The moment Tom heard there was money involved, his eyes lit up. "50,000 dollars? Then what are you standing around for? Go make that money! The renovation needs cash right now, so stop getting in the way."
Barbara rolled her eyes as well. "Just go already. Don't slow us down while we're supervising the work."
I nodded and went back to the bedroom to pack my luggage.
Barbara followed me in and stared at me like she was guarding against a thief.
The moment I was not paying attention, she suddenly grabbed my jewelry box.
She said, "Why would you wear gold and jewelry on a business trip? What if you lose it? I'll keep it safe for you, and I'll give it back when you return."
In reality, she had long set her sights on my gold necklace and wanted to claim it for herself.
I did not resist and obediently let go. "You're right. It's better to keep a low profile."
In truth, those pieces of jewelry were all cheap replicas I had bought online. The real ones had already been sold, and the cash was safely stored in a secret account.
I pulled out a bank card and handed it to Barbara. "This is my bank card. The PIN is Tom's birthday. You'll still need to buy materials for the renovation, so feel free to use it for whatever you want."
I had already reported the card as lost, but Barbara did not know that. She took the card with a beaming smile and tucked it into her bra, patting it securely.
"Now, you're being smart. Alright, get going already."
Right before I left, Tom was lounging with his legs crossed, directing the workers to cut through the rebar. When he saw me pulling my suitcase, he impatiently kicked me.
"Wash yesterday's laundry before you leave! You’ve got zero common sense. Are you trying to tire my mom out?"
I endured the pain, set down my suitcase, and walked into the bathroom. Then, I stuffed their mountain of dirty underwear and stinking socks into the washing machine.
As the drum began spinning, I stared at myself in the mirror. My eyes were ice cold, without a trace of warmth.
That would be the last time.
After finishing the laundry, I picked up my suitcase and walked to the door. I looked back one last time at the home that was about to be destroyed. The load-bearing wall had been cut through two-thirds of the way, and what little remained of the connection was trembling.
Tom and Barbara were huddled around Rex, pointing and gesturing.
"Honey, Mom, I'm leaving," I called out loudly, but no one acknowledged me.
I let out a cold laugh and walked out the door.
Once I left the building, I pulled out my phone and logged into several online loan platforms using Tom's account.
That had all been prepared in advance.
"Honey, the renovation loan needs a face verification. Blink your eyes."
Earlier, when he was drinking water, I had waved my phone at him. His mind was completely focused on those floor-to-ceiling windows, so he did not look carefully and impatiently cooperated with a few gestures.
I looked at the words 'Application Approved' on the screen, and the corner of my lips lifted slightly.
Hundreds of thousands in high-interest loans were deposited instantly, and I immediately transferred the funds to an overseas cryptocurrency account.
After finishing all that, I removed the SIM card from my phone, snapped it in half, and threw it down a storm drain.
Then, I flagged down a taxi. "Take me to the tallest hotel across the street."
I wanted to stand at a high point across them, to watch with my own eyes as they met their doom.
The presidential suite at the five-star hotel had an excellent view.
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see directly into the familiar apartment building across the way. On the 28th floor, the security bars had already been removed.
I poured myself a glass of red wine, sat by the window, and opened my tablet. The screen displayed surveillance footage from inside the apartment.
It was a hidden camera that I had specifically installed for 'security purposes.' Even Tom did not know about it.
In the footage, the apartment was already in complete chaos.
That load-bearing wall had completely disappeared. In its place was a massive, completely unobstructed gap.
Rex was leading his workers in installing the frame for the floor-to-ceiling windows. However, because too much of the wall had been removed, the beam above had lost its support and was showing obvious signs of sinking.
