Chapter 3

The entire lobby went dead silent. Everyone gasped.

My head jerked to the side, my cheek burning like fire.

Martha pointed a trembling finger right in my face, spewing venom.

"You disrespectful little bitch! You really can't stand seeing Amanda and Noah have anything, can you?!"

"Noah carries my eldest son's blood! He is the sole male heir to the Hayes family name!"

"What is that useless girl of yours worth? Once she grows up and marries out, she won't have a damn thing to do with the Hayes family!"

Michael just stood there. He didn't lift a finger to stop her, nor did he say a single word in my defense.

"Abby, just apologize to my mom and Amanda, and we can put this behind us," he muttered coldly.

"Stop airing our dirty laundry in the office."

I turned slowly, looking at the man standing before me.

He was holding another man's son. He was shielding another man's widow.

And he had the audacity to demand an apology from me.

I looked down at Chloe, keeping my voice dead and steady.

"Michael Hayes, you make me sick to my stomach."

Ignoring the throbbing pain in my face, I carried Chloe straight out to my car and sped to the ER.

On the way, Michael called repeatedly. I blocked his number on the spot.

At the hospital, the doctor ran a full examination on Chloe.

A fever of a hundred and three, and a severe soft tissue contusion on the back of her hand, which had already swollen into a bruised, purple mess.

Watching the nurse insert the IV needle, listening to my baby cry until her voice grew hoarse, my heart felt like it was being ripped apart by dull blades.

Chloe snuffled into my shoulder, tears soaking my shirt. "Mommy... why did Grandma say I'm useless?"

I squeezed her tightly, clenching my jaw so hard my teeth ached, refusing to let my tears fall in front of her.

"You are not useless, baby. You are Mommy's most precious treasure in the whole wide world."

"I promise you, no one will ever hurt you again."

I stayed by her bedside for two hours until the medication kicked in and she fell into a deep sleep.

Just as I stepped into the hallway to catch my breath, my attorney called.

"Ms. Hayes, I have the financial breakdown you asked for."

"Tell me."

"Michael hasn't purchased any real estate under his own name. However, over the past three years, through various channels and fake invoices, he has funneled over three million dollars into an account belonging to Amanda Vance."

"Also... you might want to head home and check your personal valuables right away."

My attorney didn't spell it out, but my stomach dropped through the floor.

Hanging up, I immediately called my own mother to come watch Chloe at the hospital, then slammed the gas pedal all the way home.

I burst through the front door, ran into the master bedroom, and ripped open the walk-in closet where my personal safe was hidden.

My blood ran icy cold.

The safe was completely cleared out. The gold bars I had accumulated over five years, my family heirloom jewelry, my wedding sets, and the hundred thousand dollars in emergency cash reserves—all gone. Even the antique jade bangle my grandmother had passed down to me was missing.

I slumped against the closet door, white-hot rage roaring in my ears.

Michael Hayes, you absolute piece of garbage.

To fund a widow, you threw away every shred of basic decency.

Right on cue, the front door clicked open.

Michael, Martha, and Amanda walked in, laughing and chatting like they owned the place.

Amanda was carrying several designer shopping bags, and draped around her neck was my South Sea pearl necklace.

Seeing me standing in the living room, all three froze.

Michael’s brow furrowed in annoyance.

"What kind of tantrum was that today? Embarrassing my mother in front of all those employees?"

"Noah is just a kid! Why do you hold a grudge against a child? You even had security kick them out of the building—where are your manners?!"

I stared straight at him, pointing toward the bedroom.

"Where are the things from my safe?"

Michael’s eyes darted away for a fraction of a second.

"What do you mean, *your* things? That's marital property!"

"Amanda found a house in an elite school district, but she was short on the down payment. David died young, and as his brother, I couldn't just stand by and watch his widow and son end up on the street!"

"I liquidated the gold and jewelry to lend Amanda the money for the down payment."

Amanda instinctively tucked the designer shopping bags behind her back, her eyes welling with crocodile tears.

"Abby, please don't blame Michael. It’s all my fault. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"If you really can't part with it, fine, I won't buy the house. I'll just take Noah back to some small rural town and work on a farm..."

Hearing that, Martha grabbed Amanda protectively.

"Go back to the sticks? Absolutely not! Noah is my grandson, a Hayes! He stays in the city and goes to the best private school!"

"Abby Hayes, stop acting so high and mighty! Your money belongs to Noah anyway! What can you ever expect from that useless little girl of yours?!"

Looking at these three shameless parasites, a surreal sense of absurdity washed over me.

"Michael, have you completely forgotten whose money bought the car you drive, whose name is on the deed to this house, and who handed you that VP title?"

Without waiting for an answer, I pulled out my phone and dialed 911.

"Hello, dispatch? I need to report a felony grand theft."

"My home was burglarized. The value of the stolen property exceeds two million dollars."

Michael’s face drained of color. "Abby, have you lost your damn mind?! Why are you calling the cops?! I told you, it's a loan!"

I hung up and leveled a dead gaze at him.

"A loan? Did you write a promissory note? Did I sign off on it?"

"Michael, not a single one of you is walking away clean today."