A Vengeful Ex-Wife
Chapter 218 The Grace Of Raising Her

Upon hearing James' comment on her figure, Maria fell silent. She had always been happy with the way she looked. "Are you not satisfied with my figure? Or are you already tired of me?"

Maria asked in a harsh tone.

James put down his chopsticks again. "I get it, you're mad at me.11

Indeed, Maria was angry with the way he had treated her in bed. He was much too rough, she felt suffocated.

The woman couldn't keep it in any longer. Throwing her chopsticks across the table, she hissed, "You ate the food I cook. I said so many honeyed words. We had sex the whole afternoon. What more do you want? If you don't want to help me, then just say so. Quit playing tricks with me!"

'Play tricks?' He pursed his lips in silence, trying to figure out what to say.

But before he could utter a word, Maria's phone rang.

Her head swiveled in the direction of the ringtone. The phone was lying on James' desk.

She stood up and walked over. The caller ID showed it was Carolina calling.

Maria picked up the phone but didn't even wait for her sister's greeting. "Carolina Song, don't you ever call me again! I don't have the ability to persuade James. He has a fiancee, why don't you contact her instead? Anyway, I have cut ties with the Song family. I don't care what anyone thinks of me. You can say whatever you like, words won't kill me."

After a long pause, Carolina finally spoke up. "What are you talking about, Maria?"

Maria choked. "Don't you get it?"

"HL Group just asked us to sign the contract tomorrow. I was calling to say thank you. Didn't you hear about it?"

Maria was stunned. "What contract?" The man responsible was sitting right behind her. She didn't dare to look back.

"Mr. Xi has agreed to lend us three billion dollars. Did you not know?" Summer had called her. She said that Mr. Xi had only granted the loan for Maria's sake and that this would be the only time he'd extend such grace.

Maria was floored. She looked like a fool just now, since she was kept in the dark and James never bothered to mention anything.

Carolina didn't know what happened between them, so she didn't dare ask anything more. "Maria, thank you so much. The Song Group would've been in ruins if it weren't for you."

"Don't mention it." The woman's tone went flat, as though all the anger just now had evaporated into thin air.

What the hell was going on? How on earth could she face that man after having such a revelation over the phone?

Therefore, Maria decided she wasn't going to face him.

Still on the call, she clutched the phone tightly and strode around the office as though nothing had happened. Once she gathered her things into her bag, she walked to the office door and left without looking back.

When she passed by the area where the secretaries were positioned, they stared at her with wide eyes.

This was the woman who had stayed in the CEO's lounge the whole afternoon. It was likely they were just chatting inside, but two hickeys that shone red on Maria's neck said otherwise.

As Maria was leaving the HL Group headquarters, Carolina had already hung up the phone since she had nothing more to say. But since she was too embarrassed, Maria continued to pretend she was on the phone.

Maria didn't feel a sense of relief until she was safely within the confines of her coffee shop. She decided to avoid James the next couple of days.

In the Song family villa

Chandler, Elaine, and Daniela had received a call from Carolina to wait up for her, so they were all waiting anxiously in the living room.

When Carolina finally arrived, it was almost midnight. "Hi, everyone."

"Carolina, what happened? Have you found a bank that is willing to loan us money?" Chandler asked expectantly, albeit sleepily. He had just come back from a business trip.

While he focused on overseas branches, Carolina was in charge of the Song Group overall.

Carolina shook her head. Chandler's and Elaine's faces fell.

Eyes sweeping over the luxuries of their villa, Elaine sighed sadly. "There's no way God will abandon us!"

Chandler said nothing.

Daniela, on the other hand, lounged on the sofa as though none of this was her business. However, the whole reason why the Song family was in a crisis now was because of her scandal. Chandler was planning to send her back to his hometown in the countryside, so she had been trying to act on her best behavior as of late.

Standing in the middle of the living room, Carolina looked at her family with a calm expression. Finally, she smiled bitterly. "Dad, Mom, if it weren't for Maria, the Song Group would have been doomed." Chandler was confused. "What do you mean?"

At the mention of Maria's name, Elaine wrinkled her brow in annoyance. "Why mention her?"

Daniela was even more furious. She jumped up and pointed at her sister accusingly. "Carolina Song, don't you dare mention that name in front of me anymore. I'm going to kill her!"

Seeing how violent her family's reaction was, Carolina couldn't help but feel a little downcast. "Originally, no bank was willing to lend us the money. Three billion dollars is too much, even for a mortgage loan. It's all thanks to Maria, I swear. She managed to persuade Mr. Xi to lend us the money. Tomorrow, I'm going to sign the contract with the HL Group."

The three of them were speechless from shock.

Daniela seemed to know something, but she didn't want to admit it. She said sourly, "How is this possible? How come Mr. Xi listens to her?"

"Carolina, are you sure? Couldn't it have been Alina?" Elaine asked in disbelief.

Chandler, on the other hand, was so excited and grateful that his lips trembled and his eyes turned red. The Song Group was finally saved, and by the most unlikely person, too.

"No, Mom. It was really Maria who did this," Carolina said firmly.

"How could she be so kind? I don't believe it!" Elaine turned away, visibly uncomfortable.

However, it didn't matter whether she believed it or not. Carolina continued, "Maria was willing to help us because she wants to make a clean break with the Song family. She doesn't want to owe us anything anymore."

A silence fell over the Song family villa.

Chandler glanced at Elaine and said, "Elaine, Maria helped us in our time of need despite everything that happened. Treat her better when you see her in the future. After all, she is our daughter."

Unconvinced, Elaine sneered. "James is so kind. Or has he already forgotten how Arthur died? How could he still hang out with Maria like this? Isn't he afraid that the baby will stand at the head of the bed and look at him when he sleeps at night?"

"That's enough, Elaine Wen!" No matter how heartless Chandler was, he was still grateful. Saving the Song Group from ruin was no easy feat, and it was all thanks to Maria. He didn't expect that Elaine would still shun their daughter despite the kindness she extended to them.

"Mom, do you want Mr. Xi to withdraw the loan from us? Then the company will apply for bankruptcy. Everything will be taken from us to pay our debts-this villa and everything in it. Will you really be happy living in a small house in the countryside?" Carolina asked in a low voice. She didn't expect her mother to be so mean. Everything Elaine said just now was utterly uncalled for.

Elaine opened her mouth, but no words came out.