The sharp crash of porcelain breaking split the air.
My mother-in-law jabbed her finger toward my face, her voice was shrill and hoarse.
"You already cursed my son to death, and now you dare come for his money? Dream on!"
Immediately, the aunts and uncles chimed in.
"Exactly, Nadine. Have you no shame? Darwin is gone—can't you at least leave some money for his poor mother's old age?"
I raised my hand and pointed to the man standing behind the sofa.
"Darwin is gone, isn't his elder brother still here? What's wrong—doesn't the great brother plan to support his mother?"
A flicker of tension cracked Terrence's expression.
"Sister-in-law, this is my brother's will. Please respect the deceased and stop making a scene."
I turned to the lawyer.
"No—what's happening here is you all trying to swallow my assets. The lawyer is right here. Tell them—can they get away with it?"
The lawyer hesitated.
"Well... that depends..."
All my attention was on him. I didn't notice my mother-in-law edging closer until she suddenly grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked hard.
"You wretched woman! You killed my son and now you want his money? Over my dead body!"
Off balance, my head slammed against the TV wall. White-hot pain exploded in my skull, the world spinning around me.
"Lock her in the basement!"
My hand came away slick with warm blood as I looked up at the crowd of middle ages people closing in on me.
Through the gaps between them, I saw Terrence standing behind, watching coldly, not moving to stop them.
"Don't you dare!" I tried to push myself up, but before I could, someone snatched a vase from the TV cabinet.
The sound of shattering porcelain rang out again—and just before darkness swallowed me, I heard Terrence's calm voice.
"Go on, lawyer. Keep reading. Ignore her."
I woke up with a scream lodged in my throat.
My hand brushed against a cold, dusty floor.
So they really locked me in the basement.
A dull, persistent ache throbbed in the back of my skull. The wound had already scabbed over, but every pulse felt like a reminder.
In silence, footsteps began to draw closer. The lock clicked, and a shaft of light spilled into the darkness.
I squinted up to see Terrence standing in the doorway, immaculate as ever.
"The lawyer is gone. The will is now officially in effect," he said, his voice laced with feigned helplessness.
How laughable.
Wasn't he the one who had orchestrated all of this?