Chapter 2Kicking Them Off the Ladder

Watching the two of them exchange affectionate glances, I scoffed and turned away. I went upstairs and found my father. "Dad, I'm tired of these three."

The old man, hunched over his desk, poring over documents, paused and looked up, puzzled. "Tired of them? I thought you were quite fond of Ryder? Why the sudden change of heart?"

I curved my lips. "What do you do, Dad, when a pet bites its owner?"

My father understood. He waved a dismissive hand. "Get rid of them."

Ryder was the name my father gave him, though he never liked it, insisting on calling himself Ryder. Because of his face, so similar to the one in my memories, I never forced him.

As I descended the stairs, I saw Ryder, who had just parted ways with Brittany Miller, the housekeeper's daughter.

"Ryder, what were you just doing?"

Ryder, who was about to brush past me, froze, then frowned, a mix of unease and irritation on his face. After all, I always used to call him 'Ryder, my love.'

"What's it to you?"

I didn't care about his attitude; after all, I was the one who encouraged him to mimic his cold, detached tone. A cheap imitation, truly.

"I saw Brittany Miller with you, just now."

Ryder stiffened, then his face hardened. "Scarlett Thorne, are you having me followed?"

The commotion attracted Zane and Knox. Seeing that I had mentioned their little innocent flower, they immediately glared at me with ill intent.

"Scarlett Thorne, who we spend our time with is our business. What right do you have to question it?"

"Besides, we saved your life back then. You owe us, big time."

The three of them shielded Brittany, who had appeared at the sound of the argument, behind them. They made me feel like some kind of monster from a horror movie.

Watching their actions, I was utterly bewildered. "I never said you had to stay by my side. If you liked her, all you had to do was tell me. Did you really think I'd tear you apart?"

I kept them around originally because I couldn't bear to part with Ryder's face, so similar to my memory. But I never forced anyone; I wouldn't tie them down to me. Yet these three, while greedily enjoying the wealth and status being by my side afforded them, were carrying on a secret affair with another woman right under my nose.

Zane suddenly sneered, mocking, "Who doesn't know how ruthless Scarlett Thorne is? If we'd told you, there's no telling if you wouldn't have had us 'taken care of' without a second thought."

I paused, then curved my lips. "That's a good idea."

The three of them visibly flinched, exchanging uneasy glances. Ryder looked at Brittany behind him, startled and demure. He looked at my sudden change in demeanor, and a knot of irritation seemed to tighten in his chest, refusing to dissipate. Yet he still spoke stubbornly:

"Alright, Scarlett, I know you love me. I promise, I won't leave you, okay? Don't say such things to upset me. This time, it's my fault. Don't make things difficult for anyone else."

The other two looked at him with admiration. Watching the barely concealed smugness on Ryder's face, I felt sick. How could I have ever compared such a common, low-class man to him?

But before I could say anything, I glanced down and noticed Brittany and Ryder's hands secretly clasped together. A cold glint flashed in my eyes.

I could have let them go anytime, but that didn't mean they could betray me right under my nose. I turned to walk towards Brittany. To my surprise, as soon as I lifted my foot, the three men uniformly blocked my path.

They watched me intently, then turned to the petite woman behind them. Ryder frowned. "Scarlett Thorne, that's enough. I told you I wouldn't leave you. Why do you have to be so hard on Brittany? She's just a young girl."

I snapped back to reality, looking at the three men's wary expressions, finding it both amusing and heartbreaking. Had I not been good enough to them all these years?

Clearly, pets are pets. They only learn through discipline.