Chapter 2 No More

The next day, I had returned to the mansion to get the rest of my things. I pushed open the front door and the two women lounging on the couch fell silent. I stepped inside, letting out a dry laugh as I took in the lavish interior, my home, the one I had poured years of effort into. Soon, it would be nothing more than a playground for these two self-satisfied opportunists. “So the prodigal daughter returns,” my mother-in-law sneered, arms crossed as she eyed me like a stray dog tracking dirt into her precious mansion. “Where have you been wandering all morning? I told you to be back by eight to help with the guests. Or did you really think you could do better than my son after the divorce?” She scoffed, her expression dripping with contempt. “Don’t kid yourself. A social climber like you will always be looked down on, no matter where you go. Now hurry up and start cooking. If you embarrass me in front of my guests, I swear, you’ll regret it.” Her words barely stirred anything in me. I had heard them all before. Sylverster had built his business empire from nothing, and his mother had latched onto that success with a death grip. To her, I had always been unworthy, a mere convenience in her plans to expand the family’s influence. No matter what I did, she only saw me as a placeholder, a servant wrapped in a title. My gaze flickered to the kitchen. The bustling preparations told me there were at least ten guests expected tonight. As always, not a single servant in sight. I was the only one meant to handle everything while she and Lynn sat back and played their twisted little game of pretend. “Auntie,” Lynn chimed in, her voice gentle, concerned. “Isn’t that too much for Georgia to handle alone? Let me help her. I wouldn’t want your friends thinking I don’t know how to cook.” She made a move to stand, but my mother-in-law yanked her back down, her nails digging into Lynn’s arm. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she scolded. “How could you compare yourself to her? She was born to serve. You, on the other hand, are an international superstar! You should be relaxing while we wait on you.” “Auntie, but I’m still a guest...” “Guest?” My mother-in-law laughed, the sound sharp and cold. “Once you and my son get married, she’ll be the guest. No, not even that. She’ll be nothing more than a stranger passing through.” I stood in silence, listening to their performance, watching Lynn’s feigned protests and my mother-in-law’s growing enthusiasm. How pathetic. Lynn didn’t need to say anything cruel herself, her mere presence was enough to stoke my mother-in-law’s loathing. And she knew it. That was the game, wasn’t it? The role she played so perfectly. I let out a low chuckle. “Are you two quite done with your theatrics?” My mother-in-law’s expression darkened. “What nerve! Can’t you see we’re in the middle of a conversation? Now get in the kitchen before I lose my patience.” I tilted my head. “You seem so eager to welcome your true daughter-in-law. Why not have her demonstrate her cooking skills instead?” Lynn’s eyes sparkled with amusement at the suggestion, though she quickly masked it. I had no interest in this charade. I turned and walked past them, heading for the bedroom. I had only a few belongings left to pack. Everything else in this house, the expensive dresses, the jewelry, the lavish gifts, were meaningless to me. They had been part of the role I was forced to play. And I was done playing. Just as I reached the door, my mother-in-law stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “So you really are set on leaving.” “The divorce is already finalized,” I said simply. “There’s nothing left to discuss.” I pushed past her, swinging the door open, only to come face-to-face with Sylverster. His scowl deepened at the sight of me, but he barely spared me a glance before brushing past, heading straight for Lynn. His eyes swept over her anxiously. “Are you alright?” I felt the sharp edge of a cabinet dig into my back from the force of his shove. But the pain was nothing compared to the sight of Sylverster’s concerned expression, his voice gentle as he looked Lynn over. I had been married to this man for three years. Never, not once, had he looked at me like that. I exhaled slowly, my nails digging into my palm. “Just what have you done this time?” Sylverster snapped, finally turning his glare on me, as if I were the source of all his problems. I let out a bitter laugh. “Are your eyes only good for glaring? Can’t you see that Lynn is perfectly fine? If your mouth can’t speak sense, maybe you should donate it to someone who actually needs it.” His jaw tightened. Instead of responding, he pulled out his phone and held it up for me to see. “The article online...this is your doing, isn’t it?” I frowned, my gaze flicking to the screen. Photos. A headline. Exposé on Lynn’s scandalous past. I hadn’t leaked anything, but the content wasn’t unfamiliar. I had kept track of Lynn for years, knowing she wasn’t the perfect, untouchable star she pretended to be. Seeing her face pale now, seeing that smug confidence waver, it was almost satisfying. “Is there a single false word written there?” I asked, tilting my head. “Wasn’t it that drama that first shot her to fame? Is there even a single untrue statement?” I took a step forward, my voice dropping to a whisper. “I’ll walk out that door right now and let myself get hit by a car if even one word in that article is a lie. But if every sentence is true… then it’s your turn to get crushed.” Lynn blanched, her eyes darting toward Sylverster in silent desperation. He responded the way he always did, with blind devotion. He patted her shoulder reassuringly before rounding on me. “If you’re so eager to die, then go kill yourself! Don’t drag an innocent person into your vendetta!” I inhaled sharply, my nails biting into my palm. It took everything in me not to lash out. Instead, I smirked, letting my voice drip with disdain. “I think your brain must be in your neck purely to increase your height.” Then, without another word, I swept past them and out the door. For three years, I had been the fool. Love had made me blind. But not anymore. Now, it was his turn to wallow in darkness.