Chapter 2

When I get back to the house, laughter spills through the front door.

"Chloe, this is your fiancé's house? It's huge. It's beautiful. No wonder you gave up that job overseas to come back. Your whole life is already set."

My chest tightens.

I step forward to unlock the door.

The smart lock gives a sharp warning beep.

I try again.

The door opens from the inside.

Chloe Hayes stands in front of me with a bright, sweet smile.

Her outfit is perfect. Soft cashmere, delicate jewelry, tiny earrings that probably cost more than most people's rent.

One of her friends frowns at me.

"Chloe, is this the cleaner you hired? Why does she look so pissed?"

"She smells like hospital disinfectant. I'm going to throw up."

Chloe does not explain who I am.

My voice turns cold. "Ethan and I aren't divorced yet, and you're already rushing in to play lady of the house? Get out. Now. Or I'm calling the police."

I take out my phone.

Chloe claps once.

A security guard steps forward, snatches my phone, and pins me in place.

One of them is even a man who once helped me track Ethan.

I look at him.

He looks away.

"Olivia," Chloe says softly, "don't be ridiculous."

"Didn't the lock already give you the answer?"

She comes closer, grabs my hand, and presses my finger against the scanner again.

The warning beep screams through the entryway.

"Whoever can get in is the owner."

I clench my fists.

"Ethan and I bought this house together. My name is on the deed."

"You think deleting my fingerprint means you can steal my home?"

The second I finish, Chloe's smile grows.

She tells the housekeeper to bring the deed.

When the folder opens, the owner's name is no longer mine.

It is Chloe Hayes.

"I liked this house," she says. "So Ethan transferred it to me. Olivia, right now, you're the one trespassing."

My heart stops for a second.

Six months ago, Ethan brought me a stack of corporate filing papers. A few blank signature pages were mixed inside.

I did not think twice.

I signed them.

So even then, he was already planning to wipe me out of his life.

The people around Chloe start mocking me.

"Wow. Cleaners are bold these days. She just called the house hers. Of all people, she picked Mr. Blackwell's fiancée to mess with. That's humiliating."

I look around and finally notice everything has changed.

Every piece of furniture is new.

I rip myself free from the guard and run upstairs to the primary bedroom.

The moment I step inside, broken glass cuts into my foot.

My medical records are shredded across the floor.

Chloe follows me slowly.

"I didn't like those papers, so I asked the housekeeper to deal with them."

"But from the diagnosis, you were hurt pretty badly, weren't you?"

Mockery shines in her eyes.

"What a shame. Ethan doesn't care whether you live or die."

My eyes burn.

I raise my hand, ready to shove her away.

Before I can touch her, two uniformed officers appear in front of me.

"Mrs. Blackwell, we received a report of unlawful entry. You need to come with us."

I don't even have time to react.

Ethan strides in.

He steps in front of Chloe like I am some kind of monster, his eyes red with anger.

Then he slaps me across the face.

"Olivia Reed, did I not tell you?"

His voice is low and brutal.

"Don't touch people you have no right to touch."