Chapter 1
On Christmas Eve, I was still out of town.
A call came in while I was signing a contract with a client.
The screen lit up. It was my mom, Donna.
"Mom," I said.
It was noisy on her end. I heard the sound of the wind and traffic.
Her voice was a little strained. "James, I'm fine. I'm outside eating."
I put my pen down. "Outside?"
"Yeah, at the convenience store on the corner. They have hot water, so I'm having some instant noodles."
"You're not at home?"
She was quiet for a couple of seconds. "There are guests at home. I stepped out for some fresh air."
I closed the contract.
*****
"Mom, who's at home?" I asked.
"Well, Emily brought a colleague over. She said they'd have Christmas dinner together," Donna replied.
"A colleague?"
"Yeah, a pretty young guy."
My fingers pressed against the cover of the contract. "What's his name?"
"I think his name is Adam... Adam Lewis."
"When did he get there?"
"This afternoon. They were still inside when I left."
I glanced at the time. It was 8:30 PM.
On Christmas Eve, my mom was eating cup noodles at a convenience store.
Meanwhile, my wife was at home, sharing Christmas dinner with her intern.
"Mom, send me your location. Just eat something first, I'll send my driver to pick you up," I said.
"No need, I can get home on my own," she replied.
"Mom."
She went quiet for a moment. "Okay."
After hanging up, I apologized to my client and told him we'd have to delay signing the contract for an hour.
Then I dialed another number.
It was Michael Miller, my assistant, who had been with me for seven years.
"Mr. Sterling," he said.
"Find out what Emily's been up to tonight, and who Adam Lewis is," I said.
"Right now?"
"Right now."
I leaned back in my chair.
Outside, the city was lit up. Everyone was enjoying Christmas.
Meanwhile, Donna was eating instant noodles at a convenience store. She was in her forties, still eating cup noodles at a convenience store.
My dad passed away early, so she raised me all by herself.
When I started my business, she sold our house and moved into a small apartment she rented herself.
Later, when my company went public, and I married Emily, she said she was happy for me, that I'd made something of myself.
Emily was the heiress of Grant Holdings.
The year we got married, she was the vice president, and I promoted her to president.
She wanted to take charge, so I let her.
She wanted her own team, and I signed off on it.
When she said it was inconvenient for Donna to live with us, Donna moved into the small house out back.
Donna said, "Young people need their own space."
Now it was Christmas Eve. Donna was all alone, eating instant noodles at a convenience store.
Ten minutes later, Michael called back. "Mr. Sterling, I've got the info."
"Go ahead," I said.
"Mrs. Sterling brought a guy home tonight. His name's Adam Lewis. He's twenty-four. He started working at our company last July as an intern in the president's office. His hiring was approved directly by Mrs. Sterling, bypassing HR entirely."
"Keep going."
"He was involved in three projects, all personally overseen by Mrs. Sterling. At last month's annual party, he was seated right next to her."
I let out a bitter laugh.
I missed last year's company annual party because I was overseas negotiating a merger.
"Anything else?" I asked.
"I pulled up the security footage from the yard tonight," Michael said.
"Send it over."
A few seconds later, the video popped up on my phone.
The footage showed the front of our house. A black Mercedes pulled up.
Emily got out first, wearing that burgundy coat, her makeup flawless. She turned back and gave a quick smile to someone inside the car.
I hadn't seen her smile like that in ages.
The door on the other side swung open. A young man stepped out.
He was tall, dressed in a dark coat, and had a brand-new designer scarf, something he probably couldn't afford himself.
They stood at the door. He reached out, and she linked her arm with his like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The footage froze on that moment.
"Where's Donna?" I asked.
"Donna's in the next clip," Michael replied.
In the next video, at 5:30 PM, Donna came out of the kitchen, carrying a dish.
She placed it on the table before heading back to the kitchen.
The table was soon covered with one dish after another: roast ham, prime rib, and dinner rolls.
Donna had cooked them all herself.
The doorbell rang. She went to answer the door.
Emily walked in, Adam following close behind.
Donna hesitated for a moment, then smiled and welcomed them in, telling them to have a seat.
The footage cut to 6:40 PM. Donna came out of the kitchen with the final pecan pie.
Emily said something. Adam ate some ham with his fork and complained it was too salty.
Donna stood off to the side, rubbing her hands together, forcing a smile.
They didn't even ask her to sit down.