Chapter 4

The dinner table was covered with food.

Mia was exhausted, her makeup smudged, her hair greasy.

She forced herself to sit next to Warren and put a piece of pizza on my plate:

"Try my cooking."

The sauce looked blackish.

I didn't touch it, just swirled my wine glass.

Suddenly, Mia covered her mouth and rushed into the bathroom with a "gag."

Retching sounds came from inside.

Aunt Grace's eyes lit up:

"Oh my! That sound... could she be pregnant?"

Warren's chopsticks shook.

He gulped down some liquor, his face darkening.

Mia came out supporting herself against the wall, her eyes red.

"Warren... I..."

"It's okay, I'm here!"

Warren pulled Mia onto his lap.

"Claire, since we're already talking about this, I won't hide it anymore."

"Mia is pregnant. It's my child."

Aunt Grace glanced at me.

"Claire, don't blame Warren."

"You've been married four years and your belly still hasn't moved."

Aunt Susan chimed in:

"Exactly! What man doesn't want a child?"

"Mia is young with a healthy body. Since she's pregnant, it's heaven's will."

"As a wife, you should be magnanimous and let her have the child."

Warren raised his voice:

"Mia doesn't need a title. As long as the child can be born and recognized by the family."

"You'll still be the lady of the house. The child will even call you Mom."

"You want me to raise a mistress's child?"

I lifted my wine glass and swirled it.

"Warren, has your brain short-circuited? You can actually dream this up?"

Warren slammed the table.

"Claire! Don't be ungrateful!"

"If I hadn't taken care of you these past years, could you have focused on your career?"

"Now I just want a child, and you want to kill us all? You're so vicious."

Mia huddled in his arms crying:

"Claire, I don't want anything. I just want to repay Warren for his kindness..."

"If you really can't accept me, I'll leave right now, even if I end up on the streets..."

"Leave? Where to?"

Aunt Grace stood up and blocked the door.

"You're carrying our family's child. Who dares let you leave!"

"Repayment, huh?"

I put down my wine glass. The glass made a crisp sound hitting the table.

"Since everyone is so righteous, I have a video of Mia's repayment here."

"Let's watch it while we eat. It'll liven up the evening."

I picked up the remote and pressed the cast button.

On the TV screen, Warren and Mia were naked and tangled on the couch.

Mia's voice came through:

"Warren, your poor relatives are so annoying, especially that Aunt Grace."

"She wanted me to date her son? She should look in a mirror."

Warren laughed between heavy breaths:

"Bear with it, baby. They're just a bunch of old leeches."

"Once Claire dies and we get the money..."

"The first thing I'll do is cut ties with these poor bastards so they stop clinging to us."

On screen, Mia's finger traced circles on Warren's chest:

"So... that accident insurance, did you buy it?"

"The brake pads on her car—you tampered with them and it really can't be detected?"

Warren's voice echoed through the living room:

"Don't worry, I've arranged everything."

"As long as something happens to her, that's tens of millions in compensation, plus this house and the company shares..."

"Then we'll take the money and go abroad. Who cares if these poor relatives live or die?"

Only the laughter of the two people on screen echoed through the room.

Aunt Grace trembled all over, pointing at Warren:

"You... what did you say? You want to cut ties? And you want to... murder someone?"

Mia had lost all color in her face, collapsing limply to the floor.

Warren stared at the screen, his lips trembling, unable to speak.

I took a sip of red wine.

"This is the New Year's gift Miss Mia prepared for you all. How about it? Surprised?"