Chapter 2

The mansion was lit up top to bottom, every window blazing.

Even from tens of meters away I could hear music coming from inside, and the roar of men playing drinking games.

"Five in a row, six-six-six!"

"Drink up, drink up, you're the groom tomorrow!"

I dropped my bags and rushed inside, and the sight in the living room sent blood shooting straight to my head.

The silk carpet was buried in cigarette butts and gobs of phlegm, tramped down black until you couldn't tell what color it had been.

Bottles were piled into a mountain on the coffee table, greasy soup dripping off the edge and pooling on the floor.

A few shirtless men crowded around the dining table, drinking and yelling out their games, the whole place reeking of smoke and liquor and stale sweat.

The door to the walk-in closet stood wide open.

Several older women were packed inside, holding up my lingerie against their bodies.

"The groom's family really thought of everything, they even bought the underwear in advance."

"Feels so smooth, real silk. Tag says eighteen thousand."

"Who cares, they bought this much, be a fool not to take some."

One stout woman had already forced my custom coat onto herself, the buttons straining out of shape.

"I suck in my gut and it just fits. I'm taking this one."

My temples throbbed with rage, and just as I opened my mouth a pack of wild kids slammed into me.

Each one had a jar of my face cream, flinging it at each other like frosting.

Passing the TV, they smeared it onto the screen in fat clumps.

"Whoa, so fun, and it smells nice too. Let's have a contest, see who hits best."

My nails dug deep into my palms, and for one dizzy second I thought this had to be a nightmare.

But what broke me was the master bedroom door, left ajar.

From inside came the faint teasing of a man and a woman, and sounds that were sickening to hear.

Right then a woman's voice carried down from the top of the stairs.

"My dear in-law, this house is so grand, and the decor is so refined. My daughter didn't marry wrong!"

A middle-aged man chimed in.

"That's right, a mansion in a spot like this, has to be worth ten million at least. Your family's got real money."

I followed the voices, and nearly thought I was seeing things.

Melanie, wearing the suit I'd just had made, was coming slowly down the stairs with the two of them, a wine glass in her hand.

She was all smiles, lifting her glass toward the curly-haired woman beside her.

"Of course. This is everything I worked my whole life to build up for my son."

"Your daughter marries into our family, she's got nothing but good living ahead of her."

"Come, my dear in-law, let's drink to it. Everyone tonight, don't hold back, help yourselves, make yourselves at home."

I was shaking with fury. I kicked aside the bottle in my path and pointed at the roomful of people and shouted.

"All of you, get out of my house."

The whole living room went silent in an instant, every face turning to me.

The wine glass in Melanie's hand hit the floor and shattered, and the color drained from her face.

The curly-haired woman frowned and turned to ask in a low voice.

"My dear in-law, who is this woman?"

Melanie was in a panic, fingers clenched into the hem of her dress, and forced out a shout.

"Oh, that's our housekeeper. She's got something wrong in the head, don't mind her."

The people around us murmured to each other, throwing me looks of contempt.

"The housekeeper? Here I thought it was somebody. Gave me a scare."

"She really is sick in the head. The host is entertaining guests, what's a hired hand yammering about?"

I opened my mouth to explain, but Melanie had already rushed over.

One hand clamped hard over my mouth, the other gripping my arm, hauling and dragging me into the hallway.

The moment we hit the corner, she looked around, saw no one, and let go, then dropped to her knees in front of me again with a thud.

"Sylvia, hear me out. There were outsiders just now, I had no choice."

Her voice trembled as she wrapped her arms around my waist, tears streaming down.

"The bride's family sprang a demand on us, they had to see the wedding home before the wedding or they'd call it off."

"With how expensive property is in New York, how could I ever afford it? I could only borrow your house to get through one night."

"They'll be gone first thing in the morning. I'll clean the place spotless and give it back to you, I'm begging you."

I looked at her dodging the real point, dressing herself up as some pitiful victim, that shameless face, and I laughed coldly.

"Melanie, you call this getting through one night? You let them help themselves to my things, and on my bed they…"

"This is getting through one night?"

"Aren't you afraid the bride finds out the truth after the wedding?"

She took it as a yes, wiped her tears at once, and waved a hand.

"Ah, once she's married in, we can bend her any way we like. Not your worry."

Her shamelessness pushed me from anger into a laugh. I flung her hand off and pulled out my phone, opening the dial screen.

"I won't play along and help you cheat people. I won't do something this heartless."

"Being poor doesn't give you the right to break into my house and wreck it."

"Either you tell them the truth right now, pay for the damage at full price, and clear everyone out, or I let the police clear them out."

At those words, Melanie's kneeling body went rigid. She slowly lifted her head and looked at me.

And all at once her eyes changed.