Chapter 3

Loretta was a nanny introduced by a distant relative from his hometown. She was young, obedient, and knew how to handle things. Mom was always bossy, always telling him he couldn't do anything right, but Loretta would just gaze at him with pure admiration, like he was a god who could do nothing wrong.

Little by little, Dad's ego got a huge boost, and before he knew it, he just slipped right into it without even realizing what was happening.

"Miranda, I really know I messed up," Dad said, holding up three fingers in a solemn vow. "I swear, it's over between me and her for good. If your mom forgives me, I promise I'll be a better man from now on."

I just looked at him, cold amusement flickering in my heart. 'He said the exact same thing in my last life.

'And what happened? The moment Mom left with nothing to her name, he moved Loretta right after, and they were married in less than six months.'

"Cut off for good, huh?" I shot back, pulling a photo from my pocket and tossing it right in front of him.

In the picture, Loretta was all cozied up with some random guy, arms around each other, with a cheap motel in the background.

I'd hired a private investigator to get these shots. In this life, I tapped into my secret stash. With someone like my dad, talking was pointless. I needed cold, hard proof.

Zach just stared at the photo, completely frozen. "W-When did this happen?" he stammered, his voice shaking.

"Back when you were messing around with her," I replied, my tone icy. "She had more than just you, Dad. You thought you'd found true love, but to her, you were just her personal cash cow, easy to fool, easy to use."

I slid another file across the table to him. I said, "This is Loretta's background check. She's not a poor college student.

"She dropped out of high school, drifted through a bunch of cities, and her specialty is conning guys like you—middle-aged, cash to burn, desperate for love."

Dad flipped through the pages, his face growing paler with every line, his hands trembling.

Finally, he slammed his fist on the table, his face flushed with rage. "That bitch! How dare she play me for a fool."

I watched him raging, completely unfazed. There wasn't even a ripple in my heart. 'Men's love really does come cheap.

'One moment they're swearing they'd lay down their life for you, and the next, as soon as they realize they've been duped, they'll cut you off without a second thought.'

"Now you know what to do, right?" I asked.

Dad gritted his teeth and nodded. "I know. Thank you, Miranda. If it weren't for you, I'd still be in the dark."

"Don't thank me," I said, rising to my feet and looking down at him. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for my mom. I'm not about to let everything she worked so hard to get trashed by a scammer and a fool."

I turned and walked out of the study, leaving him alone to stew in all that bombshell info. I knew I'd made the right move with this first play.

If I wanted Dad to hand over the family fortune willingly, guilt alone wouldn't cut it. I had to make him lose all faith in Loretta, maybe even make him hate her guts.

Only then would he see giving the money to Mom as his revenge on that scammer.

The study echoed with loud crashes. Dad was furiously smashing anything within reach.

Mom must've finally heard all the racket, because after staying behind her door for so long, she hesitantly stepped out.

She looked exhausted, her face drawn, but her eyes were sharper and more alert than before. "What's going on?" she asked me.

I handed her Loretta's dossier. Mom read through each page, her face getting gloomier with every turn.

When she was done, Mom let out a long sigh, like she'd finally let go of a burden, or maybe she'd just made up her mind about something.

Mom looked up at me, her eyes swirling with emotion. "Miranda, you've really grown up."

I stayed silent.

That night, Mom went all out in the kitchen, whipping up a whole feast by herself.

At dinner, she didn't even look up at anyone. She just said it, plain and simple. "Zach, let's get a divorce."

Dad had just started to calm down from the rage of being played, but when he heard that, he freaked out all over again. "Raven, please, let me explain. It's not like that with her."

"Save it," Mom cut him off, her voice eerily calm. "I'm not leaving you because of her. I'm leaving you, Zach. You disgust me."