I decided to take my father’s offer. I would leave my husband and son behind and go back to being his precious daughter. It was all because, after my surgery, I could suddenly hear my family’s true thoughts. My husband, Leo: 【Such a minor issue, and she’s been in the hospital for days. Now she’s home and still not doing anything. Can’t she see my suit needs ironing?】 My son, Noah: 【The surgery cost so much money, and now she’s drinking my favorite yogurt. Why can’t she be a boss like Aunt Corinne, instead of just sitting at home being a freeloader?】 My mother-in-law: 【Of all the times to come back, she had to show up right when I was making chicken soup. I’ll just add some of the dishwater from washing the pot and tell her I put in too much water.】 My heart turned to ash. I turned around, closed the bedroom door, and dialed my father’s number. “Yes, just me. I’m not bringing anyone.” It wasn’t until the next evening that Leo came home, my mother-in-law and son trailing behind him with bored expressions. The moment the door opened, the sweet, cloying voice of his colleague, Corinne, drifted from his phone. “Oh, Audrey, I’m so sorry! It was my birthday yesterday, and I can’t believe Leo skipped picking you up from the hospital just to celebrate with me. I’ve already given him a piece of my mind.” She was pretending to scold him, but the mockery in her voice was so thick it practically dripped from the phone. I watched Leo silently, about to speak, when my son’s thoughts flashed through my mind. 【Aunt Corinne is so gentle, not like my mom. She’s such a tigress, always nagging me about my homework.】 【Why can’t Aunt Corinne be my mom?】 My son leaned against the doorframe, scowling. I looked at the child I had carried for ten months, and a sharp pain lanced through my heart. Before I could react, Leo sat down on the edge of the bed, his voice a mask of gentle concern. “You should be lying down. You’re a grown woman, you need to take better care of yourself. If you get sick again, I’ll be really angry.” His tone was as warm and caring as ever. If I couldn't hear his inner thoughts, I would have fallen right back into his tender trap. 【Look at her, so dramatic. Is she going to throw a tantrum?】 【I have to keep her calm. If she gets angry and blurts out that this dump of a house is her prenuptial property, how am I supposed to keep Noah looking up to me?】 I suddenly wanted to laugh, but no sound came out. I had fallen for Leo at first sight, desperate to be with the poor scholarship student. I’d cut ties with my parents, run away from home, and had our son, Noah, out of wedlock. For ten years, on top of my job, I had taken care of this entire family’s every need. Now, after taking a short leave from work for breast surgery, I had discovered their true colors. A nest of vipers. I yanked the covers out from under Leo, my face a mask of displeasure. From the phone, Corinne’s voice was filled with feigned distress. “Leo, is Audrey mad at me because she’s not talking? You have to smooth things over for me!” My mother-in-law, who had just arrived, immediately saw the tension and stepped in to mediate. “Corinne, dear, don’t mind her. She’s just a housewife, not very presentable. Not like you, so young and successful. Audrey, if you’re not feeling well, just get some rest. We’re about to head out to help Corinne pick out furniture for her new house.” As she spoke, her inner voice echoed in my mind. 【Hmph! What a waste of money. A simple cyst, and she had to have it removed. Tens of thousands of dollars, just gone!】 【Thank goodness my son has latched onto a successful businesswoman. A promotion and a raise are practically guaranteed. He’d never get rich staying with this woman.】 I looked at my so-called family, their faces hidden behind masks of false concern, and felt nothing but cold indifference. “Leo,” I said, my voice flat, “since you’re all so busy, why don’t you sign the divorce papers on the dresser? Then I won’t bother you anymore.” My words left them all gaping in shock. “Audrey, that’s enough,” Leo snapped. “So I didn’t pick you up from the hospital. Is that a reason to threaten me with divorce just to make me apologize? Corinne already explained what happened yesterday. I’ve been incredibly busy these last two days, with a mountain of work at the office. You’re out of the hospital, so just rest and recover. Don’t cause trouble for me.” Before he could finish, my son’s face lit up with excitement as he looked at Leo. 【Dad, sign it! Sign it!】 【I can’t stand this old hag for another day!】 【If you divorce her and marry Aunt Corinne, I can get the coolest gaming gear!】 Leo, however, seemed to miss his son’s cues, a different thought running through his mind. 【She was the one who was desperate to marry me. There’s no way she can live without me.】 【This divorce thing is just a tantrum. She’ll be over it in three days.】 It was Corinne on the phone who broke the silence. It was laughable, really. Leo had been clutching that phone like a lifeline since he walked in. “Audrey, please don’t misunderstand. There’s nothing going on between Leo and me. Please don’t let me affect your marriage.” I ignored her completely. “Leo, I’m not throwing a tantrum. I’m informing you.” I was tired. I was done serving this family of ungrateful parasites. Sensing the cold indifference on my face, Leo, who had been halfway out the door, turned back, his tone softening. “Audrey, it was just a ride from the hospital. You’re home safe now, aren't you? Don’t make a big deal out of nothing. Corinne even called specifically to explain things to you. Don't be so unforgiving. You used to be so understanding and reasonable. How did one little surgery turn you into such a drama queen? You need to calm down. Don't do anything impulsive that you'll regret later.” I couldn’t be bothered to respond. I pulled the covers over my head and turned away. I didn’t sleep all night. Neither Leo nor the others came home. Since I had decided to leave, I planned to move my things to the new villa my father had bought for me. It would be a better place to recover. The villa was his welcome-home gift. All those years ago, I had thrown away my life as a wealthy heiress to run off with Leo. My parents were angry, but they were helpless. In the end, afraid I would suffer, they bought me the house we were living in now as my prenuptial property. But for the sake of Leo’s pathetic pride, I never corrected his lie that he had bought it himself. Because of that, my mother-in-law had never missed an opportunity to make snide remarks, and my son had learned to look down on me too. For ten years, my father had repeatedly asked me to come home and take over the family business. I couldn’t bear to leave Leo, and I couldn't bear to leave my son. I always refused. But now that they had all found someone new to latch onto, my leaving shouldn’t matter at all. I went to a law firm owned by my father’s company. As I was getting into a taxi, I got a call from the moving company. “Ms. White? Is it convenient for you to come to the delivery address? There seems to be a problem with it!” The driver sounded anxious, and I could hear arguing in the background. I urged the taxi driver to hurry to the villa. When I arrived, I was stunned. The yard of the brand-new villa my father had bought for me was a chaotic mess, and clothes were hanging on the balcony. And Corinne, the "boss" Leo had been talking about, was standing there in her pajamas, hands on her hips, blocking the movers from entering. “Ms. White, are you sure this is the place?” the head mover asked, embarrassed. I remembered what Leo and his mother had said about picking out furniture for Corinne’s new house. I had assumed she had just bought a new place and was decorating. I never imagined her “new house” was the villa my father had given me. I also remembered my father mentioning on the phone that he had been sponsoring a female student. I looked at Corinne and everything clicked. So, the "successful businesswoman" Leo was so proud of was just an imposter, using my house to put on airs. And Leo, my son, and my mother-in-law had all been completely fooled, thinking they had struck gold with a wealthy woman. I was about to expose her when she spoke first. “Ms. White, this house was a gift from my father. What are you doing here? This is a high-end neighborhood. If you break anything, you won't be able to afford it. As I recall, your family doesn’t have much left, unlike me. My parents would give me the moon if I asked for it.” She lazily ran a hand through her hair, her face glowing with smug satisfaction. I couldn’t be bothered to argue. I pulled out the deed to the house and said flatly, “This is my villa. Please leave immediately.” The words were barely out of my mouth when my son peeked out from behind Corinne, a brand-new gaming console in his hands. “Mom, seriously, you need to know your limits. If you could afford a big villa like this, do you think I’d be begging for a game console? Did the anesthesia from your surgery mess with your brain?” My mother-in-law chimed in. “Audrey, that’s enough. Don’t embarrass yourself in public.” Corinne burst out laughing. “Your villa? That’s hilarious. It’s not that I look down on you, but with your four-thousand-a-month salary, you couldn’t afford this place if you worked your whole life. And now you don’t even have that job.” She turned to the security guard who had hurried over. “Is this how you do your job? Letting any riff-raff in? If something goes missing, are you going to pay for it?” The guard bowed and scraped, apologizing profusely, then turned to me with a threatening glare. “How did you get in here? You have three minutes to leave, or I’m calling the police.” The moving truck was blocking the road, and a crowd of onlookers had gathered. “What’s going on? Didn’t Mr. Sterling give this villa to Miss Corinne? How did another owner suddenly appear?” “Maybe she’s some kind of lunatic. Look at how shabby she’s dressed. She doesn’t look like she has any connection to the Sterling family.” “An illegitimate daughter?” “Don’t be ridiculous! Mr. Sterling adores his wife. There’s no way he has an illegitimate child!” As the crowd buzzed, Corinne basked in their praise, her chin held high. Suddenly, Leo pushed his way through the crowd. The man who was usually impeccably dressed and obsessed with cleanliness was wearing old work clothes, his hands full of cleaning supplies. He was apparently here to help Corinne with the initial deep clean. A chill went through me. In all our years together, even when I was recovering from childbirth, he had never lifted a finger to help with the housework. He didn’t even know how to use the mop. “Corinne, it’s dirty out here. You should go inside. You have allergies, you can’t be breathing in all this dust.” “Yeah, Aunt Corinne! Dad and Grandma are here to help. You should go take a beauty nap. Don’t stress yourself out over unimportant people.” At that, my mother-in-law rolled up her sleeves, ready to get to work. The father and son duo chattered on, completely ignoring me. After years of me serving them, they never once offered to help. I remembered when my allergies were acting up, and I asked my mother-in-law to sweep under the bed. Leo had just yelled at me for acting like a spoiled princess, saying I had the diseases of the rich without the wealth. “Just wear a couple of extra masks! Plenty of people have allergies, do they just stop cleaning their houses and living their lives?” At the time, I had actually felt guilty, apologizing for not adapting to his lifestyle quickly enough. Only now did I understand. It wasn't that he didn't know allergies were miserable. It was that my misery didn't matter. Corinne was clearly delighted by their fawning. Her sharp, spiteful demeanor melted away, replaced by a delicate frown as she covered her nose. “Leo, it’s not that I don’t want to go inside. But with Ms. White here, I have to be a good hostess.” Finally, Leo’s gaze followed Corinne’s and landed on me.
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