Chapter 1

My dad had been single since my mom passed away. But recently, I heard he was seeing a young woman.

I rushed home to check.

The moment I pushed open the master bedroom door, I saw Jennifer, my gold-digging friend, lying on my dad's bed in a camisole, taking selfies with her phone.

She saw me, casually ran a hand through her hair, and smirked.

"Truth is, your dad has already agreed to marry me."

I couldn't help but let out a scoff. "Oh really?"

She seemed surprised by my calmness, freezing for a moment before looking even more smug.

"From now on, I'm your stepmom! As long as you don't cause trouble, we can still be besties. And I won't shortchange you on your allowance."

Watching her smug face, I laughed even harder.

Had my dad not told her that my mom left all of our family's assets for me to inherit?

My dad was just a broke parasite living in my house!

I watched Jennifer's self-satisfied expression, swallowing the sarcastic retort that was on the tip of my tongue.

Spoiling the fun now would be pointless.

Since she wanted to play the clown, I'd give her a stage.

"So, you and my dad already signed the marriage certificate?" I raised an eyebrow.

Jennifer immediately pulled a marriage certificate from the drawer and slapped it onto the nightstand.

"See?" She lifted her chin, her eyes full of provocation.

"Musa went to Dubai to finalize that multi-billion dollar oil field project. He made sure to marry me before he left."

"He said he didn't want me to feel slighted, so he didn't even make me sign a prenup."

I almost lost my composure.

Musa went to Dubai? He was clearly hiding from creditors in another city.

His marketing company had imploded last week, leaving him with an eighty-million-dollar debt. The creditors were practically at our doorstep.

That old scammer actually managed to con an ignorant young woman into marriage before skipping town.

He probably just wanted to use Jennifer as a shield.

I nodded, pretending to be convinced.

"So, what's the proper way to address you now?"

Jennifer giggled, covering her mouth.

"Don't blame me. It's not my fault your dad is loaded, is it? You used to treat me like a sidekick, throwing a few designer bags my way and thinking you were superior. Well, now I'm your stepmom."

The words had barely left her mouth when a thunderous banging erupted downstairs.

Followed by the shouts of several rough voices.

"Careful with those! If you scratch this imported flooring, you won't be able to afford the repairs!"

I frowned, got up, and walked to the corridor to look down.

A dozen burly men in moving company uniforms were streaming into the living room, carrying large bags and boxes.

Leading them, barking orders, were a flamboyant middle-aged couple.

They were Jennifer's parents, Laura and Kevin.

Kevin strolled around with his hands behind his back, like a petty king surveying his domain, touching everything.

"This couch leather is no good. The color's too dark. Have someone replace it with real leather tomorrow, and change the color too!"

Laura nodded enthusiastically.

"Exactly. Jennifer's a wealthy socialite now. This house needs to be redecorated to our taste."

I turned to look at Jennifer, who had followed me out. She met my gaze defiantly.

"My parents worked hard to raise me. Now that I've married into money, of course, I'm bringing them here to enjoy it."

"This villa has five floors, it's practically empty anyway."

I watched the farce downstairs with a cold gaze, saying nothing.

Jennifer mistook my silence for submission, and her arrogance grew.

She walked to the guest bedroom door, pushing it wide open.

That was my art studio, filled with many antique pieces my mom had left behind.

"This room gets great light, perfect for my parents."

She pointed to the portrait of my mom on the wall.

"Get rid of all this junk. It's bad luck to look at."

My hands, hanging at my sides, instantly clenched.

"Those are my things," I said softly.

Jennifer sneered, taking two steps closer.

"Victoria, do you even understand what's happening?

"Your dad personally said I'm in charge of this house from now on."

"Don't think just because you're Musa's ex-wife's daughter that you don't have to listen to me. I'm the lady of the house now!"

She turned and yelled downstairs, "Dad! Mom! Come up and pick your rooms!"

Her parents heard the commotion and clomped upstairs.

Laura's eyes immediately lit up at the sight of the bed in my art studio.

"Oh, this bed looks so grand!"

She plopped down on it, bouncing twice with exaggerated force.

"This room is ours now," Laura declared, pointing at me. "You, hurry up and clear your stuff out."

Kevin chimed in.

"Victoria, I'm not trying to be mean. But you're old enough. Why don't you hurry up and find someone to marry and move out?"

"What kind of sense does it make to just cling to your father's house all day?"

I looked at this family of brazen intruders. These idiots were truly audacious.

I pulled out my phone and started recording.

"Fine, move whatever you want."

"But I'll warn you, if you damage even one item in this room, you won't be able to afford to replace it."

Jennifer rolled her eyes.

"Who are you trying to scare? This is Musa's house! If I break something, I'm only breaking my own stuff!"

With that, she picked up an expensive vase from the table, let go, and with a crisp "CRASH!" sound, porcelain fragments scattered across the floor.

Jennifer looked at me defiantly.

"I broke it. What are you going to do about it?"