Chapter 2

The tension in the room thickened. Eleanor, with Ava now by her side, seemed to gain a new wave of confidence in her assault. She walked over to the coffee table, her finger tracing the edge of an expensive-looking vase.

"This is Ming dynasty," Eleanor announced, her voice loud and brittle. "A gift from one of Liam' s most important clients. I hope you understand its value."

Chloe just nodded, wanting to disappear.

Eleanor's eyes narrowed. "You're so quiet. It's unsettling. It's the way a thief is quiet." She picked up the vase, her movements deliberately slow and menacing. "You don't belong here. You never did."

Suddenly, her hand slipped. The vase tumbled through the air, crashing onto the marble floor with a deafening shatter. Porcelain shards skittered across the pristine surface.

"Look what you made me do!" Eleanor shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at Chloe. "You and your sullen presence, you upset me!"

"I... I didn't do anything," Chloe stammered, her heart racing with a mix of fear and injustice.

"Don't lie to me!" Eleanor's voice rose, verging on hysteria. "You are a curse on this house!"

Ava rushed to Eleanor's side. "Eleanor, calm down, it was an accident." She shot a look at Chloe, a look that was less sympathetic now and more… annoyed. As if Chloe was the one causing a scene.

"She did it on purpose!" Eleanor insisted, her voice resonating with a conviction that was chilling. "She's jealous. She's always been jealous of what we have. She came from nothing, and she wants to destroy everything beautiful in this house."

The accusation hung in the air, absurd and poisonous. Chloe remembered the day she met Liam. She was a promising young architect, he was a charming developer. She thought he saw her talent, her soul. She realized too late he only saw a pretty, pliable woman who could design his buildings for free without ever threatening his ego.

A car door slammed outside. The sound of Liam's key in the lock.

Chloe's stomach clenched. His presence wouldn't bring salvation, it would only bring a different kind of torment. She braced herself, her hands clasped tightly together to stop them from shaking.

Liam walked in, looking powerful and handsome in his tailored suit. He took in the scene with a glance: his mother looking furious, his wife looking terrified, and the shattered pieces of the vase on the floor.

"What is going on here?" he asked, his voice flat, devoid of any warmth.

"Liam, darling!" Eleanor cried, rushing to him. "That woman, she... she broke the Ming vase! She's destroying our home!"

Liam' s cold eyes settled on Chloe. He didn' t ask for her side of the story. He didn't need to. His expression was a mask of cold disappointment and irritation.

"Clean it up, Chloe," he said, his voice low and sharp. He looked at her as if she were a careless maid. "And try not to cause any more trouble. I have a headache."

He turned away from her, putting a comforting arm around his mother and leading her towards the living room, completely dismissing Chloe's silent plea. Ava followed them, casting one last, unreadable glance back at her sister, who was left standing alone amidst the wreckage.