Chapter 2

Before she could even put the phone down, hushed whispers erupted among the crowd.

"Isn't that Grace Miller? Her husband's a deadbeat gambler, right? He's drowning in debt all over town."

"Tell me about it—look at her, blinged out in gold. No way you'd think she's got a gambler for a husband."

"I heard she just got rehired at the university's admin office. She's living it up nowadays."

The university's admin office? Seriously?

My mind just went numb with shock.

Richard had told me my rehiring didn't go through.

It turned out that bitch Grace got the job instead.

Anger and humiliation crashed over me. I completely lost control. I marched straight up to Grace and slapped her, the sound echoing through the crowd.

David shoved me away, fuming as he stood protectively in front of Grace. "Mom! Seriously, you don't have to make such a scene over a job. Grace's husband can't pull his weight, so she needs the money more than you."

I didn't need money? Seriously?

That 150 grand was my pension, every cent saved up after years of hard work.

It was not meant for that shameless woman to parade around in gold, gambling her days away.

She was splurging, enjoying the high life, all on the money I bled for.

Grace clutched her face, tears glistening, putting on a flawless green tea act.

She said, "Helen, if you really can't pay Ethan's tuition, what's the point of throwing a fit at me?"

David rushed to back her up. "Yeah! Mom, quit dodging the issue. You're Ethan's grandma. This money is supposed to come from you."

It wasn't long before Richard stormed in. He looked at me impatiently.

"Seriously? All this fuss for what? It's not even a big deal," he snapped.

I was shaking with rage. "150 grand is hardly chump change. The only reason I haven't called the police is because I'm letting you save face here."

Richard's expression changed for a moment, but he still went right ahead, completely shameless. "The money's already gone. I used it to buy a double burial plot for me and Grace, and the rest? Spent it all.

"You can throw as big a fit as you want, but there's nothing you can do now."

I stared at him, eyes wide in disbelief. I honestly hadn't thought he could be this shameless.

Luckily, I recorded everything. One way or another, I would get that money back.

David said, "Mom, just stop it, alright? I'm still gonna take care of you when you get old."

He paused, warning sharp in his voice. "But if you keep stirring up trouble, don't count on anyone to look after you anymore, and you can forget about your pension, too."

Grace dabbed at her tears, putting on her most pitiful act. "Helen, Richard already gave me the house to make amends."

Richard backed her up without missing a beat. "Grace and I, we're the real thing. I only married you because my family pushed me into it. I owe Grace, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to make it right for her."

My hand was shaking so badly that I could've thrown my phone across the room. They'd really gone too far.

The three of them stood there, side by side—so chummy, so close—like they were the real family now.

All these years, I poured my heart and soul into being the perfect wife and mother.

Back when my in-laws were still around, I did even more for them than Richard ever bothered to. Serving them, caring for them when they were sick—I never complained, not once.

I broke my back raising David, pinched every cent just to get by. Every cent for this family came from me cutting corners whenever I could.

But after all that, I'm the one left out—the extra, the one who doesn't even matter in my own home anymore.

All these years of marriage, Richard never once gave me access to his salary account.

I asked him about it a few times, but he always brushed me off, claiming a man had to keep a little money for himself.

And I actually believed him. I never once questioned where his paychecks went—just covered the family expenses with my own money, quietly and without complaint.

Now that I thought about it, every cent probably ended up in Grace's hands—he didn't leave a single cent behind.

I hit stop on the recording. Right now, nothing else mattered—I was taking back my 150 grand and the rehired position that belonged to me.

They seriously thought just because I was getting older, I wouldn't dare get a divorce or raise hell?