Chapter 2

The police showed up quickly.

The man who poisoned the jerky and the van driver were taken away. They stuck to their story. They said they were roaming dog thieves.

They thought Goldie was good-looking and must be worth something. They wanted to steal him and sell him for money. Everything looked perfectly believable.

Franklin held me while I was shaking. He condemned the criminals with righteous anger and demanded they be severely punished.

He acted so well. Even I, if I couldn't hear the voice in his head, would probably be moved by his performance as a loving husband protecting his home.

'Those two idiots. At least they didn't rat me out. But Hazel, this sickly woman, seems pretty shaken up. Good. I'll use this chance to have my mom come over and "take care" of her. And while Mom's at it, bring Isabelle and Adam over too. It'll be good for bonding.'

My heart was as cold as ice.

Isabelle White was the woman he could never get over. Adam Grant was their six-year-old son, born out of wedlock.

In my previous life, after Goldie died, I completely fell apart. Franklin's mother, Margaret Grant, moved in under the pretense of "taking care of me." Soon after, she brought Isabelle and Adam into the house, passing them off as "distant relatives."

The family of four, right under my nose, enjoyed everything from my family. But I was kept in the dark. I became a useless person, kept by them like a caged animal, about to have all my value drained away.

In this life, I wouldn't let them get their way.

*****

The next morning, Margaret showed up with bone broth.

She took my hand as soon as she walked in. Her eyes were teary. "My dear Hazel. I heard what happened. You've been through so much. Those damned thieves. Why did they have to target our family?"

'Hmph. It was just an animal. Who cares if it died. And it made Franklin's plan fail. This Hazel is a jinx too. She's cursed. Her own parents died because of her.

'Now she wants to bring bad luck to our family? If it weren't for her family's fortune, I wouldn't even bother looking at that jinx face of hers.'

Her mean, vicious thoughts were a complete contrast to the kindly look on her face.

I leaned weakly on the couch. My face was pale. "Margaret, I'm fine. I was just scared."

"How can you be fine? Look how pale you are." Margaret touched my face gently, her voice soft with concern. "Franklin is busy with the company. He can't take care of you. How about I move in and look after you?"

Here it came.

I looked up at her with tear-filled eyes, full of gratitude. "Margaret, you're so kind. But I'm afraid... it's too much trouble for you."

'Trouble? Living in a big house like this. Spending your money. What trouble? What an act.'

"Silly girl, we're family. Don't worry about stuff like that." She patted my hand, smiling widely. "It's settled then. I'll go pack my things right away."

After she left, Franklin walked over and gently pulled me into his arms. "Hazel, Mom cares about you too. With her taking care of you, I can go to work without worrying."

'Mom's here. Now Isabelle and Adam can move in, nice and natural. And this stupid woman is so grateful to me. How ridiculous.'

I nodded obediently and buried my face in his chest. A cold smile curled at the corner of my lips.

Fine. Let them all come.

Let's see if this big house of mine turns into your heaven, or the hell I've carefully prepared for you.

That same afternoon, I used the excuse "too shaken up and needing peace." I hired a professional security team.

They installed over a hundred ultra-high definition pinhole cameras inside and outside the house. All of them could record audio. Not a single corner would be missed.

Franklin, Margaret. I'd set the stage for you. Time for your performance.