Chapter 3

"Are you trying to destroy Ethan!"

My mother-in-law's voice, from extreme anger, carried a hoarse crack.

In the background, I could hear the sound of things being smashed.

I held the phone away a bit, my tone flat.

"Mrs. Brooks, I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Still playing dumb with me!" My mother-in-law's volume shot up another octave.

"Look what you've done! Now the whole company knows!"

"Where can Ethan show his face! What about the company's stock price! You vicious woman!"

I listened silently without interrupting.

When she tired herself out from cursing and was gasping for breath, I spoke unhurriedly.

"Mrs. Brooks, you should ask your precious son what he did."

"What could he have done! A man having too much to drink at business dinners, isn't that normal?"

"That girl Lily was kind enough to take care of him, and instead of being grateful, you turn around and bite her! Where are your manners!"

"My manners don't allow my husband to spend our wedding anniversary night at another woman's place."

I enunciated each word clearly.

"And I certainly don't allow that woman to cover him with a coat I bought, then take a photo and send it to me to show off."

There were a few seconds of silence on the other end.

Then my mother-in-law's tone shifted from anger to a kind of righteous favoritism.

"So what! Men, they just play along sometimes! Did you have to make such a huge scene that everyone knows? Can't you just endure it for Ethan's future, for this family?"

"Endure?" I sounded like I'd heard the biggest joke. "Mrs. Brooks, that’s not how the world works anymore."

"You! What kind of attitude is that!" My mother-in-law was clearly choked by my words. "Emma, let me tell you, the Brooks family will never accept an unclear woman into our family!"

"You need to go to the company right now, explain to everyone in the group that it was just a joke! Then apologize to Lily, and this matter is over!"

"Apologize?" The curve of my lips turned colder. "Is she worthy?"

"You ungrateful woman! Don't think Ethan can't do without you! Let me tell you, there are plenty of women who want to marry our Ethan! Younger than you, prettier than you, more sensible!"

"That's wonderful." I replied lightly. "Please have him switch to someone else quickly. I won't hold him up."

"You just wait! I'll have Ethan divorce you right now! A woman like you should leave with nothing!"

"Great." I said. "I'll be waiting for the court summons."

With that, I hung up directly.

Then blocked her.

All in one smooth motion.

Making peace, twisting the truth, always only protecting her son.

That was my wonderful mother-in-law.

I'd already experienced it before.

The phone vibrated again. This time, it was a familiar friend's profile picture.

I answered.

"Emma! You're finally back online! Are you okay?" On the other end came Madison's anxious voice.

Madison was my college classmate, my best friend, now a senior executive at a headhunting company.

"I'm fine." Hearing her voice, my taut nerves relaxed slightly.

"Thank god. You scared me to death! That move was brutal, detonating it directly in the group. The whole circle is talking about it now."

"Ethan's company must be as lively as a marketplace today." Madison's tone carried gleeful excitement.

"That's exactly what I wanted."

"Well done!" Madison didn't hide her support. "Dealing with scumbags and homewreckers, you can't go easy!"

"But what are you planning to do next? I heard that secretary Lily is no pushover."

"She's apparently crying all over the office now, telling everyone she's innocent, that you misunderstood her, making it seem like you're some evil crazy woman."

"I know. I saw her 'essay' in the group."

"So what are you thinking? Just let her twist the truth like that?" Madison sounded worried.

I picked up the milk from the table and took a sip. The warm liquid slid into my stomach, very comfortable.

"Don't worry." I said. "Let her fly for a while."

"The bullet's already been fired. It needs time to fly and ferment."

In a public opinion war, the worst thing is being led by the nose.

If Lily wanted to play the victim and gain sympathy, I'd let her act.

The harder she performed, the more pitifully she cried, the more fierce the backlash would be when the truth came out.

What I wanted wasn't a war of words.

I wanted to nail her to the pillar of shame, never to rise again.

"What about you? What are your plans today? Just staying home?" Madison asked.

I looked at the bright sunshine outside the window and spoke slowly.

"No."

"I'm going to the office."

"There are some things I need to take back myself."

"And it's time to meet those two protagonists."

"Yes!" Madison's tone was excited. "Do you need me to come with you? To back you up! I happen to be free today, can come anytime."

"No need." I declined her kindness. "This is my battlefield. I'll handle it myself."

After hanging up, I walked into the bedroom and opened the closet.

Inside were clothes I'd newly bought, tags still attached.

I picked out a bright red dress.

V-neck, cinched waist, slit to the thigh.

Paired with ten-centimeter black heels.

Then I sat at the vanity and gave myself an exquisite yet sharp makeup look.

The focus was bright red lipstick.

Full, sharp, with strong aggression.

Looking at the radiant woman with cold eyes in the mirror, I smiled with satisfaction.

Emma, welcome back.

This show had just begun.

I grabbed my car keys and headed out.

Destination: the office.

I wanted to see just how far they'd taken this performance without me, the "evil crazy woman," present.

My car was a white Porsche.

A gift from Ethan on the day the company went public.

He said it was to thank me for my companionship and contributions along the way.

Now it seemed truly ironic.

The car drove smoothly toward the CBD in the city center.

There stood the business empire he and I had built together.

And there waited for me a showdown.