Dad wasn't too happy about it then.

"Okay," Dad said after another pause. "Mr. and Mrs. Vance will be back in a few days. We'll go talk to them then."

"Okay," I replied softly, head bowed.

But warm tears fell onto my hand.

When Dad gently opened my hand, I realized my nails had dug deep into my palm.

My whole hand was bruised and bloody.

That night, Julian called me. His voice was frantic.

"Olivia, Pudding is gone."

"I haven't seen him since I got back from the office."

"I gave him away," I interrupted him.

The next second, an angry female voice came through the phone.

"Ms. Hayes, you are unbelievable! Why would you give Pudding away?"

"Don't you think that's incredibly irresponsible?"

"Ms. Hayes, did you have no feelings for Pudding after raising him all this time?"

"Why would you just casually give him away?"

I don't know which hurt more.

Hearing Aubrey Reed talk to me like that using Julian's phone, and Julian saying nothing.

Or knowing that Aubrey was still with Julian at that hour.

I couldn't listen anymore. I hung up and ran to the bathroom, throwing up everything I had eaten.

After I recovered a little, I blocked Julian's number and all his social media.

Chloe knew I was feeling down, so she used the excuse of shopping to get me out of the house.

I went along listlessly. The weather was beautiful that day.

Chloe loves fashion and expensive jewelry.

I went with her to a jewelry store. Even for someone who wasn't poor, the dazzling pieces were breathtaking.

I never lacked for anything like this. I was an only child, pampered by the Hayes family my whole life.

Besides Mom and Dad, Julian used to send me jewelry often, pieces worth millions.

Mom told me that even when we were kids, Julian loved buying me gifts.

I could fill several rooms with the things he had given me over the years.

But I still loved looking at beautiful jewelry.

After buying a few things, Chloe and I were happily about to leave when someone blocked my path.

"Olivia, what are you doing here?"

I recognized him. It was Leo Reed, Aubrey's brother.

I frowned. I didn't want to talk to him.

Leo saw me ignoring him and actually reached out to grab my wrist.

Chloe reacted fast, grabbing his hand.

"What do you think you're doing?" Chloe's face was furious.

Leo flinched, pulling his hand away from Chloe.

"Olivia Hayes, do you really look down on people that much?" he sneered. "I said hello, and you won't even answer!"

I looked at Leo, my eyes cold.

"Who are you to demand a response from me?"

A staff member nearby, who had been watching the scene, couldn't help but chuckle.

This jewelry store belonged to my family. Chloe and I came here sometimes, so the staff knew me.

Seeing how dismissive I was to Leo, a store employee immediately came over and escorted him out.

Publicly humiliated like that, Leo was furious.

He tried to approach me again, but the security guard blocked him firmly.

"Olivia Hayes, how dare you insult me like that!" he shouted.

"No wonder Julian says you're difficult to handle, with your princess attitude. Who do you think you are?"

Chloe flinched when she heard him mention Julian and glanced at me nervously.

Seeing her worry, I squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Leo Reed," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "Without Julian Vance, do you honestly think someone like you would even get to stand in front of me?"

Leo was Aubrey Reed's younger brother. I'd met him a few times because of Aubrey.

He always acted like he looked down on me, thinking I was spoiled and high-maintenance.

Basically, his attitude was that I was nobody without the Hayes family name.

He even acted annoyed when I switched out my designer handbags often, thinking I was wasting money.