Chapter 2

2 I nodded miserably, and her anger flared.

"Ten million dollars! He just gave it away?!"

"I thought he was saving it for Alex, keeping it locked up...it was for that woman!"

The officers murmured in agreement.

"Even for Mr. Miller, this is too much."

"His own mother and wife, his son..."

I, the cheated-on wife, felt strangely numb.

John had forgotten our shared past the moment he made his first million.

How could a childhood sweetheart compete with a fresh-faced college girl?

But Mom and Alex were his family.

He couldn't just abandon them.

My mother-in-law looked at Alex, still whimpering.

"Sarah, put my son on the phone! I'll talk to him myself!"

The pirates exchanged glances and nodded.

The captain dialed.

"Hello?" John answered politely.

"Mr. Miller, this is the Coast Guard. Your mother and son have been taken hostage by pirates. They're demanding the fossil."

He was about to hand the phone to Mom when John's roar cut him off.

"Sarah! You're going to any lengths for that fossil, aren't you?!"

"I know you're there! Don't play dumb!"

"I'm letting this go because Melissa's in a good mood, but if you pull this stunt again, I'm kicking you out! Alex is mine!"

He slammed the phone down.

A heavy silence fell over the beach.

I bit my lip, twisting my shirt in my hands.

My mother-in-law trembled with rage.

"That ungrateful wretch! He's abandoning his own mother for a vacation!"

"Don't worry, Sarah," she said, her voice shaking. "I raised you. You're my only daughter-in-law. Even if you divorce, you'll get your share."

Tears streamed down my face as I shook my head.

"Mom, we'll deal with that later. Right now..."

A pirate yelled.

"Enough chit-chat! We didn't give you the phone for a family reunion!"

"Two hours! Bring us the fossil, or else..."

A knife pressed against Mom and Alex's throats.

We all held our breath.

"Don't hurt them! I'll go get the fossil myself! I'll get it from his yacht!"

The pirates were appeased, but I knew I couldn't go.

If John handed over the fossil, I'd end up in the alligator pit like before.

If he saw me, he'd suspect a trap, and no one would survive.

Out of sight of the pirates, I sealed my phone in a waterproof bag.

"There's video proof of the kidnapping! Show it to John!"

The captain, his face grim, took the bag.

"I'll get the fossil back. We'll save your family and bring these pirates to justice."

"Thank you."

We watched on his bodycam as he sped towards John's yacht.

John and Melissa were kissing passionately on deck, his hand moving down her body.

The life-saving fossil dangled from her neck, a glittering pendant.

"Mr. Miller!" the captain shouted.

Annoyed, John broke the kiss.

"Who are you?!"

"No time! I need the fossil!" the captain yelled, tossing the bag up.

"The photos prove your mother and son are hostages!"

Melissa picked up the bag, handing it to John.

His face darkened as he watched the videos.

But the concern faded quickly.

"This is Sarah's phone! She sent you to trick me out of the fossil!"

Melissa batted her eyelashes.

"I recognize that voice. He was with Sarah on the other calls."

"John, darling," she cooed, "your wife has good taste. He's quite handsome...she's enjoying herself, isn't she?"

John's face turned purple.

"So, she's got a boyfriend now! They're in cahoots!"

"She told you about the fossil, didn't she? Planning to run off with the money?"

"This isn't a joke! This is life or death!" the captain pleaded.

"Give me the fossil! You'll be charged with endangering their lives!"

John scoffed, throwing the phone into the ocean.

"You think I'm stupid? Pirates want a fossil? And they just happen to kidnap my family?"

"Get lost! Or I'll call security!"

He swung his fishing rod, forcing the captain to retreat.

"You'll regret this, Miller!"

We watched in despair as my phone disappeared beneath the waves.

It was five years old, a gift from John after his first big deal.

He'd been so proud, placing it in my hand.

It was a simple phone, but I'd cried tears of joy.

We'd held hands all night, dreaming of the future.

Back then, we struggled to make ends meet, giving everything to Mom and Alex.

There was a month when John had no clients, and we barely survived on borrowed money.

That phone symbolized our hope for a better life.

But he'd thrown it away.

John was no longer the man I loved.

The captain returned empty-handed, everyone on the beach furious.