Chapter 2

I wagged my finger at her. "That's not happening. Let's talk about something real."

"Real?" she asked.

I pulled my checkbook out of my bag, hesitated for a moment, then wrote down a number. [30,000 dollars.]

I handed the check to her. "The money Jonathan spent on you actually belongs to both of us as a married couple. You should count yourself lucky I'm not making you pay it back."

Sophie stared at the check, and her tears dried up instantly.

She tilted her chin up at me, something unreadable flickering across her face. "Mrs. Reed, do you know why he dumped me?"

I shoved the check into her hand. "I don't want to know."

"Because there's someone new."

My hand froze for a second.

Sophie caught my reaction and gave a bitter little smile. "She's younger and prettier than me. She joined the company last week and got placed straight into the Executive Office."

I pulled my hand back and put the checkbook back in my bag. "What's that got to do with me?"

"Mrs. Reed, don't you care at all?"

I thought for a moment, then answered seriously, "No, I don't."

Sophie didn't seem to believe me, her eyes locked on mine.

Standing in front of her, I kept my tone steady. "Jonathan and I? It's nothing but a business deal. He pays the bills, and I stay out of his life. Who he's seeing now? Doesn't matter to me at all."

"Keep the check, go find yourself a new job. Life goes on."

I turned and headed for my car.

From behind me, Sophie's voice rang out, tinged with resentment. "That new woman? She is after more than Mr. Reed."

I didn't stop walking.

"She wants to be Mrs. Reed," she added.

I opened the car door and glanced back at Sophie.

She stood there, her tears wiped away, as if she were waiting for the show to start.

"Thanks for the heads-up," I said with a smile. "But whoever wants that spot can have it. I'd be more than happy to hand it over."

I got in, shut the door, and started the engine.

As I drove out of the parking garage, the sunlight hit my eyes, making me squint.

Sophie's words did cross my mind for a moment.

But that was all it was.

Who Jonathan marries was his business, not mine.

As long as the 200 thousand dollars kept coming in every month and my shares stayed untouched, he could remarry tomorrow for all I cared.

*****

I turned the wheel and headed for the Pilates Studio.

The coach, Zoe, saw me walk in and greeted me with a smile. "Anna, you look great today."

"Really? Maybe it's because I'm in a good mood," I replied.

After changing into my workout clothes, I was lying on the mat doing core exercises when my phone rang.

It was Vivian Reed, Jonathan's mom, my mother-in-law.

I answered, "Mom."

Her voice was flat. "Evelyn, there's a family gathering this weekend. You should come."

"What kind of gathering?"

"Jonathan is bringing someone over. As his wife, you ought to be there."

A friend?

"Alright, I'll be there," I said.

After hanging up, I lay on the mat, lost in thought.

Vivian never invited me to the Reed Residence unless she had an agenda.

The last time she asked me to come over was two years ago, when she forced me to sign away my management rights to the company.

I signed it back then.

What was she plotting this time?

After finishing my last set, I wiped the sweat from my brow and pulled out my phone to check Jonathan's social media.

It was totally empty; not a single post.

Then I checked the assistant group chat. Oh right, I was still in one of the company's admin groups.

Someone had posted: [New colleague reporting to the Executive Office this Friday afternoon. All departments, please cooperate.]

So that was the new colleague from the Executive Office, huh?

I tossed my phone into my bag.

Alright, I would head to the Reed Residence this weekend and see what kind of drama they would be cooking up.

*****

It was a weekend at Reed Manor. I showed up at the door in a sleek black dress, no jewelry, looking sharp and put-together.

The butler led me into the living room.

Vivian was sitting in the main seat, holding a cup of coffee. When she saw me, she gave me a cool nod. "You're here? Have a seat."

"Mom," I said, sitting down across from her.

There were two other people in the living room.

Jonathan was sprawled out on the armchair to the left, his long legs crossed, idly scrolling through his phone.

Seated to his right was a young woman.

She looked barely twenty, with long hair draped over her shoulders and features so flawless that she could've stepped right out of a magazine. She wore a white mermaid dress, looking poised and graceful.