We need to talk. You're going to rot in hell. Reading the last message, I laughed out loud. I put the phone on airplane mode and slept peacefully.

The next morning, I hopped into a taxi to JFK airport. I turned on the phone one last time. I had an avalanche of missed calls and messages. Most were from the Gallagher family. The crown jewel was a voicemail my mother-in-law, Phyllis, had left me at 3:00 a.m.

In a hysterical voice, she cursed me, saying I had ruined the Gallagher family that I was a cunning evil woman like a snake. "Thanks for the compliment," I replied softly. Then I took the SIM card out of the phone, snapped it in half, and tossed it out the window. At the check-in counter at JFK, I handed over my passport and ticket. The agent smiled and asked, "Miss Vance, is this trip to Switzerland for business or pleasure?"

"I'm going home," I replied calmly. I'm returning home. As the plane took off, I looked out the window as the city where I had lived for over 30 years grew smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared into the clouds. I felt no sadness, only immense relief. Against my chest, my grandmother's jade pendant radiated a comforting warmth.

This jade, which had endured thousands of years, had witnessed countless rises and falls, and now it would witness a new beginning. Goodbye my past, I close my eyes. New life, here I come. And on the other side of the world for the Gallagher family, their nightmare had only just begun.

Morning on Lake Lucerne. The mist fine as silk glided smoothly over the surface of the lake. Standing on the terrace of my new home, holding a hot cup of coffee, I watched the distant snow-capped mountains turn gold in the dawn light. I had only been in Switzerland for 3 days, but I felt freer than I had in the last 5 years. My phone buzzed.

It was a message from Monica. Have you seen the news Jason's company? Their stock dropped 45% this morning and trading has been suspended. I gave a slight smile and set my coffee cup down. I opened my laptop and in seconds the real-time stock chart for Jason's tech company appeared on the screen.

A red line was practically in free fall. I clicked on a headline in the business section. Tech firm Gallagher Inc. plunges into debt crisis. Management investigated for embezzlement. The article mentioned that Vice President Mr.

Roberts had formerly reported CEO Jason Gallagher for using over $20 million in company funds for personal use and real estate purchases. The killing blow was that the banks had abruptly pulled their lines of credit, leaving Gallagher Incorporated with zero liquidity and several projects on the verge of cancellation. It blew up sooner than I thought, I murmured about 3 days ahead of my calculations. As I read the news, another pop-up window appeared. It was the trending topics ranking on American social media.

Seeing the third topic, I frowned slightly. Exclusive Alex Vance of Vance Group causes a scene at Gallagher Incorporated HQ. I clicked on it and a lowquality but shocking video began playing automatically. A young man in a designer suit accompanied by what looked like bodyguards was yelling in the lobby of Gallagher Incorporated. Jason Gallagher, come out right now.

Don't think you can hide after getting my girl pregnant. The comment section was chaos. Isn't that Alex Vance? Since when is Chloe his girlfriend? What a soap opera among the elite.

Chloe wasn't Jason Gallagher's mistress. Breaking rumor has it Chloe was dating several rich guys at once. Not even she knows who the baby daddy is. I closed the video and took a sip of coffee. Sarah had been incredibly efficient.

It seemed the evidence had fallen into the right hands. The phone rang again. This time it was my father. Anthony Gallagher came to see me this morning. He got on his knees and begged me for financial help.

I replied, "And what did you tell him, Dad?" I told him I'd think about it and gave him a 3-day deadline. "Perfect." I put the phone down and opened the remote access link to the security cameras I had installed in the house. The micro cameras I had placed throughout the Gallagher property half a year ago were finally going to be useful.

Seeing the feed from the living room, I almost spit out my coffee. My mother-in-law, Phyllis, was tearing the house apart in a fit of hysteria, screaming all kinds of profanities. They're all the same. Where is my jade bracelet and my diamond necklace? My father-in-law, Anthony, was sitting on the sofa, his face ashen.

Stop looking. The police, they said Chloe pawned all that jewelry. Impossible. That's my life savings. My mother-in-law collapsed on the floor, sobbing.

It's all your son's fault for bringing that wicked woman home. I switched to the home office camera. Jason was screaming into the phone. I don't care how you do it. Find her.

She ran off with the last two million left in my account. Someone must have said something on the other end because he suddenly smashed the phone against the wall. Useless. You're all useless. Finally, I checked the most interesting camera, the basement storage.

Surprisingly, Chloe was still there. She was secretly rummaging through my packed suitcase. From a hidden pocket, she pulled out several bank cards and my passport. A greedy smile on her face. Interesting.

I thought she would have fled far away by now, but she still had the nerve to come back and steal. Better this way. I needed more direct evidence. I took a screenshot and sent it to Sarah along with Chloe's exact location. Tell Jason his true love is in the basement of our house.

Less than 10 minutes later, the security camera caught Jason running toward the basement. Behind him, two NYPD officers followed closely. The ensuing scene was absolute chaos. Chloe screamed and tried to run, but the cops grabbed her. Jason grabbed her by the hair, hurling insults.

The audio was so clear, you could hear it perfectly from the second floor camera. Chloe didn't hold back either. She slapped him and screamed, "Who the hell do you think you are?" Out of all the suckers I've been with, you were the poorest. The comedy ended with Chloe being arrested for grand larceny and fraud.