"Very well. I'll be at the estate on time tomorrow."
Standing at the hospital entrance, I watched the two of them walk away. Sydney turned back, meeting my eyes with a smug, taunting stare.
She mouthed silently, "You'll never beat me."
I held my polite smile until their car vanished into the night.
By then, my face ached from forcing it.
The next morning, just as I stepped out of the house, thunder cracked across the sky.
A sharp pain twisted in my chest, and moments later, rain poured down in a relentless sheet.
It felt like a bad omen.
"Where's Nadine? Didn't you tell her the will was to be read at two o'clock today? Why isn't she here yet?"
I had barely stepped into the courtyard when my mother-in-law's shrill, piercing voice reached my ears.
Sydney's syrupy tone followed.
"Auntie, don't worry. Maybe Nadine was delayed on the way."
"Hmph! She jinxed my son to death, and now she dares to be late for something this important? She's showing my Herrera family no respect at all!"
How laughable.
Back when my parents were alive, she wouldn't have dared say such a thing to me. But now, with both my parents gone, she clearly saw me as an easy target—alone and without backing.
I pushed open the door. The living room was crowded with Herrera family relatives.
And there he was—Darwin, or rather, "Terrence" now—standing beside Sydney.
"Well, well, the illustrious Miss Molina finally arrives," one of them sneered before my mother-in-law could speak.
I shook the rain from my umbrella and stepped forward.
"Mom."
"Don't call me that! My son went out with you and ended up dead, yet you're still standing here, perfectly fine!"
I looked past her and stared at Terrence. His expression didn't change in the slightest.
He was indeed a master of pretending.
Sydney chimed in sweetly, "Auntie, since Nadine is here, let's begin reading the will."
The lawyer in a dark suit stepped forward, opening a folder.
"According to Mr. Darwin's will, all his shares in Herrera Corporation will be transferred to Terrence. Effective immediately, the position of Chairman will be assumed by Terrence."
A cold laugh escaped my lips.
"Wait."
Every head in the room turned toward me.
"When I married Darwin, I invested all of my dowry—converted into cash flow—into Herrera Corporation. How will that be accounted for? That means part of the shares you're handing over to Terrence also belong to me."