The CEO's Woman Chapter 3 The Vaul

Lu Shi was taken aback by Jiang Yue’s question. How could Jiang Yue claim not to know her? Recalling the situation, they hadn't informed Jiang Yue about their wedding, making it understandable that she wouldn’t recognize her.

"I am Lu Shi, your father’s wife. I am your new mother," she stated with an amiable smile.

Jiang Yue’s gaze remained blank. "My mother is dead."

"I..." Lu Shi started to retort, but what could she possibly say?

"If there’s nothing else, you may leave now. I wish to be alone," Jiang Yue declared, her attention returning to her book. Her expression conveyed a deep absorption in her reading.

Lu Shi's eyes began to well up with tears of frustration. She stifled her emotions, attempting to adopt a pitiable demeanor.

"Child, I understand you are upset that we didn’t invite you to our wedding, but... but we believed you were still grieving and didn’t want to cause you further distress. I will accept it if you don’t like me. You can disrespect me as much as you wish. I simply want you to know that your father and I sincerely love you. I..." Her voice broke into sobs. "I didn’t expect you to show up without informing your father. Even if you despise him, you could have at least let him know you were returning home. He loves you dearly. He has spoken of you constantly for the past three years." She then fixed her gaze on Jiang Yue, her eyes reddened from crying. Anyone observing would assume Jiang Yue had uttered something deeply hurtful to her new stepmother.

Jiang Yue simply stared back, her face devoid of any discernible emotion. She then shifted her gaze away and stood up, walking past Lu Shi as if she were invisible.

"You... Where are you going?" Lu Shi inquired, her tone laced with a grievance as if she had just been wronged.

Jiang Yue paused mid-stride, turned around, and then walked back toward Lu Shi.

"Lu Shi, is it?" Jiang Yue tilted her head, examining her. Lu Shi nodded slowly.

"Lu Shi. I dislike talking. And I detest noisy individuals. Therefore, let me expend a few minutes now so we won't waste each other’s time in the future. Firstly, you are not my mother. Secondly, this is my house. A property registered under my name. I am under no obligation to inform anyone when I return to my own home. And thirdly..." Her face moved closer to Lu Shi’s pale complexion. "I am aware of your true nature. So, do not waste my time with your pretense." She then surveyed Lu Shi from head to toe, a smirk gracing her lips, before exiting the veranda without a backward glance.

...

Jiang Yue felt a sense of contentment. She had vowed long ago not to dwell on people who evoke pity, yet she still found herself occasionally unable to resist. She recognized Lu Shi as a fraud, someone who had never been genuine. In her previous existence, she had adored and respected Lu Shi as if she were her own mother, even vying for her attention at times simply to slight Jiang Mian.

However, one fateful day, she inadvertently witnessed Lu Shi’s true colors. It was also the day she discovered Yu Chen’s infidelity. She overheard Lu Shi conversing with Jiang Mian on the phone, revealing that she had poisoned Jiang Yue, rendering her infertile. This ensured their plan was foolproof. No one would sympathize with a divorced woman unable to conceive. They would have a perfect pretext for the divorce, citing Jiang Yue's infertility as the reason for Yu Chen to end the marriage and to appease the Yu family, paving the way for Yu Chen to marry Jiang Mian.

Jiang Yue seethed with fury upon uncovering their elaborate scheme. She had always been so conceited, believing she had secured Yu Chen. Yet, she had merely made a fool of herself in the eyes of this mother-daughter duo. She intended to confront Jiang Mian, hastily driving away without realizing she was mere moments from her demise.

Nevertheless, she resolved not to ruminate on these past events. She understood her initial error lay in competing with the protagonist. All antagonists were destined for a solitary, fatal end. A laugh escaped her lips at the recollection of her own folly.

In this lifetime, she vowed never to grant them the satisfaction they had previously enjoyed. She would evade them like a plague, embrace this life to its fullest, revel in her youth, and reclaim all that was rightfully hers.

A chuckle escaped her as she contemplated the future. Since her reincarnation, she had often pondered what her path would hold if she managed to avoid all those individuals.

The very first action she took upon entering her room was to lock the door, ensuring no one would disturb her. She then proceeded into her expansive twenty-square-meter walk-in closet, her eyes sweeping across the gleaming glass shelves. A smile played on her lips; her mother had always delighted in dressing her up, which explained the perpetual abundance of exquisite, designer clothing. She then pressed a button situated just below her shoe racks.

With a distinct click, a small vault emerged from the custom-made stone countertop situated in the room's center. A smile graced her lips as she approached it. This was precisely why she decided to visit this location before heading to her grandfather's residence. Within this vault lay all the property deeds registered under her name, and crucially, her mother's original will.

She keyed in her password, and upon accessing the vault's contents, a triumphant grin spread across her face. All the items from the vault were then transferred into a wheeled duffel bag, alongside a cherished pair of high-heeled shoes.

With all preparations complete, she indulged in a warm, relaxing bath before retiring to bed, a contented smile playing on her lips.