Chapter 2

The news that Charles had kicked Alex out spread like wildfire among their social circle.

Two weeks later, the Carter Family held a family gathering. Charles's cousin, Linda Carter, sent the invitation to Grace—not for her, but to pass it along to me.

The invitation read: "The Carter Family Quarterly Dinner—we cordially invite the whole family to attend."

When Grace handed me the invitation, her face was hard to read. "Are you sure you want to go?"

"It says the whole family is invited," I replied.

"Do you even count as part of the Carter Family anymore?" she asked.

I flipped the invitation over and saw a line of handwriting: "Emma, come on over. A lot of relatives want to see you."

I knew Linda well—she wasn't a bad person, but she wasn't exactly a saint either. She probably just wanted to watch the drama unfold.

But I decided to go.

The dinner was held at the Carter Family's old mansion, a traditional courtyard house halfway up the mountain. By the time I arrived, the parking lot was already packed.

I'd taken a cab.

When I walked in, the servant at the door did a double take. Back when I was still part of the family, they'd bow and call me "Mrs. Carter." But today, the servant just stammered, "Ms. Carter, hello."

I nodded and headed inside.

The courtyard was already packed. The older folks were gathered in the main hall, sipping coffee, while the younger crowd was chatting away in the garden.

As I walked up to the edge of the garden, I heard Vanessa's voice.

She was right in the center of the group, rocking a designer suit I'd never seen her wear before, makeup on point, holding court with her laughter and small talk. Next to her was Ethan, head down, totally absorbed in his phone.

"Vanessa, your dress is stunning! Where'd you buy it?" one of the young wives asked.

"My husband brought it back for me on his last business trip. I didn't even bother to look at the label," Vanessa replied with a little laugh, running her hand over the hem of her dress.

She went ahead and called him her husband.

Right in the middle of the Carter Family dinner.

With all the relatives watching.

Before I could even step inside, Linda came over and linked arms with me.

"Emma, you're here!" she said with a bright smile, her voice pitched just right so the people nearby could hear. "Come on, let's get you settled."

She led me toward the crowd.

The moment Vanessa spotted me, her smile wavered for just a second, but she quickly recovered. She stood up, turned slightly, and greeted me in a tone so sweet and familiar it was almost fake: "Emma, sis, you made it!"

Emma, sis.

She used to call me "Mrs. Carter." Then it was "sister-in-law." Now, it's just "sis."

Every time she switched up how she addressed me, it perfectly marked her climbing higher—and me slipping lower.

I nodded at her, keeping my tone cool. "Vanessa."

Linda pulled out a chair for me right beside her. No doubt she did it on purpose—this spot put me right across from Vanessa, front and center, with everyone watching us both.

'Linda really knows how to stir up drama,' I thought. 'This is a classic face-off.'

Not long after I sat down, Charles walked in.

Charles was dressed in a dark gray suit, his hair slicked back with not a strand out of place. When he saw me, he paused for a split second, then walked over like nothing had happened.

"Emma's here too," Charles said, his tone flat, like he was greeting some distant relative he barely remembered.

"The invitation said the whole family should come," I replied.

Charles gave a noncommittal grunt and sat down next to Vanessa. He casually draped his arm over the back of her chair, looking like the perfect picture of a couple in sync.

Just then, Ethan looked up, shot me a look, and smirked. He leaned in and whispered something to Vanessa. Vanessa gave him a gentle tap, like she was telling him to behave.

Then Edward Carter, Charles's uncle and the oldest member of the Carter family, spoke up.

He held his coffee and looked around. "Charles, there's something I've been meaning to ask. Where's Alex? I haven't seen him around."

The garden went quiet for a moment.

Charles's expression didn't change. He took a sip of his coffee and said, "Dad already knows. Alex's living with his mom now. From now on, Ethan will be taking over the Carter family's affairs."

Edward's brows knitted. "What do you mean? Alex is the eldest son and grandson. In the Carter family, the eldest son is supposed to—"

"Uncle," Charles interrupted, setting down his coffee. His voice was low but firm. "This is my family's business. Alex's hopeless at school and useless at everything else. After eighteen years, he still can't string together a proper sentence. He's just not cut out for the family business."

I rested my hands on my knees, my nails digging into my palms.

Alex won first place in the city math competition at six. Taught himself programming at eight. Skipped a grade at twelve. Got early admission to three universities at fifteen, but turned them all down because he said he had more important things to do.

'Hopeless at school. Useless at everything else.' Yeah, right.

As Charles said that, over twenty relatives in the garden turned to look at me. Some looked sympathetic, some looked awkward, and some were clearly relishing the drama.

Vanessa chimed in right on cue. "Honestly, Alex is a good kid, just a bit too quiet. He's not as cheerful as Ethan. People just tend to like boys who are a little more outgoing."

Ethan finally put down his phone, straightened up, and flashed a bright smile.

Linda, sitting next to me, gently touched the back of my hand, as if to ask, 'Are you okay?'

I managed a small smile.

"Charles is right," I said, my voice calm. "Alex really isn't cut out for the Carter family business."

Everyone turned to look at me.

Charles clearly hadn't expected me to say that. He glanced at me, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but that quickly turned into satisfaction.

"I'm glad you see it that way, Emma," he said.

I stood up and straightened my clothes.

"I won't be staying for dinner. You all enjoy yourselves," I said.

I turned and walked out.

As I reached the door, I caught Vanessa's voice behind me. "Emma's got such a good attitude."

Laughter echoed behind me as everyone chimed in.

I stepped out of the Carter family's old house and stood on the steps, waiting for a cab.

My phone buzzed.

It was a text from Alex: "Mom, I called you a car. It'll be there in three minutes."

I didn't bother asking how he knew I was heading out.

Three minutes later, a black sedan rolled up in front of me. It wasn't a taxi—it was a chauffeured ride.

The driver got out and opened the back door for me, saying respectfully, "Ms. Carter, please get in."

I slid into the seat. The car was warm, the seats heated, and there was a bottle of my usual water waiting for me on the console.

No way a regular ride-hailing app could get you a car like this.

Still, I didn't overthink it, and I kept my mouth shut.

Three days after I left the Carter family, my phone rang.

It wasn't Alex—it was Thomas, our old family butler.

Thomas's voice was low, like he was afraid someone might overhear. "Mrs. Carter, there's something I need to tell you."

"Spill it," she said.

"Mr. Carter's been getting ready for a ceremony," Thomas said, pausing for a moment. "It's an heir announcement ceremony, happening at the Bluewave Hotel at the end of the month. He's invited a bunch of business associates, and even let a few local media outlets know."

I stayed silent.

Thomas continued, "Mrs. Carter, this ceremony is to make it official—Ethan will be named the only heir to Carter Holdings. They'll sign the papers and announce it in front of everyone."

"Anything else?" I asked.

Thomas paused for a few seconds. "Mr. Carter told me to destroy everything—every bit of paperwork from when Alex interned at the company, his employee badge, and any photos connected to him. He said he wants Alex wiped from Carter Holdings's history, like he never existed."

My grip on the phone stayed steady.

"Thomas, thank you for telling me," I said.

"Mrs. Carter," Thomas's voice dropped even lower. "I've worked for the Carter family for thirty years. I watched Alex grow up. Mrs. Carter, I just don't think what Mr. Carter's doing is right."

"I know," I said.

I hung up.

Grace was standing right next to me. She hadn't caught what was said on the call, but just from my face, she could tell it was bad news.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

I set my phone down on the table.

"Charles is throwing a ceremony to announce Ethan as the only heir in front of everyone," I said.

Grace's mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "Is he out of his mind? Alex is still alive. He's got a living, biological eldest son, but he's ignoring him and picking some kid from outside the family instead? Aren't his business partners going to think he's lost it?"

"He doesn't see a problem with it," I said.

"He thinks," Grace snorted. "He thinks the whole world should revolve around him. Emma, what are you going to do?"

I stared out the window. The sky was heavy and gray, like rain was about to fall.

"Grace, do you remember what I told you before?" I asked.

"Which one?" she replied.

"Just wait a little longer," I said.

Grace took a deep breath. "I'll wait. But tell me—how much longer do I have to hold on?"

"The end of the month," I said.

"That ceremony at the end of the month?" she asked.

I didn't say anything else.

Grace looked at me, her eyes full of worry, anger, and something else I couldn't quite read.

"Emma, don't tell me you're planning to stir things up at the ceremony?" she asked.

I shot her a grin.

She slapped her thigh. "You're still smiling? Alright, end of the month. I'm with you."

That night, Alex came home early. He walked in carrying two takeout bags—one with my favorite sour noodle soup, and the other with Grace's favorite spicy and sour noodles.

"Got out early today," he said, setting the food down on the table.

Grace grabbed her spicy and sour noodles, muttering, "Alex, you're always so thoughtful," as she tore open the package and started eating.

I watched Alex. Today he was in a dark hoodie, way better fitting than those baggy school uniforms he usually wore—he looked sharp, focused, almost like a different person.

"Alex," I called.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Your dad's got a ceremony at the end of the month."

Alex sat down and started unpacking his food. He was so calm—way too calm for an eighteen-year-old.

"I know," he said.

"You know?" I asked.

He pushed his glasses up. "Mom, I've always known."

I watched him as he kept his head down, quietly eating, not saying another word.

But I caught the tiniest curve at the corner of his mouth.

It wasn't a bitter smile, or indifference.

It was the kind of smile that said he had it all figured out—confident, steady, maybe even a little excited.

Grace didn't notice—she was too busy slurping her noodles.

But I saw it.

The ceremony was set for the last Saturday of the month.

Before that, Charles did something that proved to me once and for all—he had absolutely no limits left.

That day, I went to the bank to handle some business. The teller checked my account, then looked up at me, clearly uncomfortable.

"Ms. Carter, your entire balance was withdrawn last week," she said.

"How much was taken out?" I asked.

"All of it," she replied.

I didn't move.

"Where did it go?" I asked.

The teller checked again. "It was transferred to The Carter Holdings business account. The transaction was made by your husband. Mr. Charles. He has joint authorization on this account."

That was when it hit me—Charles had set up this joint account for me in our second year of marriage, just to make it easier for family finances. Sixteen years had gone by, and it never even crossed my mind to change it.

All my savings from all these years were in that account.

It wasn't a fortune, but it was mine.

I sat in the bank chair, slowly smoothing out the hem of my clothes.

When I got home, I didn't tell Grace.

But I made a call—to someone Grace didn't know.

When the call connected, I only said one thing: "Is everything ready for the end of the month?"

The person on the other end replied, "Everything's set, Ms. Carter. You can rest easy."

I hung up.

The next day, Grace still found out. She had a friend who worked at the bank, and the news got to her way faster than I expected.

She stormed into the living room, her face livid with rage.

"He took all your money?" she demanded.

"Take it easy, Grace," I said.

"How can I not be upset?" Her voice shot up. "Emma, that's your money—over a decade of savings. You pinched every penny, used it to buy gifts for the Carter family every single holiday, and he just waltzes in and takes it all like it's nothing?"

"He's got access. It's a joint account," I said.

"Just because he's got access doesn't mean he can just take it! That's your money!" Grace's eyes were red with anger. "Are you just letting him walk all over you? Why don't you sue him?"

"Grace," I said.

"What?" she snapped.

"Sit down," I said.

Grace stood there, breathing hard for a while, then finally flopped onto the couch and rubbed her face hard.

"I really don't get you," she muttered. "Either you're crazy, or you're playing some kind of long game. Emma, just tell me—what are you really up to?"

I sat down next to her and patted the back of her hand.

"The end of the month," I said.

"Always the end of the month" Grace muttered.

"After that, you'll see. Trust me, Grace," I said.

Grace looked at me. Her eyes were still red, but she took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

"Okay. I trust you," she said.

That night, I overheard Alex talking on the phone in the guest room. The door was shut, and his voice was so low I couldn't catch a word. But it definitely wasn't some casual chat with a classmate—his tone was clipped and decisive, like he was calling the shots.

I paused outside his door for a couple seconds, but I didn't knock after all. I just turned around and went back to my own room.