The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

The group's expressions shifted in unison as they rushed to surround Citrine once again.

"You really think these losers could take me down?" Citrine sneered, cracking her knuckles. In just a few minutes, the bodyguards were left sprawled on the floor, gasping for air, some of them writhing in pain.

At that moment, the entire Everly family and Salome stared wide-eyed at Citrine.

"That's my niece!" Salome cheered, clapping with enthusiasm. After all these years of swallowing her pride in the Everly household, today finally felt like payback. Salome couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this triumphant.

No one in the Everly family expected Citrine to be such a fighter; their faces shifted from shock to dismay.

Just then, a housemaid brought over the nourishing soup Salome had been drinking. Citrine took the bowl, sniffed it cautiously-nothing smelled off. Still, she frowned, dipped her finger into the soup, and tasted it.

The moment she recognized the medicinal flavor, Citrine's expression darkened. "Noah, you're despicable," she spat. "How dare you put birth control pills in mynoveldrama

aunt's soup."

Everyone knew the dangers: prolonged use of birth control could damage a woman's reproductive system, even cause infertility. It was common knowledge.

"Birth control?" Salome's eyes instantly filled with tears as she glared at Noah, betrayal and fury mingling in her gaze.

She couldn't understand it. Derrick was the one who was infertile-so why did the Everly family insist on making her the scapegoat? Why secretly drug her, trying to make her truly barren?

The realization that she'd unknowingly taken birth control for over a year sent a chill down Salome's spine.

She'd nearly lost the chance to ever become a mother.

The Everly family-monsters, the lot of them. Rage boiling over, Salome lashed out, clawing at Derrick's face. When that wasn't enough, she slapped him hard, her handprint blooming red on his cheek.

"You bastard! Derrick, I wasted the best years of my life on you. I want a divorce!"

Salome's composure shattered as she screamed at Derrick, tears streaming unchecked down her cheeks.

Worried that Salome's sobbing might make her physically ill, Citrine quickly stepped forward to steady her.

"Aunt Salome, let's go home," she urged gently.

Salome nodded, unable to stand the sight of the Everly family for a moment longer.

Ever since marrying Derrick, Salome had become a full-time housewife, giving up her dreams and hobbies. She had transformed from a bright, spirited young woman into a weary, ordinary housewife, and now she felt like her life was a failure.

Citrine remembered how her aunt had always seemed so lively and unstoppable whenever she visited the Carmichael family before. She'd never seen Salome so utterly defeated.

Biting her lip, Citrine tried to comfort her. "Aunt Salome, even if you get divorced, this is just the beginning for you." She wasn't good at comforting people and didn't know if her words would help.

But Salome felt a flicker of warmth at her niece's words.

The Carmichael family wasn't exactly close-knit, and Salome had never experienced real affection there. That's why, after marrying into the Everly family, she'd tried so hard to win their approval, making them her whole support system. Yet in the end, the only one standing by her side was this niece who had grown up as an outsider.

Salome rubbed her stinging eyes, fighting back tears.

"Citrine, I gave my youth to a worthless man. I'm thirty now. After the divorce, I don't even know if I'm worth anything anymore." Years of being a housewife had eroded her dreams and youthful spirit.

"It's not as bad as you think," Citrine replied, puzzled by how much the divorce seemed to devastate her aunt. To Citrine, it was a new beginning. "You're only thirty. You can go back to work, do what you love. Maybe get a cat or a dog. And who knows? In a year or two, you might meet someone amazing and have your own beautiful children. Don't be afraid, Aunt Salome. Happiness is still out there waiting for you."