Chapter 3
"Dad?" Barnaby called out, his voice trembling.
Wayne was silent for a moment on the other end, then let out a weary sigh. "Damn you! Your sister just got back to the country, and I told you to pick her up at the airport. Where the hell were you? And you even turned off your phone."
Barnaby swayed on his feet, feeling as if all the strength had been sucked right out of him.
So, the "important guest" his father wanted him to pick up this morning was actually Sydney.
And in his rush to get the divorce over with so he could make Yvette his official girlfriend, he'd turned off his phone and dragged Yvette here to force me to sign the papers.
He'd missed the most crucial meeting with his own hands, and now he'd walked right into the crossfire—Sydney stepping up for me, and he was the one taking the hit.
"I... I didn't know..." Barnaby's voice came out rough and strained.
"There's a lot you don't know," Wayne snapped. "Everything your sister said is true. She's the rightful heir of the Osborne family.
"I warned you ages ago to cut off that woman you've been fooling around with and treat Diana right, live a proper life with her, but you never listened to a word I said.
"Now, get your ass back here, right this second, and apologize to your sister and Diana."
The phone was slammed down with a bang.
The café was dead silent.
Yvette's face was as pale as a sheet. She reached for Barnaby's hand, but it was ice-cold and shaking even worse than hers.
"Barnaby... is this... is this real? Is she really your sister?" Yvette stammered.
Barnaby didn't answer her. He just stared at Sydney, then at Diana, his eyes flickering with all kinds of emotions.
There was shock, fear, defiance, and a hint of messy, embarrassed regret.
He probably couldn't figure out how his wife, who was always the doormat with zero background in his eyes, could possibly know the very sister who held his fate in her hands.
Sydney slid on her sunglasses, masking whatever she was feeling inside.
"Barnaby, you'd better remember this. Diana belongs to me. Every ounce of pain your family made her suffer these past three years? I'll collect it all, with interest," she said, her voice cold and sharp.
Her gaze shifted to Yvette, who was shaking like a leaf, and a cold, mocking smirk appeared on her lips.
"As for you," Sydney paused, her tone icy, "you'd better pray whatever's in your belly has nothing to do with the Osborne family. Otherwise, you'll find out exactly what happens to thieves in our family."
With that, Sydney grabbed my hand. "Let's go."
Without giving Barnaby a second look, I walked out of that sickening place with Sydney.
As we stepped out of the café, the summer sun shone down on me, but I still felt a coldness deep inside.
Sydney squeezed my hand, her palm warm and steady.
"Diana, it's all over now," she said softly.
My eyes burned with tears. Three years of grievance and pain finally burst out, and I couldn't hold it back any longer.
"Sydney..." I tried to speak, but my voice was choked with emotion.
Sydney pulled me close, hugging me tight and gently patting my back.
"Go ahead and cry. Just let it all out. From now on, nobody's ever going to mess with you again," she whispered.
I leaned into her shoulder and just broke down, crying my heart out.
Yeah... it was really over.
Me and Sydney first met back in college.
She was the scholarship kid, got in on a full ride because her family didn't have much, while I was the pampered only daughter of a rich family.
Everyone figured we'd never click, but we ended up being inseparable, ride-or-die best friends.
I saw her working three jobs a day just to scrape together enough for tuition, pushing herself so hard she ended up in the hospital with a bleeding ulcer.
I watched her camp out in the library for three days straight, living off nothing but stale bread, all for some experiment project.
I'd split my meal with her and secretly slip my new clothes into her closet.
And when my ex tried to gaslight me, and I started doubting myself, she was the first to stand up for me—ripped that jerk to shreds and pulled me back from the edge.
She never said thank you, but she remembered every little thing I liked. Whenever I was on my period, she'd quietly leave me honey water and heat packs.
Our bond was way deeper than any material stuff.
After graduation, I ended up marrying Barnaby, while Sydney took off for a new life overseas.
We didn't keep in touch much after that, but I always knew she was out there hustling for her goals.
What I didn't know was that her ambitions were on a whole other level, way beyond anything I could've imagined.
Sydney drove her Bentley and brought me to her river-view condo.
The place was done up in a sleek, minimalist palette of black, white, and gray—just like her: cool and always in control.
She poured me a cup of warm water and sat down across from me. "When did you find out?"
I cradled the glass, my emotions finally settled. "Six months ago."
About six months ago, Barnaby started coming home later and later, always out for work dinners or drinks.
He kept switching up his scent from that deep, woody fragrance to something sweet, fruity, and floral.
I wasn't stupid.
One night, he came home drunk, slurring Yvette's name while he was passed out.
While he was out cold, I used his fingerprint to unlock his phone.
The disgusting chat logs and photos were like a thousand blades, cutting me to pieces over and over.
Yvette was just a newly graduated intern, young, pretty, and knew exactly how to act cute and get whatever she wanted.
Barnaby spoiled her rotten, dropping cash on designer bags, fancy cars, and even a house.
But me, his actual wife? Last month, I just wanted to replace our old oven, and he accused me of blowing money like it was nothing.
I didn't call him out right away and just bottled it up and played along, keeping my head down.
Because I knew, in the state I was in, going head-to-head would only get me thrown out with nothing to my name.
So I started quietly collecting proof, and at the same time, I began digging into the Osborne family's history.
And that was when I accidentally uncovered a story from Wayne's past.