Chapter 2

I frowned. “Chloe, when did you buy that necklace? I’ve never seen it before.”

She blinked and smiled proudly. “I bought it last month.”

I looked at her. “But you only make four thousand dollars a month. Last time, you told me you couldn’t save any money. Where did you get nearly one hundred thousand dollars for that necklace?”

Her eyes flickered. Then they reddened, and her face filled with hurt.

“Emily, I may not earn as much as you, but you can’t humiliate me like this!”

“Am I not worthy of having someone treat me well?”

Jason’s expression changed almost instantly. He stepped in front of Chloe and Leo like a protector and glared at me furiously.

“Emily, are you done? First you threaten me with divorce, and now you’re bullying Chloe too. How can you be so vicious?”

“Someone like you doesn’t deserve that ten million dollars! I’m going to transfer five million to Chloe as an apology for the way you treated her!”

Even Leo, who was still being held by Chloe, clenched his fists and stood up for her.

“You bad woman! Don’t bully Aunt Chloe! Apologize to her right now!”

When I saw the necklace around Chloe’s neck, I had only been suspicious.

But now, everything was clear.

Without wasting any words, I reached out and tore the necklace from her neck.

Chloe cried out and looked at Jason in panic.

Jason roared, “Emily, that’s Chloe’s necklace! Do you have no shame?”

I ignored them and stared at the special characters engraved on the necklace.

D&T offered custom engraving. The day I saw Jason’s purchase record, I had also seen that he had ordered the letters “J&C” engraved on it.

At the time, I thought they must have had some special meaning.

Now I realized they were the initials of Jason and Chloe’s names.

My husband and my best friend had crossed the line behind my back long ago.

Even my own child, whom I had carried for ten months and given birth to, had somehow grown closer to Chloe than to me.

I pointed at the letters on the necklace and asked mockingly,

“What about these? How are you going to explain them?”

“Jason, do I really need to remind you that the purchase record for this custom necklace is on your account?”

The disgust on Jason’s face was replaced by a trace of panic.

“Can you stop being paranoid all the time? And who gave you permission to look through my phone?”

Chloe’s eyes were red as she choked out,

“Emily, I don’t know what I’ve done to offend you, but no matter what, you shouldn’t take your anger out on Jason and Leo because of me.”

Tears streamed down her face. “If leaving would help your family live peacefully, then I’m willing to leave right now and never appear in front of you again!”

With that, she put Leo down and rushed toward the door.

But Leo clung tightly to her leg and burst into heartbroken sobs.

“Aunt Chloe, don’t go! Make that bad woman leave! I hate her! She doesn’t deserve to be my mother!”

Even Jason hurried to block the doorway.

“Chloe, don’t say things you don’t mean. None of this is your fault.”

Watching the scene unfold, I found it absurd and said sarcastically,

“If someone didn’t know better, they’d think the three of you were the real family.”

Leo looked at Jason and actually asked,

“Daddy, can Aunt Chloe be my mommy? I don’t want that bad woman to be my mother!”