CHAPTER 51
Nina slipped out the side door, carrying a container of cat food. She walked down the neat stone steps into the garden and headed toward the old feeding bowl by the fence. It had been there forever, and every evening she filled it without thinking.
She crouched down and poured the crunchy food in.
She didn’t even have time to straighten up before the “lady of the house”—a brazen cat with the attitude of a true queen—appeared from under a decorative shrub.
At first, Nina had thought she was a stray.
She pitied her and fed her. Then the cat showed up with a surprise kittens.
Since then, she came for dinner like clockwork, every single night.
And during the day she vanished as if she never existed.
Nina suspected more and more that the cat actually belonged to one of the neighbors.
“Well, you little glutton,” she murmured, “did you bring everyone again?”
One by one, three tiny creatures emerged from the shadows: a black one, a tabby, and a ginger.
They rushed to the bowl in a furry stampede.
Nina watched them with a smile. There was a lightness in her chest she hadn’t felt in months.
Almost all her problems were finally settled.
Daphne had flown to Germany and transferred to a university.
Nothing was holding her here anymore. And this house—this whole town—carried far too many bad memories.
Even though Frank was arrested and the investigation was underway, with one dirty deed after another coming to light, she was still scared. It wouldn’t cost him anything to hire someone to ‘get rid of her.’ So even with security posted outside, Nina still slept poorly.
“Nina!” A woman’s voice cut through the quiet evening so sharply she flinched.
She lifted her head and listened.
“Nina, I know you’re home! Come out, I want to talk to you!”
Oh no. Not her. Nina recognized the voice instantly. Vivian. What the hell was she doing here?
Nina froze for a second, then straightened up and smoothed her clothes out of habit. There was commotion in the front yard.
Vivian had been calling nonstop for days until Nina finally blocked her number. She hadn’t picked up even once and had no idea what that vile woman wanted from her.
Her breath caught, Vivian clearly wasn’t leaving without making a scene.
Nina walked around the house. The security team was already on the scene.
One of the men was holding Vivian by the arm; the second stood nearby, ready to intervene.
Vivian’s face was flushed, her lips pressed tight, her eyes burning with anger.
She was shouting something, but the moment she noticed Nina, she fell silent.
Nina stopped a couple of meters away and looked at her calmly.
Vivian didn’t look even remotely as enchanting as usual.
Her hair was barely contained, dark circles pooled under her eyes, and there wasn’t a trace of makeup.
It seemed she hadn’t had the time—or the strength—to maintain her curated “Mrs. Osborne” persona.
“Let her go,” Nina said quietly to the guard.
He shot her a quick look, nodded, and stepped aside.
Vivian exhaled noisily, adjusted her hair, and took a step forward. Nina didn’t move.
“What do you want?” Nina asked evenly. She felt no fear, no pity. Only coldness.
For a second, Vivian faltered. Her gaze flicked away, as if she was about to throw out one of her usual poisonous remarks, Nina could see it in the tense line of her jaw—but she stopped herself at the last moment.
She inhaled deeply. Then again. She looked like someone swallowing their own pride whole.
“I know you had something to do with Frank’s arrest,” she finally forced out. Her voice cracked, but she pulled herself together quickly. “Everything we had was confiscated. All our accounts are frozen.”
She paused, as if hoping Nina would react somehow. Nina didn’t. Vivian looked away.
“We have a child, Nina. Do you understand?”
Then she met Nina’s eyes again.
“Help us.”
“And you came to ask me for help?” Nina let out a short, dry laugh. “The wife of the man you were sleeping with for years?”
Vivian couldn’t find an answer. Nina saw hatred flash in her eyes, but Vivian pressed it down. She hadn’t come here to fight today.
There was a time when Nina had considered her a good person, a friend, someone she shared her secrets with. Now she felt nothing but contempt. Vivian no longer seemed beautiful or intriguing. She was rotten through and through. Disgusting and shameless.
Nina took a step forward, her voice perfectly steady, surprising even herself with her composure.
“And what does any of this have to do with me?” she asked. “He’s your child, Vivian. Yours and Frank’s. Let him figure out how to support you.”
She stepped closer.
“I have a daughter of my own. And I almost lost her because of your little ‘happiness.’ Do you honestly think that after everything, I’m going to take care of your child?”
Vivian kept her jaw clenched. Something flickered in her eyes—something human: fear, maybe desperation.
“That’s not my problem. I don’t owe you anything. Especially not you,” Nina said firmly.
Vivian dropped her gaze, her fingers curling into fists.
“Leave,” Nina added quietly but with steel in her voice. “Before I change my mind and call the police.”
“What do you want from me, Nina?” Vivian burst out. Her voice trembled—but not from fear. From rage. From humiliation. “Do you want me to get on my knees for you? Is that what you need?”
Nina stayed silent. Watching her. Letting her speak.
“Why can’t I be happy?!” Vivian’s shoulders shook. “For the first time in my life, something good finally happened. I met Frank. He cared. He loved me. And yes, we had to hide. Keep everything secret. Because of you.”
She stepped forward, flushed and out of breath.
“But everything had finally fallen into place. Everything was good. And now—it’s all over again. Because of you. Again.”
Nina tilted her head just slightly.
“You didn’t lose anything, Vivian,” she answered calmly, almost tiredly. “Because nothing you’re talking about ever belonged to you in the first place.”
She looked straight into Vivian’s eyes.
“Not the man. Not the money. Not the company. All of it was mine. And you should be grateful Frank was decent enough to take all the blame. He told them you didn’t know about the illegal transfer of shares.
Otherwise the two of you would be in jail right now, and your son would be in foster care.
So go home, Vivian, and count yourself lucky.
Start packing care packages. You’ll be waiting a long time.
Maybe your son will finish high school before Frank gets out. ”
It still amazed Nina that Frank really had done that. It meant he truly cared for Vivian—even though he’d been perfectly willing to destroy her, Nina.
Vivian was silent for only a second. Then something inside her snapped.
“You bitch!” she shrieked, lunging forward.
Her self-control didn’t last long. Nina wasn’t surprised. Honestly, she would’ve gladly gouged Vivian’s eyes out herself—but she wasn’t the type to start scenes.
She didn’t even have time to blink—security reacted faster.
One guard grabbed Vivian’s arms and dragged her back. The other stepped between them.
Vivian kicked at the air, screaming.
“You rotten witch!” she shrieked. “You ruined everything! Everything! I hope it comes back to you! I hope you rot in this house alone, unloved, unwanted, with no family—exactly what you deserve!”
Nina stood still. Didn’t blink. She looked at Vivian the way one might look at a wild animal destined to die from its own rage.
“Get her out,” she said dryly.
The guards lifted Vivian by the arms. She fought, hissed, spat venom, but Nina didn’t listen anymore.
She turned and calmly walked back into the yard.
Her footsteps echoed against the stone path in the quiet garden. Somewhere behind the fence Vivian was still screaming, but Nina didn’t turn around. She only exhaled, long and heavy.
God, how infuriating.
And at the same time how good it felt to know that justice existed after all.
She wouldn’t have survived it if Vivian had gone on living happily with her husband—on her money.
That alone deserved a drink.
Bubble tea.
Question was—did delivery still work this late?
She looked at her phone. Too late. But maybe she could find a café that was still open.
Nina grabbed her keys from the shelf and headed to the garage. Started the engine and drove out. Thankfully, Vivian was no longer by the driveway.
She needed to sell this damned house and move. Somewhere no one knew her address. Who knew what else a woman that unhinged might come up with?