Chapter 10
The living room was dead silent.
Nobody said a word.
Marcus grabbed the agreement off the table.
Flipped through it like he was looking for an escape route.
Got to the last page-court filing.
“You already sued me?”
“Filed last Tuesday.”
He dropped the papers like they burned him.
“Mia, just-can we talk about this like adults-”
“I am being an adult. That’s why I hired a lawyer.”
Patricia jumped up so fast her purse fell off the couch.
“Mia Bennett! You think it’s okay to blast private family matters in a group chat?!”
“Private?”
I almost laughed.
“You mean the group chat where you’ve been calling Lily family for five years? That private chat?”
Her face went red.
“So tell me, Patricia-which one of us is actually family?”
Her mouth opened and closed like a fish.
Vanessa was full-on sobbing now.
“I didn’t know this would-I swear I didn’t mean-”
“Didn’t mean what, Vanessa?”
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Stole My $800K Suite Claiming You’re the Heiress? CUTE-I Own the Whole Building, Sweetheart!
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Chapter 10
I rounded on her.
“When you added Lily to that chat and said “got your girl in here, bro’*-did you think about the fact that his actual wife wasn’t in the group?”
She went pale.
“I just thought-”
“You didn’t think. That’s the problem.”
Marcus moved between us.
“Mia, stop. Stop. That group was a mistake, okay? But Lily-it’s not what you-”
“Oh my god, do NOT.”
I shoved my phone in his face.
“March 2020. I’m in the hospital getting my appendix cut out. You’re in the chat asking Lily which steakhouse she’s craving.”
Scrolled.
“October 2021. Our fourth anniversary. You’re booking a couples’ spa weekend-for her. I’m at home microwaving the same dinner for the third time waiting for you.”
Scrolled again.
“June 2022. My birthday. Your mom says I should buy myself a cupcake. You don’t even reply.”
Marcus looked like I’d punched him in the stomach.
“I-”
“You what? You forgot? You were busy? You were building a life with someone else using my paycheck?”
He had nothing.
I put my phone away.
“You said you’d change. Change what, Marcus?”
“You said you wanted a second chance. A chance to do what-wait three more years until the mortgage is paid off so
you can dump me cleanly?”
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Stole My $800K Suite Claiming You’re the Heiress? CUTE-I Own the Whole Building, Sweetheart!
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Chapter 10
“You got on your knees just now. Real touching. Except you looked at your mom first to see if you were doing it right.”
He flinched.
“You didn’t kneel because you’re sorry. You knelt because she told you to.”
Silence.
Because every word was true.
Patricia looked like she’d aged ten years in ten minutes.
One last desperate play.
“Mia… honey… I know you’re angry. But if Marcus loses everything in this divorce, how is he supposed to-”
“Are you SERIOUS right now?”
My voice cracked.
“Your son stole two point seven million dollars from me to buy his mistress a condo, and you’re worried about him?”
She shrank back into the couch.
Robert hadn’t said anything since his blood pressure line.
Just sat there looking like a deflated balloon.
Derek-Vanessa’s husband-had been standing by the door this whole time like he wanted to teleport out of here.
He grabbed Vanessa’s arm.
“We’re leaving.”
She didn’t move.
“Now, Vanessa.”
She looked at me one last time.
Opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
She left.
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Stole My $800K Suite Claiming You’re the Heiress? CUTE-I Own the Whole Building, Sweetheart!
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Chapter 10
Door slammed.
Four of us left.
Marcus. Patricia. Robert. Me.
I grabbed my bag.
“Court summons comes next week. Lawyer up.”
Walked to the door. Stopped.
Didn’t turn around.
“That condo in Northgate? I paid for it. Every cent. If you don’t want me dragging all of this in front of a judge, you’ll sign those papers.”
I opened the door.
“Oh-and tell Lily to start packing. She’s been living in MY house.”
I walked out.
Door closed behind me.
As the elevator dinged, I heard Patricia’s voice explode from inside the apartment.
“MARCUS! LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE!”
She was screaming at him.
Not because he cheated.
Because he got caught.
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