Chapter 2

Ethan didn’t come home that night.

The next morning, he sent me a message.

“I’m heading straight to work. Call me if you need anything.”

Nothing else.

He sounded so normal, as if Olivia’s appearance the day before had only been a hallucination.

I hadn’t slept all night. I left home in a daze.

Then I twisted my ankle and tumbled down the stairs, scraping a large patch of skin off my arm.

When I struggled to my feet, I found Olivia standing in front of me, smiling.

“I was too impulsive yesterday. Let’s start over. I’m Olivia Sinclair.”

Her neck was covered in hickeys.

I pretended not to see them and shook her hand.

“I wasn’t entirely in the right, either.”

In the past, if Ethan had seen me like this, he would have scolded me.

“I don’t treat you like a queen at home just so you can go outside and let people walk all over you!”

But he wasn’t here now.

And the woman in front of me was someone he’d loved for years. He probably wouldn’t take my side anyway.

Pleased with my attitude, Olivia got straight to the point.

“Five million. Leave on your own. He’s too loyal to say it himself, so I’ll say it for him.”

I stared at her blankly.

Before I could speak, I saw Grandma approaching with my brother.

She planted her hands on her hips and pointed at me.

“You’re turning down five million? How greedy can you be?”

“Sweetheart, I’m her grandmother. Give me the five million, and I promise she’ll disappear. She’ll never bother Mr. Bennett again!”

Ryan Hayes looked over Olivia’s outfit, then swaggered forward.

“Five million isn’t enough. We want ten million! Pay us today, and we’ll leave as soon as we have the money!”

He was aggressive and loud, like a debt collector making threats.

Olivia’s eyes instantly filled with tears.

I couldn’t understand how her attitude had changed so quickly.

Then I followed her gaze and saw Ethan standing at the foot of the stairs.

I had no idea when he’d arrived.

He kicked Ryan, his face vicious.

“If you wanted money, why didn’t you come to me? Does your whole family enjoy ganging up on one woman?”

My heart lurched. I shook my head at once.

“I didn’t—”

“You didn’t?”

Ethan let out a mocking laugh.

He walked over to Olivia and looked her up and down.

When he noticed the blood on the hem of her clothes, he turned to me with a frown.

His expression was terrifying.

“Claire Hayes, have I ever let you go hungry? Have I ever failed to provide for you?”

“Ten million? I bought you for thirty thousand. Do you really not know what you’re worth?”

All the color drained from my face. My ears rang so loudly I could barely form words.

He picked Olivia up and started to leave.

But Grandma stepped into his path.

“That’s not fair! You’re not who you used to be. Ten million is pocket change to you!”

“Our girl came to you innocent and spent all this time living with you. Now you want to leave. Is it unreasonable for us to ask for compensation?”

I had kept all of it buried inside.

I’d thought that even on the day Ethan left, I wouldn’t have the courage to say it aloud.

But Grandma laid it all out so bluntly.

Ethan turned to look at me. I could see the contempt in his eyes.

“Oh? Then it must have been exhausting, putting up with me and keeping up the act all this time.”