Chapter 4My Sister In Law Is His Ex

Simon sighed, a sound of profound disappointment, as if I was being the difficult one. "Chloe, I know it seems unfair. But Lydia is fragile. She needs security. I couldn't risk her having another breakdown."

"Besides," he added with a sickening casualness, "I’m not leaving you. We can still live here. It’s just a piece of paper."

He spoke as if allowing me to live in the house I bought was an act of charity.

Before I could find the words to scream, his phone buzzed. It was her. It was always her. He checked it, his face instantly twisting into a mask of anxiety. "Lydia’s not feeling well. I have to go to her."

He paused at the door, looking back with a patronizing smile. "Eat something, Chloe. You look pale. We’ll talk when I get back."

The moment the front door clicked shut, the bile rose in my throat. I tore through the house. I checked every drawer, every cabinet, every hidden nook.

Finally, in Lydia’s room, tucked inside a jewelry box she’d "borrowed" from me, I found it. The deed.

There it was, in black and white. Lydia Vance. Sole owner.

My heart hit the floor. But then, another paper caught my eye, tucked into the back of the deed’s folder. A receipt.

A five-piece designer jewelry set. Fifty thousand dollars. The date was exactly one year ago.

I remembered that date. I had just undergone surgery for a lump in my breast. Simon had told me we were "tight on cash" and that we had to sell my engagement ring and some heirloom pieces to cover the co-pay. I’d cried as I handed them over, thanking him for "taking care" of me.

He’d had fifty thousand dollars. He just hadn't wanted to spend it on me. He’d spent it on her.

The front door opened. Simon was back, and he’d brought Lydia with him.

They walked into the living room and stopped, seeing the mess I’d made. Simon’s face darkened. "Chloe, what the hell is this? You’re acting like a crazy person."

Lydia didn't bother with the "sister" act this time. She looked at the deed in my hand and her lip curled. "If you have something to say, say it to my face. Stop digging through my things."

I clutched the receipt so hard my knuckles turned white. "You stole from me," I whispered. "Both of you."

Lydia stepped forward, her eyes flashing with a sudden, vicious energy. She reached for the papers in my hand. "Give those back. They aren't yours."

"Don't touch me!" I pushed her hand away, a reflex.

That was all she needed. Lydia lunged at me, her fingers clawing at my arms. "You bitch! You think you’re so much better than me?"

I was weak from the pregnancy and the shock, and as she shoved me, I stumbled back. I tried to find my footing, but she was relentless. She threw her entire weight into a shove against my shoulders.

Simon’s face went pale. He finally moved, stepping forward to catch me. "Chloe! Watch out!"

But Lydia grabbed his arm, jerking him back for just a split second.

That second was everything. My back hit the sharp edge of the marble dining table. A blinding, white-hot explosion of pain ripped through my abdomen.

Simon turned, his eyes wide with horror.

And then he saw it. The bright, warm crimson bloom spreading across my light-colored skirt, staining the white rug beneath my feet.