Chapter 4

They strutted in, heads held high, wearing three-inch heels, and dragging their suitcases behind them.

I reached out to stop them, but Lily bumped into me, making me stumble.

Jane grabbed my hand just in time, helping me steady myself.

Angela sat on the couch with her arms crossed, while Lily paced around the villa.

"This light is terrible. We'll replace it with a crystal chandelier once we move in," Lily said.

"And this sofa? The color's way too bright and out of place. We'll swap it for the pure white one I picked out," she added.

"And this," Lily started, but I cut her off.

"Who gave you the right to boss us around here?" I snapped.

Lily let out a mocking laugh. "James, obviously. You didn't know? Uncle Michael and James already said we could move in."

She arched her brow, eyeing the suitcases. "Well, look at you, already clearing out space for us. That's pretty thoughtful."

"But hey, Jane's been hogging my mom's place for nearly thirty years, and you've taken over mine for the past three," Lily sneered.

"Now that we're back, it's better for you to leave on your own. Getting kicked out would be humiliating," she added.

"And just so you know, when you leave, don't even think about taking anything from this place," Lily warned.

With that, she reached for the suitcase.

I tried to stop her, but Lily shoved me, knocking me to the ground.

Angela had gotten up at some point and was gripping Jane tightly, refusing to let go.

Lily started pulling clothes out of the suitcase one by one, clicking her tongue in disapproval as she looked them over.

"This one's a no-go. It's a high-end designer piece, property of the Foster family," she said.

Before I knew it, she tossed all my clothes aside without a second thought.

Lily pulled out a jewelry box from the corner.

I glared at her, my eyes stinging with tears.

"This is my mom's gift for me. Don't you dare touch it," I snapped.

Lily scoffed, pulling out a pearl necklace from the box. "Your mom's? Come on, that's obviously just a cover."

"Everyone in Orinthal knows your mom was long gone by the time you got married," she sneered.

"Who knows, maybe you were the reason she died," Lily said with a mocking grin.

"You're lying! Give me back my necklace!" I shouted.

I crawled toward her on all fours, and just as my fingers brushed the necklace, Lily shot to her feet, clutching it in both hands.

"Is this what you want?" she taunted.

I nodded.

I pushed myself up from the floor.

But before I could react, Lily flashed a smug smile and yanked the necklace with both hands.

With a sharp snap, the necklace broke.

All the pearls were scattered across the floor.

My heart sank as I scrambled to pick them up one by one, but no matter how desperately I tried, I just couldn't get them all.

Tears blurred my vision, making everything go fuzzy.

Jane broke free, crouched down, and gathered all the pearls into her bag.

She pulled me up and wiped the tears from my face.

"We're done with this place. Let's go," she said.

Jane stayed by my side as we left the villa, and it wasn't until we got to the airport that I finally came back to my senses.

Planes took off and landed, the sun slipped below the horizon, and the whole world seemed to sink into darkness.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on, and Jane was standing there, holding a bowl of instant noodles and smiling at me.

"This is the newest flavor. Eat it, and you'll feel better," she said.

I took the noodles and ate slowly, one bite after another.

"Men are all the same," Jane said.

"Besides," she added.

Jane set her phone down in front of me.

On the screen, it said "Share Transfer Agreement" in bold letters.

I stared in shock, my mouth hanging open. I set the noodles aside and scrolled down to read the document.

"Was it Grandpa?" I asked.

Jane nodded. "Last night, he came to me and gave me the share transfer agreement, plus all his properties and investments."

"I didn't want to take it at first, but he said if I didn't sign, all of it could end up in the Anderson Ladies' pockets," she added.

"I thought we'd need the money, so I took it," Jane said.

I flipped through the document carefully. "So, we'll never have to worry about money for good food again, right?"

Jane laughed and patted my head. "Silly girl, it's not just about food. We could even have them cook for us right in front of us."

The boarding call sounded, and Jane and I walked onto the plane, hand in hand, smiling.

Inside the villa, Michael Foster and his son James Foster were left standing there, stunned, divorce papers in hand, as they gazed at the now-empty walk-in closet, unable to move or say a word.