Toxic Experiment: Sell the House, Change the Groom

I spend over four million dollars on a fully automated smart home for my fiance, Stefan Shaw, and me to live in once we're married. But on the very first day I move in, he remotely locks every door and window and turns on the gas. The sound of someone pounding on the door jolts me awake. I fight my way out with everything I have. After I'm rushed to the hospital, the doctors tell me that a few more minutes would have left me in a vegetative state. While I'm still in the ICU, Stefan calls—not to check on me, but to complain. "Couldn't you have held out a little longer? Who said you could run out? "Josie's running a medical experiment. She wants to see how long a person can last in a carbon monoxide-filled environment." He pauses, displeasure creeping into his voice. "We were going to light a fire and see what happened. Now that you've run out, it's all been for nothing." After I'm discharged, I return home to find the smart lock no longer recognizes me. Right on cue, Stefan calls to warn me. "Josie needs a place to run her experiments. Your house is big enough, so let her use it for now. Go rent a place of your own and stay out of her way. "It's all for the advancement of medicine. Look at the bigger picture and stop being so petty." I say nothing. As soon as I hang up, I go straight to a real estate agency and list the house for a quick sale. The moment the money hits my account, I text my longtime rival, Seth Lane—a man I haven't seen in ages. "Got a house? If you do, let's get married." Chapter 1 "A riverfront villa on a private island, worth 12 million dollars. Consider it my wedding gift to you." The voice of my longtime rival, Seth Lane, came through the receiver with his usual cold certainty. I murmured an acknowledgment and hung up. A notification chimed on my phone—a bank alert confirming that 3.78 million dollars had been deposited into my account. I looked up and gave the buyer a polite smile. "The door code has been reset to six zeros." After leaving the real estate agency, I headed down to the underground parking garage. My phone suddenly rang. When I answered, my fiance, Stefan Shaw, sounded ice-cold. "You really went all out with the act this time. You even hired actors." I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off. "You think threatening to sell the house will work on me? Too bad. You miscalculated." His tone left no room for argument. "Tell your people to leave right now, then get over here and apologize to Josie. You scared her so badly she's in tears." In tears. I thought back to my time in the ICU, to the moment the doctor told me I'd nearly ended up brain-dead. I had been hovering on the brink of death, and all Josie Gordon did was cry. "The house is already sold." My voice was so flat I barely recognized it as my own. "You'd both better move out soon. Don't make the new owner call the cops." There was a brief pause on the other end. Then Stefan's patience snapped. "Cut it out. If you keep throwing this tantrum, no one is going to coddle you. Do you think you're Josie?" His voice rose as he went on. "Josie is only staying in the house temporarily for her medical research. She has dreams and ambitions. She's not like you—always getting jealous over nothing and pulling these petty, pathetic stunts." I let out a sudden laugh. "Medical research, huh? Well, you can take that up with the new owner and see if he buys it." With that, I hung up. Less than a minute later, Stefan's name lit up my screen again. This time, his tone had changed. "Did you actually sell it?" I tightened my grip on the phone. "I paid 4.2 million dollars for the house and another 1.5 million for renovations. I listed it for four million, and it sold for 3.78 million." I enunciated every digit with chilling clarity. "The money's in my account, the contract's signed, and the deed's been transferred." The silence on the other end stretched like a wire pulled to its breaking point. After a long pause, he spat out each word through gritted teeth. "Queenie Sutton, have you lost your mind? That house was meant for our marriage!" "I'm the one who bought it. Paid in full—" He cut me off. "So what? You bought that house because you wanted to marry me! Since it was meant for our marriage, half of it belongs to me. What gives you the right to sell it without my permission?" Chapter 2 I tightened my grip on the phone. "Did you get my permission before letting Josie move in?" I shot back. The line went quiet for a few seconds before Stefan scoffed. "So this whole stunt was just your way of going after Josie." He spoke slowly, drawing out every word. "Queenie, I can't believe you're being so spiteful. You went to all this trouble just to make life hard for a young woman." Spiteful? Because I hadn't died at their hands? Because I'd taken back what was rightfully mine? Apparently, that was all it took to make me the spiteful one. I didn't bother wasting another word on him and hung up. Down in the garage, I stopped in front of my parking spot and found it empty. I opened the tracking app on my phone. The BMW I'd just bought for 720,000 dollars was in the next city over—right in Josie's hometown. Without hesitation, I activated the vehicle's anti-theft lockout and called the cops. They moved faster than I expected. When the car was brought back to the station, a young man stepped out of the driver's seat—Josie's younger brother, Zane Gordon. He glared at me with hatred. "My brother-in-law gave me this car! Who the hell do you think you are, calling the cops on me?" Before long, hurried footsteps echoed through the police station entrance. A figure dressed in white rushed inside and threw herself at Zane. Josie's eyes were red-rimmed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Zane's never even set foot inside a police station in his life, and now he's being treated like a thief…" She choked up, unable to finish, her whole body trembling like a leaf. Stefan marched in right behind her and immediately grabbed my wrist. "Apologize," he spat. I tried to wrench my wrist free from his grip. "This is my car. You gave it to him without my permission—" "We bought that car for our wedding!" he snapped, cutting me off. "I have every right to give it to whoever I want!" We'd picked up the car a month ago. He chose the model and the color. I footed the bill. The day we went to get the license plates, he took Josie out for a spin, leaving me to sit alone at the DMV for three hours. My chest heaved. "I paid for it in full—" Before I could finish, a sharp crack split the air. My head snapped to the side. I froze. I'd known Stefan for ten years and dated him for five. Before Josie came along, even raising his voice at me would leave him so wracked with guilt that he couldn't sleep. But now, for the sake of another woman, he'd slapped me in front of a room full of people. Stefan's fingers trembled. He instinctively took a half-step toward me, but Josie immediately let out a choked sob. He stopped, his expression hardening all over again. "Queenie, all you talk about these days is money. You've become so materialistic. I'm disappointed in you." He sounded like the wronged party. "Consider that slap a lesson. From now on, don't nickel-and-dime me in front of other people." I gently touched my stinging cheek and said calmly, "There is no 'from now on' for us." I didn't cry, nor did I make a scene. I just followed police protocol—signing every page of the paperwork and dropping the charges. As I walked out of the interview room, a hand clamped around my wrist again. Stefan's tone softened. "I made a reservation. You have low blood sugar, and you shouldn't be skipping meals." I stopped in my tracks. His tone grew even gentler. "Just apologize to Josie at dinner, buy the house back, and let Zane have the car. Be good, and we'll go right back to the way we were." Coldness crept through my fingertips, inch by inch. I shoved his hand away. "Stefan, we can't go back to the way we were." He frowned, but I just offered him a faint smile. "I'm getting married." Chapter 3 The room went dead silent for a moment. Stefan sighed with relief and laughed. "I know you're eager to get married." He nodded before continuing, "But if Josie's unhappy, I'm not going through with the wedding. Your top priority right now should be getting back on her good side." Josie walked over and stared at me with cold detachment. "Queenie, I know you're desperate to get married, but there's no reason to take it out on me. I'm not like you. I have ambitions of my own. I'm not about to spend my life playing housewife and waiting on a man." She paused and sighed. "Whatever. It's not like you'd understand anyway." "Don't bother apologizing. Just come to the DMV with us right now and transfer the car to Zane, so he won't feel awkward driving it later…" I didn't bother waiting for her to finish. I turned on my heel and walked out. Their irritated shouts followed me out, but I tuned them out completely. I returned to the small apartment I'd recently rented for myself. The moment I lay down on the mattress, my phone vibrated with an incoming call—it was the nursing home in Eastbrook. "Ms. Sutton, Mrs. Shaw added 13 premium care services to her account this month, totaling 73,000 dollars. On top of that, next month's standard care fee is coming up. Should we charge the card we have on file, or would you prefer to handle it another way?" Three years ago, Stefan's mom, Rebecca Harper, had been admitted to the nursing home after her legs atrophied. Stefan had just started a new job at the time and claimed money was tight. So I had linked my own card to her account, footing every bill for three straight years, right up until today. "From now on," I said flatly, "contact Stefan directly about any of Mrs. Shaw's bills." The administrator on the other end paused, clearly caught off guard. Ignoring his shock, I added, "Also, I need you to send me the invoices for every bill paid over the last three years." … The next day, I went to the hotel to talk to the manager about canceling the wedding reception. The manager gave me a strained look. "Ms. Sutton, Mr. Shaw asked us to open the banquet hall early and charge it to the wedding account. His guests are already here. In fact, they're eating right now." I froze. Before I could process his words, the elevator doors dinged open, and Stefan marched straight toward me. "What took you so long?" he demanded, his brow furrowing into a scowl. "Go settle the bill first. And set up two more tables. Josie's family came along to eat too." The hotel manager wasted no time sliding the current invoice into my hands. The total came to 271,300 dollars. I pushed it back and looked up at Stefan. "What exactly is the meaning of this?" Stefan sighed, staring at me in the tense silence. "Queenie, this is all because of the stunt you pulled. You upset Josie so much yesterday that she went crying to my mom. My mom felt terrible for her." He furrowed his brow, looking as if he truly had my best interests at heart. "You haven't even married into my family yet, and you've already offended your future in-laws. I had no choice but to invite them out for a nice meal to smooth things over." His tone softened, as if he were doing me a favor. "Just apologize to everyone in front of the whole room later, and make sure you sound sincere. As long as Josie accepts it and my mom is happy, you can still be the Shaw family's daughter-in-law." The clinking of glasses and lively chatter drifted out from the banquet hall. I looked at Stefan and took a deep breath. "If I haven't made myself clear enough, let me say it again." I stared straight into his eyes and enunciated every word with perfect clarity. "Stefan, there is no future for us. The moment I sold the house we'd planned to live in, we were over." Stefan's face darkened instantly. Before he could respond, a soft voice drifted over from the entrance to the banquet hall. "I don't think you're in any position to break up with Stefan." Josie walked out. She stopped directly in front of me, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "Stefan told me your parents were murdered during a home invasion, and that you were sexually assaulted by the same robber who killed them." The entire hall instantly erupted into whispers and gasps. Everyone's gaze felt like needles piercing my skin from every direction. The blood in my veins turned to ice. Josie tilted her chin up. "Queenie, you're already damaged goods. You should be counting your blessings that Stefan is still willing to marry you despite your past." She scoffed. "I honestly don't get why you're still putting on this pathetic act, standing here pretending to break up with him and playing hard to get. But let's be real. You're just trying to manipulate Stefan, aren't you?" Chapter 4 My eyes reddened with rage at Josie's taunts. My hand flew up before I could even think, but Stefan caught my wrist effortlessly and shoved it aside coldly. "Josie isn't an outsider. There's nothing about me she can't know." He paused, then added, "You're the one who insisted on making a scene. Josie only blurted it out because she was looking out for me. At the end of the day, this is on you." A wave of icy despair washed over me, leaving my entire body trembling. I held back the rage threatening to tear me apart and ground out each word. "Stefan, let's just end this on good terms. I've never done anything to betray you—" Stefan cut me off. "Another man forced himself on you, and you're still claiming you didn't wrong me? Who knows if you were actually forced or willingly went along with it?" Something snapped in my head. I lunged at him, clawing at his face like a madwoman. The hotel security guards grabbed my arms, their voices sharp with impatience. "Ma'am, calm down! This is no place for your hysterics!" Josie frowned. "Queenie, did I hit a nerve?" Just then, the sound of a wheelchair came from the hotel entrance. Several Shaw relatives wheeled Rebecca inside. Without so much as a glance in my direction, she reached up and cupped Stefan's face, her expression tight with concern. Stefan froze. "Mom? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be receiving care today?" Rebecca's voice turned cold as iron. "She cut off all the nursing home payments. They kicked me out. What care could I possibly have now?" Stefan snapped his head up and glared at me. Rage boiled over in his eyes as he lowered his voice to a dangerous growl. "Queenie, I can tolerate your tantrums, but you crossed the line when you went after my mom! Keep this up, and you're going to see just how pissed off I can get." Rebecca scoffed. "She hasn't even married into this family yet, and she's already trying to boss around her future mother-in-law. Just because she has a little money, she thinks she can throw her weight around with the Shaws." She slammed her hand down on the armrest, her tone dripping with self-righteousness. "I'm not dead yet!" A row of Shaw relatives stood there, staring at me coldly. "An orphan clearly lacks a proper upbringing. She doesn't even know the first thing about respecting her mother-in-law." "She dares to attack Stefan right in front of us over a minor argument. God knows how psycho she acts behind closed doors." "Stefan, you need to think this through. You can't let her marry into our family so easily." Stefan took a deep breath and turned to look at me. "Queenie, you've really gone too far this time." He held out his hand as if delivering a final warning. "Now, apologize and hand over the money." I took a step back, staring him dead in the eye. "No." Stefan's expression darkened. "If you keep pushing your luck, don't blame me for what happens next." Josie clicked her tongue. "Stefan, why are you still wasting your breath on her? You're her fiance. Her money belongs to you anyway." The words had barely left her mouth when she lunged straight for my phone. I dodged, but Stefan stepped forward, grabbed my arm, and yanked me back. I was pinned in place, humiliated and helpless, as Josie snatched my phone, held it in front of my face until it unlocked, and then tapped rapidly across the screen. Just then, a rush of footsteps echoed from the hotel entrance. Over 20 men in suits filed in and quickly blocked every exit. The hotel manager rushed forward. "Who are you people? You can't just—" The man in the lead flashed an ID in front of his face. The manager's face instantly drained of color. He scrambled back, bowing low and not daring to look up again. The Shaws' expressions changed in an instant. Stefan was forced to let go, watching helplessly as the bodyguards shielded me behind them. "Who the hell are you? Why are you meddling in my family business? She's my fiancee—" Before he could finish, the roar of an engine cut out just outside the doors. A sleek, understated black car pulled to a stop. The door opened, and a man in a black suit stepped out. With his hands in his pockets, he strolled inside with an air of casual confidence. He stubbed out his cigarette, stopped right in front of me, and leaned down. A smirk played on his lips when he noticed the tear tracks on my face. "Crying happy tears because we're heading to the courthouse today?" Stefan's face went pale. "What do you mean, courthouse?" A sudden, uncontrollable panic surged through him. I placed my hand in the warm palm of the man standing before me. The instant he pulled me into his arms, I saw rage contort Stefan's face.