Chapter 3

Just then, my phone screen lit up. It was a text from an unknown number.

[Joanna, hi, it's Freya. Can we meet? I'm really worried about you and Steve.]

Finally, the mermaid I had been waiting for two days couldn't resist and swam right into my net.

I met Freya at a quiet café.

She was even slimmer than in her photos, wearing a simple white dress with no makeup on, her hair smoothly draped over her shoulders. She looked just elegant and pure.

The moment she saw me, her eyes grew misty with tears. "Joanna," Freya said timidly, her voice so gentle that it was almost trembling. "Are you alright?

"I heard from Linda. Please don't blame Steve. He just... He cares too much about his mom, and when his temper gets the best of him, he loses control. Try to go easy on him, okay? I'm sure he's already regretting it."

What a classic fake kindness act she was putting on. As she spoke, she ever-so-casually lifted her coffee cup, "accidentally" showing off a bracelet on her wrist.

That bracelet was clearly a couple's bracelet, matching the one Steven wore. She was definitely sending me a message.

"Steve's been running all over the place looking for you these past few days. He's practically losing his mind," Freya sighed, giving me that oh-so-sympathetic look. "That's just how he is.

"He acts all tough, but deep down he's really soft-hearted. He's been feeling pretty miserable lately. Sometimes he even confides in me, saying... well, that things aren't going so well between you two.

"He said you're too independent, too caught up in your career. Not like me. I always just went along with whatever he wanted."

Freya lowered her head, playing with her fingers, her voice dripping with hurt, and a little bit of provocation she couldn't quite hide.

I didn't say a word the whole time. I just listened in silence, wearing a polished, polite smile.

Beneath the table, my phone was secretly recording her entire dramatic solo, catching every last word.

When she finally wrapped up her little act, giving me that "I'm only doing this for your own good" look, I took my time picking up my latte and sipped it with all the grace I could muster.

The bitterness of the coffee hit my tongue, taking the edge off the nausea swirling in my gut.

"All done?" I asked, setting down my cup with a smile.

Freya froze for a second, clearly caught off guard by how I responded.

According to her playbook, I should've been either raging or falling apart. But me staying this cool was never in her plan.

"So," I said, my smile widening as my eyes grew colder. "When are you planning to pay back that 150 grand you owe to the loan sharks?"

It was like a bomb had gone off in her head.

I watched as Freya's face went from pale to green, and then turned ghostly pale in an instant.

That innocent, fragile act she was putting on cracked apart, like a cheap plaster mask.

"W-What are you talking about? I don't understand." Her voice trembled, and her hand holding the coffee cup shook uncontrollably.

I slowly pulled out a thick stack of photos from my bag and slapped them down right in front of her. They scattered across the table with a sharp slap.

Every single photo showed her caked in heavy makeup, a cigarette hanging from her lips, sometimes looking hyped, sometimes looking totally crushed at the poker tables, all in those shady, dimly lit underground casinos.

"Still don't get it?" I leaned in, my voice dropping low, each word landing like a punch to her fragile nerves. "These are the gambling houses you went to. Ms. Adams, you've really made the rounds, haven't you?

"Oh, and let's not forget that 100 grand you lost last year on illegal online sports betting. Want me to show you the transaction records too?"

Freya's whole body started shaking uncontrollably. She stared at the photos, fear written all over her face.

"Y-You investigated me?" she shrieked, her voice hoarse with fear.

"Investigate you?" I sneered. "Freya, don't flatter yourself. I was only investigating Steven. After all, all that shady debt he suddenly owed had to come from somewhere, right?"

My gaze was like a scalpel, cutting right through her facade, seeing through every layer of her act.

I continued, "You and Steven didn't split up because you couldn't get along. It was all about his gambling. He racked up so much debt that you couldn't cover it.

"So, you dumped him, put on that whole 'tragic dumped ex-wife' act, and milked your parents for over 300 thousand bucks in relocation money to pay off his gambling tab, didn't you?"

Freya's lips trembled, but she was completely speechless. Her whole act was shattered the instant the hard evidence came out.

I said, "Now, he's racked up a whole new pile of gambling debt. That 60 grand credit card debt is just the appetizer. The real problem is the 150 grand he owes to the loan sharks.

"With interest piling up, it'll be three hundred thousand, maybe even six hundred thousand, before you know it."

I stood up, looking down at her, the so-called good wife Steven and Linda always put on a pedestal, just to hurt me whenever they could. "So, you're running the same tired scam again, trying to make me the next fall guy.

You asked Linda to keep singing your praises to my face, hoping to get under my skin. And you asked Steven to keep picking fights. All so that I would be the one to file for divorce first, and they could grab a bigger slice of the pie.

"Too bad," I shook my head, pity in my tone. "Your little playbook? Seen it all before. Way too predictable."

I leaned close, my lips almost brushing her ear, and whispered so softly that only she could hear, "Tell Steven and Linda. The game begins. This time, you're betting everything you have."

With that, I stood tall, never looked back, and walked out of the café.

Behind me, the piercing sound of a cup smashing rang out, followed by Freya's sobs bursting through as she finally lost it.

Right then, the tables had turned. The hunter had become the hunted.