Chapter 2
Sophia took the glass of warm water Thomas handed her and sipped it.
The temperature was perfect. He was always so careful, even making sure it was exactly 113 degrees.
Back then, Sophia would've thought this was love. Now, it only terrified her.
'How deep could his deceit run? Planning to kill his wife, yet still remembering to bring her a warm drink,' she thought.
"Honey, it's the weekend. You don't have to go to the office, do you?" Sophia put down her glass and looked up at Thomas with wide, trusting eyes, like a kitten curling up to its owner.
Thomas looked a bit troubled. "We're working on a major merger at the company, and I've got some paperwork to deal with. But this afternoon, I promise I'll be back to take you and Joey to the park, okay?"
That was an excuse Sophia had heard too many times.
Sophia nodded sweetly. "Okay, work is important. Just don't wear yourself out."
Thomas let out a sigh of relief and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I'll go get changed," he said.
As soon as the bedroom door closed, Sophia's smile vanished in an instant.
She walked barefoot to the entryway, her heart racing so fast that she could feel it in her throat.
Then she crouched down and opened the cabinet door.
The black golf bag stood in the corner, covered in a thin layer of dust, clearly untouched for ages.
Sophia's hands trembled a bit.
She unzipped the second zipper on the side. The faint sound of the zipper felt extra loud in the quiet living room.
Inside, wrapped in a blue sports towel, was something hard.
It was an old smartphone.
Sophia took a deep breath, turned on the screen, and entered the password: 1128. The phone unlocked immediately.
The first thing that showed on the screen was WhatsApp.
The top chat was with someone saved as "Sweetie."
The last message was sent ten minutes ago. [Honey, come early today. I got new silk pajamas. I want to show you.]
Thomas replied: [Be good. Just finished soothing that old hag. I'm heading out now.]
Sophia stared at the words "old hag" and let out a small laugh.
She was twenty-nine, the kind of woman who took care of herself. College guys still hit on her when she went out. But to Thomas, she was just an old hag.
She didn't shed a single tear, nor did she smash the phone.
Instead, she pulled out her own phone and started taking pictures and videos of the screen. Her hands were steady as she scrolled through the chat history.
Then she found something even worse than the flirty messages.
There was a screenshot of a bank transfer for one point five million dollars. The memo read "house payment," and it was sent just yesterday afternoon.
That was the money her parents had wired to her last week, saying it was for Joey's birthday gift.
Thomas had told her he'd put it into a high-yield investment account.
It now turned out that he'd put it under someone else's property title.
Suddenly, the bedroom door handle clicked.
Sophia moved faster than she ever had. She shoved the phone back into the towel, zipped up the golf bag, closed the cabinet, and stood up, all in less than three seconds.
"Sophie, what are you doing over there?" Thomas called out as he stepped out of the bedroom in his suit, looking every bit the perfect husband.
Sophia turned around, holding a bottle of air freshener. "Oh, I just thought the entryway's scent was fading, so I wanted to freshen things up."
She walked over and straightened Thomas's tie, her movements gentle, her gaze tender.
"This tie looks perfect on you. It really brings out your style," she said.
'Red is just the right color for you,' Sophia thought sarcastically.
*****
Thomas left with his perfect smile and his perfect lies, heading off to his "overtime" meeting.
As the door clicked shut, the house was swallowed by silence.
Sophia felt all her strength drain away and slumped onto the couch.
But she couldn't let herself break down. She still had Joey to take care of.
"Mommy, can I have a hug?" Joey's soft little body burrowed into her arms.
Joey clutched a Lego toy, looking up at her with big, shining eyes.
'Don't be sad, Mommy,' he thought. 'Mr. System said even though my trash father is bad, it doesn't affect the fact that you're the financial queen. Once you wake up, ten trash fathers are no match for you.'
He then told the System in his mind, 'Mr. System, hurry up and send Mommy the newbie starter pack. Give her the Business Sense MAX skill card.'
Sophia paused, and suddenly, it felt like something clicked in her mind.
All those numbers, charts and financial models she'd buried for years suddenly came rushing back, sharp and clear.
She thought about the computer in Thomas's study, the one he never let anyone touch.
"Joey, can you play by yourself for a bit? Mommy's going to get you a storybook from the study," she said softly.
"Okay!" Joey chirped.
After that, Sophia headed into the study.
Thomas was careful. The computer had a password. It was not his birthday, or their anniversary.
She tried twice, but both times, the screen just said "Wrong password."
'What a dumb trash father. He used the mistress's name and the company stock code. MS002876.' Joey's voice popped into Sophia's head right on time.
She typed in the password and hit enter. Then, the screen lit up.
She didn't bother with the folders. Instead, she went straight to the browser history and cloud backups.
And as she'd expected, there was a long list of searches, including "Can you name someone outside your family as beneficiary for accidental death insurance", "How to make a mountain fall look like an accident", and "How to create a perfect alibi."
Each search was more disturbing than the last.
He wasn't just having an affair. He was planning to kill her.
Sophia had a family trust fund in her name. It was worth a fortune. Under the terms, Thomas could only access it if she died.
Sophia opened up a secret folder.
Inside were two documents she had never seen before. One was a Share Transfer Agreement. The other was an Insurance Payout Authorization. Both were fully drafted and ready to be signed.
The date on both documents was set for next month.
Which was, conveniently, the day after their "anniversary trip."
He'd already decided exactly when she was supposed to die.
Sophia grabbed a USB stick and backed up every last file.
Her hands were freezing, but her eyes blazed with the heat of revenge.
'Thomas, you want to take me out? Well, I'll drag you down to hell before you even get the chance,' Sophia thought.