Chris hurriedly wrapped his arms around her, his voice soft and soothing. "What happened last night? Didn’t you add something to her milk?"
Jennifer looked at Chris, her expression one of concern mingled with fear. "I don’t know what went wrong. Joana’s mental state seemed off this morning. Could it be...?"
Their whispered conversation was clearly audible to me. I could see them exchanging worried glances, clearly uneasy about the unfolding situation.
"Sign or not?" I pressed, my patience thin. I started to reach for the agreement, preparing to retract it if necessary.
Chris’s grip tightened on the document. "Jennifer, it’s just money. I can give you whatever you want. Money is not an issue—I can always make more. But I can't let my son down."
Jennifer, still clinging to Chris, suddenly burst into laughter, her voice full of glee. She leaned in and planted a sweet kiss on Chris’s lips. "Don’t worry, Chris. We won 100 million in the lottery. We’ll claim the prize tomorrow. Even though that vile woman took a lot, I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve to ensure she doesn’t benefit."
Their low-voiced, conspiratorial conversation was unmistakably clear to me. Jennifer’s flushed excitement was evident and for once, her façade of subservience was completely dropped. The once meek and compliant Jennifer was now overtly celebrating her victory.
Chris signed the agreement quickly, his expression a mixture of resignation and frustration. I took the signed document and tucked it away. Then I said to them, "You need to move out today. If you don’t, I’ll have your belongings disposed of as if they were trash."
Jennifer stood up from Chris’s lap, her eyes narrowed in contempt. She inspected me with disdain, her new manicure catching the light. "Eloise, you’re such a failure. You couldn’t even keep your man. Take a good look in the mirror—what man would be interested in your current state?"
Without hesitation, I slapped Jennifer hard across the face. The sharp sound of the impact echoed through the room.
