I was so furious I actually laughed.

Whether she'd sold her body was none of my business. I wasn't the one who'd forced her into it.

Seeing that I said nothing, Connor let out a sigh.

"You've been working too much overtime lately. You're in a bad mood, so you're just venting. I won't hold it against you."

"I'm going to take Mamie out for a nice meal first, help her calm her nerves."

"You stay home and cool off! Stop throwing the word divorce around every five minutes."

"Our daughter's only three. If she loses her father this young, the other kids at preschool will make fun of her!"

With that, he grabbed Mamie's hand and headed for the door.

Before they left, Mamie glanced back at me.

There was no mistaking it. A trace of triumph and challenge in her eyes.

Not long after, my phone buzzed.

A message from Connor.

"Since you don't want Mamie staying at the house, I'll take her to a hotel nearby for now."

"I'll take her around these next few days, help her clear her head."

"You just stay home and think hard about what you've done."

Staring at the screen, I let out a cold laugh.

Reflect?

I really did have something to reflect on.

On how blind I'd been back then, marrying a piece of trash who took every chance to side with an outsider over his own family.

Connor's heart had turned completely.

If that was how it was, then there was nothing left to say.

I called my lawyer straightaway.

"Lee, draft me a divorce agreement. As fast as you can."

Then I called a private investigator I knew.

"I need you to look into two people. My husband, Connor Dickerson, and a college girl named Mamie Fox."

For the next few days Connor didn't contact me, and I was glad for the quiet.

But every time I looked at my daughter, I couldn't shake the worry.

This house wasn't safe anymore.

Who knew what other filthy trick Mamie might pull.

So I quickly packed a few of Nina's clothes and her daily things.

I drove her straight to my parents' house.

I'd barely arrived when two photos came through from Mamie.

The first showed a luxury king bed in a five-star hotel, with the full set of Apple products laid out neatly on it.

Scattered beside them were several Louis Vuitton bags and a few designer dresses with the tags still on.

The second was two hands overlapping, matching Cartier couple's rings on their ring fingers.

No need to guess whose hands those were. Connor's and Mamie's.

Looking at the two photos, I laughed coldly.

By now Mamie probably really believed she'd landed herself a rich man.

But she had no idea.

The mansion and the luxury cars my family enjoyed were all thanks to the years I'd killed myself working overtime to reach vice president.

Connor, meanwhile, had no drive at all. After all these years, he was still stuck in the same easy little administrative post.

His monthly take-home pay, after taxes and benefits, came to a pitiful six thousand.

And every cent of it went to his mother.

Worried he'd lose face when he was out entertaining clients, I'd gone and gotten him a supplementary card on my account.

I never imagined he'd take the money I'd worked so hard to earn and play the big spender in front of another woman.

I called the bank right then and froze the card.

My mother heard the commotion and came out of the room. Seeing the look on my face, she hurried over.

"What's the matter? You look awful. Did Connor do something to you?"

I didn't want the two of them worrying, so I drew a deep breath and pushed the feeling down.

"It's nothing, Mom. Just a little trouble at the company."

"I'll probably be swamped these next few days, so I'm counting on you and Dad to look after Nina."

My father came out of the study and took his granddaughter.

"Don't worry about a thing, just go do what you need to. We've got Nina."

"But listen, sweetheart. If anyone ever wrongs you, don't you dare bottle it up."

"Your mom and I are always on your side. Worst case, you come home, and I'll take care of you."

Hearing my father say that, my eyes stung.

In my last life, after I died.

My parents couldn't bear the blow of burying their own child, and before long they both passed away, one after the other.

This time, I would never let that tragedy happen again.

Leaving my parents' place, I drove back to my own neighborhood.

I'd barely parked and started for the building when I ran straight into Connor and Mamie.

Connor's face was livid. The moment he saw me, he charged over.

"Ruby, what the hell is this supposed to mean?!"

"What gives you the right to freeze my card?!"

I looked at him, cold.

"Let me make one thing clear. That's my card."

"When I freeze my own card, do I need to report it to you?"

Connor's face went red with anger, and for a long moment he couldn't come up with a single word to throw back at me.

Mamie saw it and stepped in at once, hooking her arm through his.

"What do you mean, your card?"

"Ruby, don't think I don't know. Connor told me everything. The reason you get to live the life you live is because he's been out there breaking his back all these years."

"I can't believe you'd be this ungrateful, using the fact that you're married to him to get your hands on Connor's money!"

She turned to Connor, her face full of heartache.

"Connor, a woman like this isn't worth you."

"All she'll ever do is drag you down. Just divorce her already!"

Inside, I laughed to myself. A few days ago she was calling him "uncle," and now it was "Connor" this and "Connor" that with every breath.

It was the middle of the evening rush, and the neighborhood was full of people coming and going.

Hearing the argument, they started stopping and gathering around.

The second Mamie saw the crowd, her eyes went red and she pointed at me.

"Everyone, please, be the judge of this."

"She promised she'd fund me all the way through college."

"But right before the semester started, she turned around and said if I wanted to keep the money, I'd have to do what she told me."

"To go... to go keep company with those rich old men she introduced!"

"If Connor hadn't stepped in and offered to fund me for nothing, I might have..."

And with that Mamie covered her mouth and began to weep softly.

The way the neighbors looked at me changed in an instant.

"Oh, would you believe it. She always looks so polished, and behind everyone's back she's running a pimp operation like this!"

"You really can't know a person by their face. She always seemed so easygoing. How can she be this vicious inside?"

"Exactly. She has a daughter of her own. How could she be so heartless to somebody else's innocent girl!"

Listening to the muttering all around, Connor stepped up and, with a faintly smug tone, said in a low voice:

"Ruby, you hear that? The public sees clearly."

"I'm warning you. Unfreeze that card for me right now, and I can still smooth things over for you. Don't let this blow up into something you can't fix."

"And stop giving Mamie a hard time, or I really will think about divorcing you!"

I looked at Connor and laughed out loud.

"Fine."

"Let's divorce. But you leave with nothing."

Connor froze.

Mamie suddenly shrieked.

"Ruby, in your dreams!"

"You're nothing but a lazy parasite. All the money is Connor's!"

"If anyone's leaving empty-handed, it should be you!"

I looked at her and gave a light scoff.

"Mamie, I know you're after a rich meal ticket."

"But before you sank your hooks into my husband, did it not occur to you to run a background check?"

"Take a good look at who's actually earning the money in this house!"