Chapter 4

That night, I slept in the study.

In the middle of the night, Herman and Melinda came to the door, but I'd locked it from the inside and they couldn't get in.

Melinda sounded a little worried. "Herman, why did she lock it? You don't think she's found out something, do you?"

Herman shook his head. "Probably handling company secrets. She locks it every time. Don't read into it."

Melinda nodded. "Then let's go back to the room."

But Herman grinned wickedly. "You lie against the door, right here. We're not going back to the room."

It actually made me laugh, and I understood exactly what it was. He wasn't chasing a thrill. This was how he propped up his pride.

Because with me, he always felt small.

I woke the next morning.

The moment I stepped out of the study, I smelled food.

Melinda had already made breakfast, and Herman was helping in the kitchen.

When Herman saw me come out, he smiled. "Just a little longer, Nellie. Your scrambled eggs are almost done. I put shrimp in for you."

I didn't say anything. I went to wash up, then sat down at the table.

While we were eating, Melinda suddenly said, "Nellie, there's been a problem with my mother's plot back home. I want to buy a cemetery plot here. Do you have any you'd recommend?"

I shook my head. "I don't really know any."

She didn't ask again, but I could tell she wasn't happy.

Herman spoke up. "I don't have anything on today. After my meeting at the office, I'll ask around for you."

Melinda smiled and nodded. "Nellie, when Herman heads to the office later, could I hitch a ride?"

I smiled. "Of course."

After breakfast, Herman and Melinda left together.

The moment they walked out the front door, they joined hands, and once they were in the car they kissed for a few minutes.

I clenched my fist and pushed the feeling down.

Just before noon, I suddenly got a call from Jeremy.

Jeremy was frantic. "Ms. Pruitt, the cemetery just called. They said Herman brought people and dug up your parents' grave. I'm out of town looking into some things, I can't get there."

"Understood."

My fury was about to erupt. I hung up and drove straight to the cemetery.

By the time I arrived, my parents' headstone had already been swapped out and tossed to the side.

Beside the headstone sat an urn. My parents' urn.

The headstone now standing at the grave was Melinda's mother's.

Herman and Melinda were kneeling in front of it.

"Ne— Nellie, why are you here?"

Herman panicked a little and scrambled to his feet. "Uh, Melinda couldn't find a plot and she was really anxious, so I made the call. I just lent your parents' plot to her for now. You two are best friends, you won't be mad, right?"

"That's right, Nellie. We're the closest sisters. You won't be mad, will you?"

Melinda stood up and pretended to lose her balance, kicking my parents' urn.

The urn tipped over, and the ashes scattered on the wind.

"Oh no, Nellie, I didn't mean to. I sent your parents flying, they're all over the place now."

Melinda couldn't hold back the smile at the corner of her mouth.

"Then you go flying too!"

I struck without warning, seizing Melinda by the hair and slapping her hard across the face.

"Nellie Pruitt, you're actually hitting people now?"

Herman rushed over to shove me away.

But the bodyguard I'd brought shoved him off first.

Herman lost his footing and went face-down on the ground.

I walked over and drove the point of my stiletto into him, giving him a hemorrhoid surgery he hadn't asked for.

"Aaah……"

Herman screamed.

I told the bodyguard,

"Knock that headstone down for me. Take the ashes out and bury them in an outhouse pit!"

"Then call the police. They vandalized my parents' grave without permission. They're going in!"

With that, I turned and walked away.

Herman shouted after me, "Nellie Pruitt, you dare treat me like this? Aren't you afraid I'll break up with you?"

I said nothing and left.

Not long after, Herman and Melinda were taken in.

They were held for a few hours, and only got out after paying a fine.

By the time they were released, it was already the next morning.

Melinda was a little uneasy. "Herman, I'd say we've offended Nellie for good now, haven't we?"

Herman laughed, full of confidence. "Don't be scared. She can't live without me. With her parents dead, I'm the only support she has left."

Melinda nodded. "Actually, even if we can't get our hands on her money, it's no big deal. Your family isn't short on cash anyway. We can still live well."

Herman gave an awkward laugh. "That's right, that's right……"

But inside he was on edge, because his family was perfectly ordinary.

Before long, they got back to the mansion.

But when Herman went to open the door with the facial scanner, he found it simply wouldn't open.

Herman frowned. "This piece of junk is broken too?"

Furious, he banged the smart-door display a few times.

A middle-aged man with a big beer belly walked over, frowning. "Who are you? What are you doing banging on my door?"