It wasn’t until I saw my son slip something into my bowl with my own eyes that I truly understood how much he hated me. “Daddy, if I tell everyone Mommy is with Mr. Miller, can Seraphina really become my mom?” To make sure I’d leave the divorce with absolutely nothing, my husband had coached our son to accuse me of having an affair with our neighbor. He’d then turn around and marry his first love. What he didn’t know was, I was just as terrified of him taking half of *my* hundreds of millions. “Daddy, if I tell everyone Mommy is with Mr. Miller, can Seraphina really become my mom?” Waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, I heard those words and instantly sobered up. The ‘Seraphina’ Leo mentioned was our new tutor. A while back, Leo had whined about wanting a tutor, and Arthur had been unusually eager to find him one. Her name was Seraphina. She was a business school graduate who’d also studied overseas. She’d been a senior executive at a prestigious company; her resume was beyond impressive. It seemed odd that someone so accomplished would take a tutoring job for us, but seeing how well she got along with Leo, I didn’t give it much thought. Seraphina had told me: “Chloe, I don’t really have any family or friends here. I’m not picky about salary, just as long as you provide me with a place to stay.” At the time, I had no idea she was Arthur’s first love. Before we got married, I knew Arthur had a first love. He claimed it was a naive college romance. She’d apparently dumped him for being poor and left the country. He said he hated her guts. On our wedding day, he knelt before me, eyes red-rimmed. “Chloe, you’re the only one who’s ever truly cared for me. I, Arthur, will only ever love you. If I break this vow, may I die a miserable death!” His family was dirt poor, and his relatives barely tolerated him. I was the one who stood by him, helping him build his career. Now, he’s the Regional Director for Europe, earning a multi-million dollar salary. “Leo, if you just do what Daddy says, then your mommy won’t be able to tell you what to do anymore. Isn’t that great?” “Yeah!” Seraphina was nestled in my husband’s lap, gently stroking Leo’s head. This whole scheme was Seraphina’s idea. Arthur wanted a divorce, but he was afraid I’d take half his fortune. So, he plotted to frame me for infidelity and make me leave with nothing. Once Leo was asleep. My husband and Seraphina were passionately kissing, right there on Leo’s study desk. Their clothes were half-undone. Even through the screen, I could almost *feel* their heavy breathing. Expressionless, I recorded the video and sent it to my lawyer. “Is this enough to make him leave with nothing?” What he didn’t know was, I was just as terrified of him taking half of *my* hundreds of millions.
My family is seriously loaded. My parents own properties and investments all over the country, and the passive income alone means we’re set for life. I mean, we could literally just chill and never run out of cash. When I first met Dean, he *despised* the wealthy. Absolutely loathed them. He claimed his first love dumped him for a rich life overseas, and ever since, he’s sworn off anyone with money. Which is why I could *never* tell him the truth: I was practically swimming in cash. To keep up his facade, I wore clothes from the discount racks and only bought generic brand groceries on sale. Anything to seem ‘normal.’ He had a ridiculously fragile ego. Unemployed, he’d just lie around the house, drinking daily, whining that there wasn’t a single job on earth good enough for him. To protect his precious ego, I secretly pulled some strings with Mr. Hayes. I offered a major investment in his company if he’d just give Dean a job. Mr. Hayes didn’t hesitate; he personally called Dean right away, practically begging him to come in. The very first day he landed the job, he came home with a huge cake. He kissed me with such force, promising he’d make tons of money to take care of Leo and me. Now, for a couple million bucks, he’s actually trying to team up with the other woman to frame *me* for cheating. The audacity! He’s pathetic. If he’d ever paid any real attention to me, he would’ve noticed the multiple sets of keys on my nightstand. The next morning. As Dean was about to head out, he leaned in for a kiss. I pretended to look down, just barely dodging him. He froze for a split second, then chuckled. “Honey, I’ll pick you up after work tonight. Make sure you look extra gorgeous.” Today was my birthday. He’d been promising a “big surprise” for me since two weeks ago. If I hadn’t walked in on them last night, I’d still be clueless that his “surprise” was actually a trap, all set for me. I gave him a sickeningly sweet smile. “Okay.” You want a show, huh? You just don’t know whose show it’s going to be. “Leo, come on.” Chloe lifted Leo down from the table, speaking in an unnaturally sweet voice. “Say goodbye to Mommy.” Leo obediently told me, “Bye, Mommy.” Then Leo took Chloe’s hand and walked out the door with Dean. Leo used to *dread* school. Mornings were a nightmare: he’d refuse to get up, wouldn’t eat breakfast, and no amount of patient coaxing from me ever worked. It was always tears and tantrums. Chloe suggested, “I go out every morning too. How about I just drop Leo off at school? It’s on my way.” And Leo, he’d actually listen to her and go to school without a fuss. It saved me a ton of stress. A few days later, Dean chimed in, “My office is on the way. I can just take you all.” And ever since, they’d all leave together. I ate my toast, watching Chloe and Dean, hand-in-hand with Leo, get into the car. Chloe was in the passenger seat, laughing and chatting with Dean, while my son sat quietly in the back, swinging his feet, looking perfectly happy. It was like a picture-perfect family.
Julian didn’t take Leo to school. Instead, he dropped Leo and Chloe off at a huge mall. Chloe went straight for the luxury stores, buying clothes and handbags. She took Leo to the kids’ play area on the ground floor. She bought him a mountain of fried food and fizzy drinks, telling him to sit there and eat by himself. When Leo was little, he was a bit wild and got into an accident that resulted in half his spleen and stomach being removed. Doctors strictly advised a bland diet for him, so I’ve always forbidden him from eating that kind of junk. He tried protesting a few times, even went on a hunger strike. But after a few days of being hungry, he always calmed down. He knew I wouldn’t budge, so he never dared to act up again. I called Leo’s teacher. “Ms. Davies, was Leo not in school today?” “Leo’s mom, Leo has been absent for a few days. His father called to request the leave. He said the child’s maternal grandmother passed away. We were afraid of upsetting you, so we didn’t call to confirm.” *Heh.* So Julian is lying about *my* parents now. My parents always looked down on Julian, called him a “poor nobody.” They were totally against us getting married, even saying I dressed like I was begging for scraps just to be with him. They never invited Julian to our family home. When we ate out, they’d choose a restaurant they felt matched *his* station. If it weren’t for Leo, they wouldn’t have bothered seeing Julian at all. For years, I’d asked them to keep a low profile, and we managed to keep the truth about our family under wraps. Now that Julian’s made a fortune, he looks down on my parents with utter contempt. “My mother is perfectly fine. He must have gotten confused. Maybe *his* mother passed away. Please don’t mention this call to Leo’s father for now.” Ms. Davies nervously hung up the phone. The luxury items Chloe bought weren’t for her. They were a gift for another woman. And I know that woman. It’s Serena, my next-door neighbor. The man she was with, however, wasn’t her husband, Mark. It was a young, muscular guy. No wonder Chloe tried to frame me for having an an affair with my neighbor! Turns out *his* wife already had a man on the side. Serena and Chloe must have instantly found common ground, deciding to frame me for having an affair with Serena’s husband. That way, Serena could get a “legitimate” divorce and secure her assets. After they parted ways, Serena and the young guy went to a hotel. I backhanded her husband the room number. They wanted to watch *my* life fall apart? Not happening.
I was sipping my tea, calmly watching Serena make an agitated phone call outside. She must have been calling Tiffany. The party was about to start. She needed Tiffany to bring her husband over to continue with her plan. From what I knew, Damien was a boxer, an international boxing champion. Tiffany was probably getting beaten up right about now. I was in a beautiful gown, having made an effort to dress up for once. “Adam, aren’t we leaving yet? What are we waiting for?” Adam shot Serena a quick glance, then smiled at me and replied, “Right, let’s head out.” Serena forced a smile. “Scarlett, I still have something to take care of. I’ll be there a little later.” They were so obvious. Had I really been that blind before? I got into the car, and the passenger seat was reclined way back. “Adam, has someone been sitting in the passenger seat?” Adam’s face paled. “Maybe Leo was just playing there earlier.” Leo lied without batting an eye. “I reclined it to take a nap.” He didn’t know I’d already taken out the dashcam’s memory card. Adam and Serena couldn’t keep their hands off each other in that passenger seat. And my son was just sitting in the back, playing video games. Adam had booked a high-end banquet hall. Our wedding photos and family portraits were plastered everywhere. He wheeled a five-tier cake to the center of the stage, looking at me with what he wanted to be deep affection. “My dear wife, thank you for being by my side for the past ten years, through all our struggles. I couldn’t have achieved what I have today without your quiet support all these years. In the future, let’s continue our journey together, happy and loving! We’ll have many more decades, growing old together. I love you!” The audience erupted in thunderous applause. He’d really pulled out all the stops. He’d invited the entire company to witness our love. The more he acted like he adored me, the bigger the bombshell it would be when he exposed my “affair” later, with everyone as a witness. Ever since I’d seen his true colors, everything he did just made me sick to my stomach. Leo came up to me, holding a glass of juice. “Happy birthday, Mom.” He seemed so well-behaved, so considerate. To outsiders, I was living the dream: a loving husband, a devoted son. Only I knew that juice was spiked.
Daniel and I, we were once so deeply in love, weren’t we? I first met him during summer vacation. I was back at our family’s rental property, looking after things for my parents, and he was one of our tenants. He had the highest electricity bill in the whole building, always burning the midnight oil, lights blazing all night long. Back then, I thought he was such a diligent and ambitious young man. He was handsome too, so well-mannered, studious, and seemed incredibly dependable. I’d see him several times a day, descending the stairs in an ill-fitting suit to take out the trash. He later confessed he’d been smitten with me at first sight, saying I was adorable and that his whole routine was just to get my attention. And he certainly did. He was good-looking, and his grades were excellent. Every time he returned, he’d bring me a dessert. He’d say my smile was even sweeter than the treats. My family was wealthy, but I was naive, perhaps a little sheltered. I was completely captivated by a man like him. My parents wanted to send me to study abroad, but I flat-out refused. I happily lost myself in his tender embrace. But looking back now, once we were together, he didn’t even have to pay rent anymore. And I frequently gave him money to support his graduate studies. He resented the wealthy, yet had no qualms spending *my* money. He’d whisper, holding my hand: “Darling, once I make it big, I’ll buy us the most beautiful home.” He always thought that old, humble rental property was the extent of my family’s wealth. Later, he did make good on his promise, buying a spacious apartment in the city. And that felt more exhilarating than when my mom gifted me two mansions in Los Angeles. I actually considered telling him the truth about my family’s wealth, but later, he started using ‘work’ as an excuse, rarely coming home. After Leo was born, my entire world revolved around him. He was often sick with colds and fevers, and taking care of him meant I barely got four hours of sleep a night. To see my own son, the one I had nurtured and raised with such devotion, personally trying to poison me… it ripped my heart out. “Leo, Mom doesn’t want juice today. Can you get Mom something else?” Leo is only ten years old, and I knew it must be the adults, corrupting his young mind, that made him do this. I decided to give him one last chance. If he just swapped out the juice, I could forgive him, keep him with me. “Mom, I’ve already poured it for you, just drink it, everyone’s watching us.” Leo, probably thinking he’d soon be rid of me, couldn’t hide his impatience. He was turning into a carbon copy of his father, using the eyes of others to corner me. The first time I caught Daniel lying about working late, he was out to dinner with colleagues. When I confronted him, he gave me a grim look and retorted, “What’s the big deal? Everyone’s here, it’s just a work dinner, I’m not doing anything else!” Those words became his go-to excuse, used with increasing frequency. I just never imagined my own son would use them on me. I picked up the glass and downed the juice in one gulp. Scarlett rushed into the banquet hall, her expression suggesting she had successfully ‘arranged’ my supposed affair partner. Leo nervously looked up at me, clearly waiting for the drug to take effect so they could proceed with their plan. “Mom, are you dizzy? Let me take you to rest!”
Of course, we live in a society governed by law. We wouldn’t dare break it. Our method? Psychological warfare. Since Chloe’s family essentially runs this hospital, it wasn’t long before Mark’s legs and lower body were put in a cast. The doctor told him his bones were fractured and he’d need a good month of bed rest. Mark was in so much pain he couldn’t even close his legs, so he naturally believed every word. During his hospital stay, we continued with the next phase of our plan. Chloe had promised Aunt Karen she’d help her get a plum government job, but then went silent. Aunt Karen waited three days. By the fourth, she clearly couldn’t hold back anymore and called me: “Ashley, has your friend called you back? Does she need any documents?” “Aunt Karen, you know how these things go. If it were easy, we wouldn’t need help. Chloe’s waiting for the perfect timing too.” “Right, right. I’ll keep waiting then. Please keep pressing on your end.” A week later, Aunt Karen called again. This time, her patience was definitely gone: “Ashley, if there’s any kickback needed, your uncle says we’ll pay it. Just as long as it gets done.” “Aunt Karen, I told you not to worry about money.” I feigned annoyance. “If you keep treating me like some stranger you’re trying to bribe, I’m dropping this entirely.” “No, no, no!” Aunt Karen let out a strained chuckle. “How could I let you go through all this trouble and expense? Just tell me what’s needed.” In the meantime, Mark’s “accidental” fall and hospitalization had allowed us to vent a little bit of our anger. So, Aunt Karen’s matter needed to be resolved quickly too. Chloe called Aunt Karen, asking if she was listed as the owner or director of a company. She said she’d tried to pull strings for the government job, but when they ran a background check, they found a company listed under her name, and that was an immediate red flag. They rejected her on the spot. “Aunt Karen, so you’re a big shot businesswoman! With your status, you’re asking me to get you a government job? You made me look like an idiot and I got chewed out by my connections! Aunt Karen, even if you’re my cousin Ashley’s aunt, you can’t screw over your own niece like this, can you?” Aunt Karen was desperate to explain, but the more she tried, the more tangled she got. Finally, she had to call me: “Ashley, you need to tell your friend that company is Mark’s and yours, not mine!” “Aunt Karen, the company is officially under *your* name. No matter how much I explain, it won’t matter. They only look at what’s in black and white; they won’t listen to my word-of-mouth testimony.” “Then, then!” Aunt Karen fumed. “What about Mark? Tell him to get my name off that company *now*, or don’t blame your aunt for cutting him off completely!” Looking at Mark, lying in bed, drowsy and half-asleep, I offered a faint smile. “Mark, Aunt Karen doesn’t want to be the company’s official director anymore. What do you think we should do?” Mark lifted his eyes to me, then shook his head. “Wife, I’m so sleepy. You handle it.” We’d been adding sedatives to his IVs these past few days, plus the calming scents I diffused in his private room. It would have been a miracle if Mark *wasn’t* sleepy. Since Mark said that, what else could I do? Taking Mark’s ID and the documents I’d already prepared, I took Aunt Karen straight to the city’s Business Registration Office. The process went smoothly. In about 20 days, Mark would officially become the new director and owner. And I, well, I would own half of the company’s shares. Mark’s legs were finally well enough for him to walk again. I used the excuse that company matters were overwhelming – after all, I was now the *real* boss’s wife. I couldn’t come to care for him every day, so I specifically hired a nurse to look after him. Mark didn’t say anything, looking somewhat dazed and out of it.
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