Sure enough, it took less than half an hour before Zachary, who claimed he had an urgent meeting, rushed home.

Ruby dashed down the stairs to greet him the moment she heard him, her voice sweet and eager. "Zach, you're back?"

Completely ignoring the displeasure on my face, Zachary smiled indulgently at her. "Ruby, go pick any room you like to settle in. If you need anything, just let me know."

His expression shifted when he looked at me sitting on the sofa, unmoved. His face darkened, and he strode over immediately.

Ruby, still glued to his side, pouted dramatically. "Zach, your maid doesn't seem to know how to do her job. Shouldn't she be helping when the master of the house comes home?"

Zachary grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me up. "Allison Gray! What the hell did you do?!"

I crossed my arms and smirked at him. "What did I do? I just made sure everyone knows about your new girlfriend. Wouldn't want people coming over and not knowing what to call her."

I glanced at the family group chat on my phone, seeing over 99 unread messages. The chaos I'd caused had stirred up quite a lively discussion. It had been a while since the group was this active.

Zachary snatched my phone from my hand. "Hurry up and explain to everyone. Tell them it's just a misunderstanding."

I let out a laugh. "Explain what? She said it herself. She said she wants to sleep with you."

Ruby, who had finally realized what was happening, stared at me in shock. Her face turned a sickly white, then red with embarrassment, her voice trembling as she stammered, "Zach... No, Allison... I'm really sorry, I didn't know you were..."

She sniffled and whimpered. "Allison, I was just joking! You wouldn't take it seriously, would you?"

I slowly sat back down, crossing my legs with deliberate nonchalance. "Don't act like you wouldn't have barged in here even if you knew I was Zach's fiancée.

"And one more thing—let me give you some advice: drop the act."

Seeing her tears start to fall, Zachary quickly pulled her into his arms and glared at me. "Al, can you not be so petty?! My mentor just passed away. His dying wish was for me to take care of Ruby!

"The house has always been quiet anyway. What's wrong with having one more person around to keep you company?"

His brows furrowed deeply, as if I were a stubborn child throwing a tantrum over nothing.

His self-righteous tone made me laugh out loud. "Quiet? There's Maria, Yolanda, George—Our servants are always here! Or are you blind?"

Ruby continued sobbing, her face a picture of delicate fragility. "If Allison doesn't want me here, I'll leave. I don't want to cause trouble..."

I immediately stood up, opened the front door, and gestured outward. "Then leave. And don't let me catch you going back on your word."

Her face went pale again, but this time, she didn't dare move a muscle.

Seeing this, Zachary sighed and stepped outside to grab her suitcase, dragging it back in. "Al, you have to understand... My mentor was really good to me. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have even graduated from university. Ruby's just a lonely girl with no one to rely on. How can I turn my back on her?"

I crossed my arms and watched him with an amused expression. "What are you implying? Your mentor was good to you, so you should be the one to repay him. Why drag me into it?"

Zachary opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "Oh, did your mentor forget to teach you to respect your wife? Just how to take care of your mistress?"

"Allison!" Zachary slammed his hand down on the table, furious. "Don't go too far! If you can't accept this, then move out!"

I frowned, my expression darker than the wrinkled bedspread Ruby had just been lounging on.

Fine.

I don't need the bed. I don't need the fiancé, either.

Nodding to myself, I glanced at my watch. "It's only a little past three. If you start now, you can probably be moved out by nine."

I pulled out my phone and called a moving company. Then, I turned to Zachary with a smile. "I've already booked a moving service for you. What are you standing there for? Start packing!"

Zachary stood there, stunned, as if he hadn't expected me to actually mean it. He grabbed my arm again, his tone almost pleading. "Al, don't do this. I'm just trying to repay my mentor's kindness, that's all—"

"Kindness?" I yanked my arm from his grip, my voice dripping with contempt. "Do you think I'm that naive? If you really wanted to repay him, build a building for the school in his name, erect a statue, or whatever. I'd fully support you. But look at what you've brought home—a pathetic excuse for gratitude."

I pointed at Ruby, who flinched at my words. "Lonely? Helpless? She's far more cunning than she lets on. Playing weak is an easy act. Besides, my house is no charity home!"

Zachary's face darkened, his embarrassment turning into anger. "You've said enough, Al!"

"Enough? Not even close!" I scoffed, my voice laced with icy disdain as I grabbed the glass from the coffee table and slammed it onto the floor. The sound of shattering glass echoed through the room. "Zach, who gave you the audacity to bring another woman into our home?!"

The glass shattered at Ruby's feet, sharp shards slicing into her delicate calf.

She let out a piercing scream, "Ah—!" and instinctively lunged into Zachary's arms, seeking refuge. "Allison, why are you doing this to me?! I never intended to ruin your relationship. I was just joking like I would with a friend!"

Before she could say more, the moving crew arrived at the door.

I waved them inside. "Please, take those two suitcases, and clear out the master bedroom on the second floor. Especially the bed—get it out of here."

"Al!" Zachary grabbed my hand fiercely, his patience finally snapping. "You've gone too far. Stop this childish tantrum!"

I snorted, amused. "A tantrum? Zach, I'm not playing house here. I'm serious about breaking up."

I walked over to Ruby, looking down at her as she dabbed at her eyes helplessly, seemingly lost in her own world. She looked pitiful, but I knew better.

I chuckled, leaned in close, and whispered in her ear, "Sweetie, you have terrible taste in men."

I straightened up and continued, louder this time, "And as for the house? It's decorated in my style. Who are you to suggest changes? And to so arrogantly claim that Zach would remodel it for you. Please. The only thing that needs remodeling is your face."

Her expression turned from shock to horror. She stared at me, dumbfounded, while Zachary pulled her behind him. "Ruby is young, Al. You don't need to humiliate her like this."

I fished her ID out of her bag that was on the sofa, inspecting it with a smirk. "Twenty-eight. Hmm, two years younger than me. Nice try."

Turning to Zachary, I sneered. "You know, you could pick up any random girl at a bar who's younger and prettier than her."

As he opened his mouth to argue, I cut him off again, addressing the movers. "Well? Why are you standing there? Start moving."

Zachary, who had played the role of the perfect son-in-law for the past ten years, clearly wasn't used to being humiliated like this. He took Ruby's hand and stormed toward the door. "Ruby, let's go. She'll calm down eventually."

The moving staff hesitated, confused. "Should we still move the stuff?"

I took a deep breath. "Yes. Take it all to the landfill on the outskirts of town. I'll pay you double."

I glanced down at my phone. The family group chat was still going wild.

With a final scoff, I kicked Zachary out of the group and left a final message: "Zachary failed his probation."