Chapter 2Cruel Wife Discards Her Real Heir

The utility room was packed with Theo’s Amazon boxes and discarded gym equipment. I cleared a small space and lay down on a thin folding cot.

Through the door, I could hear the sounds of a happy family. The muffled laughter from a sitcom on the TV, the sound of Theo feeding Serena fruit, their voices hushed and intimate.

That used to be my life. When Serena’s first startup failed and she was facing a decade of fraud charges, I stepped in. I told the investigators the offshore accounts were mine.

"Miles," she had sobbed the night before I turned myself in. "Trust me. I’ll get you out in a month. I just need time to move the money."

One month turned into thirty-six.

"Miles! Are you done moping? Get out here and make dinner!" Serena’s voice barked from the hallway.

When I emerged, Theo was splayed out on the velvet sofa, buffing his nails. He pointedly stretched his legs out as I passed.

"Ugh, this rug is filthy. Serena, I can feel the dust on my feet."

Serena didn't look up from her phone. "Miles, scrub the rug."

I didn't argue. I filled a bucket, grabbed a brush, and knelt on the floor. Theo’s foot intentionally nudged my shoulder as I worked.

"So, what did you do before the 'big house,' anyway? You're so... rugged," he mocked.

I kept my head down, my movements mechanical. "I was a guest of the state."

Theo jumped up with exaggerated horror. "Oh my god, like a murderer? Serena, having someone like this in the house..."

Serena pulled him into her lap, giving me a smirk. "White-collar crime. He’d do anything for a quick buck. But don't worry, Theo. If he steps out of line, I have the warden on speed dial."

My hand tightened on the brush. Three years ago, Serena was the "poor relation," the illegitimate daughter the Victors ignored. My family was at the top of the social ladder. My father was alive. I was the heir apparent. Back then, Serena looked at me like I was the sun. She used to cry at the thought of me being uncomfortable.

I wondered when, exactly, her heart had rotted through.

My thoughts were shattered by Theo’s voice. "Oh, Serena, this jade pendant you gave me is so tacky. It looks so old. Can I just toss it? Buy me a Chrome Hearts one instead?"

I looked up, my blood turning to ice. The pendant around his neck—it was my father’s. The only thing left of my family’s legacy after the bankruptcy.

I lunged forward, a roar building in my chest. I snatched the pendant from his neck, my hand shaking. I raised my other hand to strike Serena, but she was faster. She grabbed my wrist, her grip like a vice.

She slammed me against the wall, whispering harshly. "It’s just a piece of jewelry. Theo liked it, so I gave it to him. Miles, I know I owe you, and I’ll take care of you, but don't you ever touch Theo's things again."

Theo scoffed, muttering that the "junk" wasn't worth the drama anyway, and led Serena upstairs.

The next morning, while I was prepping breakfast, Theo leaned against the kitchen doorway wearing my old silk robe. It was too big for him, slipping off his shoulders to reveal dark, fresh bruises on his neck.

He wanted me to see them.

"Miles, right? Serena told me about you. The great fallen prince of Manhattan. She says you were always so... stiff. Boring. A 'wooden' lover, she called you. Doesn't matter how long you were together; you never really satisfied her."

He smirked, stepping closer. "Unlike me. I barely have to try, and she’s obsessed."

My knife moved rhythmically against the cutting board. My hands were steady. "Is that so? Her taste must have shifted. She used to tell me she hated needy, parasitic little boys. She called them 'nuisances.'"

Theo’s face distorted with rage. "You don't know anything! She loves me! I’m the father of her child. I’m the one she actually married."

I plated the ham and turned to look him in the eye. "Really? Did you get a marriage certificate, or just a promise?"