Chapter 2
Maxwell was stunned. He stared at Grace's pale face.
His gaze turned bone-chillingly cold.
It was the look one would give a total stranger.
He ignored me and tuned out Grace's screaming.
He just stood up and walked away without a word. His two security guards followed him out.
The party came to an abrupt halt. A stunt had just cracked open a massive family secret.
Grace tried to lunge at me again, but my husband Logan held her back.
"Let go of me! I'm going to rip her hair out!" Grace screamed.
Logan looked absolutely furious. "That is enough, Grace! Haven't you humiliated us enough for one night!" he growled.
Grace kept crying and kicking.
I ignored them both.
I walked up to the microphone and looked out at the employees.
"I am so sorry," I said. "A private family matter ruined the mood tonight.
"The party is officially over. Everyone's bonus for this month will be doubled.
"Thank you."
I turned off the mic and walked off the stage.
The staff immediately started whispering.
I tuned them out and walked straight backstage.
My hands were shaking slightly. Not out of fear, but out of pure adrenaline.
I had endured this family for ten years.
The day had finally come.
*****
I was driving. Logan sat in the passenger seat with Grace in the back.
She had stopped wailing but was still sobbing.
She muttered curses at me between breaths. "You bitch.
"You ruined everything.
"Just you wait. When Dad gets home, he's going to destroy you."
I ignored her. So did Logan.
The tension in the car was suffocating.
Logan finally broke the silence. He turned to look at me.
"Chloe, you were way too impulsive today." There was blame in his voice. "Saying things like that at the gala.
"How is Dad supposed to show his face now?"
I gripped the steering wheel and kept my eyes on the road.
"His face?" I let out a cold laugh. "Where was his concern for our image when Grace slapped me in front of hundreds of people?
"Where was it when she screamed I was only fit to shine your shoes?"
"Logan, that's your dad's reputation. You're focusing on the wrong thing."
Logan was speechless. He opened his mouth to argue but eventually just snapped it shut.
Grace started screeching from the back seat again. "Logan, listen to her. She doesn't respect our family at all! She just wants to tear us apart!"
I slammed on the brakes. The car jerked to a halt on the shoulder.
The momentum threw Grace forward, and she smacked her face against the back of Logan's seat.
"Ouch!" she yelped.
I unbuckled my seatbelt, turned around, and glared at her. "Grace, say one more word. I dare you."
My gaze was cold as ice.
Grace shivered and shrank back into her seat. She was too terrified to make another sound.
I kept my eyes locked on her and spoke very slowly. "You better start praying right now that you are actually Maxwell's biological daughter."
"Because if you aren't, I will show you what a living hell looks like."
Grace's lips began to tremble. She looked at me with pure terror.
Logan stared at me in shock. He had never seen me like this.
To him, I was always the submissive, tolerant wife. The quiet daughter-in-law who would back down from anything just to keep the peace.
He didn't know that everyone had a breaking point.
But I wasn't just snapping under pressure.
I was a predator who had been playing house with the Parkers for a decade.
I started the car again. No one spoke for the rest of the drive.