Chapter 3: The Plan Behind the Smile
"Mom, slow down.""
I stepped away from the dining room, pressing the phone tighter against my ear.
Behind me, I could feel three pairs of eyes watching.
Serena.
Victor.
And the daughter I had just promised I would protect.
My mother's voice came through quietly.
"Marcus, are you alone?""
I looked toward the doorway.
"No.""
"Then don't say anything that gives them a reason to know I called.""
My stomach tightened.
"What are you talking about?""
A pause.
The kind of pause that meant someone was choosing words carefully.
"How long have you been home?""
"Less than an hour.""
"And you already found the paperwork?""
I looked down at the phone in my hand.
"Yes.""
My mother's breath caught.
"Then it's worse than I thought.""
I lowered my voice.
"What is worse?""
"Marcus, listen to me. You need to take Mei and leave.""
The words felt impossible.
Leave.
My house.
My family.
My daughter.
"Mom, what exactly did you find?""
"I went to your house last week.""
"Why?""
"Because Mei called me.""
Everything inside me went still.
"She called you?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
My mother's voice softened.
"She asked me if she could sleep at my house because she thought you and Serena were giving her room away.""
I closed my eyes.
For a moment, I couldn't hear anything else.
Not the voices downstairs.
Not the music still playing from the speakers.
Not the rain tapping against the windows.
Only that sentence.
My daughter had been scared enough to call her grandmother.
And nobody had told me.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I tried.""
"When?""
"Three days ago.""
I frowned.
"I didn't get a call.""
"No.""
The answer was immediate.
Too immediate.
"What do you mean?""
"I called you.""
My hand tightened around the phone.
"I don't remember.""
"Because Serena answered.""
My chest tightened.
"What?""
"She said you were busy. She told me not to interfere.""
I looked through the doorway.
Serena was standing exactly where I left her.
Watching me.
Her face was calm.
Too calm.
My mother continued.
"Marcus, I went to your house after that.""
"And?""
"I saw boxes.""
I swallowed.
"What kind of boxes?""
"Your daughter's things.""
The hallway suddenly felt colder.
"Mom.""
"She wasn't moving one box, Marcus. She was clearing the room.""
I looked upstairs.
Toward the room that no longer looked like Mei's.
"Why?""
My mother didn't answer immediately.
When she did, her voice was lower.
"Because Serena wasn't preparing for Victor's son to visit.""
My heart started beating harder.
"What are you saying?""
"I'm saying your wife was preparing for Victor's family to stay.""
"I know about the lease.""
"No.""
My mother's voice sharpened.
"You don't know everything.""
I turned away from the dining room.
"What else?""
"Ask Serena why she had your lawyer draft a document transferring household authority while you were overseas.""
I froze.
"What?""
"Marcus, that paperwork wasn't just about a room.""
I stared at the phone.
"What does that mean?""
"It means someone was preparing for a future where you weren't making decisions anymore.""
The sentence sat between us.
Heavy.
Impossible.
I wanted to reject it.
I wanted to say my mother misunderstood.
That Serena was overwhelmed.
That Victor was taking advantage.
That this was just a terrible mistake.
But then I remembered Mei sitting at the end of the table.
Alone.
Invisible.
And I couldn't make excuses anymore.
"Mom, what should I do?""
"Get Mei out of there.""
"Tonight?""
"Yes.""
"That sounds insane.""
"No, Marcus.""
Her voice broke slightly.
"What sounds insane is a mother convincing your daughter she doesn't belong in her own home.""
I looked back.
Serena was still watching me.
Like she was waiting for me to come back and apologize.
"I need answers.""
"You won't get them tonight.""
"Why?""
"Because people tell the truth when they think they're losing control.""
I was quiet.
Then I heard my mother whisper:
"Don't tell Serena I called.""
The line went dead.
I stood there for several seconds.
Then I walked back into the dining room.
Serena immediately spoke.
"Was that your mother?""
I looked at her.
"Yes.""
"What did she want?""
I put my phone in my pocket.
"She wanted to know how I'm doing.""
A small smile crossed Serena's face.
"She always worries too much.""
I stared at her.
The woman in front of me had been my wife for nine years.
She knew how I took my coffee.
She knew I hated flying.
She knew I cried when Mei was born.
I had shared everything with her.
And now I was standing across from her wondering what else she had hidden.
"Why didn't you tell me about the lease?""
Her expression changed.
Only slightly.
"I told you. We were going to discuss it.""
"When?""
"When you came home.""
"After you signed it?""
She looked away.
That was enough.
"Serena.""
She sighed.
"Marcus, I knew how you would react.""
"Because you knew it was wrong.""
"No.""
"Then why hide it?""
She didn't answer.
Victor stepped in again.
"Because sometimes decisions have to be made quickly.""
I turned toward him.
"You keep talking like this is your house.""
He straightened.
"I've known you my entire life.""
"That doesn't answer my question.""
"You think I'm trying to take something from you?""
"I think you moved into my home, took my seat at my table, and my daughter lost her room.""
His jaw tightened.
"My son lost his home.""
"And that's my daughter's responsibility?""
"No one said that.""
"Everyone acted like it.""
Victor looked toward Serena.
That glance.
Again.
A silent agreement.
I saw it.
And this time, I didn't ignore it.
"How long have you two been discussing this?""
Neither answered.
I repeated:
"How long?""
Serena looked uncomfortable.
"Marcus.""
"How long?""
Victor rubbed his forehead.
"This isn't productive.""
"That's not an answer.""
Then Mei appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Daddy?""
All three of us looked up.
She was holding a small stuffed rabbit.
The one thing she had managed to save from her room.
"Can we go now?""
My heart broke.
Because she wasn't asking where.
She wasn't asking why.
She was asking if it was finally time to leave.
I walked toward her.
"Yes, sweetheart.""
Serena's voice sharpened.
"Marcus.""
I stopped.
"You are not taking her away because you're angry.""
I turned.
"Actually, I am taking her away because she thinks she needs permission to have a bedroom.""
"Don't do this.""
"Do what?""
"Punish me.""
I stared at her.
"Is that what you think this is?""
"What else?""
"This is me being her father.""
The words hung in the air.
Victor looked away.
Serena's eyes filled with frustration.
"You don't understand everything that's happening.""
"Then explain.""
Silence.
"Explain why my lawyer created a document behind my back.""
She didn't move.
"Explain why my daughter called my mother because she was afraid.""
Nothing.
"Explain why you signed papers giving another family rights to stay in my house.""
Her lips parted.
But no words came.
And that was when I knew.
There was more.
Much more.
Because Serena was not shocked that I knew.
She was shocked that I knew too soon.
I took Mei's hand.
"We're leaving.""
As I walked toward the front door, my phone buzzed.
A new message.
From an unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
Then I saw the photo attached.
It was taken from inside my house.
A picture of Serena and Victor sitting together at this same dining table.
But the date on the image was from six months ago.
Before Victor lost his house.
Before the dinner party.
Before I ever went to Singapore.
Below the photo was one sentence:
*"Marcus, if you want the truth about your wife and your cousin, look at what happened the night you left for your first overseas trip.""*
I stopped walking.
Because that night was the night everything in my family had changed.
And I had always believed it was because I chose work over them.
Now I wasn't sure anymore.
I looked at the sender's number.
There was no name.
No profile.
Nothing.
May you like
Just a final message underneath.
*"You need to know who really asked Victor to move in.""*
