I sat with my arms wrapped around my knees and studied the man standing before me, so full of righteous conviction.

"Since you're married, that means you've started your own household. From now on, you'll support your wife and child with your own money."

"Butler, pack up the young master's belongings. And call the finance department at the company. Freeze every bank account under his name. He gets a hundred thousand dollars as a settling-in allowance. That's it."

Ever since James met Meryl, he had poured every ounce of himself into her.

At first, I had supported his freedom to love whoever he chose.

I had even taken the share transfer documents I'd prepared for him out of the safe before this meeting.

But Meryl, emboldened by her out-of-wedlock pregnancy, had walked through my door and immediately tried to lord it over me.

Well then. A daughter-in-law like that was more than I cared to deal with.

And the ungrateful son who'd turned his back on his own family? I was done with him too.

The next day, sunlight poured through the windows, and the house felt spacious again.

Madge and I headed to an antique restoration shop to pick up the Heirloom Locket that had been there for repairs the past two weeks.

"My sweet girl, you'll be heading overseas for school soon. Keep this gold locket with you at all times. Your grandmother left it for you. It'll keep you safe."

I carefully helped Madge put on the Heirloom Locket, but before I could fasten the clasp, a figure came rushing out of nowhere and snatched the gold locket right out of my hands.

"Something this nice—why should she get it?"

I stood frozen, staring blankly at the woman across from me, dressed to the nines. Four months pregnant, and Meryl was still teetering on four-inch stilettos.

"What are you doing here? Give that back!" Madge snapped, unable to contain her fury. She lunged forward to grab the locket back.

But James, who had strolled in behind Meryl without a care in the world, seized Madge by the wrist and yanked her aside.

"My dear little sister, have you no shame at all? You're about to become an aunt, and here you are fighting your own nephew for a trinket. Honestly, I'm embarrassed for you."

Meryl clutched the gold locket tight, her face twisted into a smug, insufferable grin.