A Vengeful Ex-Wife
Chapter 285 Two Slaps

Before any of Joslyn's bodyguards were able to get close to Maria, she had already sent one of them flying backwards.

Taken by surprise, the bodyguards left standing stared at their fallen colleague in a daze. Maria calmly returned to a relaxed posture, as though she didn't just roundhouse kick someone in high heels. Snapping back to reality, the other bodyguards charged at Maria, but they didn't stand a chance. She dodged and parried every blow while landing a few kicks and punches on her enemies.

The employees in the store held their breath, anxiously watching this scene unfold before them. Everything in the VIP room was very expensive. If the fight went on like this, they would inevitably break some stuff.

Seeing that her bodyguards couldn't beat Maria, Joslyn shouted in frustration, "Are you even men? Why can't you beat a single woman?"

But her jeers were futile. The bodyguards' morale was dropping by the second as they realized Maria was a master of kung fu.

It didn't take long before all of Joslyn's bodyguards were on the floor, writhing from pain. Maria pressed her high heel against the back of one of them, her lips curling at the ends to form a triumphant smile. "Miss Zheng, let's call it a day. I don't have time for people like you. Also, beware who you befriend; they might just be using you." As she spoke these last words, she shot a meaningful glance at Alina. "What do you mean? Are you saying Alina's just using me? Bullshit! Alina's my best friend!"

Maria smiled sardonically and ignored her question. Turning to face Sandra, she asked, "Are you done here?"

"Yes, let's go!" Sandra, who was completely awestruck by Maria's performance just now, happily skipped over to the counter to pick up her newly-packaged bag. The two walked out of the store together. Once the elevator doors slid close, Sandra looked at Maria sheepishly. "Sorry, Maria. I didn't expect things would get out of hand."

"Don't worry about it. It's not like I got hurt or anything." Actually, Maria was quite pleased with how things unfolded. It gave her a chance to intimidate Alina, which was something she liked to do from time to time.

"But we need to be careful. I think we upset Joslyn Zheng pretty bad, I doubt she'll just let this slide."

Maria shrugged indifferently. That girl couldn't touch her. However, a thought occurred to her. "Did she come back from abroad alone? Doesn't she have a stepmother?"

"Yes, she came back alone. She even held a huge party when she returned. Some people at the party asked about her stepmother. She hasn't come back yet because she needs to take care of Joslyn's half- sister."

Maria nodded thoughtfully. "How does she get along with her stepmother?"

"I don't think their relationship is great. I mean, Joslyn is a spoiled brat with a bad temper who comes from a wealthy family. I'm sure she only has friends because of her money." Sandra told Maria everything she knew.

"Oh, I see."

"What's wrong, Maria?"

Maria looked at her friend with a serious expression. "You're more in contact with them than me. Can you help me keep an eye on the Zheng family? Especially

Joslyn Zheng's stepmother."

"I don't see them that often, but I'll do my best."

"Okay. Thanks, Sandra."

After leaving the mall, the two parted ways and Maria went to her office.

Later that day, Joslyn stormed through the glass door entrance to the HM Group headquarters.

No one dared to cross her path. Her high heels clacked against the polished floors, all the way until she reached her father's office. She pushed the door open without the slightest hesitation and demanded, "Dad, what on earth is wrong with you?"

Colby was on the phone. Seeing her come in, he motioned for her to sit down first.

A few minutes later, he put down the phone.

"How did you meet Maria Song?" he asked.

"While I was shopping with Alina, I ran into Sandra Shen. That woman didn't even have a membership at SOE, so she had to call Maria for help."

Joslyn herself didn't have a membership with SOE, but that was because she didn't like the store's aesthetic. If she did, she would've already been a VIP member.

"So how did you end up in a fight?"

"Alina said Maria is a mistress. So, I scolded her, and she slapped me. Dad, why are you friends with someone's mistress?" Those kinds of women were the worst. Joslyn cringed at the idea of her father being associated with one.

"I have many friends. She is also prominent in the financial circle, so you shouldn't be so shocked that we know each other." Colby studied the light red bruising on his daughter's cheek and said, "Call Alina Tang and ask her when Maria Song was released from jail."

"Jail'? Dad, did she go to jail?" "Yes, thanks to my company, actually. That's why dealing with her is a difficult matter." Colby spoke honestly. He didn't want to hide anything from his daughter.

Joslyn, however, was unconvinced. "If she didn't commit a crime, why would she have been arrested? She must be guilty of something!"

"It's not what you think. Just do as I say. Now!"

Frowning at how her father raised his voice at her, Joslyn reluctantly pulled out her phone and punched in Alina's number. "So, you're just going to let her get away with slapping your own daughter?" she asked while waiting for the call to connect.

"The whole city knows that she has bad blood with the Tang family. You'd better not mess with her in the future." Of course, while he felt bad that his daughter was slapped, he still didn't know if Maria was friend or foe. Until then, he was unsure as to how to deal with her.

However, if he determined that Maria was an enemy, he would definitely make her pay double.

For now, he would just have to let things slide.

"Daddy! I'm your precious daughter. Or do you consider the daughter of that woman your only child now?" she spat. Joslyn was obviously very unhappy with her father's inability to take action.

Colby softened his tone. "No, you'll always be my baby. But you're still so young, you can't possibly understand what's going on."

Wrinkling her nose in displeasure, Joslyn didn't understand at all. Just then, the call connected and she asked Alina what Colby wanted her to ask.

Alina thought for a while before saying, "She has been out for several months, I think. All I know is she was still in jail during Augustine's birthday, but I ran into her two days after. The next time I saw her was a while ago."

At the time, she had wondered how Maria suddenly got out of jail.

She wouldn't have known it if Judy hadn't mentioned it to her.

"Okay, thanks." Upon hanging up the phone, Joslyn relayed to Colby what Alina had just told her. His expression darkened. It turned out Maria had been a free woman for some time now. About four months ago, he had asked someone to replace out if Maria was still in jail, and she was.

Joslyn, on the other hand, was still fuming. She had come here to demand Colby's help, but got nothing. Instead, she was warned by him not to provoke Maria again, which made her even more irritable. Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected to lose against some tramp.

Meanwhile, in Miracle Cafe, Maria was putting down her bag when her phone started to ring.

A dash of slyness flashed through her eyes when she saw who was calling. She found a quiet corner in the cafe and answered the phone. "Hello, Mr. Zheng."

"Maria, it's really you! When Joslyn told me that someone bullied her just now, I thought I had just misheard her." Colby's voice was gentle and friendly.

Maria said in a sad voice, "Yes, it's me, Mr. Zheng. I actually got out of jail a long time ago, thanks to James Xi. However, he forced me to stay in the manor all this time, and I wasn't allowed to talk to anyone. So I was pretty much still imprisoned, just not inside jail."