After that, I quietly leveraged my family's network to pull in investors and partnerships behind the scenes, helping him claw his way back and break into Capital City's upper class.
And now, before he'd even fully secured his footing, he was already plotting to bite the hand that fed him and enjoy the company of another woman.
But in this world, people who betray someone's genuine devotion never come to a good end.
Shirley gleefully upended an entire bottle of liquor over my head.
The alcohol burned my eyes like acid, forcing out involuntary tears. My hair clung to my face in wet, reeking strands.
She poured five bottles in a row, making sure every inch of me was drenched before she finally stopped.
She watched my skin swell red with the allergic reaction, watched me clench my jaw against the searing sting and the fire spreading across my body.
Shirley smiled, satisfied. She bent down and whispered in my ear.
"Kathryn, I thought that mouth of yours was so sharp. What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"
"You know as well as I do that Neil only cares about me now. All I have to do is say the word, and he'll make you drink that entire basin of underwear water."