Chapter 1

By the time I reached Westbridge Residences, the women on two different floors were already leaning over their balconies, screaming at each other. The older woman downstairs looked up and even jabbed at the dripping lingerie with a laundry pole, yelling, "Go on! Keep hanging it out here! You selfish woman!"

A pair of men's underwear fell to the ground. I stood nearby and saw it clearly. It belonged to my husband, Gary Carter.

He had lost some weight around his waist from working out lately, and I had tightened the waistband myself. Whatever hope I was originally holding on to died right at that moment.

I walked straight to the door of my apartment and unlocked it with my key.

The woman who had been arguing on the balcony heard the noise from the living room. When she turned around, she asked in a panic. "How did you get in here?!"

I sneered and toyed with the key in my hand. "I own this apartment. How do you think I got in?"

This spacious river-view apartment had been left to me by my mother before she passed away. It had Western-style decor and looked out over the entire Redwyne River and the city's landmarks. The night view was especially beautiful.

The economy had been bad over the past few years, and Gary had tried several times to talk me into selling it to help his company's cash flow. However, I had never been able to give it up because this place held memories of my mother and me. I wanted to keep it to remember her by.

Recently, he had come back from Gauland and said his negotiation with a client had fallen through, costing the company a lot of money.

Seeing him leave early and come home late every day had made my heart ache, so I had started thinking about selling the apartment. I never expected him to surprise me like this!

The woman's breathing became anxious as her face flushed. Then, she forced a smile and came over, speaking in a flattering tone. "Oh dear, I was wondering who it was! It's you, Wendy! Come in and have a seat. My name is Quinn Lawson, Gary's cousin. I've been looking for a job these past few days, so I've been staying here."

The moment I stepped inside the apartment, I could hardly breathe. Almost every trace of my mother had been wiped from the apartment. Expensive bags, clothes, and makeup lay everywhere, becoming thorns in my eyes.

Quinn eagerly poured me a glass of water, but her eyes kept darting around, giving away her panic.

His cousin?

Ridiculous!

Gary's mother had no relatives at all. Where did this cousin of his who did not share his last name come from? Besides, a young woman looking for work could not possibly afford all these luxury goods.

When she noticed me staring at the designer clothes on the sofa, she hurriedly cleaned them up and explained, "My boyfriend bought these for me. I told him not to, but he insisted!"

Her tone was a mix of complaining and showing off, with a faint trace of provocation at the corner of her mouth.

I raised my brows and said, "Oh? If your boyfriend is that rich, why don't you move in with him? You don't have a job right now, right? Why pay rent somewhere else?"

"What rent?" Quinn blurted out. She immediately realized her mistake and tried to fix it, saying, "Even if we're relatives, I can't owe Gary rent, can I? Even families should be clear when it comes to finances. Besides, I'm a university graduate. We women have to be financially independent, right?"

She watched my reaction carefully from the corner of her eye. I pretended not to notice and stood up. "Since you've paid rent, you can stay here without worry. Come on, add me on Facebook."

After adding her, I nodded. "I'll be going now."

When she heard that, she visibly relaxed. But she did not know I came back soon after leaving. I could hear Quinn's sickly sweet voice even through the door as she said, "Honey, hurry home already. Your sorry excuse of a wife came over here to harass me."