Chapter 6
That insurance policy hit Helen like a bucket of ice water, leaving her chilled to the bone.
It was bought a year and a half ago.
The payout was 170 thousand dollars.
It wasn't a fortune, but it was more than enough to prove that Richard and Linda's relationship was definitely not as simple as Richard always claimed.
They'd been plotting this for ages.
While she was out there, working herself to the bone for this family, they were already paving the way for their own future.
Helen clutched that flimsy sheet of paper, her hands shaking so badly she could barely keep hold of it.
Anger, cold disappointment, and a gut-wrenching sense of betrayal twisted inside her.
She forced herself to calm down.
She snapped photos of every inch of the contract with her phone, so nothing slipped through the cracks.
Following Alex's instructions, she sent the photos to him straight away using an encrypted app.
Once she was done, she put the contract back in the envelope and taped it exactly where it was under the desk.
She had to make sure they didn't suspect a thing.
That piece of paper was all she had, and it was the one thing that could bring the whole house down.
Back in the guest room, Helen lay awake all night.
She only managed to doze off for a bit when the sky started to lighten.
She was jolted awake early the next morning by voices drifting in from the living room.
She recognized Richard and Linda's voices.
They were talking in hushed tones, clearly discussing something they didn't want her to hear.
Helen quickly switched on the voice recorder in her pocket.
She listened as hard as she could, not missing a word.
"Are you really going to sell that house?" Linda said, her voice tinged with hesitation.
"That was the home you and Helen shared after your wedding," she added.
"Wedding home? Don't make me laugh!" Richard snapped, clearly annoyed. "My name's the only one on the deed. I can sell it whenever I want!"
"Besides, how else are we supposed to get the money for your son's down payment on a place in the city?" Richard said.
"Aren't you always going on about that?" he added.
Helen's heart dropped.
They were going to sell the house!
They were going to sell the home she had lived in her whole life to buy a place for Linda's son!
"But..." Linda still sounded hesitant. "Now that Helen's back, if she finds out about this, she's definitely going to blow up."
"Her?" Richard snorted, pure contempt in his voice.
"Don't worry, she's no problem for me.
"Did you see her yesterday? She caved the second I put a little pressure on.
"Just wait a couple days. I'll make up some excuse about David needing her help again and get her out of here.
"Once she's gone, we'll put the house up for sale right away.
"By the time she finds out it'll be a done deal, and there won't be a thing she can do about it."
Outside the door, Helen was so furious she could barely keep herself together.
Richard Grant. Well played!
So that was his game!
So that was it. He had accepted her apology to keep her off his back while he kept working behind it.
They weren't only after her money. They wanted her out for good, like a piece of luggage nobody needed.
Her heart hurt so much, it was numb.
All that remained was a cold, bitter hatred.
Helen closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and buried all her emotions deep inside.
Helen straightened her clothes and smoothed her hair, making sure she looked perfectly normal.
Then she pushed the door open and walked out.
As soon as she stepped out, the two people in the living room immediately stopped talking.
A trace of discomfort flashed across Richard's face, but he quickly covered it up.
Linda approached her with her usual warmth.
"Helen, you're up. Come have breakfast. I made you some oatmeal," Linda said.
Helen acted as if she hadn't overheard anything at all, a gentle smile on her face.
"Thank you, that's very thoughtful of you," Helen said with a smile.
At the breakfast table, Helen took the initiative to start a conversation.
She looked at Richard and spoke in a casual tone.
"Rich, I was thinking about something last night.
"We're getting older, and just leaving our money sitting in the bank doesn't make much sense anymore.
"Prices are climbing so fast that money isn't worth what it used to be.
"I heard that investment-linked insurance is pretty good these days. You get dividends every year, and the returns are better than what you'd get from a bank."
She was deliberately steering the conversation toward insurance.
Richard and Linda exchanged a glance.
Richard looked at her with a hint of wariness.
"Why are you suddenly bringing this up?" he asked.
Helen sighed, putting on a look of concern for the family.
She said, "It's all for this family, and for David and his wife.
"Young people have so much pressure these days. As parents, we should help out however we can.
"I was just thinking, maybe we should organize our finances and make a plan.
"That way, if anything ever happens to either of us, we won't end up burdening the kids."
Her words made perfect sense, and it was obvious she was looking out for the family in every way.
Richard's guard dropped a little.
Linda chimed in, "Helen, that's a good idea, but you really have to read the fine print when buying insurance. There are all sorts of tricks and hidden clauses."
It felt like Linda was showing off, acting like she was the insurance expert in the room.
That was exactly what Helen was hoping for.
She jumped right in, shooting Linda an admiring glance.
Helen said, "Linda, you really know your stuff?
"Then come on, tell us all about it.
"So, for folks like us, what kind of insurance would you recommend?"
Linda was clearly pleased and started chatting away.
"Well, it all depends on what you need. Are you thinking about accident insurance, critical illness coverage, or just looking for an investment plan?
"Rich bought one before, and it turned out to be pretty good."
As soon as Linda said that, Richard shot her a glare.
Linda realized she'd let something slip and clamped her mouth shut.
But it was already too late.
Helen acted all curious and kept asking.
"Oh? Rich, you bought insurance? When did that happen? I had no idea.
"What kind did you get? Who'd you buy it for?
"Who'd you put down as the beneficiary? Is it David?"
Her questions came one after another, like she was interrogating him, but her tone was so innocent and matter-of-fact.
A wife asking about her husband's money was nothing unusual.
Richard was clearly getting irritated by all the questions.
He said, "What's with all the questions? It's just some accident insurance, that's all.
"Obviously, I listed you as the beneficiary!"
He said it without missing a beat, but it was a total lie.
Helen sneered inwardly.
That was exactly what she wanted to hear.
Helen put on an act, pretending to be both surprised and deeply moved.
"Really? Rich, so you do care about me after all," she said, sounding genuinely touched.
Then Helen turned to Linda.
She said, "See, Linda? Didn't I say Rich really treats me well?
"Unlike some guys out there, sneaking around buying insurance for other people and not even putting their own wife down as the beneficiary.
"That isn't a marriage. That's treating your wife like a stranger you have to guard against!"
Her words landed exactly where she wanted them to, on both Richard and Linda.
Richard's face went pale.
Linda's smile stiffened on her lips.
Helen knew she'd gotten exactly what she wanted.
The recorder in her pocket had caught every single word of the conversation.
Richard had just admitted he bought insurance.
And he'd lied right to her face, saying she was the beneficiary.
With this recording and the copy of the insurance contract, she had all the proof she needed.
It was undeniable evidence that he'd been having an affair and secretly supporting another woman all this time!