Chapter 1

His little secretary transferred me one thousand dollars.

She even sent a condescending voice memo to educate me:

"Mrs. Sterling, Mr. Sterling works incredibly hard for his money. Since you don't work, you should really learn to be more considerate of his expenses."

I clicked on the latest post on her Instagram feed.

A private yacht. Dom Pérignon champagne. A brand new Rolex wrapped around her wrist.

The caption read: A woman who knows how to manage money is the only one who deserves a good life.

I double-tapped to like her post.

Then, I went back to my husband and asked him to approve an additional three hundred thousand dollars.

The little secretary was very satisfied, assuming I had finally learned to play by her rules.

She was so emboldened that, on the actual day of the birthday banquet, she dared to take credit right to my face:

"Mr. Sterling is so lucky. He has me handling the business, and me handling his household. That’s why his life is so stress-free."

I smiled, grabbed her arm, and pulled her right over to my mother-in-law.

"Mom, this year’s birthday gift was entirely arranged by Miss Evans here."

"Liam approved 1.3 million dollars for it. Please, swipe the card for whatever you like!"

The secretary, cornered, gripped the edge of her blazer. She knew there was less than ten thousand dollars left on that card.

1.

My mother-in-law’s gaze, however, landed first on the cuff of my sleeve.

"Chloe, isn't this the dress you wore two years ago?"

She reached out and pinched a frayed, loose thread at my wrist, tucking it away.

Before I could answer, Chloe Evans—the secretary—chimed in with a sweet smile.

"Vintage is very trendy right now! It’s a good thing Mrs. Sterling is finally learning how to be frugal."

As she spoke, she lifted her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Her brand new Rolex flashed right past my frayed dress.

My mother-in-law’s hand paused.

Today’s banquet was being held at the Sterling family’s private country club. The luncheon hadn't started yet, and the inner circle of guests was sitting in the lounge having coffee.

My father-in-law had spent fifty thousand dollars just on the custom floral wall for the event.

Yet his daughter-in-law was wearing a washed-out, pill-covered dress, without even a decent necklace to match.

An older aunt sitting nearby held her espresso cup, looking at me hesitantly.

"Has Liam been too busy lately to take care of things at home?"

"Oh, of course not," Miss Evans immediately replied, her smile fading slightly. "Mr. Sterling allocates a very generous allowance for Mrs. Sterling every month. Some expenses are just... kept private from outsiders."

She said it so casually.

It was basically slapping a "reckless spender" label right on my forehead.

But my mother-in-law didn't take the bait.

"I was asking my daughter-in-law."

Miss Evans froze, finally shutting her mouth.

I smiled, my eyes crinkling. "Mom, he didn't forget. Liam explicitly approved the budget for me to buy new clothes."

"Then why didn't you buy any?"

I looked at Miss Evans.

She looked back at me, still maintaining her poised smile, but her fingers tapped twice against her side.

It was her little physical tell—a warning for me not to say the wrong thing.

I was very familiar with it.

Last month, I was at Neiman Marcus and my Amex Platinum—the supplementary card Liam gave me—declined. I called her to ask why.

Over the phone, she used that same slow, condescending tone.

"I’m auditing the household expenses for risk management, so I temporarily suspended the card. Mrs. Sterling, surely you can survive waiting a few days?"

At the time, the sales associate was standing right in front of me holding the shopping bag, not knowing whether to put it down or hand it over.

And now, she was standing next to the birthday girl, wearing the exact dress from the new season collection at that very store, explaining why I was wearing old clothes.

I suddenly laughed.

"Miss Evans said my closet is full enough, and there was no need to add anything new right now."

Clink. The coffee cup hit the saucer.

Miss Evans immediately interjected, "I was only making a suggestion! Mr. Sterling tasked me with managing the finances. I can't just stand by and watch Mrs. Sterling spend recklessly, can I?"

"Exactly," I nodded. "Which is why I listened to you."

She clearly hadn't expected me to be so cooperative. The rehearsed excuse died in her throat.

I even took a half-step back, giving her the floor.

"Mom, haven't you always praised Liam for being so capable lately? Miss Evans works just as hard. She doesn't just handle corporate affairs—she meticulously manages exactly how many dresses I can buy and exactly how much money gets transferred to the house."

Miss Evans straightened her posture. "It's all part of the job."

My father-in-law set down his coffee, looking at her directly for the first time.

"My daughter-in-law spending her own family's money is part of your job?"

Her smile stiffened.

My mother-in-law grabbed my hand, feeling my completely bare wrist.

"Chloe. Tell me the truth."

"Exactly how much is he giving you, that you have to live like this?"

To be fair, when Liam approves a budget, he's incredibly generous.

Unfortunately, while his hand approves the amount, it’s Miss Evans's hand that makes the transfer.

With her acting as the middleman, I—Mrs. Sterling—was living worse than the family cat.

The cat’s premium imported food last month cost eight hundred dollars on the books.

When I wanted to buy a two-hundred-dollar dress, she interrogated me three times on why I couldn't just wear last year's.

I didn't suffer like this when I first married into the Sterling family.

Liam gave me a supplementary Amex and set up a massive automatic monthly transfer into my personal checking account for household expenses. His parents lived in Europe, so it was just the two of us. Life was easy.

But then he took over the family conglomerate, getting so busy he practically slept on his private jet.

That was when Miss Evans took over his personal expenses.

Her favorite phrase was: "Mr. Sterling knows how to make money, but it takes me to protect it."

The family office paid Liam's personal expenses, but after he approved a budget, she was the one who processed it. If something needed buying, she submitted the vendor and the payment invoice.

As for my Amex, she was put in charge of managing the credit limit and freezing the account.

At first, it was just a quick question if I bought a designer bag. Then, I had to submit itemized lists for clothes. Then, the card just stopped working altogether.

I called Liam.

Over the phone, all I heard was the sound of him flipping through contracts.

"If you need something, tell Chloe. She'll handle it."

"She said my card was suspended."

"Probably hit a bank limit. I'll have her look into it."

The second the call ended, I got a text from Miss Evans.

[Mrs. Sterling, Mr. Sterling is negotiating a multi-million dollar merger. Can't you be a little more mature?]

I stared at the text for a long time, then forwarded it to Liam.

Six hours later, he replied:

[Noted. Don't fight with her. I'll handle it when I get back.]

He didn't come back.

And I didn't fight.

I started following the rules, formally requesting budget approvals from him.

Wardrobe update for the new season: $20,000.

He approved it.

My bank account received $200.

I sent him a screenshot of the deposit notification and asked where the rest was.

He forwarded me Miss Evans's reply: The larger items have been ordered through our personal shopper. I transferred Mrs. Sterling a small allowance in the meantime.

Perfect.

I replied to that forwarded message: [I have not received the clothes. I will confirm when they arrive.]

The patio furniture at the estate needed replacing. My mother-in-law had previously picked out a set quoted at $48,000.

I submitted the request with the quote.

He approved it. Miss Evans, as usual, said it was "arranged."

Two weeks later, the broken wicker chair was still sitting on the patio.

I took a picture and sent it to the group chat with both of them.

She said international shipping was slow and told me to be patient.

I replied with a smiley face emoji.

Then, I submitted the next request.

Liam thought I had finally stopped sweating the small stuff.

Miss Evans thought she had finally broken me. She started posting pictures of Rolexes and Mercedes on her Instagram, even daring to write captions like "Guarding the castle for the boss."

I liked every single one of her posts.

If someone wants to stick their dirty hands into the light, why should I warn them to pull back?

I had my own savings. I wasn't going to starve.

But I wasn't going to cover up her theft while using my own money to maintain the dignity of a Sterling wife.

Finally, my mother-in-law's birthday approached.

I asked Liam what the budget was for his mother's gift.

With a stroke of his pen, he approved one million dollars.

"Mom rarely celebrates these milestone birthdays. Let's make her happy."

Miss Evans transferred me one thousand dollars, telling me to "stay within my means."

I didn't argue. I just submitted another request for three hundred thousand dollars, planning to replace the perpetually broken elevator and the HVAC system at the family estate, attaching detailed quotes for both.

Liam approved it. Miss Evans replied, "Arranged."

When his parents returned to the States, they would be staying at the estate.

When the time came, someone was going to have to explain why the purchases were never made and the contractors never showed up.

She dared to intercept it; I dared to let her.

As for that one million dollar birthday gift—

I saved the approval document separately, waiting for my mother-in-law to collect it herself.

"Mrs. Sterling has requested over 1.3 million dollars this month alone."

Before I could answer, Miss Evans interjected.

"Mrs. Sterling Senior, you understand. Large expenditures require oversight. I was just worried that because Mrs. Sterling is young, she might lose track of her spending."

She didn't call her 'Mom' or 'Auntie.' She called her 'Mrs. Sterling Senior.'

Before retiring, my mother-in-law was the CFO of the family empire for twenty years. She absolutely despised sloppy accounting.

Miss Evans clearly thought she had finally found someone who spoke her language.

She unlocked her iPad and pulled up a densely packed spreadsheet.

Clothes, furniture, birthday gifts, equipment upgrades.

Every single line item had my name next to it.

Even the aunt who had spoken up for me earlier gasped slightly when she saw the total.

Miss Evans lowered her voice, feigning sympathy.

"Please don't be mad at Mrs. Sterling. I’ve been holding some of it back for her, just to make sure she has a safety net for the future."

I almost laughed out loud.

My money needed her to hold it back for my safety?

My husband needed her to be considerate of him?

If she weren't here, it sounded like this entire family would collapse by tomorrow.

Right at that moment, Liam pushed the door open and walked in.

He was still holding his phone, the exhaustion of endless meetings etched between his brows. He kissed my forehead first, then greeted his mother.

Miss Evans immediately hid the iPad behind her back.

"Mr. Sterling, it's nothing. Your aunt was just asking about Mrs. Sterling's expenses, and I was explaining."

"I was asking," my mother-in-law interrupted coldly, "why she needs your permission just to buy a dress."

Liam froze, his eyes dropping to my frayed cuff.

"Didn't I approve twenty thousand for that?"

I looked at him.

He was finally noticing my dress.

Last month, when I sent him the picture of the declined receipt, he hadn't even bothered to ask what I was trying to buy.

"You approved it," I said.

Miss Evans let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Liam, I'd like to ask," I continued. "The money you approved for me—is it for me to spend, or is it for Miss Evans to 'hold onto' for me?"

He frowned. "To spend, of course. Chloe is just meticulous with the accounts. Don't let a minor misunderstanding ruin the day."

A minor misunderstanding.

I was so sick of hearing that phrase my ears were ringing.

"What about Mom's birthday gift?"

"One million," he answered immediately. "You saw the approval, didn't you? Chloe said it's already been taken care of."

Miss Evans nodded eagerly beside him.

"Mrs. Sterling wanted to show her filial piety. Mr. Sterling naturally fully supported it."

I nodded too, pulling out my phone and swiping to the approval document.

One million dollars. Special Birthday Fund.

Liam's authorization and Miss Evans's "Arranged" confirmation were both clearly visible.

I handed the phone to my mother-in-law.

"Mom, your son is generous. I wouldn't dare try to save his money."

My mother-in-law looked at the screen, but her face showed no joy.

"So what did you buy?"

Miss Evans's hand suddenly gripped the edge of her iPad tightly.

I looked at her, my smile growing even more sincere.

"Miss Evans knows better than I do. She said she handles all the large purchases so I wouldn't have to stress over it."

"Yes," Miss Evans quickly jumped in. "With a sum that large, we obviously wouldn't just give it to Mrs. Sterling as pocket money. It was transferred directly to purchase the gift."

My father-in-law looked up.

"Where is it?"

Miss Evans's lips parted slightly.

"It's on its way."

"What is it?" my mother-in-law asked.

"A set of emeralds."

Miss Evans answered quickly, like she had just plucked the most expensive word she could think of out of thin air.

"Mrs. Sterling loves surprises, so she told us to keep it a secret. I was just following her orders."

I blinked.

A one-million-dollar surprise that even I didn't know about.

What a surprise indeed.

"Which set? Show me the photos."

My mother-in-law held her hand out to her.

Miss Evans gripped her phone, her thumbs hovering over the screen, then looked up.

"The photos are with the procurement manager. Let me rush him."

"Then rush him."

She walked over to the window to make a call, keeping her voice incredibly low.

Liam sat down next to me and tried to take my hand.

"Today is Mom's birthday. If you're upset about something, let's talk about it when we get home."

I pulled my hand out of his grasp and adjusted my mother-in-law's shawl.

"I'm in a great mood. I'm just waiting to see this gift."

Just then, a waiter entered to announce that Mr. Davis, a manager from a high-end jewelry boutique, had arrived.

My mother-in-law had eyed a jade bangle a few weeks ago and arranged for him to bring it today for a fitting. If she liked it, she would buy it.

Mr. Davis opened the velvet box. The brilliant green of the jade caught the light, and the aunts in the room immediately crowded around to admire it.

My mother-in-law slipped it on. A perfect fit.

She raised her wrist, a genuine smile smoothing out the fine lines around her eyes.

"This one really suits me."

Miss Evans had returned from her phone call.

Seeing the jewelry box, she visibly exhaled.

"Mrs. Sterling Senior, you have exquisite taste. Honestly, Mrs. Sterling should have handled this for you. You shouldn't have to stress over buying your own gifts."

The moment that sentence left her mouth, my mother-in-law's smile vanished.

But I stood up, pulled the household debit card out of my wallet, and placed it directly into her hand.

"Mom, if you like it, it's yours. Swipe for whatever you want today. I'll borrow your son's money to pay for it."

Miss Evans's head whipped toward me.

I smiled at her.

"Didn't Miss Evans say everything was already arranged?"

She opened her mouth, then forced a strained smile.

"Mrs. Sterling, this card is used for miscellaneous daily expenses, so the balance might not be sufficient. Please don't act on a whim and embarrass your mother-in-law if the card declines."

Those last few words were a direct warning to me.

I understood perfectly.

In the past, whenever my card declined, she would tell me not to embarrass Liam.

But in the end, it was the Sterling family's face on the line, and I was the one left humiliated.

"Not sufficient?" My mother-in-law pinched the card between her fingers and looked back at her. "The birthday gift budget is separate. How much could she possibly be spending on miscellaneous expenses that you have to stop her from swiping it once?"

"I was just afraid—"

"Afraid of what?"

Her voice caught in her throat.

Liam had already pulled out his own black card. "Mom, just use this one."

She didn't take it.

"Chloe gave this to me. Why shouldn't I use it?"

Mr. Davis, sensing the tension in the room, obliged my mother-in-law and typed the amount into the card reader.

I stood next to him and entered the PIN.

A moment later, the machine beeped.

No receipt printed out.

Mr. Davis stiffened, trying to pull the screen away. "It might be—"

"Don't hide it." My mother-in-law slammed her hand down on the machine.

Miss Evans panicked. "Large transactions often trigger fraud alerts! I just need to have accounting clear it—"

I ignored her, pulled out my phone, opened the banking app for that specific checking account, and handed it to my mother-in-law.

"Mom, look."

My mother-in-law looked at the screen, then down at the physical card in her hand to verify the numbers.

The last four digits matched perfectly.

Her face darkened completely.

Account Balance: $0.00.

"It's not a fraud alert."

She looked up.

"It's because there is absolutely zero money in this account."