Chapter 4
Susan showed up as well, always pretending to be the nice lady whenever she was around me.
She kept up her fake-friendly routine, asking me all sorts of questions she clearly didn't care about.
One time, she peeled an apple for me and purposely nicked her own finger, and then put on a whole act like it was just an accident.
Dad instantly pulled her into his arms, making a huge fuss, blowing on her finger, and checking it like she'd been seriously hurt. Then he shot me a look like it was all my fault.
"Zoey, how could you be so clueless? Susan got hurt just for you," he scolded.
I watched the two of them, my stomach flipping in disgust.
I didn't puke, though. I just kept a stone face like Mom and watched their pathetic act play out, not even blinking.
Dad kept up his act for days.
Finally, Mom, looking weak, lifted her hand and signed the divorce agreement.
Dad clutched the signed agreement like it was gold.
He didn't even spare a glance at Mom lying in bed. Instead, he grabbed Susan and walked out, grinning from ear to ear.
As soon as they left, Mom sat up in bed.
She walked to the window, watching as the car downstairs vanished around the corner. A cold, almost sinister smile crept across her lips.
She murmured, "Hook, line, and sinker."
The next day, Dad made the press conference the hottest topic in town.
He wanted the whole world to know he and Mom had split on good terms, and that he was about to marry the woman he'd always longed for, Susan.
At the press conference, Dad stood on stage, radiant and full of pride, while Susan nestled against him like she belonged there.
The diamond ring on her finger was so massive that it sparkled from across the room.
Dad announced, "I'm Richard Lane, and today I want everyone to know that my marriage to Vivian Sinclair is officially over.
"I'm really thankful for all the years we've been together, but you can't force feelings that aren't there.
"From now on, Susan Watts will be my legal wife."
As soon as Dad finished speaking, the big screen behind him suddenly lit up.
Instead of their photos, a crystal-clear video appeared.
In the video, Susan was tangled up in bed with a stranger, someone no one recognized.
Susan said, "Babe, that idiot Richard finally took the bait.
"Once I get my hands on Lane Group, we'll never have to be apart again."
The guy kissed her cheek. "You're really something, Susan. Even a kid wasn't off-limits—you turned him into your chess piece."
Susan giggled. "That little brat wasn't going to make it anyway, so I just made the most of him. Who knew Richard was such an idiot? He actually thought the kid was his own flesh and blood.
"You know what's even funnier? Dear Ms. Vivian Sinclair, always so high and mighty—got played by me from start to finish. And now, Richard still thinks she was the one who pushed his precious little boy."
*****
The video was short, but every word was more shocking than the last.
The whole press conference erupted into chaos, the room buzzing with disbelief.
Flashbulbs went off like crazy, blinding everyone in sight.
Every camera was shoved right in Dad's and Susan's faces, their expressions drained of all color.
The reporters asked, "Mr. Lane, is that video legit? So Charlie isn't actually your son?"
"Ms. Watts, did you cozy up to Mr. Lane just to get your hands on Lane Group's money?"
"Mr. Lane, were you totally duped into this marriage?"
Dad buckled, unable to steady himself, his eyes locked onto Susan, shock and betrayal flooding his face.
"You... You lied to me?" Dad croaked, voice raw with disbelief.
Susan's complexion was chalk-white. She wanted nothing more than to escape, but the wall of reporters had cut off every way out.
With reporters still in a frenzy, Mom strode into the room, holding my hand tight.
She looked absolutely stunning, walking in like a queen staking her claim over her empire.
She marched right up to Dad, who could barely keep himself together, and slapped a document into his shaking hands.
Mom said, "Oh, Richard, almost forgot to tell you. The shares you gave to Zoey, together with the ones I already had, add up to fifty-one percent.
"Starting today, Lane Group has a new owner. It's mine now."
Dad's whole world came crashing down.
His love, his career, and even the son he thought was his—all turned out to be a lie.
He was nothing but a laughingstock now.
Lane Group's scandal sent the whole city into an uproar. Stock prices plummeted, and bankruptcy was just around the corner.
Mom was merciless and lightning-fast. She seized control in a flash, crowning herself as the new queen of Lane Group.
Susan and her vanished ex-boyfriend were both thrown in jail, busted for business fraud and assault.
Word was, the Sinclair family made sure those two would never see daylight again in this lifetime.
Everything had finally come to an end.
Richard came to see us.
When I saw him again, it was like he'd aged ten years in a single night. His hair was streaked with white, and he looked like he'd been crushed by the weight of the world.
He dropped to his knees right in front of Mom, grabbing onto her legs with everything he had, tears streaming down his face, snot and all—a total blubbering mess.
He cried, "Vivian, I was wrong. I was so, so wrong...
"My brain must've been completely fried. Please, just forgive me this one time, okay?
"For Zoey's sake, let's get back together. Let's go back to how things used to be, okay?"
He was bawling like a little kid, trying to play on all the years they'd shared, hoping it would be enough to get Mom to come back to him.
Mom just stared down at him, her eyes colder than a winter blizzard—no trace of warmth anywhere.
Mom said, "Now you come crawling to me, Richard. Did you already forget how you treated us on Zoey's birthday?
"Do you remember when you threatened to tear down the snow mountain and called me a murderer? Did you ever stop to think how much that tore me apart?"
Dad's sobs caught in his throat.
He looked up at me with tears all over his face.
He said, "Zoey, please, beg your mom for me. I know I screwed up.
"I promise, I'll never leave you guys again."
I looked at him, and all I could picture was him hugging Susan, scolding me for being clueless.
He was the one who destroyed my birthday party. He was the one pointing right at Mom's face, calling her a murderer.
I shook my head.
I said, "Dad, Mom always says if something's broken, then you just throw it out."