Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The Caldwell mansion blazed with light, music and laughter spilling from every window. Inside, Emily's birthday party had transformed into something else entirely, a celebration of Mona's destruction.

"To getting rid of the trash!" Emily raised her crystal champagne flute, her face flushed with triumph. The crowd of society's elite echoed her toast, their laughter cruel and sharp.

Samuel stood by the fireplace, his arm around Lora's waist. He hadn't even bothered to change his shirt, still stained with the wine they'd thrown at Mona.

"I can't believe you actually married her," one of his cousins said, shaking his head. "What a waste of five years."

Samuel laughed, pulling Lora closer. "Had to be done. We needed access to her father's company, didn't we? Besides," he kissed Lora's cheek, "I had something better waiting."

Lora preened under his attention. She was everything Mona wasn't, tall, confident, from the right social circle. She belonged in this world of wealth and privilege.

"Tell them about her face when you accused her of stealing," she urged Emily, giggling. "The way she kept saying 'I didn't do it!' Like anyone would believe her."

Emily settled into her favorite armchair like a queen holding court. The crowd gathered around her, eager for more entertainment.

"Poor little Mona," Emily's voice dripped with mock sympathy. "She actually thought she could be one of us. As if we'd ever accept someone so... common."

The servants moved silently through the crowd, refilling glasses and removing empty plates. Their faces were carefully blank, but a few exchanged knowing looks. They'd watched it all happen, the systematic destruction of a young woman who'd only wanted to belong.

"Remember when she tried to redecorate the living room?" Sarah, Samuel's sister, chimed in. "Those awful modern pieces she bought?"

"Which mysteriously got damaged in storage," Emily smirked. "Such a shame."

More laughter. More champagne. The party was getting louder, more reckless. People were starting to say what they really thought.

"She was so desperate to fit in," one of Emily's friends said. "Following you around like a lost puppy, Emily. Pathetic, really."

Emily's smile turned predatory. "Oh, but that made it so much more fun. The way she kept trying, no matter what I did to her. Like watching a mouse in a maze, running and running but never finding the exit."

In the corner, Maria the housekeeper clenched her jaw as she collected empty glasses. She'd liked Mona, had tried to warn her. But Emily had made sure she couldn't help.

"The best part," Emily continued, clearly enjoying her audience, "was watching her confidence disappear. Day by day, piece by piece. Until there was nothing left but this empty shell who jumped at her own shadow."

Samuel checked his phone, looking bored. "At least she signed everything over before we kicked her out. Makes the divorce much simpler."

"Speaking of which," Emily turned to Lora, "we should start planning the wedding. I'm thinking spring. Just have to wait for the divorce to be final, of course. Can't have any scandals."

Lora clapped her hands in excitement. "I already have some ideas! Nothing like Mona's tacky wedding. This will be a real Caldwell event."

"To the future Mrs. Caldwell!" someone called out. Everyone raised their glasses again.

Emily stood up, smoothing her expensive dress. "And the best part? She's out there right now, in the rain, with absolutely nothing. No money, no friends, no identity. Just like she deserves."

A crack of thunder punctuated her words, making several guests jump.

"Oh, don't worry," Emily laughed. "The storm can't touch us in here. Let her get soaked. Maybe she'll catch pneumonia and save us the trouble of dealing with her again."

The party shifted to the ballroom, where the band started playing upbeat music. Samuel led Lora to the dance floor, the same spot where he'd danced with Mona at their wedding.

"I always knew she wasn't right for you," Lora said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "She never understood our world."

Samuel's smile was cold. "She served her purpose. Now it's time for the real thing."

Back in the living room, Emily gathered her closest friends for more intimate gossip.

"You should have seen her face when we accused her of theft," she said, relishing every detail. "Like a deer in headlights. So shocked that her perfect little world was falling apart."

"But what if she tries to fight back?" one friend asked. "She might have evidence..."

Emily's laugh was sharp as broken glass. "Evidence of what? Everything's in Samuel's name. Every account, every property, every asset. She signed it all away, thinking he loved her. And now?" She spread her hands. "She's nothing. No one. Exactly what she always was."

Outside, the storm raged harder. Inside, the celebration continued, growing wilder as more alcohol flowed.

Someone started a betting pool on how long Mona would last on the streets. Another group traded stories about all the times they'd mocked her behind her back.

"Remember when she tried to join the charity board?"

"Or that time she attempted to host a dinner party?"

"God, she was so desperate to be accepted."

Emily soaked it all in, her eyes glittering with malicious joy. Five years of playing the gracious mother-in-law, five years of carefully orchestrated humiliation, had finally paid off.

"I almost wish we could see her now," Lora said, rejoining the group. "Probably still crying in some alley."

Samuel pulled her into his lap, not caring who saw. "Forget about her. She's gone. This is our time now."

The party showed no signs of slowing down as midnight approached. If anything, it grew more debauched, more honest in its cruelty.

They toasted to Mona's downfall again and again. Each toast more vicious than the last.

"To the gold-digger who dug her own grave!"

"To the servant girl who dared to be a Caldwell!"

"To Emily's greatest victory!"

In her throne-like chair, Emily raised one final toast. "To the end of Mona Smith. May she never darken our doors again."

The crowd cheered. The music played. The champagne flowed.