Chapter 2 · His True Love And Regret

I took half a day off work and met the appraiser at home.

The appraiser carefully checked those antiques and paintings. Later, he gave me a shocking number.

"Madam, your husband has a sharp eye for antiques and paintings, and you take good care of them. You will get this sum of money if you sell them now." He then made the gesture with his fingers.

I nodded. Now, I had a rough idea of my wealth.

After I saw the appraiser out, Belinda called me.

"Judy, Eric said that you had agreed to the divorce. You are such a good daughter-in-law." She sounded complacent. "Don't worry. I will see you as my daughter after you get a divorce."

"Belinda, come on." I turned on the digital recorder. "Eric found his true love. I feel happy for him."

"So do I. The moment I saw Emily, I knew that she would bring me grandchildren. You have been married to Eric for years, but you remain childless."

"It's my fault."

"Good to hear that. Don't argue with Eric about your properties. His life is not easy. Leave that big house to him, so he can raise a family there."

"Okay, Belinda, you have my word." I hung up the phone. As I listened to Belinda's voice from the digital recorder, my expression became stern.

Both Eric and Belinda saw me as a pushover, so let me show them what the pushover in desperation would do.

I needed to move fast. I chose one precious painting. It had been bought for Eric's birthday the previous year, with my bonus. I still had the receipt.

I called Wilson and learned that one of his customers was looking for this kind of painting.

The transaction was made in one day. A large sum of money was quickly transferred into my bank account.

When I was home again, Eric and Emily were watching TV in the living room. Both of them had a happy smile on their respective faces.

"Hi," Eric glanced at me and casually greeted.

I kept my mouth shut and headed toward my bedroom.

Suddenly, Eric sprang to his feet with confusion and shock on his face.

He strode toward the wall and stared at the empty spot where the painting was supposed to be. "Where's the painting? The one here."

I stopped in my tracks. "I have sold it."

"I beg your pardon!" Eric raised his voice in an instant. "How could you sell my painting? Judy, are you out of your mind?"

Emily hurried over. She softly said, "Mrs. Johnson, Eric loves that painting very much. How could you take the liberty of selling it?"

"Your painting?" I spun around and coldly gazed at Eric. "Whose name was on its receipt? Who paid the bill?"

Shock rooted Eric to the spot.

"I bought it for your birthday," I went on. "It was your birthday gift, so it was yours. You could have sold it, but I did in the end."

"You..." Eric was too furious to curse. "Judy, you can't do this. It's our marital property."

"Marital property?" I pulled out the copies I had prepared and slapped them onto the coffee table. "Here are the invoice and the record of the purchase. My lawyer said that it was my personal property, so I sold it."

Eric gazed at the papers, and his expression kept changing.

Right then, Belinda showed up with some groceries. "What happened? I heard your voices from a distance."

Shedding tears, Emily ran over and shouted, "Belinda, Mrs. Johnson... She sold Eric's favorite painting."

Hearing this, Belinda threw away the bag of groceries and dashed toward me. "Judy, what's wrong with you? How can you sell our properties? Listen, you can't do this. That painting belongs to the Johnson family."

"Belinda, have you forgotten what you said?" I produced my phone and played the recording.

"Don't argue with Eric about your properties... Leave that big house to him..." Belinda's voice sounded.

Soon, silence fell.

Belinda was livid. She pointed at me with a trembling finger and shouted, "You... You recorded our conversation."

"I was just trying to protect myself." I put away my phone and looked at the three people. "It's just the beginning. I will take away every single penny that belongs to me."

After my eyes swept over those livid faces, I went back into my bedroom.

This was the first battle, and I won.

The next day, both Eric and Belinda became so quiet.

Chapter 2

I took half a day off work and met the appraiser at home.

The appraiser carefully checked those antiques and paintings. Later, he gave me a shocking number.

"Madam, your husband has a sharp eye for antiques and paintings, and you take good care of them. You will get this sum of money if you sell them now." He then made the gesture with his fingers.

I nodded. Now, I had a rough idea of my wealth.

After I saw the appraiser out, Belinda called me.

"Judy, Eric said that you had agreed to the divorce. You are such a good daughter-in-law." She sounded complacent. "Don't worry. I will see you as my daughter after you get a divorce."

"Belinda, come on." I turned on the digital recorder. "Eric found his true love. I feel happy for him."

"So do I. The moment I saw Emily, I knew that she would bring me grandchildren. You have been married to Eric for years, but you remain childless."

"It's my fault."

"Good to hear that. Don't argue with Eric about your properties. His life is not easy. Leave that big house to him, so he can raise a family there."

"Okay, Belinda, you have my word." I hung up the phone. As I listened to Belinda's voice from the digital recorder, my expression became stern.

Both Eric and Belinda saw me as a pushover, so let me show them what the pushover in desperation would do.

I needed to move fast. I chose one precious painting. It had been bought for Eric's birthday the previous year, with my bonus. I still had the receipt.

I called Wilson and learned that one of his customers was looking for this kind of painting.

The transaction was made in one day. A large sum of money was quickly transferred into my bank account.

When I was home again, Eric and Emily were watching TV in the living room. Both of them had a happy smile on their respective faces.

"Hi," Eric glanced at me and casually greeted.

I kept my mouth shut and headed toward my bedroom.

Suddenly, Eric sprang to his feet with confusion and shock on his face.

He strode toward the wall and stared at the empty spot where the painting was supposed to be. "Where's the painting? The one here."

I stopped in my tracks. "I have sold it."

"I beg your pardon!" Eric raised his voice in an instant. "How could you sell my painting? Judy, are you out of your mind?"

Emily hurried over. She softly said, "Mrs. Johnson, Eric loves that painting very much. How could you take the liberty of selling it?"

"Your painting?" I spun around and coldly gazed at Eric. "Whose name was on its receipt? Who paid the bill?"

Shock rooted Eric to the spot.

"I bought it for your birthday," I went on. "It was your birthday gift, so it was yours. You could have sold it, but I did in the end."

"You..." Eric was too furious to curse. "Judy, you can't do this. It's our marital property."

Eric gazed at the papers, and his expression kept changing.

Right then, Belinda showed up with some groceries. "What happened? I heard your voices from a distance."

Shedding tears, Emily ran over and shouted, "Belinda, Mrs. Johnson... She sold Eric's favorite painting."

"Belinda, have you forgotten what you said?" I produced my phone and played the recording.

"Don't argue with Eric about your properties... Leave that big house to him..." Belinda's voice sounded.

Soon, silence fell.

Belinda was livid. She pointed at me with a trembling finger and shouted, "You... You recorded our conversation."

"I was just trying to protect myself." I put away my phone and looked at the three people. "It's just the beginning. I will take away every single penny that belongs to me."

After my eyes swept over those livid faces, I went back into my bedroom.

This was the first battle, and I won.

The next day, both Eric and Belinda became so quiet.