All Chapters of Murder by Pinching Pennies: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

A heavy sigh came through the phone. "That brat! I never imagined she'd be the death of me."Immediately after, the voice of my mother-in-law, Gina Reed, was replaced by the frantic shouts of the medical personnel. "The patient has stopped breathing! Begin emergency resuscitation now!"I clutched the money I had scraped together over the years and rushed to the hospital, but I was too late.Gina had passed away after suffering massive blood loss in the accident.I fought back the tears welling up as I held the cash in my hand.After arranging for Gina to be taken to the funeral home, I went back home. Since she was Sophie Devine's mother, Sophie would have to handle the funeral arrangements herself.When I opened the door, I found several people in the living room. Emily Gellar sat on the couch with her legs crossed, streaks of blood covering her face. "Damn it. Just wait until I get my hands on her next time. What? Does she think bringing a few extra people means she can beat

Chapter 2

Sophie's gaze landed on the death certificate.Just as she was about to make out the name on it, Emily stood up and grabbed it. "A death certificate? You probably printed this at the shop downstairs. Let me handle this for you." A cruel smile appeared on her face, and she tore the document into shreds, dumping it in the trash can.Sophie didn't stop her.Even though it was the middle of summer, I felt a chill run down my spine.Sophie was truly heartless.I recalled the harrowing state Gina was in before she died. Clinging to her last breath, she had tried to call Sophie. But because of Emily's situation, Sophie hadn't answered.I tried to suppress my emotions as I stared coldly at Sophie. "Sophie, let's get a divorce. I'll take custody of Terry."Silence fell over the living room, broken only by the sound of heavy breathing.Sophie slowly looked up and locked eyes with me. "First, you make a fuss about someone dying, and now you're asking for a divorce. Aaron Parker, what th

Chapter 3

Sophie gave us a cold, hard look before storming out, leaving me staring after her in despair and resentment.I did a lot of thinking that night.I had always backed down and endured everything to keep everyone happy. I had believed that if I went along with Sophie's wishes, she would come to appreciate my efforts.But in the end, she took my kindness for granted and even pushed for more.Terry's birthday was the next day, and Gina's burial was the day after that. Once all of this was done, Terry and I would leave Sophie.Terry insisted on going to the amusement park on his birthday. Although I didn't really feel like it, I went along with him anyway. I just never expected to run into Sophie and Ron at a shopping mall. And Sophie had no idea that today was Terry's birthday.When Terry spotted her, he called out timidly. "Mommy, it's my birthday today. Did you get me a present?"Sophie turned, her gaze turning cold. "Your dad taught you to say that, didn't he?"Terry shook his

Chapter 4

Yet I wasn't as happy as I had expected after all that shopping. I even felt a bit disappointed.With his arms wrapped around his present, Terry nuzzled against the back of my hand. "Daddy, I don't want Mommy's presents anymore. I don't care about them."I couldn't bring myself to tell him about Sophie and my impending separation.Sophie didn't return home until late that night. Maybe it was because of what had happened earlier that day, but she was unusually gentle.My eyes landed on the battered robot sitting on the table. It looked like something that belonged in the trash, yet she had picked it up and brought it home.Terry had already fallen asleep after finishing his cake. But if he saw the present, he would probably hate it.I was lost in thought when Sophie took out the ledger again. "I'll put this gift on your tab and deduct it from next month's expenses. Oh, right. I'll give you an extra 100 dollars starting next month. That should be enough, right? Don't ever call me s

Chapter 5

Sophie had left in such a hurry that she'd forgotten to take her car keys.It had already been an hour since I sent her the message. She had no idea how far the funeral had progressed by then. With no other choice, she hailed a cab and headed to the nearest funeral home.While the staff checked the records, Sophie took out her phone and called me repeatedly, but I never answered. It was just like how she was never around to answer whenever I called.She finally understood what despair felt like.A few minutes later, the staff told her, "There's indeed a deceased named Gina Reed, aged 55, but she was buried today."Sophie was so shocked that she nearly fell to the floor. She clutched the staff's arms. "Could it be someone with the same name? How could it be my mom? How did she die?"The staff replied calmly and professionally. "She died three days ago from a car accident. We have her photo here. Do you want to verify it?"Sophie forced herself to stand straight, but the moment he

Chapter 6

Feeling hurt, Ron spoke in a low voice. "Ms. Devine, if I've done something wrong, just tell me. But could you please not speak to me like that?"In the past, whenever Ron was upset, Sophie couldn't help but soften up and put aside her pride to comfort him. But now, hearing his voice only left her feeling irritated.Just as Ron was about to speak again, Sophie ended the call. She had driven herself to the brink now, so she was in no position to help others.Sophie had simply felt pity for Ron's unfortunate circumstances and wanted to help him however she could. Little did she expect that her happy family would be destroyed because of this.She stared at the divorce agreement on the table. After a long while, she threw it into the trash can.She believed that if she apologized sincerely, Terry and I would forgive her. Besides, I hadn't been working all these years, and there was a record of every living expense she had given to me. Sophie believed I didn't have the money to fly or

Chapter 7

Sophie showed up at Dean's place, knowing I had nowhere to go.Dean blocked her at the door, refusing to let her in. "If you're thinking of convincing Aaron to go home with you, save your breath. He's not gonna do that."Sophie peered inside, her hands full of presents. This was the first time she was so generous with me.She said, "I want to talk to him. He hasn't even seen me yet. How can you be so sure he won't go back with me?"Dean was already furious with her, and now Sophie had practically given him the perfect chance to let it all out. "Sophie, what makes you think Aaron will go back with you?" he asked. "Don't you realize how awful you've been to him? You know he doesn't have a job, yet you still deliberately skimped on his expenses. 1,500 dollars is not even enough to send a beggar packing."Sophie tightened her grip on the presents. She lowered her gaze for a second before looking at Dean again. "I haven't been stingy. 1,500 dollars a month is more than enough. Aaron

Chapter 8

Sophie walked over to the doorway of my room. Her chest heaved, betraying her agitation.Dean stood outside, looking helpless. "Sorry, she forced her way in."I didn't blame him. He had already done more than enough for me.Taking in the situation, Dean slipped away and gave us some space to talk.Sophie held out the presents she had brought. "Aaron, these are for you." Noticing my lack of response, her voice softened further. "I think we should have a proper talk. Resorting to divorce when you're upset is not the solution."I took a few steps back and sat down on the edge of the bed.I hadn't made this decision on a whim. I had thought it through carefully before making up my mind.If Sophie could stand by and do nothing while Gina was in danger, then one day, she could do the same to Terry or me. I shouldn't entrust my own safety and my son's to someone I couldn't trust."I didn't make that decision on impulse. Sophie, just ask yourself. Have you really taken proper care of

Chapter 9

Terry pouted and wrapped his arms around me. "I don't want your gift. Daddy will buy it for me. You don't even love Daddy or me. You just love Ron."Sophie looked shocked. She had never once imagined that a four-year-old child would be capable of saying something like this. She had never paid attention to Terry's emotions before. Nor did she realize that, in his eyes, she was actually that kind of person."Terry, I love you and your daddy. I swear I'll become a better person. Can you please give me another chance?"Terry snorted, his voice carrying the stubbornness unique to a child. "No! I don't want to. You always lie."Sophie took a deep breath and looked at me again. "Aaron, I really hope you'll give me another chance. If you come back to me, I'll tear up that ledger, and there won't be any more financial plans. If you're still worried, I'll hand over all of my bank cards to you. Do whatever you want with them. I won't say a word.""It's too late, Sophie! Not every mistake c

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