Chapter 4

I dialed a number. It was Justin, my late brother's best friend and now a partner at a top-tier law firm.

"Justin, it's Chloe."

"Chloe?" Justin’s voice immediately turned serious.

"You don't sound right. What happened? Your dad just passed, and you..."

"Justin," I cut him off, my voice calmer than I expected.

"I need your help."

"Ethan is cheating on me. He just stole half a million dollars of my dad’s life insurance money, directly threatening my transplant next Monday."

"I have some evidence, but it's not enough."

"I want him to pay. I want everything that belongs to me back."

The line went quiet for two seconds before Justin spoke:

"Send me every piece of evidence you have right now, securely."

"Do not alert him before your surgery. Act completely normal."

"Leave the rest to me."

"I'll have my team investigate Hailey’s background and medical records immediately, and start preparing the legal filings."

"Chloe, protect yourself. Keep me updated."

"I will."

After hanging up, I encrypted the evidence and sent it over.

Once that was done, I leaned back against the chair.

Ethan walked in carrying a bowl of pork rib soup, looking as gentle as ever.

"Babe, the soup is ready. Drink it while it's hot. I let it simmer for hours."

I looked up at him and slowly forced a smile.

"Thanks, Ethan. You've worked so hard."

I took the bowl.

Ethan, Hailey, Helen.

Enjoy your little game while you can.

Starting tomorrow, everything you took from me will be dragged back, with interest.

Your show is over.

Now, it's my turn.

The next day, using the excuse of feeling unwell, I had Ethan accompany me to the hospital for my pre-op checkup.

"Chloe, why do you look so pale? Did you not sleep well?" Ethan held my arm supportively, his face filled with worry.

"Maybe. I just feel uneasy," I leaned against him, pretending to be weak.

"Ethan, half a million is a lot of money. I’m still worried."

"Could you ask your friend Kevin to write me an IOU? Even between close friends, clear accounts make good relationships."

Ethan’s body stiffened for a fraction of a second before he smiled.

"Of course. I'll ask him to write one later. Don't worry, he's not the type to dodge a debt."

"That's good," I nodded, looking relieved.

"By the way, which hospital is his mom in? Let's visit her this afternoon. It’s the polite thing to do."

"Oh? No... no need!" Ethan immediately rejected the idea.

"Hospitals are crawling with bacteria. You're having surgery soon; you can't go to places like that."

"I'll pass along your regards for you."

I lowered my head and murmured an agreement.

He didn't dare let me go because there was no dying mother named Kevin's mom.

When the test results came back, the doctor said my vitals were stable, but I was physically weak and needed plenty of rest.

Ethan held the report, looking incredibly guilty.

"It's my fault. I haven't taken good care of you."

"Chloe, don't overthink things. Leave the money to me. Just focus on your surgery."

"Okay," I nodded obediently.

Leaving the hospital, I claimed I wanted to grab some comfort food from a local diner on the south side of town, and had Ethan drive us there.

Halfway through the drive, I clutched my stomach, grimacing in pain.

"Oh my god, my stomach hurts so bad. I need a restroom."

"What's wrong?" Ethan immediately pulled over. "I'll help you."

"No, just wait here. I'll be right back."

I pointed to a public restroom nearby. Before he could react, I scrambled out of the car.

I didn't go to the restroom. Instead, I ducked into a side alley and slipped into a waiting black sedan.

The driver was Luke, an investigator sent by Justin.

"Miss Chloe, we found the key information," Luke said, handing me a thick manila folder with a grave expression.

"Ethan's story about his childhood friend’s mother is entirely made up.

TThe $500,000 was transferred directly to a personal account belonging to a woman named Leah Gable on the very day it cleared."