Chapter 1

I was backed into a corner by the crowd in an instant.

My mother-in-law, Mary Johnson, stood at the front of the pack.

She narrowed her eyes, looking at me with cold contempt:

“Ben gives you ten grand every month for household expenses. What do you even spend on to need that much?

“I’m not being unreasonable here. Half of that should cover it, and the Millers are not ungenerous.

“The rest, you gotta spit it back up.”

Spit it back up?

That was her idea of being generous?

Ben Miller’s little sister Chloe chimed in from the side:

“You’ve been married to Ben for a decade. That’ll be six hundred grand.

“You pocketed that extra for years. Time to give it back now.”

I was almost struck dumb by their sheer, shameless effrontery.

My gaze was fixed on Ben.

Through gritted teeth, I demanded:

“Ben, do you share the same sentiment?”

A flicker of awkwardness crossed his face.

He stammered, “Mom, these are the household funds I give Sylvia. Why are you all interfering?”

Mary assumed he was standing up for me.

Her fury flared even higher.

Pointing a finger at my nose, she began spouting insults:

“You wretch, look how you bewitched my boy.

“It’s his hard-earned money you’re after, no? We should’ve never agreed to let him marry you!”

Her mouth opened and closed rapidly, spewing forth all kinds of abuse.

Seeing his mother hurl accusations at me, Ben didn’t show a shred of guilt.

He stood off to the side, not saying a word, completely indifferent.

My repressed rage broke loose.

Looking at him, I said coldly:

“Listen Ben, your mom says a five grand a month should cover our expenses. That’s four grand short you’re giving me each month.”

Ben exploded on the spot like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

“Sylvia, what kinda nonsense are you spouting?”

He barked at me, attempting to drown out my words with sheer volume.

“I’ve always known you were lavish and wasteful with money, but I always turned a blind eye, for peace’s sake.

“And yet look what you did! You emptied out our entire family savings!

”We gotta talk later tonight.”

Ben’s face flushed bright red as he kept throwing frantic glances at me.

I knew he was terrified that I would expose him.

Then, softening his tone, he said to Mary:

“Mom, this is between us. Give is some space.

“Mason, calm Granny down, would you?”

My son obediently walked over, hugging Mary cooingly:

“Granny, please don’t be mad.”

I knew what Ben was trying to do. He wasn’t just using Mason to soothe Mary.

He was using our son to pressure me into shutting up.

The raging fire in my chest burned all the way to the back of my throat.

Yet looking at my boy’s innocent face, I slowly lowered my head.

Little did Ben expect that his tried-and-true trick would fail miserably today.

“No! Talk now, in front of us!

“We have relatives and friends here as witnesses.

“This way, she can’t accuse us of ganging up on her later!”