Chapter 6
The older cop took a close look at the copy of the deed and then checked my ID.
He nodded and turned to Vincent and Jade.
"Is what she said true?" he asked.
Vincent stammered, unable to get a word out.
Jade was still being stubborn, refusing to back down.
"This is my son's house! It's only right that we live here!" she snapped.
"Your son's house?" I sneered, retorting.
I gave a cold laugh and took over.
"Officer, my husband Ethan left the country yesterday. He said he'd be gone for five years," I said.
"My parents paid the down payment for this house, and his name isn't on the deed. As for the mortgage, my share of the payments has always been much higher than his," I continued.
"Legally speaking, his rights to this house are very limited," I added.
"And even if he did have any rights, that doesn't mean he can just let two violent people storm into my place without my permission and start harassing and threatening me," I said.
The older cop had already made up his mind after hearing everything.
He addressed Vincent and Jade sternly.
"According to property law, the owner of a property has the right to possess, use, benefit from, and dispose of their real estate," he said.
"The owners of this house are Ms. Solberg and her mother. It's up to them who gets to stay here," he added.
"What you've done amounts to unlawful entry. If Ms. Solberg decides to press charges, you'll be held legally responsible," the officer warned.
Vincent and Jade were left speechless by the officer's statement.
They'd always bullied their way around the neighborhood, causing trouble whenever they pleased. The law meant nothing to them.
In their minds, whatever belonged to their son was theirs, and their daughter-in-law was just someone to be bullied.
But the police uniform and the officer's stern words were the only things they truly feared.
"I order you to leave immediately," the older cop commanded.
The older cop issued his final command.
"If you harass Ms. Solberg again, we'll take enforcement measures," the officer warned.
Jade's face showed her unwillingness, but she didn't dare say another word.
Vincent tugged at her sleeve, his head hung low as he started to pack up their things.
Watching them slink away, I didn't feel any satisfaction.
All I felt was a cold emptiness inside.
This was the family I once bent over backwards for, hoping to belong.
What a joke.
Just as the police were watching them pack up, getting ready to escort them out of my home, my phone suddenly vibrated.
It wasn't a call.
It was a text.
From an unknown number.
I opened the message, and my pupils contracted in alarm.
It was just a short sentence and a bank account number.
"This is Lana Jay. Ethan doesn't have enough for the project deposit. Send 150,000 dollars to this account right now, or his overseas assignment is done for. Can you live with that on your conscience?"
Lana.
The name that kept popping up on Ethan's credit card statements.
The woman he couldn't get out of his head, the one he'd abandon his family for, just to chase after her.
And now, she'd come straight to me.
Bossing me around as if she was the lady of the house.
I looked at that text and couldn't help but laugh.
I laughed so hard, my eyes nearly watered.
Ethan. Lana.
Did they really think I was just some easy target they could mess with as they pleased?
"Alright then," I thought, my lips curling into a cold smile.
Since they had put the weapon right in my hands, they shouldn't expect me to play nice.
The real game had begun.
The police escorted Vincent and Jade out.
As they left, the way they looked at me was full of hatred and bitterness, like I was their sworn enemy.
I didn't pay them any mind.
I just quietly closed the door, sealing their world off from mine, once and for all.
The room finally returned to its rightful peace.
I walked to the window and watched as the police car and the security guard's car left the complex.
The curtain had fallen on this farce, for now.
But I knew this was nowhere near the end.
I looked down at my phone and reread the text message.
"It's Lana. Ethan's short on the project deposit. Transfer 150,000 to the account below ASAP, or his overseas assignment is toast. Are you ready to take the blame if this falls through?"
Lana.
Every time I saw her name on Ethan's credit card statements, it felt like my heart was being cut open and left bleeding.
I'd wondered over and over what kind of woman she really was.
Was she younger, prettier, or maybe just more gentle and understanding than me?
I used to think I'd hate her with every fiber of my being.
But right now, looking at that message, there wasn't a trace of hate in me.