Chapter 3

John's POV

Early the next morning, I was woken up by a sudden blast of loud music outside the door.

Finding the basement door unlocked, I stepped out and found that all Mom's photos and belongings had been entirely removed and replaced with festive decorations.

When I emerged, looking disheveled and unkempt, the crowd immediately shot me strange looks.

"Isn't that the lunatic? How did he get out of the psychiatric hospital?"

"His father is getting married, and his brother is celebrating his birthday. It's a double celebration, so of course he has to make an appearance!"

"Isn't he worried about embarrassing Ms. Gabler? Looks like the Gabler family is about to have a new Mr. Gabler."

Just then, Donny walked over wearing a tailored suit, his arm wrapped around Lisseth's slender waist.

"You've been through a lot, John. Even though you never liked my mother or me, we're family now. Let's get along peacefully from now on."

On his finger was the Gabler family's family ring. Only the legitimate son-in-law of the Gabler family was ever qualified to wear it.

So Lisseth had given him the ring long ago.

He wore a friendly smile on his face, but his hand clamped tightly around my wrist. I pulled away in pain.

"Congratulations. I'm going to pay respects to my mother."

I'd barely taken a step when Dad's furious roar sounded behind me. "Stop right there! From now on, you're not allowed to mention her in front of them!"

Lisseth grabbed my arm, her impatience visibly growing. "Today is a day of celebration. Don't make a scene."

But today was also Mom's death anniversary.

I insisted on leaving, but in the blink of an eye, I found myself swarmed by a group of reporters.

Donny ran over and dropped to his knees in front of me, his eyes full of sadness and sorrow.

"John, I understand you're feeling sad for your deceased mother, but you can't deny that she was mentally unstable when she was alive. That was why she deliberately threw herself in front of my car to yell at me…

"My mother was kind and generous her whole life, only to be framed as a mistress by your dead mother…"

As he spoke, a psychiatric evaluation certificate "accidentally" fell from his pocket. Mom's name was printed clearly on it.

A collective gasp rippled through the guests.

"I didn't expect both mother and son to be mentally ill. To think they abused Donny and Emma!"

With just a few sentences, everyone turned Mom and me into the villains who had bullied the other mother-and-son pair.

Seeing Donny's pitiful and wronged expression, Lisseth's face instantly darkened. "John, I didn't realize you had teamed up with your mother to bully them so early on. How could you do this?"

Dad's face turned crimson as he jabbed his finger at me. "You ungrateful bastard!"

Everything around me distorted into a grotesque blur as my mind spun.

"No, that's not true. Mom was perfectly normal—"

Before I could finish, my weak, exhausted body collapsed into Lisseth's arms. Her cruel voice sounded right next to my ear.

"The deed to your mother's family home is in my hands. Tell the cameras that Emma never came between your family. Come on, behave."

Her voice was incredibly gentle, but it was so cold it made my entire body shudder uncontrollably.

Before her death, Mom had fought with everything she had to protect that family home, so I would be left with some sense of security. It was also the only tangible thing I had left of her.

Using every last bit of strength I had, I hissed out, "You're despicable!"

The moment the words left my mouth, countless notifications flooded everyone's phones like a virus.

"Breaking news! The estate under the late Mrs. Kaufman's name is now being listed at Corelle's Auction House at a ridiculously low price!"

Meeting my terror-stricken gaze, Lisseth calmly—and confidently—stroked my head.

"Decide for yourself what's more important—a dead person's reputation, or her last remaining belongings."