After His Mistress Killed His Grandfather I Divorced Him

Three hours ago, I was at Opal Haven with Grandpa and Grandma, picking out jewelry.

Opal Haven was a business I had founded. Initially, it was a boutique specializing in custom jewelry designs, but it had since expanded into the broader market. The idea to gift me jewelry had been Grandpa and Grandma's. Concerned about their spending, I deliberately chose the least expensive option.

“Diego really should know better. How can he be married for so long and not buy you even a single piece of jewelry? He’s made you suffer, and I apologize on his behalf,” Grandma said.

Both of them looked at me apologetically, promising to give Diego a good talking-to when we returned. But then Vera Wilson stormed over, snatching the bracelet from Grandma's hand and throwing it to the ground.

Fragments scattered everywhere, some of which grazed Grandma's eyes. Grandpa and I rushed to help her, but Vera was relentless in her rudeness.

“Backwoods nobodies, thinking they’re important by picking the cheapest thing here. Lucia, aren’t you embarrassed? Even Mr. Nichols is embarrassed.”

“I mean, your grandparents have that unmistakable provincial smell about them. They should be rummaging through trash for what others throw away. What are they doing in Opal Haven? Mr. Nichols was spot-on; your family’s like a pesky bug that just won’t go away.”

Her loud voice attracted the attention of everyone in the store, leading to whispers and stares.

Grandpa, despite not being directly insulted by Vera, was a principled man and felt compelled to speak up.

“Young lady, who might you be? Once we enter the store, we become customers, and not your concern. However, your conduct towards us demands an immediate apology.”

Grandpa asserted himself with dignity, yet Vera showed no signs of backing down. She playfully manipulated her long nails and raised her hand towards Grandpa's face. Fortunately, having dealt with Vera’s antics before, I quickly pulled Grandpa out of harm's way; otherwise, he’d have been injured.

Vera snorted disdainfully, with her chin raised, “Who am I? I'm the assistant to the CEO of Nichols Corp and his girlfriend. If Mr. Nichols wanted, he’d gift me this entire store. Saying a few words to a bunch of pests like you—why not?”

She narrowed her gaze at me, flaunting a handbag Diego had gifted her, and scoffed, “Lucia, Mr. Nichols hasn’t come home for ages. You've become the abandoned wife, yet you dare to spend his money here like you're someone important? I’m here to clean house on his behalf.”

She waved her hand, and seven or eight security guards dressed in Opal Haven uniforms surrounded Grandpa, Grandma, and me.

Since I ran Opal Haven discreetly, nobody recognized me. Grandpa and Grandma had always maintained a low profile, stepping back after handing Nichols Corp to Diego, so people didn’t recognize them either.

We didn’t even have a chance to speak. The guards forced us down, making us kneel before Vera.

“How dare you offend one of Opal Haven’s VIP clients? Apologize at once, or you can forget about leaving in one piece.”

Grandpa, already struggling with heart issues, turned crimson from the stress, clutching his chest and gasping for air.

I shouted urgently, “I’m Lucia Nichols, the owner of Opal Haven! These two are Diego Nichols’ grandparents. If you doubt me, contact him. Grandpa has a heart condition; he can't handle this stress. If something happens to him, you'll all be in serious trouble.”

Just as I finished speaking, a guard grabbed me by the hair and forced my head to the ground repeatedly, leaving my forehead bleeding.

“Where did this clown come from, pretending to be our owner just because they’ve never shown their face? As if Mr. Nichols’ grandparents would dress like this. Besides, Miss Wilson is Mr. Nichols’ beloved; how could she not know them?”

Despite my attempts to break free, I couldn’t get to Grandpa's medication.

Vera watched our pitiful state with amusement, pulling out a hundred-dollar bill from her bag and tossing it at us.

“My treat for the entertainment. You’ve certainly lowered Opal Haven's standards by being here. Toss them out.”

The guards eagerly complied, dragging and hauling us out the door while spitting at us.

Grandpa clutched his heart tightly, eyes shut, his face pallid as he collapsed onto the pavement. I called out to him several times but received no response. I frantically dialed 911, overhearing Vera and the guards commenting as we left:

“What’s the drama? He’s just putting on an act to hustle money. I've seen plenty of scammers like this, and with Mr. Nichols backing us, it wouldn’t matter even if the sky fell.”