The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 76

Instead, she crawled to Henrietta's feet, clinging to her desperately. "Mom, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry—it was my fault, I promise I'll never do it again, never again…"

In that moment, if Henrietta had told her to grovel at Felicity's feet, the sixteen-year-old Winona would have done it without hesitation.

But Henrietta never even gave her the chance.

A second later, Teague yanked her up by the arm and, without a word, kicked her out the door.

She was sixteen, tall for her age, but so thin she barely weighed a hundred pounds.

How could she possibly withstand the force of a grown man in his prime?

The pain nearly knocked her out.

She honestly thought she was going to die.

On the edge of death—beaten by her parents, abandoned by them—fear and terror stripped away her last shreds of dignity. All she could think about was how to please Teague and Henrietta, desperate for any scrap of affection.

But they wouldn't even let her try.

Teague grabbed her like a rag doll and tossed her right over the front steps, out into the yard.

With a slam, the heavy door shut behind her.

She didn't have a single penny to her name, not even a change of clothes.

She was starving.

Even then, when the police arrived, she hid from them—because some foolish part of her still hoped she could go home to her parents.

She wanted to prove herself, to promise them: if they just took her back, she'd never fight Felicity for anything ever again. She'd give up school, give Felicity her name if they asked, become her little maid—she'd even let Felicity hit her, if that's what it took.

Then she returned to Greenwood City.

She never went looking for her birth parents again.

Nor did she ever seek out Teague and Henrietta.

But over the past few years, thanks to the mess between Felicity and Julian, every time Teague and Henrietta saw her, they'd scream at her—accusing her of ruining their daughter's happiness, demanding to know why she wasn't dead yet.

"Shouldn't you be dead already?" Henrietta spat, eyes red with rage. "You were supposed to be the one with nothing—no food, no shoes, sold off to some old widower in exchange for a dowry. That was your fate! Felicity suffered in your place, so why are you even alive?"

Henrietta's voice trembled with tears. "You're not just alive, you're trying to steal Felicity's man. How could you be so vicious?"

"Henrietta, your daughter stole my husband. She's the real homewrecker here." Winona's voice was icy and sharp as a blade.

Behind her, a cold, aloof voice suddenly broke the tension. "What are you doing here?"