Chapter 7
Breakfast ended in a suffocating silence.
Helen subtly exposed Richard's lie with a gentle but sharp remark, leaving both him and Linda on pins and needles.
They had no idea how much Helen actually knew.
That uncertainty was even more nerve-wracking than a full-blown argument.
After breakfast, Linda jumped up to do the dishes, while Richard made a beeline for the study and slammed the door behind him.
He didn't come out all morning.
Helen figured he was in there making calls, maybe to the insurance agent and maybe to a real estate agent, working out what to do next.
She didn't bother him.
She gave him plenty of time to stew and panic.
Meanwhile, Helen went about tidying up the house, moving at her own pace, like the true lady of the house.
She tossed Linda's floral cushion from the sofa straight into the trash.
She cleared away the lilies Linda had arranged on the coffee table, vase and all.
She took Linda's fancy slippers from the shoe cabinet by the door and lined them up neatly outside.
Her movements were slow, almost deliberate, but every action carried an unmistakable resolve.
Linda, who was in the kitchen, heard the commotion and came out to see what was going on.
When she saw Helen calmly getting rid of everything she'd so carefully arranged, Linda's expression soured.
But she swallowed her anger and kept quiet.
She walked over to Helen and forced a smile.
"Helen, these things are still in great shape. It's such a waste to throw them out like this," Linda said.
Helen looked up and shot her a cold glance.
"I don't like these," she said.
"Anything I don't like in this house has no place here," she added.
Her words had a double meaning, sharp and unmistakable.
Linda's face kept shifting between pale and green, back and forth.
She bit her lip, held her tongue, and finally just turned and went back to the kitchen.
But Helen could feel Linda shooting daggers at her from the kitchen.
By noon, Richard finally came out of the study.
His face was so dark it looked like a storm was about to break.
He noticed the changes in the living room, and when he saw Linda's shoes lined up by the door, his brows knitted together in a tight frown.
He didn't say a word, just walked straight to the dining table and sat down.
Linda set the dishes on the table, and the atmosphere felt even heavier than it had that morning.
The three of them sat in silence.
The only sound was the clink of dishes and silverware.
Helen barely touched her food. She set down her fork and wiped her mouth with a napkin.
Then she looked up, her gaze calm as she met Richard's eyes.
"Rich, I need to talk to you," she said.
Richard didn't even look up, just grumbled in a low voice.
"Let's talk after we finish eating," he said.
"No, we're talking now," Helen said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Richard put down his fork with a scowl and looked up.
"What now?" he snapped.
Helen ignored his impatience, letting her eyes linger on Linda for a moment.
"There are some things I'd rather discuss with you alone," she said.
Linda's face changed and her hand froze in midair with her fork still in it.
She shot Richard a wounded look, as if silently begging him to stand up for her.
Richard immediately jumped in to defend her. "Linda's family. If you've got something to say, why not say it in front of her?"
Helen smiled.
Her smile carried a hint of icy sarcasm.
"Oh, really?" she said.
"Alright then, let's lay it all out right here in front of Ms. Parker," she said.
She made a point of stressing "Ms. Parker."
She looked straight at Richard, enunciating every word.
"Are you planning to sell this house?" she asked.
Her words hit the dining room like a bombshell.
Richard's eyes widened in shock, and for the first time, real panic showed on his face.
Linda's hand shook and her fork slipped out of her fingers and clattered onto the table.
"How did you find out?" Richard blurted out, totally caught off guard.
He immediately wished he hadn't said that.
He'd basically given himself away without even meaning to.
Helen fixed him with a cold stare.
"How I found out doesn't matter," she said.
"What matters is, are you really planning to sell it?" she pressed.
Richard's face turned a deep, ugly shade of red.
He was left speechless.
Linda quickly jumped in to smooth things over.
"Helen, you're reading too much into it. Rich was only talking it over with a friend," Linda said.
"I wasn't talking to you," Helen said, and her voice went cold enough to cut. "Be quiet."
Linda was so intimidated by Helen's commanding presence that she couldn't get another word out.
Seeing Linda get scolded, Richard's pride was wounded, and he flew into a rage.
He slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet.
"Yes, I am selling it! So what?
"The house is in my name. I'll sell it if I want to, and it's none of your business.
"Helen, let me make this clear. I'm still the one in charge in this house!"
He finally tore off his mask, baring his fangs and revealing just how vicious he could be.
Helen slowly stood up.
She was smaller than Richard, but she matched him and there was no backing down.
"Richard, have you forgotten?
"We bought this house after we got married, and that makes it marital property.
"Even if your name is the only one on the deed, you can't sell it without my signature.
"You want to sell our home just to buy a house for another woman's son? Don't even think about it!"
Her words cut straight through to the ugliest thing Richard and Linda had been hiding.
Richard was completely enraged.
He said, "What the hell are you talking about?
"You're just looking for trouble!"
He stabbed a finger toward the door and roared.
"I'm done with this! Get out of my house! Get out, right now!" he shouted.
"Fine," Helen replied.
Her answer caught everyone off guard.
She didn't cry or make a scene.
She just stared at Richard, her eyes icy and heavy with disappointment that seemed to seep into the room.
"Richard, you're the one who forced my hand.
"I'm done. We're getting divorced.
"We'll settle the house and the assets in court.
"I'll make sure you pay for betraying me. You'll find out exactly what it costs to cross me."
With that, she turned and walked into the guest room without looking back.
She didn't take a suitcase.
She just grabbed her phone and wallet.
When Helen walked out again and headed straight for the front door, the two of them froze.
Richard and Linda just stood there.
They had expected the same old scene, a fit and then the usual surrender.
What they got instead was a declaration of war with no way back from it.
It wasn't until the door slammed shut that the two of them understood.
Helen meant it this time, and she wasn't the woman they thought they knew.