Chapter 2

"Who are you?" Susan snapped.

Amanda's smile twitched. But she quickly straightened up, pressing her palm against her belly. "Mrs. Cooper, Brian and I are getting married sooner or later. I have his baby. You'll get used to it."

She turned to me. "What are you standing there for? Get my slippers."

I took a pair of disposable slippers from the shoe cabinet and placed them at her feet.

Amanda smiled smugly. "Brian was right. You really don't have a temper."

Susan looked at me.

I shook my head slightly, signaling her to hold back.

Amanda walked into the living room and spotted the supplements on the coffee table. "These are for me, right?"

She opened the box without asking. "This brand is cheap. I only take imported ones, six hundred a box. Didn't Brian tell you?"

Susan sat down across from her. "How much does he give you every month?"

"That's between us," Amanda replied.

Amanda touched her belly, her eyes full of pride. "But once I move in, I'll be handling all the money. Raising a baby costs a lot these days."

I came out of the kitchen with a bowl of chicken soup. "Here, have some soup."

Amanda sniffed it and wrinkled her nose. "It's so greasy. How am I supposed to drink this? Didn't Brian tell you I can't stand the smell of oil right now?"

"He didn't mention it," I replied.

"Figures," Amanda said.

She glanced at me. "He doesn't have much to say to you anyway. He probably doesn't even talk when he gets home."

That was true.

Brian had been coming home later and later for the past six months. He always said he was with clients.

He'd say, "A man's out there making money. What would a housewife know?"

So this was his "client."

I put the soup back on the table. "What do you want to eat instead?"

"Sour stuff," Amanda replied.

She sank into the couch like she owned the place. "And cut me some fruit. Peel the apples. Deseed the grapes."

Susan slammed her cup down on the table. "Don't you have hands?"

Amanda looked hurt. "Mrs. Cooper, I'm carrying Brian's first child."

"Having a baby doesn't break your arms," Susan said.

"Why are you so mean to me?" Amanda asked.

"I've always talked like this." Susan pointed at the kitchen. "If you want something, make it yourself. Vivian isn't your maid."

Amanda's face fell. "Brian said you've always wanted a grandchild."

"I do want a grandchild." Susan stared coldly at her belly. "But who told you that having a baby automatically gets you into the Cooper family?"

Amanda jumped up. "This is Brian's baby."

Susan asked, "Because you say so?"

"I have the test results." Amanda pulled a paper from her bag and slammed it on the table.

Susan didn't look at it.

I picked it up and glanced at it.

Nine weeks pregnant.

Timing matched the trip Brian said he took for "work."

Amanda was annoyed that I didn't react.

"Why are you so calm? Brian stopped loving you a long time ago," she said.

"What did he tell you?" I asked.

"He said you two sleep in separate rooms. The only reason he didn't kick you out last year was that he felt sorry for you. You wouldn't survive on your own," Amanda replied.

I nodded. "Anything else?"

"This house is his. It was bought before you got married. None of it belongs to you. The savings are his too. You won't get a cent," Amanda said.

She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "If you know what's good for you, leave quietly. Don't wait until the baby's born and get thrown out. That'll be way more embarrassing."

Just then, the front door opened.

Brian stood there, sweaty from his run. The moment he saw Amanda, all the color drained from his face.

But Amanda smiled and walked over, grabbing his arm. "Honey, you're finally back."

I looked at Brian. "Don't just stand there. She thought you'd already talked to me."

Brian stood in the doorway. He looked at Amanda, then at me, then at Susan. "Mom, why are you here too?"

Susan laughed coldly. "Heard I was going to be a grandmother. Of course I came."

Sweat dripped down Brian's chin. He yanked his arm away from Amanda. "How did you get to my house?"

Amanda blinked. "Didn't you text me?"

Brian asked, "When did I text you?"

Amanda said, "You said you already told her everything."

She pulled out her phone and showed him the chat history.

Brian looked at it once, then spun toward me. "Vivian, you went through my phone?"

I asked, "Six years of marriage, and now you want to talk about privacy?"

He protested, "You set me up."

"Yes," I admitted it without hesitation. "Otherwise, how would I get to watch such a good show?"

Brian clearly didn't expect me to confess. He opened his mouth, then suddenly pointed at Amanda. "She's my client. She's crazy. She's been stalking me."

Amanda went pale. "Brian, what did you just say?"

"Was I not clear enough?" Brian shot her a look. "You know who the father of your baby is. Don't come to my house acting crazy."

Amanda slapped him across the face.

Smack.

Brian's head turned to the side.

Amanda shouted, "When you went to my checkups with me, you didn't call me crazy then.

"You said you'd be divorced before the baby was three months old. Now you're denying it?"

"Shut up." Brian reached for her mouth.

Amanda grabbed his wrist and bit down hard.

The two of them started wrestling.

Susan slammed the table and stood up. "Enough."

She rushed over, shoved Amanda aside, and slapped Brian across his other cheek. "Trash."

Brian held his face in disbelief. "Mom, you hit me?"

Susan said, "You deserve it."

She pointed at me.

She said, "Vivian has been with you for six years. She cooked for you, cleaned for you. When you were short 60,000 dollars for the house down payment, her family gave you the money. When your store went under, she sold her stuff to save it.

"Now that things are finally good, you're keeping another woman?"

Brian's face twisted. "This is between me and my wife. Stay out of it."

Susan insisted, "You did something shameless, so I'm getting involved."

Amanda suddenly laughed. "Mrs. Cooper, stop pretending."

Susan turned. "What do you mean?"

Amanda opened her designer bag and pulled out a red jewelry box.

She flipped it open.

Inside was a gold bracelet.

Brian's face went completely pale.

I recognized that bracelet.

It was the one Susan got from her in-laws on her wedding day. She kept it locked in a cabinet back home, saying it would go to the Cooper family's daughter-in-law.

Amanda put the bracelet on her wrist and waved it in front of me. "Last month, you gave this to me with your own hands.

"You said as long as I had a boy, you'd let me marry into the family."

She lifted her chin, looking at Susan. "So why are you denying it now, right in front of her?"