Three years after Harvey disappeared, the old house was bought out by developers for a fortune. Just as I was holding the check, ready to start a new life, he pushed the door open. He brought a young nurse with him. She was heavily pregnant, calling me "Sister" in a sickeningly sweet voice. Harvey pushed his gold-rimmed glasses and ordered me self-righteously: "Nicole, since you can't have children, you should have some self-awareness." "Hand over the buyout money for Lola's baby. When the child is born, he can call you Godmother." "As for you, stay home and serve Lola during her recovery. Consider it atonement for me." I silently put away the keys to my new BMW and looked at him like he was brain-damaged. "Harvey, did you lose your brain along with your memory? This house is my pre-marital property. The money has nothing to do with you." "Also, I already declared you legally dead. I flushed your ashes down the toilet. You are now officially a ghost." Chapter 1 I was still holding the thermos lunch box I made for Pierce. The heat was still radiating from it. But Harvey sat on my new Italian leather sofa like he owned the place. He crossed his legs, patting the armrest with disgust. "What is this taste? The color is too bright. Tacky. When the money comes, throw all this furniture out. Lola likes French Country style." The woman named Lola covered her nose and fake-retched. "Oh, Harvey, is the Feng Shui bad here? My chest feels tight. Will it hurt our little golden nugget?" Harvey immediately supported her nervously, then glared at me viciously. "Did you hear that? Open all the windows! If you scare my son, can you afford to pay?" I sneered and slammed the thermos onto the coffee table. "Pay? Are you worthy?" I went into the bedroom, took out a file folder, and threw it in Harvey's face. "Read it. This is the receipt for your death certificate cancellation. Three years ago, you ran away from gambling debts. Everyone was looking for you." "As your legal widow, I did my duty and cleaned up your mess." Harvey picked up the paper, his face turning purple. He tore the certificate into shreds, confetti raining down. "Nicole! You toxic woman! Cursing me when I'm not even dead?" "I just went into hiding for a few years! I did it for this family!" "And you? Unfaithful! While I was gone, did you hook up with some wild man?" The more he spoke, the more righteous he felt. He stood up and pointed at my nose. "Who is this Pierce? The security guard mentioned him. Your boy toy?" "Fine. Spending my money on a gigolo? Now that I'm back, I'm the head of this house! Hand over the bank card with the buyout money immediately! It will be my startup capital for returning to the family! Otherwise, I'll make you leave with nothing!" Lola chimed in sarcastically: "Sister, you're being unreasonable. The man is the sky. No matter what he did outside, as long as he comes back, you should welcome him on your knees." "Especially since Harvey has an heir now. A hen that can't lay eggs like you should be grateful." Watching these two sing their duet, I felt disgusted. And amused. Three years ago, Harvey sold everything we owned to gamble. He owed loan sharks and ran away overnight. Debtors splashed paint on my door and threatened me. I sold my jewelry and worked day and night to pay them off. I took care of his paralyzed father until he died. Harvey never called once. Now that he heard about the buyout money, he sniffed his way back? I picked up the cup of hot tea on the table. "You're right. I should welcome you." Harvey smiled smugly, thinking I gave in. "That's right. As long as you obey..." Splash. A cup of scalding tea, right in his face. Tea leaves hung from his glasses. He screamed like a pig. "Nicole! Are you crazy?!" I watched him jump around blankly. "This is a libation for the dead. You're welcome. Also, the deed has only my name on it. My parents left it to me. I signed the buyout agreement alone." "As for leaving with nothing..." I took out my phone and dialed 911. "Hello, police? I want to report a break-in." "Two unidentified intruders are in my home. The man claims to be my dead husband. The woman is an accomplice." "Yes, they are trying to rob me and threatening me." Hearing me call the police, Harvey finally panicked. He lunged to grab my phone. "You dare call the cops? I'm your husband!" I dodged and grabbed the heavy crystal ashtray. "My husband died three years ago. I flushed his ashes." "If you touch me now, it's home invasion and assault." The police arrived quickly. Two officers looked at the mess and the screaming Harvey. "ID, please." Harvey took out his scratched-up ID card. The officer scanned it. Frowned. "ID invalid. Status: Deceased." "Sir, in the system, you are dead." Harvey was frantic. "Officer, this woman harmed me! I'm alive! Look, I'm warm!" The officer looked at him coldly. "Doesn't matter. Your legal status is revoked. You are a ghost in the system." "This lady is charging you with trespassing. Come with us." Lola turned pale, hiding behind Harvey. "Harvey... this isn't what you said..." As Harvey was dragged out, he yelled back: "Nicole! Just you wait! I went on a secret mission abroad to protect you!" "You'll regret treating me like this!" I leaned against the door, twirling my BMW keys. "Goodbye, ghost." Chapter 2 Harvey wasn't held for long. He was alive, after all. Proving his identity was just a matter of time. But I underestimated his thick skin. The next morning, I was woken up by wailing in the hallway. I opened the door. Harvey had brought his nightmare of a mother. His mom sat on my doormat, slapping her thighs and crying. "No justice! My daughter-in-law stole the family fortune and tried to kill her husband! My son suffered for three years, and now he can't even enter his own home!" "Everyone look! This toxic woman got rich and turned heartless!" It was rush hour. Neighbors gathered around. Harvey stood there, looking disheveled and pitiful. Lola, with her belly, handed out candy to the neighbors. "Auntie, have some candy. I'm Harvey's partner. Even though Sister doesn't accept me, I hope for your blessings." "Sister isn't bad, just... too greedy." The neighbors started whispering. "That's too much. Not letting her husband in?" "I heard the buyout was huge. She probably wants it all." "The mistress is wrong, but she's pregnant. Can't be too harsh." I stood at the door, laughing in anger. Moral kidnapping? I, Nicole, have never been afraid of a shrew. I went back inside and brought out the megaphone I charged last night. Max volume. Play. "Harvey! Male! 32! Three years ago, abandoned wife and child due to massive gambling debts! Debt list: $50k to John, $80k to Mike, $300k to loan sharks..." "Harvey's Mom! While her son ran away, faked illness to scam daughter-in-law out of $50k for medical bills, actually used it for Mahjong!" The megaphone looped my "Indictment" loudly. It drowned out the old lady's crying. The neighbors froze. "Gambling debts?" "Faked illness for Mahjong?" "Came back for the money with a pregnant mistress?" Seeing the tide turn, Harvey's mom jumped up and rushed at me. "You little slut! I'll tear your mouth!" She clawed at my face. I dodged. She slipped and face-planted on the floor. "Ouch! Assault! Daughter-in-law beating her mother-in-law!" She rolled on the ground. Harvey rushed up to push me. "Nicole! You dare touch my mom!" Just as his hand reached my shoulder... A strong hand clamped onto his wrist like a vice. "Touch her and see what happens." A low, cold voice. Pierce stood there in his uniform, tall and imposing. He just came from the station. He held a file. His massive Land Rover was parked downstairs, a sharp contrast to Harvey's poverty. Harvey grimaced in pain, eyes red with jealousy. "Is this the gigolo? Did you incite Nicole to kill me?" Pierce sneered and applied pressure. Harvey screamed and dropped to his knees. "Kill you? Legally, you're dead. Also, according to the latest city ordinance, this is a demolition zone. No loitering." "You are a squatter. Leave, or I'll have security throw you out like trash." Pierce let go. Chapter 3 Seeing Harvey lose, Lola clutched her belly and screamed. "Ouch... my stomach... it hurts..." "He pushed me! He wants to kill our son!" "She's pregnant! Don't let anything happen!" I took out my phone. "Stomach ache? Let's call an ambulance." "Pierce knows the director of the City Hospital. Let's do a full checkup." "And while we're at it, an amniocentesis. Let's see if it's Harvey's seed. I'll pay." Hearing "amniocentesis," Lola stopped screaming. "No... it's fine. I just need to rest." "Harvey, let's go. The energy here is bad." Harvey got up, glaring at me and Pierce. "Nicole! Wait and see! This isn't over!" He helped his cursing mother and guilty mistress away. They scurried off like rats. Pierce turned around, his cold aura vanishing. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his eyes gentle. "You okay? Next time, let me handle the trash." I shook the megaphone. "No need for your 'Ultimate Move' on these low-level mobs." Pierce held my hand. Warm and dry. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, they can't do anything." But I underestimated their shamelessness. Two days later, I came home to find my lock glued shut. Harvey's mom was wearing my pajamas, eating a green onion in the hallway. "Oh, you're back? Buy some ribs. I want soup tonight." Inside, I almost had a stroke. Living room trashed. Cigarette burns on my leather sofa. Harvey smoking with his feet on the table. Lola at my vanity, smearing my $500 face cream on her belly. My dog locked on the balcony under the sun, panting. Harvey blew a smoke ring. "Nicole, don't bother. I changed the lock. If you don't give the money, we live here." "Half this house is mine anyway. If we can't live well, no one lives." "Oh, the dog was too loud. If you don't pay tomorrow, I'll stew it for Lola." I looked at my Golden Retriever on the balcony. Pierce gave him to me. He was my son. "Fine. Stay if you want." I put down my bag and went to the kitchen. "Want rib soup? I'll make it." The three of them exchanged victorious glances. "Should have done this sooner," the old lady grumbled. I opened the cabinet and took out a packet of strong laxatives I bought for the neighbor. I dumped the whole packet into the soup. Added lots of pepper to mask the taste. "Dinner!" I served the soup, giving Lola a huge bowl. They were starving. They gulped it down. "Your cooking got worse. Too bitter," the old lady complained. Lola was happy. "Sister, I'm the mistress of this house now. You sleep in the maid's room." "Sure. If you can sleep tonight." Thirty minutes later. First the old lady. Face green. A thunderous fart. She rushed to the bathroom. Then Harvey. Pale faced. Dancing at the bathroom door. "Mom! Hurry up! I'm gonna explode!" Finally Lola. Rolling on the floor in pain. Chapter 4 One bathroom. Three people. Chaos. It was a biohazard zone. While they were weak and collapsing, I ran to the balcony and saved my dog. Then I threw their luggage into the hallway. Holding my breath, I dragged the three stinking bodies out the door one by one. "Get out!" Slam. I called Pierce. "Bring someone to change the lock. The most expensive fingerprint one!" That night, the Harvey family wrapped themselves in sheets and cursed in the hallway. Neighbors complained about the smell. Security threw them out. But the next day, Harvey's mom hung a banner at the gate. "Toxic Wife Nicole Murders Husband's Family!" I looked at the banner. No more games. Pierce brought his legal team. A row of suits stood at the gate. Pierce handed Harvey a letter. "Mr. Harvey, regarding your illegal entry, destruction of property, and defamation." "My client is suing." But Harvey knew how to play the victim in the age of viral traffic. He found a sleazy media outlet and started a livestream. On camera, Harvey looked beaten (from falling while having diarrhea). He claimed it was domestic abuse. "Family! I didn't disappear! I was imprisoned by that toxic woman for three years!" "She wanted the buyout money! She poisoned me! Locked me in the basement!" "If Lola didn't save me, I'd be dead!" He showed his scars. (From loan sharks in Vegas). Lola cried beside him. "Harvey is so pitiful... Sister, how could you be so cruel? This is his child..." They forged a diary. Detailing how I conspired with my "lover" Pierce to make Harvey disappear. Public opinion exploded. "Omg! Real life Gone Girl!" "Evil woman! Death penalty!" "That lover is a cop? Investigate him!" Netizens doxxed me. Death threats. Abusive texts. "Die, toxic woman!" "I'll throw poop at your door!" I dared not go out. Neighbors looked at me with fear. Someone threw a dead rat at my window. I hid behind the curtains, watching the streamers downstairs. They filmed my window, chanting justice for clicks. Pierce was suspended pending investigation. "Nicole, don't be scared. I'm finding evidence. Don't go out," he rasped on the phone. But before Pierce's evidence came, the police knocked. "Ms. Yu, based on the diary and allegations, you are suspected of attempted murder and illegal imprisonment. Please come with us."
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