Chapter 4

The night before the party, I finally finished compiling all the evidence—bank records, security footage, and witness statements. Page after page went into a brown envelope.

For years, whenever my husband and I left town, Linda would move straight into our house.

She wore my clothes, my jewelry, even my makeup. Desmond always made sure the blame, one way or another, fell on Wendy.

Linda would beat her, make her kneel, force her to stand outside under the scorching sun…

Sometimes, she would not even give her food for days. Wendy got so hungry that she had to dig bark out of trees with her bare hands and pick through trash cans for leftovers.

Desmond told her it was because I thought she was being disobedient, so I had Linda discipline her for me.

Little by little, Wendy stopped talking. She became so careful around me that she was afraid to say more than a few words.

The millions I gave them for living expenses went straight into Desmond and Linda’s pockets.

I was so furious that I immediately arranged with my assistant to go to the police station the next morning.

…

The next day, Desmond had decorated the house like he was holding his own coronation. Half the wealthy families in the city had been invited.

He stood there with a glass of wine, grinning smugly as he went on and on about Kinsley Corporation. He thought that once today was over, the shares, the properties, and the inheritance would all be his.

The stage was already set. Today, I was going to clean the house and deal with the rot in the Kinsley family.

That morning, I walked into the police station with all the evidence. Every incident, every piece of evidence—it was all officially documented.

The officer looked at me. “You’re certain you want to press charges against your own son?”

Before I could answer, my phone suddenly started ringing nonstop. It was the new maid I had just hired.

“Ma’am! You need to come home right now! Linda took all the jewelry you just bought for Nicole! They’re forcing the two girls to…”

The call abruptly cut off.

Then Mr. Lane called. “Ma’am, Desmond…”

His call was cut off too.

I rose to my feet. “Handle it by the book. No private settlement!”

As I spoke, I headed for the door with the police officers.

Before the car had even come to a full stop, I heard Linda’s shrill voice coming from the yard.

“Sit up straight on your knees! Say it! Say you’re just some bastard we picked up! If we don’t put these two little brats in their place today, how are you supposed to inherit the Kinsley family?”

I stormed into the yard and froze in my tracks.

Wendy and Nicole were kneeling on the ground. They were soaked from head to toe, their faces streaked with tears as they were forced to repeat the words over and over.

Nicole had only just been reunited with us, yet she was trembling with fear.

Desmond stood nearby with his arms crossed, watching his two sisters being humiliated right in front of him.

Somehow, he still had the nerve to smile. Whatever last bit of affection I had left for him disappeared.

“It’s them!”

The police stormed through the door.

I strode into the yard, my voice exploding from my chest. “Who gave you the right to lay a hand on my girls?!”

The entire yard fell silent.

The gemstone necklace slipped from Linda’s hand and hit the ground. The smile on Desmond’s face froze.

“Mom, didn’t you have something to take care of this morning? Why are you back so early? You didn’t even tell me to come pick you up…”

I ignored them completely and turned to the officers. “Please investigate everything thoroughly.”

The officers stepped forward and handcuffed Linda and Desmond. That was when Desmond finally panicked. He fought desperately against the cuffs.

“Mom! What’s going on? Did you misunderstand something?”

I looked at him and smiled. “No. Every word of it is true.”

He struggled free enough to rush over to me, his expression suddenly earnest.

“Mom, Linda and I were just joking around with Wendy and Nicole! They’re not even upset about it!”

I yanked my hand away. Suddenly, Lilian Brown, the Kinsleys' old matriarch, rushed over and stepped between us. She shielded Desmond behind her.

“Desmond is my only grandson! Can't you just talk things out? Do you really have to bring the police to his coming-of-age party and humiliate our entire family in front of everyone? Tell the police this is all just a misunderstanding!”

With her backing him up, Desmond immediately regained his smug expression. “Exactly, Mom! What’s gotten into you? I’m your own son!”

The relatives swarmed around me, all talking over one another.

“Ms. Gray, you can’t let your emotions get the better of you!”

“Blood is thicker than water. Family problems should stay within the family!”

“He’s the Kinsley family’s only heir. Whatever he did, you can discipline him behind closed doors!”

“Besides, if Desmond gets arrested, who’s going to inherit Kinsley Corporation?”

Hah. That was exactly why Desmond had always felt untouchable. He knew all these people would protect him.

I clenched my fists. No matter what happened today, I was going to see them taken away.

Right then, a cold, commanding voice came from the doorway. The entire room fell silent.

“What? Has Ms. Gray’s word stopped carrying any weight in her own home?”