Lately, Wendy had been unusually quiet. She hadn’t stirred up trouble and tried to disrupt Aurora’s life in any way. In fact, whenever Aurora returned home, Wendy would retreat to her room without a word–sometimes shrinking away after just a brief glance, like a startled bird.
At first, Aurora found it strange, but over time, she got used to it. Wendy seemed to be behaving, and if she was willing to keep to herself like this, then perhaps letting her stay in that room wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Wendy was still technically a threat, but keeping her under the same roof meant keeping her in plain sight. If she tried anything, Aurora would know immediately.
That alone made Aurora feel justified in her earlier decision not to throw her out. It had been the smart move. An enemy she could see was better than one hiding in the shadows. Aurora didn’t keep a close eye on Wendy, but if anything happened–she’d know.
So far, Wendy had done nothing more than go to work and return quietly. There were no secret meetings and no strange behavior. But now, Wendy had finally stepped out, wandering into the empty living room. Her eyes scanned the space, pausing on the mess left behind in the kitchen. Her expression darkened.
“What a bitch,” she thought coldly. “Always making things difficult for others. And for what?”
She scoffed silently. Lucas had liked her first. That much Wendy was sure of. So why was Aurora suddenly pretending to be some kind of homemaker, playing the sweet wife and cooking for him? It’s just another trick, another cheap ploy to reel him in.
Wendy circled the kitchen, piecing things together. Clearly, Aurora had tried to make some kind of nourishing soup, but it hadn’t gone well. Then another thought crept into Wendy’s mind, and her brows drew together.
Something didn’t add up.
The way Aurora and Lucas acted around each other–it was too subdued and polite, not like a couple madly in love. And sometimes Aurora acted like she didn’t know the first thing about Lucas‘ background, like she had no idea just how powerful he really was.
Wendy’s eyes widened in realization. Suddenly, an idea flashed through Wendy’s mind–a twisted, brilliant little idea, one that could be used to deal with both Aurora and Lucas at the same time. And the best part? She wouldn’t even need her brother’s help. This time, she could handle it all on her own with no interference and chaos spiraling out of her control.
A dark smile crept across her face. “Aurora… after all this time, you still don’t even know who you’re dating. That’s hilarious.” Her tone dripped with mockery. “And you, Lukey… looks like I’ve finally uncovered your little secret. You’d better be a good boy and do what I say, or none of us are getting out of this clean.”
She looked almost unrecognizable now–gone was the pitiful, submissive façade. In its place stood someone unhinged, sharp with obsession, her eyes glinting with something dangerous. In the middle of the messy kitchen, Wendy spun like she was dancing, arms out, face glowing with twisted triumph, like she had just rediscovered purpose.
Everything was coming together now. Back in her room, she grabbed her phone and sent a message to her brother.
“Don’t worry about coming over anymore. I’ve got it handled.”
When Kenneth read the text, he frowned, irritation flaring instantly. What now? First, she begged him to come, now she was telling him not to? He tossed the phone aside with a sigh of exasperation. He couldn’t figure out what was going on in his sister’s head, and honestly, he was too tired to keep up with her constant back and forth.