Chapter 3

The living room went silent.

Susan stared at the bracelet on Amanda's wrist. Her expression didn't show any panic.

But Brian acted like he'd found a lifeline. "Mom, so you've already met her?"

He immediately pointed at me. "Vivian, you see? This wasn't just my idea. Mom agreed too."

Susan turned and slapped him again. "What did I agree to?"

Brian said, "You gave her the bracelet. Stop pretending."

Amanda raised her wrist higher. "Susan, that's not what you said that day. You said Vivian couldn't have kids and the Cooper family couldn't die out. If I had a son, you'd help Brian get rid of her."

I looked at Susan. "Susan, is she telling the truth?"

"I did meet her," Susan admitted it plainly. "A month ago, Brian came to visit me and said you had a health problem and could never have children. He also said you'd already agreed to divorce but wanted a big payout."

Brian panicked. "Mom."

Susan replied, "Shut up."

She pulled a folded piece of paper from her bag and threw it in his face.

It was my medical report from last year.

Susan said, "You said Vivian couldn't have kids, so I went to your bedroom to find her old checkups. It clearly says here she's perfectly healthy."

Susan laughed coldly. "But you? Six years of marriage and you never went to the hospital with her once. How did you decide she was the one who couldn't have kids?"

Brian argued back. "It could be that she just didn't want them."

Susan asked, "So you found someone else to do it for you?"

She turned to Amanda. "After I found out my son lied to me, I asked to meet you. I wanted to see what kind of person could make him forget how to speak like a decent human being."

Amanda touched the bracelet. "But you liked me."

Susan asked, "I bought you one dinner and gave you a bracelet, and you really think you're my daughter-in-law?"

Amanda replied, "This was from your mother-in-law."

"The real one weighs sixty-seven grams." Susan grabbed Amanda's wrist, took the bracelet off, and weighed it in her hand. "This one is gold-plated. Worth sixty bucks."

Amanda's face went white. "It's fake?"

"The real one was stolen by that piece of trash a long time ago." Susan pointed at Brian. "I gave you the fake to see if you wanted the baby or the Cooper money."

Amanda threw the bracelet on the floor. "You tricked me?"

"You seduced my son and pushed him to divorce his wife, and you expected real gold from me?" Susan sat back down at the table. "If you want to get into the Cooper family, say what you want. I'm here to listen, on Vivian's behalf."

Amanda was shaking with rage.

She suddenly smiled. "Fine."

She pulled a set of keys from her bag and threw them on the table. "Let's start with the apartment Brian rented for me."

I recognized the keychain.

It was a wooden bunny with chipped paint.

I picked up the keys.

The bunny keychain was something my mother carved for me when I was eighteen.

After she passed, her old apartment sat empty. The keys stayed in our bedroom drawer. Only Brian and I knew about them.

"Where do you live?" I asked.

Amanda gave me the address.

It was my mother's apartment.

"Brian said it was our wedding home." Amanda sat down again, her tone back to smug. "Kinda old, but great location. After the baby's born, we'll sell it and use the money to get a three-bedroom."

I looked at Brian. "You gave my apartment to her?"

"Just temporarily," Brian protested.

"Who gave you permission?" I asked.

"It was empty anyway," he said.

Brian's voice jumped. "Amanda's pregnant. She can't live just anywhere. I'm the head of this family. What's wrong with letting her use an empty place?"

Susan grabbed the bowl of soup and threw it in his face. "What kind of man are you?"

Brian was covered in oily soup, staggering backward. "Mom, whose side are you on?"

"The side of decent people," Susan replied.

Amanda clutched her stomach and screamed. "Stop fighting in front of me. If something happens to this baby, who's going to take responsibility?"

"Don't worry," I said.

I looked at her. "I'm taking back that apartment tomorrow. You won't have to be scared anymore."

Amanda laughed. "You can't take it back."

I asked, "Why not?"

She said, "Brian already promised it to me."

I was confused. "How could he promise it? It's not his."

Amanda replied, "Because he's your husband."

She pulled a handwritten note from her bag.

It was Brian's handwriting.

He promised to give Amanda the old apartment as compensation once the baby was born, plus 100,000 dollars in cash.

At the bottom, it said, "All marital property is under Brian Cooper's sole control. Vivian Harper has no right to interfere."

I read it and handed it to Susan.

Susan's hands were shaking. "Where would you get 100,000 dollars?"

Brian said, "From the store."

Susan was furious. "That store only survived because Vivian sold the stuff from her parents."

Brian insisted, "I'm the one running it now."

He wiped the soup off his face. He'd stopped pretending.

He stared at me, all patience gone. "Vivian, this is how it is. Amanda's having my baby. I can't just abandon her."

I shrugged. "So?"

He said, "Give her the old place. Give her 100,000 dollars for child support. We stay married. If you don't make a scene, I'll still take care of you."

Amanda spun around. "You said you'd definitely divorce."

Brian denied it. "When did I say that?"

Amanda was about to lose it. "Brian."

"Just sit down." Brian snapped at her, then turned back to me. "Vivian, you've always been reasonable. Amanda's just young and foolish. Don't hold it against her. After the baby's born, you can raise it if you want."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You want me to raise your child with another woman?"

He replied, "You always wanted to be a mother, didn't you?"

Smack.

This time, it wasn't Susan. It was me.

Brian held his cheek, staring at me blankly.

Six years of marriage. This was the first time I ever hit him.