Chapter 1

My husband was killed in a car crash.

I rushed to have his body cremated that very night.

I knew my so-called best friend's son was actually fathered by my husband.

But I didn't give a damn. His inheritance? That was all mine.

*****

I was sorting through evidence of Frank Harper's affair when the hospital called.

After hanging up, I looked at the photos and documents laid out on the table and let out a tsk.

It looked like I wouldn't be needing any of this now.

I grabbed my phone and called the best cleaning service in town.

"Hi, this if from Golden Grove Residences, Building 7, 8th floor. I need a cleaning. I'm a clean freak, so I want the place spotless. Not a single hair left behind," I said.

I offered twice the usual rate, and they agreed instantly, promising me their team was top-notch and I had nothing to worry about.

Then I drove to the hospital and had Frank's body sent to the crematorium that night.

"I need my husband cremated as soon as possible. Just make it quick. I'll pay whatever it takes," I told the staff.

I waited at the crematorium for almost an hour, watching as the staff smashed the dense, unburned bones and crushed them into the urn. I felt a twisted sense of satisfaction.

By the time I left the crematorium, it was already two in the morning.

Instead of heading home, I drove to a run-down neighborhood in the south side of the city.

This was the first house Frank and I rented after graduation.

When we finally had some money, Frank snapped up the place the moment he could.

I figured he was looking back fondly on the hustle of getting our own business off the ground.

As it turned out, he was looking for a spot to hide stuff.

Frank was into gold. He had been buying since it was around a hundred bucks. Like a hamster, he only bought and never sold.

By then, gold prices had shot up past a thousand dollars. All that gold he had stashed away was worth some serious money.

The place hadn't been lived in for ages, and it reeked of dust and mildew.

I put on a mask and headed straight for the bathroom.

The tile wall behind the toilet was spotless, standing out from the rest of the filthy room.

Frank had a secret press-to-open compartment built into the wall here.

I pulled out all the gold and packed it into a canvas bag.

Then I closed the door, cradled the canvas bag, and made my way downstairs.

The gold weighed over 40 pounds, heavier than the kid Frank had with my so-called best friend Claire Evans.

I opened the compartment in the trunk where the spare tire should be. I didn't have a spare, so I stashed the gold in there instead.

It wasn't exactly a hidden spot, but honestly, who'd ever imagine someone would just casually dump over seven million dollars' worth of gold right there?

The car was mine before I got married, so it wouldn't be up for grabs in the inheritance mess.

And after tonight, I wasn't planning to drive it again until things settled down.

*****

The next morning, my in-laws and Claire showed up early, banging on my door.

Still rubbing sleep from my eyes, I yawned as I opened up.

No small talk, no sorrow. Claire cut straight to the chase. "The kid is Frank's. He has inheritance rights."

My in-laws backed her up, saying, "The kid is Frank's. We can vouch for it."

With a lazy, sleepy look on my face, I replied, "But Frank's been cremated. There's no way to prove the kid is his."

Frank's mother Edith Harper exploded, "You bitch. Can't give him a child, and you wouldn't let him divorce you. If you had, my grandson wouldn't be a bastard. And you even cremated my son without telling us? You heartless witch."

I spread my hands helplessly, looking innocent. "He's dead already. What was I supposed to do, let it rot? It's crazy hot out."

Edith was about to shot back, but Frank's father Orion Harper pulled her back. "Now isn't the time for that."

His murky eyes held a glint of shrewdness as he looked me up and down. "Edith and I are getting old, not in the best shape. We came all this way. Aren't you going to invite us in?"

I stepped aside and motioned them in.

Just as I expected, Edith and Orion were up to no good. Once inside, they made up some excuse about wanting something to remember Frank by, and roamed from room to room.

I didn't drop three thousand on that cleaning service for nothing. Good luck to them finding even a single trace of Frank in here. It was spotless.

Claire was curled up on the couch, sniffling and crying, putting on her best pitiful act.

She said, "Emily, I know I did you wrong, but now that Frank's gone, Ben is his only son. He's gonna get everything Frank had.

"Of course, since you and Frank were married for so many years, I can let you keep this house..."

"Hold on," I cut her off. "Just saying Ben is Frank's doesn't mean anything in court. If you can actually prove your son is really Frank's, I'll let the law decide."

Orion, looking frustrated after coming up empty, sat down. "Ben really is Frank's kid. Edith and I can swear to it. If you don't believe us, I can do a DNA test with him."

Edith's eyes lit up. "Right. Ben can do a DNA test with Orion. That way, you'll have to accept it."

I shook my head and snorted. That was called a grandparentage test, not a paternity test. First off, that kind of test would never fly in court. And even if, by some miracle, it did, they'd still have to prove Frank was his dad's only son.

Plus, I happened to know something that could turn Frank's family upside down.

What a shame Frank kicked the bucket before I could see his reaction. Honestly, I was dying to watch his face when he heard the news.

The three of them came in a rush and left as fast.

They couldn't wait to snatch up Claire's kid and race off to the DNA testing center.