Chapter 1
I was arguing with an old lady at a roadside veggie stall over a few coins when my ex-husband, Jacob Grant, happened to drive by in his flashy car.
He stormed over, yelling at me like he couldn't believe how hopeless I was.
"Claire, get back here and marry me again. I'll give you 65 hundred dollars a month. Stop letting our son scavenge for junk with you. It's humiliating," he shouted.
For the money, I silently got into the passenger seat of his car.
After we got remarried, I just saw myself as a well-paid maid.
My son stopped crying for his dad to tuck him in or tell him stories. He started taking care of himself, bathing and going to bed without a fuss.
Jacob would buy his so-called "god-sister" designer bags that cost a fortune right in front of me, and I'd just smile and pay for it with his card.
At family dinners, he'd peel shrimp for her, while my son and I just sat there eating in silence.
To him, we were just the most well-behaved props in his life.
But when he got drunk, he'd break down in tears, holding me tight.
"Babe, didn't you always say you loved shrimp?" he sobbed.
"Leo, why do you treat yourself like an outsider here? Why do you call me 'uncle'?" he choked out.
*****
Jacob brought us back to the villa that once was our home.
Standing in front of the fingerprint lock, I reached out my hand without thinking.
Beep!
The red light flashed, and the speaker said, "Verification failed."
I froze, my hand suspended in midair.
Someone opened the door from inside.
Sally Peggy, Jacob's so-called "god-sister," stood there in silk pajamas, a luxury face mask plastered on her face, looking at us like she was the lady of the house.
"Oh, Jacob, you're back. So this must be Claire and Leo, right?" Sally said, her smile all innocent, but her eyes kept scanning my washed-out jeans.
Jacob tossed his car keys onto the shoe cabinet, explaining offhandedly.
"I changed the password. It's Sally's birthday. Easy to remember," he said.
I replied in a flat voice, "Understood, Mr. Grant. I'll remember it."
Jacob paused as he took off his shoes, looking a little thrown off by my formal tone, but he didn't say anything.
Leo clung to the hem of my shirt and whispered, "Dad."
Jacob just grunted and pointed upstairs. "Take Leo to the room."
I took Leo's hand and led him upstairs, pushing open the door to his old bedroom.
There were no action figures, no toy cars, and no blue bed.
Instead, floor-to-ceiling display cabinets lined the walls, packed with Hermès and Chanel bags.
Leo just stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the room he'd lived in since he was born.
Jacob followed us up, and when he saw the scene, he frowned deeply.
"What's going on? Where's Leo's bed?" Jacob demanded.
Sally nestled against Jacob's arm, her voice syrupy sweet.
"Jacob, since the room was empty, I just put my bags in here.
"It's such a hassle to move things around, and Leo's grown up now. He can sleep wherever, right?"
Jacob glanced at Sally, then at the piles of luxury goods, looking like he wanted to say something but held back.
Before he could say anything, I crouched down and fixed Leo's collar for him.
Leo looked up at me, his eyes far too mature for his age, completely unfazed.
He took my hand.
He said calmly, "Mom, it's okay. I can sleep in the storage room, really.
"We used to sleep in the basement, so I've done it before."
Jacob froze, his whole body going rigid.
He looked at Leo, and for the first time, it seemed to hit him just what kind of life we'd been living these past few years.
Guilt flickered in his eyes, but Sally cut in before it could show.
"Oh, kids are so adaptable.
"Since that's the case, I won't refuse. Otherwise, I'd feel like a stranger here."
Sally smiled, trying to smooth things over, and pulled out a bank card she'd prepared ahead of time, handing it to me.
Jacob, trying to cover up the awkwardness, snatched the card from Sally and flung it at me.
The sharp edge of the card scraped across my collarbone before it hit the floor.
Jacob said coldly, "Don't make me look bad again. If you need anything, just buy it yourself. The PIN is Sally's birthday."
I bent down, picked up the card, and blew off the dust like I'd done it a thousand times.
Then I straightened up, giving him a practiced, empty smile, just like those emotionless cashiers at the supermarket.
"Thanks, Mr. Grant. You're really generous," I said, my tone flat as ever.
"Thanks, Ms. Peggy. You're beautiful and so kind," I added.
Jacob's face instantly darkened.
He was probably hoping I'd either burst into tears of gratitude or fling the card back at him in rage.
He hated seeing me act so businesslike, just going through the motions with zero emotion.
Noticing the mood, Sally's eyes flickered and she suddenly exclaimed in mock surprise.
"Oh wow, Claire, what did you bring with you?" she said, her tone dripping with fake innocence.