Chapter 3 Dispute

Hearing the front door open, the two women chatting on the couch fell silent. Sylvia let out a derisive laugh as she strode inside the lavishly decorated mansion that represented years of her painstaking efforts - soon to be foolishly squandered by these two interlopers. This would be her last glimpse of a home that could have been. "So the prodigal daughter returns. Where exactly have you been wandering about? Didn't I tell you this morning to be back here by 8AM sharp to help with the guests? Or did you really think you could land someone better than my son after the divorce? Don't kid yourself - a vain social climber like you will always be looked down on wherever you go. Now hurry up and start cooking. Don't you dare embarrass me when my friends get here later. If you even think of causing me to lose face, just you watch how I'll punish you!" Cyril was self-made, having built his business empire from nothing. So his mother was an avaricious woman determined to marry her son to someone useful to expand the family connections and wealth. Naturally she had always looked down on Sylvia's supposed commoner background, even though that wasn't truly the case. Glancing at the bustling kitchen, Sylvia guessed there would be at least 10 guests today - the number her mother-in-law regularly invited specifically to overwork and demean her. Whenever there was a dinner party, not a single servant would be allowed to help. Sylvia was the sole worker expected to cater to everyone's demands without complaint or retaliation. Her mother-in-law was quick to interpret any objections as unwillingness to continue the marriage. Before Sylvia could respond, Karina jumped in with a smile. "Auntie, isn't that too much work for Sylvia to handle alone? Let me give her a hand. We wouldn't want your friends later thinking I don't know how to cook!" She made to stand up and help. But her mother-in-law quickly yanked Karina back onto the sofa. Not without first shooting Sylvia a look of pure contempt. "How could you compare yourself to the likes of her? She was born to serve, so of course these menial tasks suit her. But you - you're an international superstar! You should relax here while we wait on you." "But Auntie, I'm your guest. It wouldn't be right for me to just sit by while everyone else works," Karina protested. "Guest? Once you and my son get married, then she'll be the guest - no, she won't even qualify to be a guest! At best, she'll just be a stranger passing through." Standing silently to the side, Sylvia listened to the duo's chorus with growing exasperation. Karina didn't utter a single unkind word and kept up the pretense of defending her. But they were empty placations that only fueled her mother-in-law's vitriol towards Sylvia. As their farcical mother-daughter bond strengthened, Sylvia couldn't resist laughing. "Are you two quite done with your theatrics?" Her mother-in-law bristled at the interruption. "What nerve you have! Can't you see we're in the middle of a conversation? Hurry up and get cooking!" "In case you've forgotten, your dear son and I already finalized our divorce. You seem so thrilled to welcome your dreamed-of daughter-in-law. Why don't you get her to demonstrate her cooking skills instead?" Sylvia smiled sweetly at Karina, not missing the flash of delight in her eyes. Weary of their act, Sylvia headed back towards the bedroom to gather her minimal belongings. She had no intention of keeping any of the clothes and possessions here that held nothing but bitter memories now. Just as she reached the door, her mother-in-law blocked her path. "So you're set on ending this marriage for good, I see." "We already signed the divorce papers. What more is there to say?" Sylvia brushed past her and swung open the door, only to come face-to-face with Cyril himself. After leaving Sylvia at the courthouse, Cyril had received a call from Karina about his mother inviting her over to his marital home. Worried that she might run into his freshly-divorced ex-wife and get upset, Cyril immediately rushed back. His dark scowl deepened at seeing Sylvia on the verge of walking out. He shoved her aside and made a beeline for Karina, looking her up and down anxiously. "Are you alright?" Stumbling from his shove, Sylvia's back slammed painfully against the corner cabinet. But that paled in comparison to the casual tenderness in Cyril's question towards Karina - while she was the one injured right in front of him. "Just what have you done now?" Cyril snarled, glaring at Sylvia as if she had committed some unforgivable sin. His hypocrisy left Sylvia seeing red. "Are your eyes only good for occasional glaring? Can't you see with your own two eyes that Karina is perfectly fine standing right there in front of you? If that mouth of yours can't speak sense, maybe you should donate it to someone who actually needs it!" Cyril held up his phone to show her an article. "Don't try and talk your way out of this. The expose online - isn't this your doing?" Sylvia glanced at the phone screen and froze. The photos and caption did seem vaguely familiar even though she wasn't involved... Still, she couldn't deny feeling a spark of vicious satisfaction seeing Karina's stricken expression. "Is there a single false word written there? Wasn't it that drama that first shot her to fame? Does the report state any untruths?" Sylvia challenged, eyes narrowing at Karina. "I'll walk out that door right now and let myself get hit by a car if there's a single lie printed. If every word there is true, then it's your turn to get smashed under a tire!" Karina paled, helplessly seeking out Cyril. He patted her shoulder reassuringly before rounding on Sylvia once more. "If you're so eager to die, then go kill yourself! Don't drag an innocent person into your vendetta! This is obviously your petty attempt at revenge even after the divorce!" With tremendous effort, Sylvia reined in her temper. "I think your brain must be in your neck purely to increase your height," she stated acidly before sweeping past them. Love blinded the wisest of people. She was the living proof for the past three years. Now it was Cyril's turn to wallow in blindness - likely for a long time coming.