Chapter 3
Leah dropped the act completely.
She slammed the door shut, and all traces of that pitiful look vanished.
She sneered outright.
"Samantha, what are you being so stubborn for?"
"You should know better than anyone how Lucas is in bed."
"Then again, how long has it been since you two shared a bed? Even if you stripped naked now, he probably wouldn't touch you, would he?"
She unlocked her phone and waved it in front of my face.
"Take a look! The Eiffel Tower, the Maldives."
"Oh, and that time you went home for a funeral and he said he was on a business trip? We actually stayed in a hotel for three whole days without leaving the room."
"Want to hear the details? I'm worried your heart can't take it at your age."
After hearing her provocation, I let out a mocking laugh.
Leah's face flashed with confusion.
"Looks like Lucas never told you about his rags-to-riches story."
"A poor boy who couldn't even afford college tuition—how he knelt in the snow at my family's door, begging my dad to give him a chance. He never mentioned that?"
Leah's smile stiffened for a moment.
Then, as if remembering something, she straightened up again, all self-righteous.
"So what? Even if Lucas used to be a dog, he was still a dog you were willing to pave the way for!"
"You still slept with him all these years, didn't you?"
I couldn't help it—I laughed out loud.
She didn't get angry. Instead, she leaned in close and whispered in my ear,
"Samantha, you need to know your place."
"Give up your position while you still can. Don't cling to it like a desperate fool."
I stared at her. "What position?"
"Mrs. Reed, CEO's wife of Reed Corporation."
I paused and looked at her like she was an idiot.
"CEO's wife? Didn't I just say?"
"A man who's about to be begging under a bridge—you want that title? Take it."
The moment I finished speaking, the door was shoved open.
Lucas stood in the doorway, his face dark as storm clouds.
Leah's face immediately crumpled, her eyes reddening.
She rushed over and clung tightly to his arm.
"Lucas... Samantha's lost it!"
"She called me a whore and cursed you—cursed you to go bankrupt and beg on the streets..."
She sobbed, her voice drowning in tears.
"I tried to reason with her, and she just stabbed me with her words. How can someone be so vicious..."
Lucas let out a cold laugh.
He turned to look at me, eyes full of malice.
"You bitch, say that again?"
He pointed right at my nose.
"Samantha, you really think you're something special?"
"That old bastard's been dead for years! Now this house, this company—I'm the one in charge!"
"After New Year's, pack your shit and get out!"
"You useless old hag squatting on a position you don't deserve—it's time someone else took that VP spot!"
I couldn't hold back—I snapped.
"Lucas! Have you forgotten who begged my dad like a dog to bring you into the business?"
"Without my family, you'd be nothing!"
That completely set him off.
"Fuck your Smith family!"
His whole face twisted with rage.
"Everything I have today, I earned myself!"
"It has jack shit to do with your Smith family! Mention the past again, and I'll sell you up north!"
"Now! Without me, what the hell are you, Samantha? The shares I hold and the shares my people control—kicking you out is just a matter of one sentence!"
With that, he shoved me aside hard and walked off with Leah in his arms.
The sound of the car faded into the distance. The house was empty.
I walked out of the utility closet. The place was a wreck.
The car and the gifts worth hundreds of thousands—he'd taken them all.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled to Lucas's social media.
The photo was a Reed family portrait.
Leah sat beside him, smiling brightly, wearing my family's jade necklace around her neck.
The New Year gifts I'd prepared were all displayed in the most prominent spots.
The caption read: "Finally able to breathe in this house."
The comments below were all the same: "Your wife is so beautiful."
I stared at the screen and made a call.
The second the call connected, all the strength I'd been holding onto collapsed.
"Aunt Susan..."
My tears came without permission.
"They're trying to steal Dad's company..."