Chapter 3
And then there were my ex-mother-in-law and my ex-sister-in-law.
"Tina, you finally made it. From now on, this place is your home," Willow said warmly.
"That's right. Chris should've ditched that barren hen ages ago," Beata chimed in.
"Wow, this house is massive, way bigger than the one Chris got you," Beata added.
Tina's voice carried a touch of shyness. "Please don't say that. Ms. Rhodes will be upset if she finds out."
"Her? She's nothing but a joke now!" Willow's voice was sharp and mean. "A cast-off we threw out of our family—what right does she have to be upset?"
I stood in the entryway, listening to their conversation.
Any lingering warmth in my heart vanished.
I slipped on my slippers and walked inside.
The three of them in the living room looked at me like they'd seen a ghost.
The laughter died instantly.
Willow was the first to react, jumping up from the couch.
"You... Why are you back?!" she blurted out, her voice sharp with disbelief.
I glanced around the room.
My photos, my clothes, my books—every trace of me had vanished.
Now, Tina's stuff was everywhere.
Her bag was thrown on the couch, and her makeup was spread out on the coffee table.
They moved fast.
"This is my home. Why shouldn't I come back?" I said coolly.
Beata stood up, hands on her hips.
"Hazel, get it through your head; you're divorced from Chris! You've got no place here anymore," she snapped.
I paid her no mind and walked right toward the bedroom.
Willow darted over and blocked my path. "What do you think you're doing? This is Chris's room!"
"Step aside," I said, my voice icy.
"I won't! You jinx, are you back to mess things up again?" Willow snapped.
As she spoke, she tried to shove me.
I sidestepped and grabbed her wrist.
I twisted it hard.
She cried out in pain, the sound sharp and sudden.
"God, it hurts! Let go of me," Willow cried out.
I flung her off.
She staggered back a few steps and crashed into Tina.
Tina caught her, staring at me with a look of fear and disbelief.
"Ms. Rhodes, how could you just hit an elder like that?" Tina stammered, her voice trembling.
I looked at her and smiled. "Elder? Are we even family anymore?"
Without another glance at them, I strode straight into the master bedroom.
The bedroom was a total mess.
My closet was wide open, clothes strewn all over the floor.
My jewelry box had vanished from the dresser.
I walked over to the bedside and picked up a picture frame.
It was a photo of Chris and me.
We used to be so happy back then.
I pulled out the photo and just tossed it in the trash.
Then I opened the hidden compartment in the bedside table.
Inside was a velvet box.
I opened it and found the heirloom my mom left me, a pair of emerald bracelets.
Thank goodness.
They probably had no clue about this hidden compartment here.
I secured the bracelets and turned, walking out of the bedroom.
In the living room, the three of them were still clustered at the entrance.
"Hazel, what did you take? Are you stealing from us?" Beata shrieked.
Without saying a word, I pulled out my phone and called building security.
"There are trespassers on the top floor of Building A. Send someone up to deal with it," I said.
After hanging up, I looked at them.
"This house is under my name. I owned it before I ever got married," I said.
"The divorce papers spell it out—this place belongs to me. Chris doesn't get a single piece of it.
"Now, I want all three of you to leave my house, immediately," I said, my voice cold and steady.
Willow's face went livid, almost purple with fury.
"That's bullshit. This is the house my son bought for his marriage! Why should you get it?" Willow yelled.
"Because I have the deed right here," I replied, cool as ice.
I pulled the property deed out of my bag and flashed it in their faces.
"The deed only has my name on it," I said, my tone icy.
Tina's face went pale, her shock obvious.
She must've thought she could just waltz in and claim my home for herself.
"Ms. Rhodes, do you really have to be so ruthless?" Tina pleaded, her voice shaky.
"Ruthless?" I scoffed, my laugh icy. "Compared to everything you people have done, what I'm doing is nothing.
"Back when your whole family forced me to sign that clean-slate agreement and leave with nothing, did any of you ever think about giving me a way out?"
Soon, a few security guards rode the elevator up.
"Ms. Rhodes, what happened here?" the head of security asked respectfully.
I pointed at the three of them.
"They trespassed in my home and even tried to get physical. Kindly have them removed, please," I said.
"Right away," the guard replied.
The security guards walked over to the three of them.
Willow started making a scene, flailing and wailing on the floor.
"Help! She hit me! There's no justice! My ex-daughter-in-law just hit me!" she wailed.
Beata whipped out her phone and started filming me like crazy.
Tina protectively clutched her belly, backing away with a pitiful look.
"Don't touch me. I'm carrying a baby!" she cried out.
The security guards exchanged uneasy glances, clearly unsure what to do.
I walked over and looked straight at Tina.
"Ms. Eland, I suggest you leave on your own," I said, my voice calm but firm.
"Otherwise, I'll call the cops, no problem. If the police get involved and things blow up, it won't be good for your little golden ticket."
My tone stayed calm, but Tina definitely caught the threat behind my words.
Her face went pale, then flushed, her expression shifting all over the place.
Finally, she gritted her teeth, steadied Willow, and helped her to her feet.
"Let's go," Tina said, biting back her frustration.
"I'm not leaving. This is my son's house!" Willow protested, digging in her heels.
"Willow!" Tina said, her tone firmer and more urgent.
Willow finally stopped her crying, though it was clear she was still seething with resentment.