Chapter 3

Her smile vanished instantly.

The sliding glass door to the balcony was pulled open from the inside.

Ethan walked out holding a fruit platter, a smile plastered on his face.

"What are you guys talking about? Have some fruit."

But when he noticed Maya's pale face, his smile faltered.

He looked at me, his eyes instantly turning cold.

"Chloe, what did you say to her?"

I stood up and faced him.

"Nothing much. I just asked her when the two of you are planning to move into your new house."

The fruit platter in Ethan's hand wobbled, and a few grapes rolled onto the floor.

His face drained of color, turning from pale to a dark, angry red.

"Did you go through my things?"

"If I hadn't, how long were you planning on keeping this from me?"

"Keeping what from you?" Beatrice rushed out of the kitchen, her apron still tied around her waist.

"My son supports this entire family! He supports you! Who gave you the right to go through his things?"

She pointed a finger directly at my face, her voice screeching like nails on a chalkboard.

"Let me tell you something, Chloe Davis! Everything in this house belongs to my son! He can give it to whoever he wants!"

"If you don't like it, pack your bags and leave!"

Leo ran out of his room, throwing his little arms around my leg.

"Grandma, don't yell at Mommy..."

"Go back to your room!" Beatrice grabbed Leo, shoved him back into his bedroom, and locked the door from the outside.

"Mom, why did you lock the door?" Ethan frowned.

"Let him hear what kind of mother he has! Living off my son, and she dares to snoop through his files!"

I ignored Beatrice and kept my eyes fixed on Ethan.

"That house. The $80,000 down payment was our entire life savings."

"I saved that money penny by penny, pinching pennies since the day I got pregnant."

"You used it to buy a house and put her name on it. Did you even think about me?"

Ethan's expression was incredibly ugly.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Chloe, I can explain."

"Explain what?" Maya suddenly stood up.

The panicked look on her face was gone, replaced by a cold, arrogant smirk.

"Chloe, do you really think you're some kind of prize?"

She crossed her arms and sneered.

"Ethan stopped loving you a long time ago. Didn't you know?"

"You stopped taking care of yourself the moment you got pregnant. You gained thirty pounds after giving birth and never even lost it."

"What can you do besides babysit? Have you made a single dime for this family?"

"This house belongs to Ethan. He can let whoever he wants live here. It's none of your business!"

I watched her lips move, feeling completely detached.

Was this really the same Maya who had cried at my wedding, promising she'd be the first to defend me if I ever felt mistreated?

Was this the same Maya who had stayed up all night in the hospital hallway when I suffered a severe postpartum hemorrhage?

As she spat those words at me, there wasn't a single shred of guilt in her eyes.

It was as if she were the rightful wife and I was the intruder.

"Do you hear her?" Beatrice raised her chin triumphantly.

"Maya is younger, prettier, and smarter than you."

"And she's pregnant with a baby boy. What did you give us? A clingy little brat who only knows how to cry!"

My three-year-old son was locked in his room, sobbing hysterically.

"Mommy... Mommy..."

Hearing his cries felt like someone was squeezing my heart.

"Open the door," I said, staring at Ethan.

"He's just a baby. Don't scare him."

"Scare him?" Before Ethan could speak, Beatrice exploded again. "Your kid cries a little and you can't handle it? Maya is standing here pregnant, and you're stressing her out. Why don't you care about that?"

"Mom, shut up for a second," Ethan finally spoke.

He shot his mother a warning look, then turned to me. "Chloe, go to your room. Calm down."

Calm down.

He wanted me to calm down.

He had stolen all our savings to buy a house for his mistress.

The mistress was standing in my home, screaming in my face.

He had locked our crying son in a bedroom.

And he wanted me to calm down?!