Chapter 4

A hundred thousand dollars.

I let out a silent laugh.

"Eleanor, you know the company is at a critical juncture right now. I really..."

The moment I showed even a hint of hesitation, Eleanor immediately cut in.

"Chloe, I know things are incredibly tough for you. But think about it, what's more important, a person's life or a company? If Austin is gone, what's the point of keeping the company anyway..."

I seriously wondered if Eleanor had taken acting classes in her youth. How else could she start sobbing so realistically on cue?

She was putting on such a grand show; it would be a shame if I didn't play along.

I took a deep breath, matching her tone:

"Alright, Eleanor. Give me a couple of days. At most a week, and I'll make sure the money is wired to you."

"Good, good. I knew you were a sensible girl, Chloe." Eleanor’s voice instantly turned warm and motherly again. "Once Austin recovers, we'll live happily ever after as a family."

"Yes, we'll live happily ever after as a family."

I hung up.

Then, I shot a message to Dominic.

"Dominic, can you get some hidden cameras installed in the apartment Austin is staying at?"

"Already on it," Dominic replied instantly.

Looking at his text, my eyes stung.

But I forced the tears back.

Now was not the time to cry.

The next day, Dominic sent me a link. I clicked on it.

It was a home security monitoring app.

I downloaded it, opened it, and a beautifully decorated apartment living room appeared on my screen.

Austin was lounging on the sofa in designer loungewear, playing video games.

Vivian was sitting right next to him, gently peeling grapes and feeding them to him.

Eleanor walked out of the kitchen holding a plate of sliced fruit, her face practically glowing with joy.

"Austin, I called Chloe yesterday and told her to send another hundred thousand."

Austin didn't even look up from his screen. "She didn't suspect anything?"

"How could she? I told her you were getting better, and she was over the moon."

Vivian popped a grape into Austin’s mouth, giggling. "Austin, how can Chloe be so stupid? It’s been a whole year and she hasn't suspected a thing?"

"She’s a simple-minded idiot," Austin mumbled around the grape.

"Once she decides someone is her husband, she trusts them blindly. Besides, she's so busy drowning in debt, she doesn't have the brainpower to think about anything else."

"True." Eleanor sat down and sighed. "Honestly though, that girl is pretty capable. Clearing thirty million dollars of debt in just one year... she actually did it."

"Mom, what are you trying to say?" Austin glanced at her. "Are you feeling sorry for her now?"

"Why would I feel sorry for her? I just think she’s such a money-making machine. If we dump her the moment she clears the debt, isn't it a bit of a waste?"

"Waste? If I run the company myself, do you really think I’d do worse than her?"

Austin scoffed. "Mom, think about it. Why did I even marry her in the first place?"

Eleanor didn't say anything.

Austin put down his controller. "Back in college, she turned a few thousand dollars of seed money into three hundred thousand. If she weren't so good at making money, would I have ever married her?!"

Austin’s voice rose. "The only woman I, Austin Miller, have ever wanted to marry is Vivian. Who does Chloe think she is? A girl from some small town with nobody parents, she thinks she deserves me?"

Vivian snuggled into his chest. "Austin, don't be mad. Anyway, just a few more months and we can finally be together out in the open."

Austin wrapped his arm around her, his tone softening. "Yeah, just a few more months. By then, I’ll have plenty of ways to make sure she leaves with nothing. She’s spent this past year taking out clients to drink to pay off those debts. I'll just use that against her and claim she slept around to secure those contracts."

Eleanor nodded in approval. "That’s a great idea. We’ll make sure the evidence looks solid so she can never crawl back from it."