Chapter 3

"Donald, what are you babbling about?! You say it's fake, so it's fake? Then I say Bruna paid for this house in full!"

Maurice felt uncomfortable under my stare and flew into a rage.

I ignored him and poured myself another cup of tea.

"After all this talk, you won't give up the house, right? Fine, but you won't get a penny of Bruna's massive accidental death insurance payout! You cheated during your marriage—I'll sue you!"

"Go ahead and sue me if you dare. I'll be right here waiting."

I set the teacup down heavily on the coffee table.

Anderson trembled, his body unstable.

He shakily supported himself on the table and suddenly coughed up blood.

"Dad!"

Maurice rushed forward to support him in a panic.

"If anything happens to my dad, I'll fight you to the death!"

"Then go ahead and fight me."

I toyed with the lighter, flicking it open with a "click," then closing it with another "click."

Through the flame, I secretly observed the three of them.

They seemed frightened by my appearance and all fell silent.

Carol was the first to speak, though this time her attitude was more moderate than before.

"Donald, we won't take the house, but you must give us every penny of that compensation."

"Once you give it to us, we'll leave immediately and never bother you again."

After listening, the corner of my mouth curved up.

As expected, demanding the house earlier was just their test.

The massive compensation was their real goal.

I gave Gina a look.

She threw some shade at Carol, "I've seen shameless people, but I've never seen anyone this shameless."

"You have no right to speak here! Get lost!"

"This is Donald's house. If anyone should leave, it's you."

"It must be you, you homewrecker, who seduced Donald! Otherwise, why would someone usually so honest suddenly change like this today? I'll slap that face of yours raw!"

"Stop."

I grabbed Carol's hand and flung it away.

"Are you okay?"

I held Gina's hand, asking her gently. Gina shook her head.

"I'm fine. This will be over soon."

I held her tightly.

Seeing this, Carol burst into tears.

"The world has gone to hell! Poor Bruna—she cared for you so tenderly when she was alive and never did anything wrong to you. But barely two days after her death, you're embracing your mistress and flirting everywhere!

Bruna, even if you came back to life and saw this scene, you'd be so angry you'd die again!"

After hearing these words, I didn't let go. Instead, I held Gina even tighter.

Carol wasn't wrong. Bruna and I had known each other since school.

Every exam, we tied for first place in the entire school.

After college graduation, I confessed my feelings to her.

She shyly told me that I had always been her secret crush.

I thought, perhaps this was fate. We got together.

In the ten years since our marriage, our relationship had grown stronger day by day, never a single quarrel.

You could say she had been part of my entire life.

But I couldn't agree with Carol's last sentence.

How could I bear to make Bruna angry? Bruna and I would only be happier in the future.

Seeing me still holding Gina, Carol's emotions became complicated.

Her eyes darted around, as if thinking of something.

Suddenly, her voice became extremely shrill.

"I know now—you two conspired together to kill Bruna! Donald, give me back Bruna's life!"