"You know how I've been struggling for years to get the settlement for your father's death from the company he worked at?" Lucia began, causing Benjamin to furrow his eyebrows, wondering where she was going with this.
"Well, I finally made some progress with the new lawyer I hired, Stella, who advised me to transfer everything to Jerry if I wanted the process to move along quickly, which I did yesterday," Lucia said, and Benjamin's eyes fidgeted.
"So you're saying that the settlement and everything else that Dad left us were transferred to him?!" Benjamin said, his face ridden with disbelief.
Lucia's speechlessness was all the answer he needed.
"Mom, how could you do that?" Benjamin said, disappointedly, "How could you transfer everything Dad worked hard for and the settlement we were meant to have because of his death to him?"
Benjamin felt like his mother had just tarnished his late father's legacy.
"I didn't have a choice. Stella said that was the only way to get the settlement processed, and I agreed because the money would have made sure all of us were set for life. I did it for you two, and I know your father would have understood," Lucia said.
"But look at the outcome. Jerry has taken everything from us and is throwing us out of our own house. You should never have done that, Mum," Benjamin said, trying his best not to get mad at his mother because it wasn't her fault she trusted Jerry and was betrayed.
If anyone was to be blamed, then it was Jerry. How dare he take advantage of Lucia's trust and toss them to the side like they were garbage?
"Now that you know what's up and understand that this house belongs to me, it's time you all got lost. My fiancé and I need to make this into a home for the both of us, and we can't have the rats staying here," Jerry said, and everyone widened their eyes.
"Fiancé? What do you mean, fiancé?!" Lucia asked.
Jerry chuckled.
"You really are stupid, aren't you?" Jerry mocked.
"Answer my mother's goddamn question." Benjamin frowned, wondering if he had misheard or Jerry really just said that he had a fiancée who wanted to move in with him.
"Oh, my poor and naive Lucia. You really haven't caught on, have you? How sad", Stella said, as she looked at Lucia with both pity and condescension.
"Haven't caught on to what?" Lucia asked. Then, she glanced at Stella's outfit, noticing that it wasn't the usual pantsuit she wore for their meetings. Instead, her dress felt much more intimate—something a woman would wear to see her significant other.
"No wonder you were such an easy target. Zero common sense to put two and two together", Stella said, and suddenly, Jerry wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her closer, and kissed her passionately in front of everyone.
The three who watched them kiss widened their eyes.
They were shocked and couldn't believe what their eyes were witnessing.
Stella looked at Lucia and said, "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but everything has been a lie from the very beginning."
Stella placed her hand on Jerry's chest, caressing it to spite Lucia, and suddenly, the others saw the expensive engagement ring on her finger.
Stella, noticing their gaze, smirked.
"Oh, this? Well, my baby got it for me last night, and it was paid with the settlement money that's ours now. I've always wanted an engagement ring like this, and thanks to you, my dream has come true," Stella said to Lucia. She then wiped the lipstick she had smeared on Jerry's lips and pulled away from him.
Lucia, who was taken aback by what she had just seen and heard, blinked multiple times.
"This can't be happening," she said, in denial.
"Why do you look so surprised? You didn't seriously think I planned on staying married to someone like you forever, did you? I mean, what man in his right mind would want to marry a woman your age with two kids and leukemia?" Jerry said condescendingly to Lucia.
"What are you talking about— no, what is she talking about?!" Benjamin frowned at Jerry.
Jerry looked at Benjamin and said "I thought you were smart, so why don't you put two and two together to come up with the answer—"
Benjamin interrupted Jerry, exclaiming "I said, what the hell is she talking about?! What has been a lie since the very beginning?!"
Jerry, who was overjoyed that he was getting on Benjamin's nerves, grinned and finally revealed the truth.
Turns out that Jerry had seen Lucia trying to get the settlement for her husband's death from the company he used to work for, and he took the opportunity, hoping that one day all that money would be his.
He bid his time, weaseling his way into her heart and eventually into her bed— pretending to be the perfect man for her and a good father figure for her children until finally they got married. After that, he did everything he could to make her transfer everything her late husband left behind to his name, and trusting that he wouldn't betray her, Lucia agreed.
"Though I'd like to take all the credit, the truth is I never could have done it by myself. My girlfriend back then helped me pull off the entire scheme, pretending to be the god-sent lawyer who finally made progress in the settlement case when, in truth, I'd been the one sabotaging any progress that could have happened because I wanted to be the one who got the money. Now that it's mine, I no longer have to continue the farce or remain in this useless marriage any longer. I can be with the one I truly love, Stella", Jerry said, then held Stella's hand. Meanwhile, Lucia looked at them with shock and distraught.
With a proud smirk, Stella said "After my baby proposed to me last night, we had the most amazing night of passionate love-making, which is something you could never do, being disgustingly sick and all."
Jerry and Stella had already stabbed the knife deep into Lucia's back. Now they were just twisting it and making sure she was broken.
Benjamin's eyes widened.
He couldn't believe the intricate lies and tricks Jerry and Stella had performed on his family just for the sake of getting his late father's settlement worth seven million dollars.
He couldn't believe that people could be this wicked, selfish, and heartless. That money was supposed to take care of all of them since his father could no longer do so—so how dare they come and steal it from under them?
"As his lawyer, I've already drafted the divorce papers. All you need to do is sign them and get lost", Stella said as she took out an envelope from her handbag and threw it at Lucia.
Benjamin grumbled, displeased by what Stella had just done, and was doing his best to control his anger so he wouldn't lay his hands on her.
"What's this?" Lucia asked as she opened the envelope and took out the documents inside.
Her eyes widened as she saw that they were divorce documents.
"Please don't waste everyone's time and sign them. My baby and I need to get married as soon as possible, and we can't have an inconvenience like you holding us back." Stella sneered at Lucia.
To think that all those smiles she used to give Lucia while she pretended to be her lawyer hid such evil intentions underneath.
"Don't worry, you'll get a little something to help send your bratty kids through college—but don't get greedy and expect anything more. Now sign", Stella said, then she took out a pen from her handbag and was about to throw it at Lucia, but Benjamin, who had enough of her disrespect, grabbed her wrist.
"Excuse you? What do you think you're doing laying your dirty hands on me?" Stella asked condescendingly.
Benjamin glared at her.
"That's the same question I should be asking you. Who the hell do you think you are coming here and doing this nonsense?!" Benjamin asked aggressively.
"Hey, brat! Let go of her hand right now if you know what's good for—" Jerry said, but was cut off by a punch to the face that was far stronger than the last one.
Jerry fell and was immediately knocked out.
Benjamin scoffed, feeling good about what he did because Jerry deserved it.
Throwing them out of the house was one thing, but using his mother like a pawn in his sick game was unforgivable.
"You bastard! What did you do to my baby?!" Stella yelled at Benjamin and tried to slap him, but he caught her hand.
"You dare stop my hand, you stupid worm?!" Stella said, shooting Benjamin a mean scowl.
"Don't make me lose my cool and do what I did to him to you as well", Benjamin said, then pushed Stella's hand away.
Stella was shocked, staring at Benjamin, who ignored her and focused on Lucia who was being comforted by Gina, and tried to do the same.
He looked at Stella and said "I suggest you get out of here and take your fiancé with you. You've both exceeded your welcome."
Stella, who was pissed off by Benjamin's audacity to speak to her like that, gritted her teeth and was about to retaliate, but stopped when the sound of police sirens flooded the place.
Stella, who was suddenly overjoyed, smirked.
"Just you wait. I'll show you who has the power here" she said, and then rushed out of the house.
She got to the pavement and waved at the police car, trying to get them to stop, which they did— parking in front of her.
The officers got out of the car.
"What's the problem, ma'am?" Asked the officer who came out of the passenger seat and was named 'Brook'.
"Is there an emergency?" The officer who drove the car, Officer Winston, asked.
Stella prepared herself to give the performance of a lifetime, and when she was ready, she spoke.
"There's a maniac in my home, and he just tried to kill my fiancé!" Stella said, pointing at Benjamin. "Please go arrest him!"