Chapter 2

Early the next morning, before Shane left, he reminded me that Theo was shy around strangers and asked me to be patient with him.

I watched him walk away and let out a cold laugh.

"Mrs. Warren, go get the luxury watch from Shane's study."

I'd pulled countless strings to get that limited-edition watch for Shane's birthday the year before.

It was worth six hundred thousand, and he treasured it like nothing else. He only wore it when he was meeting clients for major deals.

Mrs. Warren hesitated. "Ma'am, that's Mr. Shaw's favorite watch..."

"I told you to get it. Why are you still talking?"

I shot her a cold look.

She flinched and hurried off to the study. A moment later, she returned with the watch.

I turned to Theo, who was sitting on the couch picking his nose.

"Theo, want to play with a really expensive toy?"

I dangled the gleaming watch in front of him.

His eyes lit up at once, and he reached for it. "Give it to me! Give it!"

I handed it over, then pulled a small hammer from the toolbox.

"There are shiny little gears inside, and it makes a ticking sound.

"Don't you want to see what it looks like inside?"

Theo grabbed the hammer, instantly excited. "Yes! I want to break it open!"

"Go ahead. If you break it, Mom will buy you an even better one."

I sat beside him and calmly trimmed my nails.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The dull pounding echoed through the living room.

Under Theo's wild hammering, the face of the six-hundred-thousand-dollar watch shattered almost immediately.

He worked himself into a sweat, still yelling, "Smash it! Smash it!"

Just then, the front door flew open.

Shane had rushed back after realizing he'd left a document behind.

The moment he stepped inside, he heard the harsh sound of metal being struck.

"Theo, what are you doing?"

Then he saw the wreckage on the floor and let out a horrified cry.

He rushed over, snatched the hammer from Theo's hand, and stared at the ruined watch, trembling with anger and heartbreak.

"My watch! My limited-edition watch!"

Theo jumped in fright and immediately burst into tears.

"Wah... Bad Daddy! Mommy gave it to me to play with!"

Shane whipped around to face me, his eyes red with fury. He raised his hand as if he were about to slap me.

"Quenna Gray, are you insane? That watch cost six hundred thousand!"

My tears came instantly, and I looked even more aggrieved than Theo.

"Shane, in your eyes, are your wife and son really worth less than some stupid watch?"

His hand froze in midair.

His face went from pale to dark as he forced down all that anger, looking like he might choke on it.

"Honey... that's not what I mean. I was just caught off guard."

He finally lowered his hand, sounding completely drained.

"It's just a watch. If it's broken, it's broken."

I wiped my tears, pulled Theo into my arms, and gave Shane a challenging look.

"Don't be scared, Theo. Daddy was just playing with you."

Then I looked at Shane.

"Come on. Apologize to your son. You scared him."

Shane stared at me as if he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

His watch had been smashed, and now he had to apologize to the person who smashed it?

"Shane, are you apologizing or not? If you don't, I'm taking Theo and going back to my parents' house."

I made a show of getting up.

That finally killed whatever resistance he had left. He still needed my father's connections to land projects.

Forcing a smile that looked worse than crying, he walked over to Theo.

"Theo, I'm sorry. Daddy was too loud just now. You can keep playing."

Theo stopped crying at once and made a face at him.

"Nyah nyah! Bad Daddy! Stinky Daddy!"

Shane stared at the biological son he'd spoiled rotten as the boy insulted him, his face turning black with rage.

I leaned back against the couch and watched it all unfold, feeling deeply satisfied.

"Shane, this is only the beginning.

"I'm going to make sure the seeds you'd planted with your own hands grow into the most poisonous fruit imaginable," I thought with relish.