Chapter 3 - The Secret Recording
Margaret placed her empty wine glass back onto the table with a heavy, authoritative thud.
"I have officially decided that I will be moving into the east wing of the estate next month," she declared proudly.
"The natural lighting in those suites is simply much better for my morning yoga routines."
Ashley laughed again, a high-pitched sound that grated against my nerves like shattered glass.
"And I have decided that I will turn your large home office into my future baby's nursery," Ashley added with a smug grin.
"I mean, you clearly don't need a corporate workspace since you don't even manage the family finances anymore."
Ryan didn't even hesitate to validate their outrageous and entitled demands.
"Sounds absolutely perfect to me," he agreed smoothly, pouring himself another glass of expensive red wine.
"My mother and my sister will always come first in this family, and it is time we utilized this massive house properly."
I slowly looked around the room, making sure my phone was capturing the flawless audio of their conversation.
They were casually discussing carving up my ancestral home as if I were already dead and buried.
They thought my broken arm was a symbol of my absolute and permanent defeat.
I carefully lifted my water glass with my good left hand, making sure to keep my posture perfectly straight.
"To ownership," I said softly, raising the glass a few inches into the air.
The entire table erupted into laughter once again, completely missing the dangerous double meaning of my words.
They genuinely thought I was raising a pathetic toast to Ryan's newfound dominance over my life and my fortune.
I set the glass down and checked the digital clock resting on the fireplace mantle across the room.
It was exactly eight o'clock in the evening.
Thirty minutes later, right as Margaret was demanding that our private chef bring out the dessert course, the silence was shattered.
The deep, resonant chime of the front doorbell echoed loudly through the grand hallways of the mansion.
Ryan immediately stopped chewing his food and frowned in absolute confusion.
"Were you actually expecting someone at this hour?" he asked, narrowing his dark eyes at me.
"Yes," I answered calmly, refusing to break eye contact with him.
"I have been waiting for them to arrive all evening long."
Ryan let out a frustrated sigh, tossed his linen napkin onto his plate, and stood up from the table.
He walked confidently out of the dining room and headed straight toward the grand entryway to answer the door.
I sat perfectly still, listening to the heavy sound of his footsteps echoing on the marble floor.
May you like
I heard the loud click of the deadbolt sliding open, followed by the heavy wooden door swinging wide.
And then, I heard the sound of my husband's arrogant voice completely failing him.
