Ex-Husband's Domination

Ex-Husband's Domination

Chapter 1

Twenty-six-year-old Leon Wolf was a married man whose notorious reputation was well-known across Springfield City. He lived with his wife's family—the Mansons—and was treated as an indentured servant during his three-year marriage. Dignity was a foreign concept to him, but he endured all the humiliation in silence and never once spoke up in protest.

For the past three years, he worked tirelessly like a horse in the Mansons' company every single day, yet his salary had to be handed over to his wife Marilyn, whom he couldn't even get close to.

By the time he came home at night, he had to do laundry, mop, cook, and various other household chores. Still, he worked diligently without complaining.

He believed that by doing all this, he could prove his worth to his wife and convince her to stay with him until they grew old. But what he received in return was a cruel blow—a baby!

His wife, with whom he had never even slept, was pregnant, and he was about to become a father!

But would anyone consider that good news?

"Is it so difficult for you to wash the clothes properly or mop the floor well, Leon? You're useless! Can't you do anything right? Why should we keep you here when even a dog would do better than you?"

...

The harsh words came from Leon's mother-in-law, Helen Manson. She pointed a finger in his face and lashed out angrily.

Leon looked up, his eyes bloodshot with anger.

"Helen!" Leon gritted his teeth and hissed.

"Don't address me by my first name. You're not worthy of calling me that!"

Helen expressed her disgust and contempt.

Leon remained silent and refrained from responding.

Three years ago, he happened to come across the patriarch of the Mansons when the latter suddenly fell ill.

Elder Manson, as he was known, had to be carried to the hospital on Leon's back for about eight miles. The old man received timely treatment and was saved thanks to Leon's kindness.

Elder Manson, feeling indebted, decided to repay the favor by marrying off his granddaughter, Marilyn, to Leon. The rest of the family opposed it, but the old man turned a deaf ear to their objections.

Since then, Leon had been living with the Mansons for three years.

Three years!

Even the most cold-hearted person would have warmed up to someone in that span of time, but the bitter mother-daughter duo made it impossible!

Marilyn and her family looked down on him from the depths of their hearts simply because he was an orphan with no prospects or family background.

Despite his best efforts, Marilyn and the others continued to criticize, hit, and berate him at every turn.

Elder Manson was the only person in the entire family who treated him well.

When Elder Manson was around to protect him, his mother-in-law Helen managed to restrain herself—but only to a certain extent.

Since Elder Manson passed away from illness a month ago, Helen and everyone else had practically intensified their efforts to drive him away.

He had become an unwanted presence in the family and spent his days being treated worse than a dog...

The room door swung open, and Marilyn walked in, reeking of alcohol. Clad in fashionable clothes and black silk stockings, her alluring stride and seductively blushing face were irresistible to almost every man.

Seeing her return, Leon looked up at her and felt a surge of pain in his aching heart. He couldn't fathom how she could bring herself to go out for drinks, even when she was pregnant!

Leon's first instinct was to go and support her, but Marilyn immediately pushed him away.

"Hands off me! Pack up your stuff right now and get the hell out of here. We're getting a divorce at the Civil Records Office tomorrow!"

"What! Why?!"

At that moment, Helen showed up and started cursing at Leon as soon as she saw him standing there in a daze.

"What are you doing, Leon? Bring a basin of water and start washing Lulu's feet!"

Helen walked over to Marilyn with a doting expression on her face. She gently held the woman's hand and asked with concern, "Why are you drinking so much alcohol? It's not good for the baby. You've put in so much effort to finally get pregnant with Brody's son, so you mustn't let anything happen to him."

She was already looking forward to having a grandson, even though the baby's due date was still months away. Only a boy would give her daughter a chance to become Brody's wife. The only reason she kept Leon around was that she was unsure about the baby's gender—after all, someone needed to take care of her daughter, and hiring a babysitter would cost extra money.

"Don't bother washing my feet! I've suffered enough from your uselessness for the past three years, Leon! Let's get divorced tomorrow!"

Marilyn looked at Leon with a cold, arrogant, and contemptuous expression.

Leon immediately felt as if his heart had been pierced by thousands of arrows. He knew he wasn't worthy of Marilyn, yet he continued to work hard and endure everything for three years, hoping to earn her approval.

Little did he know that, in exchange for all his hard work, he would receive a request for divorce!

"You're right!" Helen realized it too. "After all, we have Brody's child now, and it would tarnish our reputation if people found out he's still living with us."

"I'm tired. Could you walk me to my room so I can rest? The sight of this idiot disgusts me!"

Marilyn tenderly stroked her stomach, worrying about whether other women around Brody would try to interfere with them once her belly grew larger. As Helen helped Marilyn into the room, she took a jab at Leon, "Why are you still here? Do you plan to stick around and take care of a baby that isn't even yours?"

In that split second, humiliation, anger, and a myriad of other negative emotions overwhelmed Leon's heart. He felt like an abandoned stray, ruthlessly chased away from its home. All his belongings from the three years of marriage—including his ID card—were thrown into the trash can. Leon's strongest emotion at that moment was bitter disappointment.

He was homeless.

In those three years, his earnings from work were handed over in full to his mother-in-law, and he wasn't given a single cent. He was no different from a wild dog.

Leon wandered the streets and ended up at a cemetery, where he felt the cold air in the darkness.

He stood before a tombstone, his expression lonely and his eyes wide, but not a single tear fell.

He didn't know whether to feel anger, despair, or disappointment.

Silently, he looked at the tombstone of the late Elder Manson, the only person who had protected him and cared for him during those three years. After being kicked out of the house, Leon felt compelled to pay his respects to the old man one last time.

Although he intended to pay his respects, he had no money on him and couldn't even afford to buy the cheapest flowers.

"Thank you for taking care of me during these three years, Sir...

"Tomorrow, I'm going to divorce Marilyn...

"I failed to live up to your expectations..."

Leon's eyes were red. He knelt in the dark of the night and bowed repeatedly before Elder Manson's tombstone. It was difficult to put the bitterness and sadness in his heart into words.

After paying his respects, he picked up a pendant, held it in his hand, and sat blankly on the ground with his back against the tombstone.

Unbeknownst to Leon, the pendant seemed to emit a soft white light, as if it could sense the anger and humiliation within him…

Leon left the cemetery after paying his respects to Elder Manson, but before he stepped out, he noticed a woman in professional attire standing at the entrance. She had a stunning figure, and Leon wondered why someone like her would be visiting the cemetery in the middle of the night instead of being sound asleep in bed. She wore heavy makeup, causing him to do a double take.

She appeared unhappy and muttered something like, "You broke-ass b*stard."

Usually, Leon would ignore such remarks in the past, knowing that reacting wouldn't benefit him in any way. However, the shock of his wife getting pregnant with someone else's child and being expelled from his own home had left him incredibly upset. He wanted to vent his emotions. In a moment of impulsive hot-headedness, he rushed towards the woman and said, "Isn't it a bit early for you to be offering yourself on the street? How much do you charge for a night? I happen to be in a good mood today!"

Truth be told, Leon didn't have a single cent in his pocket. He trembled slightly as he spoke, worried that she might be a sex worker, in which case he wouldn't have anything to pay her with.

Fortunately, the woman's face turned pale, and she stared at Leon upon hearing his statement.

She seemed like a proper and refined woman.

Leon secretly felt relieved.

Having endured a lot with the Mansons that day and hitting rock bottom, when he saw the woman glaring at him, he added another sentence, "What are you staring at? Didn't you hear my question? I asked how much you charge for a night. What's wrong? Do you expect to be treated with dignity even though you're out here selling yourself? You should know that I used to undergo combat training, so you should be the one thanking me for a good time instead."

That remark only made the woman angrier, and she immediately yelled, "What's your name? Which company do you work for?"

"Why does that matter? Were you planning on coming over to my place?"

Leon wouldn't foolishly disclose personal information to random people.

"How dare you!"

The woman's face reddened with anger, but she had no choice but to run away from Leon, leaving him feeling resentful.

As Leon turned to leave, he saw two suspicious young men sneaking into the cemetery. Each of them was carrying a sack and a rope.

They didn't notice Leon due to the darkness and the obstruction of trees and tombstones.

Any sensible person could see that those two were up to no good.

Leon frowned and surmised that they were after the woman, so he decided to secretly follow them. Sure enough, the beautiful woman who seemed to be waiting in the cemetery was suddenly attacked from behind by the two men and forcefully shoved into a sack. They stuffed a pair of foul-smelling socks into her mouth, rendering her struggles and resistance futile.

Soon, one of the stronger men held the woman down while the other fetched a large, heavy stone and tied it to the sack.

The two of them then lifted the stone and threw it into the river with a loud splash.

Leon's eyes widened!

It was murder!

Leon's first instinct was to flee, but he worried that any noise he made would startle the men. Instead, he hid behind a tombstone and waited until the two men left before cautiously peeking out.

After careful consideration, Leon jumped into the water. He may have been a cowardly man, but the values instilled in him since childhood compelled him to take action rather than watch a helpless woman being killed right before his eyes.

Leon swiftly rescued the woman from the water. Ignoring his soaked and panting state, he immediately untied the sack. Unfortunately, he failed to notice that he was right beside a dagger dropped by one of the men.

Meanwhile, the two young men made their way to the road outside the cemetery, where a luxurious SUV was parked.

As they were about to get into the car and leave, Marco subconsciously reached for his boots.

His expression instantly changed.

"Dang, I dropped my dagger! It must be somewhere by the river... We need to hurry and find it. There might be fingerprints..."

The two men hurriedly returned to the river.

...

When Leon opened the sack, the woman inside was already drenched. Her white top and short, form-fitting skirt clung tightly to her body, accentuating her curves and exquisite figure. Her top revealed faint traces of a black lace bra.

It was a sight to behold!

Leon couldn't help but gulp. He had thought Marilyn was a beautiful woman, but he never expected the woman in front of him to surpass Marilyn's beauty by a mile.

The woman had been submerged in water for a significant time, causing her face to appear pale, and she struggled to breathe. There was nothing Leon could do except place a hand on her ample bosom and perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

To his surprise, her bosom was soft, and her lips were even softer, with a hint of sweetness.

Leon couldn't help but let his imagination wander.

Moments later, Leon successfully revived her.

"Bleagh…"

The woman coughed up several mouthfuls of water. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she finally regained her senses.

The woman felt a warmth on her lips. When she lifted her head, she saw Leon's hand stroking her leg, prompting her to kick him into the water in anger.

She scolded him, "What do you think you're doing, groping me like that?! You pervert! Disgusting!"

Leon was taken aback and ended up falling into the water.

He thrashed and flailed in the river before managing to climb back onto the shore.

At that moment, he looked even more pitiful than before.

Having endured so much suffering that day, Leon glared at the woman without bothering to explain what had just transpired.

"All women are the same! I saved you and gave you mouth-to-mouth, but instead of thanking me, you kicked me into the water! Didn't your parents teach you anything? I think I should punish you on behalf of your father!"

Leon said angrily as he walked toward her. The woman began to panic, trembling all over, including her voice and chest. "Hey, stop fooling around!"

If someone did something to her in such a desolate area and then threw her back into the water, there would be no evidence left to find.

Leon snatched her water-damaged cellphone and car keys. He smashed her phone hard on the ground, destroying it, and tossed the car keys into the water!

"Let's see you act tough now!"

Leon said in anger, "You're ungrateful, aren't you? We're out in the wilderness, and I just broke your phone. How do you plan to survive here? Without your phone, you can't call a taxi, and with your car keys swimming with the fish, you can't even open your car. Do you want to go home? Well, tough luck! I'm leaving you here, where even the grass doesn't grow. It's a cemetery, so I'm sure you'll have plenty of company at night."

Leon then strode off with determined steps.

The woman was terrified, trembling like a leaf as she cried out, "No! Don't! Please, I'm begging you!"

Chapter 2

The cemetery was located in a remote area to begin with. Leon was confident that there were no ghosts around, but the rumors of wolves lurking nearby remained uncertain. The woman, soaked after being pulled out from the river, was injured and unable to walk far. Given the distance and the desolation of the place, it was highly unlikely that anyone would come to her rescue. Spending a night there, with her car keys thrown into the river and her cell phone shattered, would be more agonizing than death.

Unfortunately for her, Leon was determined to punish her for her ungratefulness.

Leon walked away.

"You jerk! Don't just leave me here!" the woman tried to chase after Leon, but her efforts were in vain as he stormed off. She cursed wildly and felt incredibly dejected. She never expected that a dignified young woman like her would suffer such mistreatment at the hands of an ordinary person.

"B*stard! Once I find out who you are, I sure as hell will make you pay!" the woman, whose name was Iris Young, shouted.

As soon as she said that, Leon firmly decided to ignore her, although he felt a little reluctant earlier.

When Iris saw Leon disappear from her sight, she felt like crying, but somehow she couldn't shed a single tear. The heel of her high heel snapped, and she shivered from the cold wind, her body still wet. She looked around warily, sensing the eerie atmosphere of her surroundings. Even if there were no wolves, the cemetery still held an air of supernatural mystery.

She despised Leon with every fiber of her being, never having experienced such mistreatment in her pampered life as the eldest daughter in her family.

Meanwhile, Leon quickly regretted his actions within a minute or two of walking away. He was a good person with a good heart. Without that goodness, he wouldn't have saved old Elder Manson all those years ago or endured the torment inflicted by the Mansons. When he lashed out at Iris earlier, he was merely pouring out his resentment toward Marilyn and Helen onto the innocent Iris. As he walked, the gentle wind helped calm him down.

He thought to himself, 'She's just a girl. It would cross the line for me to do that to her. Even if there are no wolves or ghosts around, staying out here all night would give her a bad cold. If anything bad were to happen to her, my conscience would torment me for the rest of my life. Scaring her a little should be enough. I shouldn't leave her here for the entire night.'

Leon turned around and went to find her.

But as soon as he arrived at the spot where he left Iris, she was nowhere to be seen.

Leon became anxious. He searched high and low but found nothing except her high heels.

It wasn't a good sign.

Leon knew that Iris was in trouble, and he soon heard Iris's faint cry for help. He ran in the direction of the sound, his anger resurfacing. It turned out that the two thugs from before had returned, and killing Iris was no longer their only agenda. Anyone could see the lustful desire in their eyes when they saw Iris, wet and dripping.

By the time Leon found her, Iris had already been partially stripped. Without thinking, Leon rushed to kick the men, then noticed that Iris was almost completely exposed. Despite her efforts to cover herself, her glowing fairness shone through. Leon couldn't help but appreciate her stunning figure, which surpassed Marilyn's.

"Are you alright?"

Filled with guilt, Leon took off his clothes and threw them to Iris, so she could cover herself.

Iris hurriedly covered herself with the clothes, but she felt angry and helpless when she saw that her savior was Leon. Her hand instinctively wanted to slap him in the face, but as she glanced to the side, she saw something that made her shout instead.

"Be careful!" she warned, but it was already too late.

The thug in the black suit, a robustly-built man, towered over Leon. Leon, with his ordinary build, couldn't block the man's attack. With a powerful kick, the thug sent Leon flying several meters away. He then retrieved the dagger he had dropped earlier and sneered.

"Trying to get yourself killed?"

The man in the black suit stepped on Leon's chest, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.

Behind him, the other man, who had been kicked away by Leon, urged, "Marco, the Youngs are powerful. They'll track us down soon. We can't waste any more time. Deal with them and don't make a single mistake!"

Marco thought somewhat unhappily, 'That's rich, coming from you.' After all, they would have killed Iris had the other guy not given in to his lustful impulses.

But it wasn't the time to argue about who was right. Marco immediately stabbed

Leon's chest with the dagger.

Blood splattered everywhere!

With his last breath, Leon gritted his teeth, fiercely grabbed Marco's thigh, and shouted at Iris.

"Run! My life's not worth much. Save yourself! Don't worry about me!"

Leon smiled bitterly at Iris before his impending death. Deep down, as angry as he was, he remained the honest Leon in his final moments.

He resolved that he wouldn't be that kind of person again in his next life.

Leon's bitter smile encompassed a myriad of emotions: sourness, desolation, and despair.

Iris sat paralyzed on the ground, her face pale. She seemed to see Leon's inner fragility and sadness through his smile, revealing a vulnerability that contrasted with his earlier strength.

Iris didn't try to escape, knowing it would be futile once Leon was gone.

Seeing Leon's death, Iris felt a profound sadness. Despite the way he had treated her earlier, she couldn't help but feel sorrow when she saw him sacrifice his life to save her.

Simultaneously, blood gushed from Leon's chest, staining the pendant hanging around his neck.

No one noticed the white glow emanating from the pendant as it entered Leon's body through the wound.

'I am an ancestor of the Wolf family, my renown pales not against that of legendary deities. Should fate befall any one of my descendants, they shall inherit what is contained within me...'

As he was about to die, a rush of information flooded Leon's mind.

Moments later, it felt like he was being drawn toward the light. His pale face turned abnormally red, and an unknown power surged through his body.

"You're next, Iris!"

The man in the black suit sneered and approached Iris with the dagger.

Iris remained frozen on the ground, her expression filled with despair and grief.

"Behind you!" the other man angrily shouted, but it was unfortunately too late.

Leon picked up the dagger from the ground, suddenly stood up, and stabbed the man in the black suit from behind.

"How...?"

The man in the black suit turned his head abruptly, his eyes wide with shock, before collapsing to the ground. He was dead before he could even think, 'How did you come back to life?'

Leon gained unlimited power after coming back to life. Although he couldn't immediately master it, it was more than enough to deal with the two thugs. The remaining person was stupefied when he saw what happened, and Leon seized the opportunity to grab him before tumbling down into the water.

Iris witnessed the entire event and wondered if they were going to die together.

A conflicted expression appeared on her face. The man might have been annoying, but he was willing to sacrifice his life to save her, even though their encounter that day had been purely by chance.

Iris's legs were already weak, and she had to crawl to reach the water's edge. Her emotions were in turmoil because she was unsure whether she wanted Leon to resurface. He had touched and seen her chaste body, not to mention the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Iris bit her lip and waited, but he showed no signs of resurfacing. She wondered if he had died or survived and was uncertain of his fate.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she couldn't stop them from flowing...

Moments later, she heard the sound of a car horn. The Youngs' bodyguards had already begun searching for her.

Wearing Leon's clothes, she continued to wait. Once she confirmed that Leon hadn't emerged from the water, she whispered gently to the river, "My name is Iris Young. Come and see me sometime..."

Iris turned around and left, unaware that Leon had heard everything she said from underwater.

'Iris... What a beautiful name!'

After returning home, Iris seemed to have lost her mind as she ordered the group of bodyguards to dive into the river and find Leon. However, no trace of him was found.

All they knew was that his name was Leon Wolf, famously known as the son-in-law who lived like a dog with his wife's family.

One of the bodyguards also found his ID card, which had supposedly been discovered at a recycling center.

Something felt off about the whole situation.

...

Marilyn and Helen waited outside the Civil Records Office.

Marilyn occasionally checked her watch, growing angrier with each passing minute.

They had agreed to finalize their divorce that morning, but it was almost noon, and Leon was still nowhere to be seen.

Furthermore, Leon hadn't returned home the entire night, and his cell phone was unreachable when she tried to contact him earlier. She had no idea where he had gone and no means of reaching him.

As Marilyn's impatience grew, Leon finally showed up. He was out of breath, running from some distance away.

His clothes were torn, and he looked utterly embarrassed!

After bullying Iris, Leon realized she was the daughter of an influential family. Fearful of resurfacing from the water, he decided to lurk underwater instead. When Iris assumed he had died and spoke to the river, Leon sensed the bodyguards searching the area. He swam downstream with the current but eventually fainted in the water after the events of that night.

By the time he woke up, it was already around nine in the morning.

He immediately remembered his divorce from Marilyn and rushed over, wanting to free himself from her as soon as possible.

Marilyn, however, ran up to him and raised her hand to give Leon a resounding slap.

"Where the hell did you go last night, you worthless piece of trash! I told you last night we were getting divorced this morning! It's almost noon now! You're wasting so much of my time!" Marilyn berated.

"I was busy last night..."

Leon covered his face, wishing he had the courage to slap her back. But all he could do was grit his teeth and endure the humiliation.

"What could a useless b*stard like you possibly be busy with? Did you go out and sleep with someone else because you were angry about last night?" Helen approached with a sneer on her face.

"You're overestimating him, Mom! No woman would want trash like him, unless they were blind! Even if he went looking for hookers, he doesn't have any money to pay them!" Marilyn laughed mockingly.

Leon's face turned ashen, then red. He couldn't bring himself to look up, humiliated by the mockery of the two women.

"Not that it matters anyway. Seeing you makes me sick! Let's get this divorce done and over with!" Marilyn snorted coldly before turning around and proudly walking toward the entrance of the Civil Records Office.

At that moment, Leon awkwardly spoke up, "I don't think we can do that. My ID card is missing. When you kicked me out of the house yesterday, you threw all my belongings into the trash. My ID card was included in those documents, but neither of you noticed. Now it's been sent to the garbage dump for incineration, so there's no way to find my ID."

"What?"

A stunned Marilyn turned back to stare at Leon, sneering, "You're just trying to use any excuse you can to avoid getting a divorce, right? Who are you trying to fool by saying you lost your ID card? Are you even a man?"

Helen added, "Absolutely. If you don't want a divorce, just say so! Or do you enjoy being cuckolded? Maybe you're secretly happy raising a child that's not yours?"

"I'm telling the truth. My ID card is missing. And it's your fault too! What does it have to do with me?" Leon clenched his fists tightly, his eyes turning red with anxiety.

As much as he wanted an immediate divorce from Marilyn, without his ID card, there was nothing he could do.

At that moment, two vehicles—a luxurious Porsche and a black Audi—pulled up in front of Leon.

From the Porsche, a young man around 26 or 27 years old stepped out. He wore sunglasses and expensive designer clothes.

Moments later, two bodyguards in suits and leather shoes stepped out of the Audi, following the young man with an air of dignity and arrogance.

Their arrival quickly caught the attention of passersby.

It was clear at a glance that the young man was a pampered rich kid.

"Brody, you're here..." The Marilyn family appeared happy, as if they had transformed, and greeted them obsequiously.

Brody removed his sunglasses and assumed an air of superiority as he arrogantly asked, "Didn't you say you were going to divorce your useless husband today? Why haven't you completed the divorce procedures yet?"

"Well, do I have news for you! This useless b*stard deliberately arrived late this morning and stubbornly refused to get a divorce, claiming he lost his ID card! Don't you think he's just ridiculous!" Marilyn glared fiercely at Leon.

"Who says you can't get a divorce without an ID card? I'm friends with the manager here! Come with me, and I'll ensure it's settled!" Brody wrapped his arm around Marilyn's slender waist, casting a cold gaze at Leon. A murderous look flickered in his eyes as he warned, "I'm warning you, kid. You'd better go ahead with the divorce like a good boy. If you try to play tricks to hold on to Marilyn, I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life!"

"Hear that, idiot? Even without an ID card, my husband can still make sure the divorce goes through! Let's see what nonsense you come up with now!" Marilyn smiled smugly at Leon, giving Brody a kiss on the cheek. The two of them flirted and entered the building.

No one doubted they made a terrible couple!

Leon clenched his fists tightly, anger burning in his eyes.

Marilyn not only cuckolded him but also openly showed affection to another man in front of him. Her ruthlessness knew no bounds!

But Leon reminded himself that freedom was within reach. He calmed himself down and followed Marilyn, Brody, and Helen into the Civil Records Office.

Chapter 3

"I'm sorry, Miss Manson. According to the marriage law, there's a one-month cooling-off period when filing for a divorce. Besides, your husband doesn't have his ID card, so we can't process your divorce right away..."

A female staff member returned all the documents politely to Marilyn.

"Screw this! Why is there a cooling-off period before I can get a divorce?! Call your manager. I want him to proceed with it right away!"

Brody slapped the table angrily.

"Sir, I'm just following the rules..."

The female staff was unhappy but she still maintained her politeness.

"Don't give me that crap! I told you to call your manager! Are you deaf?" Brody shouted harshly.

He caused such a huge ruckus that everyone was either giving him the side-eye or peering at him with a weird expression.

It was the first time an incident like that happened there.

At that moment, the senior officials within the Civil Records Office were also alarmed, and a middle-aged man with a slightly fat body trotted over in a rush.

"It's you, Brody... Please calm down. Amber here isn't aware of who you are. She didn't mean to… please forgive me..."

The middle-aged man smiled apologetically before turning around and scolding the female staff. "Do you know who this is, Amber? He's the boss of Sullivan Enterprises. You should apologize right away!"

"Sullivan Enterprises?"

The people around were taken aback.

Sullivan Enterprises is a well-known upstart in Springfield City. Its total assets reached as high as half a billion and it had an insane amount of wealth. He was the kind of person that no one should offend.

"I'm sorry, Mister Sullivan. I was mistaken. Please forgive me..."

Amber was so frightened that she quickly got up and bowed to Brody in apology.

Brody was satisfied with this, and at the same time, he enjoyed the awe-inspiring gazes cast by the people around him.

"Mister Loewe, please expedite the divorce for my woman. And while you're at it, register our marriage too!"

"Yes, I'll do it right now."

The middle-aged man smiled and processed both the divorce between Leon and Marilyn as well as the marriage between Marilyn and Brody.

"You're amazing, darling! I love that side of you!" Marilyn snuggled in Brody's arms like a kitten and said coquettishly.

Brody's power and influence brought pride to Marilyn and Helen.

"Who is she? How did she get to know Sullivan Enterprises' eldest young master?"

"She is one lucky woman!"

...

The people around her could not help but cast envious glances at Marilyn, with some of the young women showing a rather noticeable look of jealousy.

Marilyn basked in the limelight as she giggled and smiled. She became as pretentious as could be!

Meanwhile, everyone immediately felt that Leon's position in the relationship was usurped. Everyone stared at him strangely, with some feeling pity toward him while others showed contempt.

Leon felt more and more humiliated as a result, and he wishes he could just dig a hole and burrow into it!

After getting the divorce certificate, the sour-faced Leon was about to leave when Brody stopped him.

"Leaving so soon? I won't let you off so easy!"

Brody smiled coldly.

Leon's face sank. "What are you planning on doing to me?"

"What do you think? You wasted so much of my woman's time this morning, and you were adamantly refusing to go ahead with the divorce on the pretext that you lost your ID card! Do you think I'll just let all that slide?" Brody sneered.

"I've made myself very clear, didn't I? I never refused to divorce her and my ID card is missing..."

Leon suppressed his anger.

"Don't give me that crap! Do you think I'm that easy to fool?"

Brody smiled contemptuously and turned around to order his two bodyguards, "Hit him. Teach this idiot a lesson! Show him what's in store for him if he tries to trick me!"

"Understood!"

The two bodyguards smiled grimly as raised their fists to punch Leon.

The two bodyguards frequently did combat training and Leon was immediately thrown to the ground. Leon could only curl his head into a ball with his hands and suffer the barrage of blows from the bodyguards' fists and feet.

"How miserable for him!"

"His wife was snatched away and he's being beaten up too!"

"I'd much rather die if I was as useless as he is!"

...

Everyone there began whispering among themselves while looking at Leon with even more sympathy and contempt.

They knew that it was probably just the beginning because of the influence that Sullivan Enterprises would almost surely spell doom for Leon's future!

All of a sudden, a loud screech of braking vehicles was heard.

An extended, modified version of an intimidating Rolls-Royce, followed by two black Mercedes-Benz, stopped right outside the Civil Records Office.

The door of the Rolls-Royce opened, and a beautiful, tall, and graceful 23- or 24-year-old woman stepped out of the car. There was a certain air of elegance to her character.

Behind that glamorous woman were six bodyguards.

Each of the bodyguards had a strong figure and sharp eyes. At a glance, one could immediately tell that they were all top-notch combat trainees.

"My God, it's Iris!"

"The woman who ranked first among the top four beautiful women in Springfield City! It's Iris, the Youngs' eldest daughter!"

...

A few people recognized who that beautiful woman was and could not help but exclaim out loud.

Iris was not a public figure, and not many people have seen her with their own eyes.

However, her reputation preceded her, for she was the Youngs' jewel and one of the four widely-acclaimed damsels in Springfield City.

As soon as someone in the crowd revealed Iris's identity, everyone immediately realized that this glamorous and noble beauty in front of them was the goddess that many of Springfield City's men yearned for.

"They say that Iris never had a boyfriend and has always been single. Why would she come to the Civil Records Office today?"

"Has she already gotten a boyfriend? Does she plan to get married?"

...

Everyone had a curious look on their face, and as soon as there were whispers that Iris's purpose there was probably to collect her marriage certificate, all the men present seemed to feel heartbroken.

At the same time, the jealousy in every man's heart was soaring out of control, for they all wondered who was the lucky chap that Iris the goddess took a fancy to!

Iris ignored everyone's luminous gaze, walked into the hall, and headed straight in Brody's direction.

Brody's face was flushed, and his heart was pounding with excitement.

He was the eldest young master of Sullivan Enterprises and a well-known figure in the business circle. It was only natural that he met Iris before.

He was blown out of the water the first time he saw Iris, and he subsequently enshrined her as the goddess in his dreams!

However, the Youngs were the most powerful family in Springfield City, with an influence that encompassed the military, politics, and business.

They were therefore much stronger than Sullivan Enterprises and were eons ahead of the latter.

Even though Brody's heart yearned for Iris, he did not dare to pursue her.

After all, he was not qualified to do so!

To his surprise, however, Iris took the initiative to walk over to him, which excited him so much that he completely lost his cool!

"Miss Young, are you here to speak with me..."

Brody greeted her ingratiatingly like a pug wagging its tail, only stopping short of kneeling and licking her feet.

Iris did not even look at Brody and glanced past him to look at Leon. As soon as she laid eyes on him, a hint of anticipation appeared on her cold and pretty face.

She spared no effort in trying to find Leon the past night, for she firmly believed that Leon was still alive!

That b*stard of a man was not allowed to die so easily after copping a feel from her.

With that determination in mind, she availed herself of the Youngs' resources that morning to get every single detail about Leon. She eventually found out about Leon's plans to divorce Marilyn.

As a result, she immediately rushed to the Civil Records Office to see if she could find Leon.

Sure enough, she saw someone resembling Leon curling up on the ground while hugging his head. She was unable to see his appearance clearly, and she could not confirm whether he was indeed who she looked for!

The two bodyguards stopped beating Leon because Iris was there.

Leon looked up after sensing the slight change in the atmosphere. Lo and behold, the first thing he saw was Iris's limpid and emotion-filled eyes.

"Iris? It's you!"

Leon stood up in bewilderment because he did not expect to see Iris so soon.

Iris looked at Leon with a conflicted expression. Although she felt very emotional, a part of her wanted to restrain those emotions. Her urge to scold that rascal for feeling her up was strong, but there was no denying that he saved her life.

In the end, Iris's delicate body trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes like an overflowing river.

Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, she threw herself right into Leon's arms.

"Umm..."

Leon was dumbfounded.

Brody, Marilyn, and Helen were all just as stupefied to see what happened.

Everyone present there was speechless too!

They never dreamed that Iris—the woman who ranked first among four of Springfield City's most beautiful woman—would take the initiative to embrace that sorry excuse of a man!

It was shocking!

Furthermore, many of those present there regarded Leon as a useless person after Brody snatched away his wife, and they had only contempt for Leon.

The roles were reversed, however, and they were the ones that made fools of themselves!

The man whom they all viewed as worthless trash was able to win over Iris, the number one goddess yearned for by all men in Springfield City!

They looked at Leon with maddening jealousy and wanted nothing more than to end his life!

If looks could kill, Leon would have been dead 10,000 times over!

When Leon snapped out of his senses, he immediately helped Iris out of his arms and said, "Iris? Why are you here?"

"I'm here for you..."

There was a faint blush on Iris's pretty face, but as soon as she saw a smear of blood dripping from the corner of Leon's mouth, she cast away all thoughts about reminiscing with Leon. She reached out to touch the wound on the corner of Leon's mouth, and her pretty face became somewhat icy. "How did you get that on your face, Leon? Who hurt you?"

"I..."

Leon glanced subconsciously at Brody.

"You did this, Brody?"

Iris was angry and she shot Brody a cold look.

She did a thorough investigation of Leon's background and knew that his wife Marilyn cheated on him with Brody.

Brody ruined Leon's marriage and threatened to end the latter's life!

It was utterly disgraceful!

Brody shuddered, and Marilyn stepped forward before he could answer.

"Who the hell are you? How dare you talk to my husband like that! Do you know who he is? He's is the eldest young master of Sullivan Enterprises!" Marilyn scolded arrogantly.

She never saw Iris before and had no idea who Iris was.

All she knew was that Iris's looks rivaled hers in every way, so much so that Iris turned a lot of heads after making an entrance.

Marilyn was jealous and dissatisfied.

"Are you Leon's wife, Marilyn?"

Iris smiled and immediately guessed Marilyn's identity.

"I am! Or rather, I was! I've divorced him! He's a good-for-nothing beggar and judging from the way you threw yourself into his arms like he was some kind of treasure, you must be just as useless as him too!"

Marilyn sneered, but before she could continue, she was slapped.

Chapter 4

The crisp slap resonated through the office after Iris raised her hand and gave Marilyn a tight slap.

"Oh, it's on, b*tch! How dare you slap me!"

Marilyn covered her cheeks. Her eyes reddened in anger as she rushed toward Iris with malicious intent.

Iris responded quickly and gave Marilyn a backhand slap on the other cheek.

Marilyn was not one to accept being humiliated that way. She stumbled and cried to Brody, "Darling, this b*tch slapped me! You need to get justice for me!"

"Justice, my foot!"

A furious Brody slapped Marilyn so hard that she fell to the ground.

Marilyn was stunned by the slap and had an utter look of disbelief. "I told you to slap her! Why are you slapping me instead?"

"That slap was for you! Do you know who this is? This is Iris, the eldest daughter of the Youngs! Are you trying to ruin the Sullivans?" Brody scolded angrily.

Marilyn was stunned silly and finally realized that she made a terrible mistake.

The Sullivans were an upstart rich family in Springfield City. They were a second-rate force at best, and their influence was far behind that of a truly first-rate family such as the Youngs.

Heck, even Brody's father would not dare to offend Iris if he came in person!

"Please don't take offense, Miss Young. This is just a misunderstanding..."

Brody hurriedly bowed and smiled in apology.

"Misunderstanding? I didn't see any misunderstanding!"

Iris sneered, then ordered several bodyguards behind him, "These people bullied my friend, Lou. Could you teach them a lesson for me, please? You're to stop only when I say so!

"Understood!"

The bodyguards did as they were told and immediately surrounded Brody and his two bodyguards.

Marilyn, on the other hand, was a woman, and she was already out of breath after Iris slapped her twice.

Iris, therefore, decided not to make things any more difficult for Marilyn.

Brody and the two bodyguards did not have such good luck. Iris's six bodyguards surrounded the three of them in the center as they began punching and kicking without showing any mercy!

"Miss Young, I realize my mistake now. Please forgive me..."

Brody screamed repeatedly. He curled up into a ball, covered his head with his arms, and begged endlessly for mercy.

"Why should I tell my men to stop when you didn't show Leon any mercy earlier?"

Iris snorted coldly and spoke with a marked sense of anger and iciness in her voice.

The bodyguards became even more ruthless!

Marilyn just got a taste of Iris's formidableness, and so could only stand worriedly beside Brody as she was afraid to step forward and stop him from being beaten up by Iris's bodyguard.

"If you have what it takes, why don't you come at me instead of hiding behind a woman!"

Marilyn scolded Leon angrily, which was met with Leon's cold look.

However, he still walked to Iris's side and motioned for Iris to stop. "You can tell them to stop now, Iris. I'm thankful for your gesture, so let it stop..."

Iris looked at Leon's expression and immediately understood what his determined look was trying to convey. She figured that Leon wanted to personally get his revenge in the future, and he did not want to rely on her to achieve that.

Her guess was right, and Marilyn's words were a jab at Leon's self-esteem.

The shame that Leon experienced that day would be forever etched in his memory, but he still hoped to rely on himself to rid that shame in the future.

He would not have the chance to prove himself if he relied on Iris to get back at them for him.

"You guys are in luck today! I'll spare you both just this once for Leon's sake!" Iris snorted coldly, then turned around and flashed a smile at Leon. "There's plenty of things I'd like to talk to you about. Come with me."

Leon nodded in response. He did not even bother to look at Marilyn as he got into the car and left with Iris.

With a roar of the engine, the intimidating yet luxurious Rolls-Royce sped away.

By contrast, Brody's shabby Porsche did not look so luxurious anymore.

"Damn it! How could someone as useless as Leon hook up with a woman like Iris? Was he sleeping with her when he didn't come home last night?"

Marilyn stomped her feet angrily.

Although there was no doubt that Marilyn was the one who dumped Leon, she was made to feel unworthy of Leon when Iris showed up.

Marilyn became increasingly angrier as she dwelled on what happened.

Brody soon got up from the ground in dismay. He looked exceptionally miserable with a blue nose and a swollen face.

"Impossible! Iris is the Youngs' eldest young lady! She's a very respected person. None of Springfield City's rich and powerful young men ever caught her attention, so how did a piece of trash like Leon do it!"

"Maybe the two of them just happened to know each other..."

Brody covered his face and groaned in pain.

Iris was a goddess in his eyes, contrasting strongly with his low impression of Leon. He would sooner die than believe that there was a special relationship between Leon and Iris!

"You're right! Iris couldn't have taken a liking to him unless she's blind... But on second thought, even if Iris was blind, she'd never fancy some garbage like him!"

Marilyn smiled disdainfully, and his heart became felt a little more at ease.

"Who cares what kind of relationship they have?! It's all Leon's fault that this happened to me. I'm going to get back at him for this!"

Brody had a resentful look on his face.

He could not afford to provoke the Youngs and was afraid of holding a grudge against Iris too.

As a result, he blamed everything on Leon!

The surrounding bystanders could not help but look down in disdain when they saw how shameless Brody and Marilyn were.

Everyone saw how Leon persuaded Iris into letting Brody go.

Brody, however, did not show any gratitude and resented Leon instead!

It was simply too shameless!

Unfortunately, the Sullivans were powerful, and all that the others could do was despise him silently without saying it to his face.

...

Leon was left with nothing after getting a divorce from Marilyn.

He had no belongings, and the most important necessity for him at the moment was a place to stay.

The Sovereign Hotel was one of the most luxurious five-star hotels in all of Springfield City, and Iris planned to have him settle down there for the time being. She could also ask him the exact details of what happened the previous night.

When they arrived at the hotel, Iris motioned for her bodyguards to wait outside while she took Leon in.

"Welcome to The Sovereign Hotel," two attendants smile professionally to welcome them.

When Leon walked on the hotel's red carpet, he looked around and was shocked by how splendid and luxurious the decor was.

He never stepped foot in a place as high-end as a five-star hotel, and he could not help but feel a little uncomfortable to be there.

Furthermore, his tattered clothes were a stark contrast with the hotel.

He took each step with caution for he was worried that his shoes might stain the hotel's high-end red carpet.

"Hold it! This is a high-end hotel. Beggars aren't allowed to enter! Shoo! Beg somewhere else!"

There came a youngish 27- or 28-year-old woman who was dressed in a supervisor's uniform.

She put on an attitude of superiority and yelled harshly at the two attendants who greeted Iris and Leon. "What's wrong with you two? Are you blind? How could you let a beggar in?!"

"Who are you calling a beggar?" Iris was startled and did not know how to respond for a moment.

Moments later, she saw the supervisor walk up to Leon before pointing at him. "Get out of here, you miserable beggar!" the supervisor yelled, stopping short of actually shoving him out.

Leon already felt ashamed of himself, to begin with, and his face turned red as soon as the supervisor scolded him. How he wished he could just burrow into a hole in the ground!

Iris understood what happened and her pretty face immediately turned cold. She pushed the woman's finger away and said, "You're the one who's blind. Does he look like a beggar to you? He's my friend! We're here to book a room..."

"Book a room?"

The supervisor looked disdainfully at Iris from head to toe. "You dress like a rich lady but you're booking a room with a beggar? I suppose you're the same as him then. Now get out of our hotel, both of you!"

Iris was furious. "Only mean people like you can say such things. Where's your manager? Tell him to come out here and meet me!"

"Who do you think you are? What right do you have to ask for our manager?" the supervisor smiled contemptuously.

Iris trembled with anger. Had she not controlled herself for the sake of her identity, she would have slapped the supervisor in the face already.

The hotel staff were already alerted to the commotion there.

A young man about 36- or 37 years old rushed over as quickly as possible, and nametag that wrote 'Lobby Manager - Wendell Dyer' was pinned to his suit lapel.

Chapter 5

"What's going on, Cheryl? Tell me what happened!" Wendell asked.

"Cousin! You came at just the right time. These two beggars are causing trouble and it's affecting our hotel's image..."

The supervisor pointed at Iris and Leon with a contemptuous expression.

Wendell looked in the direction of Cheryl's finger and immediately saw Iris.

His first glance elicited awe, for he was captivated by Iris's beautiful face and noble temperament.

On his second glance, his expression changed greatly, and beads of cold sweat began appearing on his forehead!

Iris seldom appeared in public, and few of those who were not within the circle of rich or powerful individuals knew what she looked like.

Wendell was never qualified to know Iris, but since the Youngs' business spanned many industries, they would usually entertain VIP guests or major customers of the company by arranging a stay for them at The Sovereign Hotel.

It was by sheer fortune that Wendell was able to meet Iris once before, so he knew Iris's identity at a glance!

At this moment, Wendell was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he almost fell to his knees.

She was not the kind of person he could afford to offend.

"Where's security? Somebody, call security! Is this how you do your job in this hotel? Aren't you going to hurry up and chase those two beggars away!" Cheryl went so far as to start yelling like nobody's business.

"Enough!"

A furious Wendell slapped her.

Following that crisp slap, Cheryl staggered and fell onto the ground.

"W-w-w-why did you slap me?"

Cheryl covered her cheek with one hand and was stunned by that slap.

"You dimwit! Do you know who this is? This is Iris Young! The Youngs' eldest young lady!"

Wendell glared at Cheryl fiercely and he went to chew Cheryl out!

Cheryl was his distant cousin, which led her to bully some of the lower-ranked attendants in the hotel because she was connected to him by blood.

He turned a blind eye to her transgressions for the sake of their relatives, but Cheryl caused some serious trouble by provoking Iris!

Given the Youngs' influence in Springfield City, he would be made to suffer alongside Cheryl if the matter was not handled well!

"She... She's THE Iris Young?!"