Chapter 3
924 Words
"Amara, get out of here! You're tearing a family apart, you're nothing but a cheap, vicious woman! Aren't you afraid of what comes around, goes around? I'll make sure you never have a moment of peace!"
Mrs. Ellise Hale's voice was so loud and shrill that everyone in the entire office could hear every word.
I pulled out my phone, dialed Knox's number, turned on speaker mode, and slipped it into my pocket. This was a matter that should be handled by her own son‑in‑law, after all.
If Audrey's mother was willing to stoop this low, it was no wonder Audrey had learned to do the same.
The moment she caught sight of me, she switched instantly into full performance mode.
"Amara, you're just jealous, aren't you? Jealous that my Audrey is prettier than you, and married better than you, too! You can't stand seeing other people happy, so you go and ruin their marriage!"
She whipped her head around, searching the room until her gaze landed on one of the employees.
"Where's your manager?" she demanded at the top of her lungs. "Call your manager out here right now! A vicious woman like her should be fired immediately!"
She kept screaming that I was jealous of her daughter's husband.
The irony was almost laughable.
The truth was, her precious daughter had been the one crawling into my husband's bed.
When her shouting didn't get the reaction she wanted, she threw herself onto the floor, rolling around and wailing at the top of her lungs. It was so over‑the‑top it made my skin crawl.
I glanced at my phone and saw that Knox had already ended the call.
I turned on the camera, then called out to my colleagues nearby.
"Sorry, everyone, it looks like I've got someone trying to pull a scam here. If this lady suddenly claims she's hurt or sick later, please make sure you all testify that I never laid a finger on her."
Ellise had clearly expected me to panic or back down, so when I didn't play along, she froze for a second. But she'd been practicing this act for years, and she quickly recovered.
"Look at her, everyone! Just look! Good heavens, she has a heart made of stone! She's manipulating my son-in-law into divorcing my daughter, pushing her to the edge of ruin!"
Perfect. That was exactly what I needed to hear. Her words only fueled my anger.
"Ma'am, all I did was tell your son‑in‑law the truth that your daughter has been cheating on him."
She gasped dramatically, clutching her chest. "That's a lie! There is no such thing! You're making this up to destroy my daughter's family! What a sin to commit! Why don't you just drop dead yourself?!"
With that, she lunged forward, hands raised to strike me.
I calmly rolled up my sleeves. If she wanted a fight, this time I'd be more than happy to deliver a little justice.
But just as she reached me, a tall figure stepped firmly in front of me, blocking her path.
My brother‑in‑law had arrived much faster than I expected.
He gave me a brief nod, then turned his gaze to the woman on the floor, his face hard with anger. "Are you done yet?"
Ellise jumped up, waving her arms and wailing even louder. "I can't take this anymore! Where is justice in this world? You're driving my daughter and me to our graves! Where is the manager? Someone come and stop this madness!"
I peeked out from behind Knox, and as soon as she saw me, she reached out to grab my hair.
He pushed her back firmly, standing like a wall between us, his voice turning cold and sharp.
"If you keep making a scene, I'll make sure Audrey leaves this marriage with nothing, not a single penny. And your son? He'll be out of his job at my company before sunset."
But she wasn't the least bit intimidated. She flailed around like a madwoman, determined to get past him and take me on face‑to‑face.
Watching her, I suddenly felt a twinge of pity for my brother‑in‑law. To have put up with a mother‑in‑law like this for five or six years, he deserved a medal.
"All right, all right," I said, stepping out from behind him. "Let her come closer if she wants. I happen to have photos on my phone, pictures of your daughter in bed with my husband. They turned out quite clear, actually. Since all my colleagues are here, why don't we take a look together?"
At the mention of solid evidence, her face flushed red with embarrassment. Even with her thick skin, she couldn't stay there any longer. She turned and scurried away as fast as she could.
Audrey had told her mother about the divorce, but she'd conveniently left out the part where she'd been caught in the act.
Knox turned to me, his expression apologetic. "I'm sorry about this. I'll handle everything at home. Nothing like this will ever happen again."
But I knew better...
People like them never give up so easily. They wouldn't rest until they'd tried every trick in the book.
- Writer
