far more pragmatic than women.

"Vivian is smarter than you. From the moment her father's business failed, she knew Ethan would abandon her."

"So, she doesn't hate you for stealing Ethan. She hates me for abandoning her father."

Love and emotions? They couldn't be relied on. Only wealth and power were valuable.

"Want to show a woman she's beneath you? Let everyone around her tell her that she's inferior to you, but never let it come from you. Don't you dare let her know it's you who's making her suffer."

Gloria's words finally seemed to penetrate Evelyn's foggy thoughts. Her face showed realization, but she also seemed crushed by the truth.

"Mom, can I go home and recover there?"

In these few days, Ethan had only visited her once, and even then, he hadn't called afterward. It didn't feel like a newlywed couple at all. They didn't even bother to pretend anymore.

Her father, too, had only called to ask about her condition, but there was no real care in his voice.

It felt as though her own flesh and blood had abandoned her.

Gloria's words had sunk in, and Evelyn seemed to understand. In the world of the rich and powerful, women had to prove their worth. Otherwise, they were discarded like garbage.

Gloria smiled with satisfaction, "That's the right mindset. Show your father that you are of value. Make Ethan realize that without you, he's nothing. That's how you win."

"I understand, mom."

After making sure Evelyn was settled back in bed, Gloria, exhausted, sank to the floor in a corner of the room, her back against the wall.

She had never imagined that despite all her scheming, she'd end up being deceived by Vincent, that gambling fool!

When the phone call came, it felt like the world had crumbled beneath her. Her whole body felt drained, as though her very life force had been sucked out. In that moment, she felt like she had aged ten years.

On the call, Vincent admitted he owed two billion to the casino, and if he didn't pay it back in a month, it would quadruple.

The entire Smith family's assets, her private savings—everything would go into that bottomless pit. If she didn't pay, the consequences would be the same.

It was the difference between a quick death and a slow one.

Gloria clutched her head, realizing she had spent a lifetime calculating, only to have it all be for nothing.

She had thought that by marrying Evelyn into a wealthy family, she could easily control the situation, but the Davis family was nothing but an empty shell!

Now, she had no one to rely on.