Chapter 2

Logan opened his mouth to argue, but Tiffany quickly tugged his sleeve, shooting him a warning look.

She picked up my duffel bag with a sweet, conciliatory smile.

"Of course, Chloe. Logan and I will find a place and move out as soon as possible. But could you please give us a month? Finding a rental and moving takes time, especially with Leo starting school soon."

She pointed toward the small hallway. "There’s still a single bed in the storage room. You must be exhausted after getting out today. Get settled in, have a warm dinner, and we’ll figure things out tomorrow."

I nodded slowly, looking around the living room.

Not a single trace of my former life remained.

Five years ago, before I turned myself in, I handed my keys to Logan.

He had cried his eyes out, clutching my hands so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Chloe, I’ll guard our home until you return, he had promised. Every plant you watered, every dress in your closet, every corner of this house—I’ll protect it all for you. The day you step out, we’re going straight to city hall to get married.

And yet, back then, Tiffany was already carrying his child.

The thought made my chest ache so fiercely I could barely breathe.

When Tiffany reached out to unzip my bag under the guise of helping me unpack, I immediately stopped her.

"I can do it myself."

Tiffany paused, startled, before letting go of the handle.

"Sure. Rest up. I’ll make dinner," she chirped. "You used to love my sweet glazed pork ribs. I’ll make a big batch tonight!"

At dinner, I sat across from their happy little family.

I took a bite of the ribs. Her cooking hadn't changed; it tasted just as it always had.

Except now, every bite tasted like ash and bitter poison.

After dinner, Tiffany got up to clear the plates, but Logan stopped her, catching her hand lovingly.

"Babe, your back has been hurting. Let me do the dishes."

Tiffany smiled sweetly. "Thanks, babe. Let’s do them together."

Logan leaned in to kiss her, but she playfully pushed his chest away.

"Stop it, there's company here!" she teased. "Have some shame."

They giggled and headed into the kitchen, arms intertwined.

I sat on the living room sofa, pretending to watch TV, but my heart had gone completely numb.

I turned off the screen and went back to the small storage room to sleep.

After five years behind bars, I was an extremely light sleeper.

In the middle of the night, when I got up to use the bathroom, Logan’s low voice drifted out from the master bedroom.

"Did you find the deed in her bag?"

My heart stopped. I froze in the shadows.

Tiffany’s annoyed whisper followed:

"No. She’s watching me like a hawk. I barely touched her duffel bag today and she snatched it away. I didn't dare tear through it while she was looking."

She paused, then added, "I’ll take her shopping tomorrow morning. You tear that room apart while we’re out."

Logan was quiet for a second. "What about the promise you made to move out in a month?"

Tiffany scoffed, her tone dripping with ridicule.

"Are you stupid? I lied to her. This condo is in the top-ranked public school district in the city! Do you have any idea how much rent is around here? Over three grand a month! Plus, Leo needs the property deed registered under our address to get enrolled. An out-of-district placement fee costs over forty grand!"

She sneered, "There’s no way in hell I’m giving this place back to her. We need to lock this apartment down under our names permanently."

Silence hung in the bedroom for a moment before Logan spoke up, calculating and sly.

"I’ll trick her into signing a long-term lease tomorrow."

"A lease?"

"Yeah. We’ll tell her we feel guilty staying for free for a month, so we’ll pay her a nominal rent. But in the fine print, I’ll stretch the term to fifteen years and include the local school registration rights. Legally, tenant rights override ownership transfers. Even if she tries to sell, she can't evict us."

Logan gave a sinister chuckle. "By the time Leo finishes school here, this building will be ancient. Even if she gets it back then, it won't be worth a dime."

Tiffany hesitated. "Isn't that too obvious? What if she reads it?"

"She won't!" Logan’s voice was full of vile arrogance. "Didn't you see the way she looked at me today? She’s still totally in love with me!"

"As long as I play the victim like I did five years ago, she’ll fall for it. Hell, I tricked her into doing five years in prison for me! Tricking her out of a stupid apartment will be a piece of cake!"