His Assistant Killed My Mother-in-Law,So I Signed the Divorce

On my mother-in-law's fiftieth birthday, my husband's assistant sent me a photo.

In it, Sheila Gilbertteeth ripped out, mouth streaming bloodwas crammed inside a dog cage.

I called immediately. Christine Fox, what the hell are you doing?!

Christine's laugh was cold, cruel. You've got some nerve asking me that. Mr. Gilbert just opened a restaurant, and you send this old hag to freeload? Is your family that desperate?

"Let me make something clearMr. Gilbert already gave me this restaurant. Try to take advantage of me again, and this is what happens."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Have you lost your mind? That's Russell Gilbert's mother!"

Christine scoffed, utterly indifferent. "Mr. Gilbert already told meyour mom is your problem, his mom is his. He's never considered your mother family."

Russell was famous for his filial devotion. Now I understood why Christine dared treat his mother this wayshe thought Sheila was my mother.

1.

The line went dead before I could correct her.

I didn't waste a second. My fingers were already dialing Russell.

"Russell, your momChristine attacked her. You need to go now"

"Enough. I know what you're going to say."

His voice cut through mine, ice-cold. "I think Christine was right to teach her a lesson."

I froze. "What did you just say?"

Russell sighed, as if I were the unreasonable one. "Tania Henson, we may be married, but your mother needs to learn boundaries. She can't spend every waking moment trying to squeeze benefits out of me."

"You don't understandshe's your"

"I said enough!"

His impatience crackled through the phone. "So what if she's my mother-in-law? I'm not obligated to tolerate her greed. Today she shows up at my restaurant to mooch a free meal. Tomorrow she'll be at my office demanding cash. Christine teaching her a lesson? That's a favor."

His words turned my frantic heart to ice.

My mother was a village woman, yesbut she'd lived her entire life with kindness and integrity. She'd never taken advantage of anyone. And she'd treated Russell like her own son.

When he was struggling to fund his startup, she hadn't hesitated. She'd handed over every yuan she'd saved for retirement.

When she learned about his stomach problems, she'd cook healing broths and herbal soups no matter how busy she was, then travel for hours just to deliver them to the city.

And this was how he spoke of her. A woman who'd loved him like her own flesh and bloodreduced to a "greedy freeloader who deserved what she got."

Something inside me went cold and still. When I spoke again, my voice was flat.

"Russell, I really think you should go check on your mother at that restaurant. After all, she raised you. That wasn't easy."

Russell exploded.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Tania? When did your mother ever raise me?"

"No wonder Christine couldn't help herselfwith a daughter like you, your mother deserves to be beaten!"

"Today is my mother's fiftieth birthday. I'm busy preparing her banquet. I don't have time for your ridiculous drama."

"If you have any sense at all, you'll stay out of this and let your mother learn her lesson."

He hung up.

Seconds later, a text arrived:

"The banquet starts in one hour at the Marriott Hotel. Make yourself presentable. Don't embarrass me like your mother does."

I didn't argue.

I simply replied: "Okay."

After all, if her own son wanted me to mind my business

Why should I care more than he did?

An hour later, I changed and made my way to the Marriott.

The banquet hall had been transformed. Flowers everywhere. Balloons drifting toward the ceiling. Mountains of wrapped gifts on every table.

It was clear Russell had spared no expense for his mother's birthday. He'd clearly put thought into every detail.

The Gilbert family's relatives and friends had all arrived, along with every business partner of Gilbert Group.

Russell was working the room, playing the gracious hostbut his eyes kept flicking to his watch, then to the entrance. Waiting for his mother.

Christine, meanwhile, floated through the crowd in an elegant dress, laughing with Julia Gilbert as if they hadn't a care in the world.

The moment I stepped into the banquet hall, they exchanged a glance. Then, in perfect unison, they glided toward me.

Christine's voice dripped with mock sweetness.

"Well, well. If it isn't the devoted daughter who lets her mother crash other people's parties to mooch free food."

"What are you planning to take home tonight? A doggy bag for your greedy little mommy?"

Julia looked me up and down, her lip curling.

"Tania, you married my brother. The least you could do is stop embarrassing the Gilbert name with your family's pathetic habits."

"People might start thinking we took in a whole family of beggars."

The guests nearby caught every word. Whispers rippled through the crowd, each one sharper than the last.

"I heard someone was mooching at Skylark Restaurant earlier. I thought, who still does that? Turns out it was Tania Henson's mother."

"Apparently Assistant Fox locked her in a dog cage and taught her a lessonpulled out all her teeth!"

"Serves her right. Can't show her face in polite society, and she has the nerve to humiliate the Gilberts? Losing her teeth is getting off easy."

"Exactly. If you don't teach people like that a lesson, they'll just keep embarrassing you."

Russell's expression darkened. He strode over, towering above me, his voice ice.

"Tania. Today is my mother's fiftieth birthday. If your mother's antics ruin her mood, I won't just make you payI'll make sure that worthless woman of yours regrets ever being born."

His words cut deep. But all I felt was a cold, bitter laugh building in my chest.

"Russell, if you really cared about your mother, you'd go to the restaurant yourself."

His brow furrowed. "Why the hell would I go there?"

"To watch your mother throw a tantrum?"

"To see her humiliate herself?"

"Tania, don't you dare drag your mother's mess into this."

Julia lifted her chin, her sneer perfectly rehearsed.

"Exactly. Today is my mother's birthday. You think your mom's little drama is worth my brother's time?"

"If you ask me, they should lock her up and starve her for a few days. Teach her what staying in her lane means."

"She seems to think that just because you married into the Gilbert family, your whole clan gets to ride our coattails."

Christine gazed at me, triumph glittering in her eyes.

"Tania, I know you're worried about your mother. But relaxI only gave her a little lesson. Just enough to teach her some manners. I wouldn't really hurt her."

The words had barely left her lips when Manager Chavez from Skylark Restaurant burst through the doors, pale and breathless.

"Miss Foxthere's a problem."

"The old woman in the dog cage. She's dead."

The banquet hall erupted.

Christine went white. "What do you mean, dead?"

Austin Chavez doubled over, gasping for air.

"We did exactly what you told uspulled all her teeth, locked her in the cage, left her there."

"But she had a heart condition. After you left, she started clutching her chest, couldn't breathe. She was gone within minutes."

The color drained from Christine's face. Her knees buckled.

Russell caught her instantly, pulling her close.

"Shh, it's alright, Christine."

"This is Tania's mother's own faulther body gave out. It has nothing to do with you."

Julia's eyes darted between them. Then she nodded, eager and emphatic.

"Exactly, Christine. This isn't your fault. Blame that old hag for being too frail to go out without making a scene."

"If you ask me, she deserved to die. At least now she won't embarrass the Gilbert family anymore."

Seeing Russell and Julia both side with Christine, the guestswho moments ago had been stunned into silencescrambled to align themselves:

"You're absolutely right. People like her, always looking for a free meal, are nothing but parasites."

"If anything, Assistant Fox did society a favor. Nothing to feel bad about."

"Exactly! She came here to freeload. If her heart couldn't handle it, she shouldn't have been out causing trouble. She was asking for it."

Within seconds, everyone was comforting Christine.

As if she were the victimnot the poor woman lying dead.

Watching them rally around her, a flicker of satisfaction glinted in Christine's eyes.

But in the next breath, she cast a timid glance my way and turned to Russell, her voice trembling just so:

"But Mr. Gilbert... the woman who died was Tania's mother. What if she comes after me?"

Russell gazed at her, his eyes soft with tenderness. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one will lay a finger on you."

With that, he ordered a settlement letter drafted on the spot. It landed in front of me.

"Tania, your mother was in the wrong first. If she's dead, she has only her own rotten luck to blamenot Christine."

"For the sake of our marriage, I'll make sure your mother gets a proper funeral."

"But you will sign this letter. You'll guarantee this matter ends here. You will not make trouble for Christine."

Julia folded her arms, chin lifted high.

"Tania, your mother brought this on herself. Don't even think about shaking Christine down. Be smart for once and sign the damn thing."

The two of them stood there, imperious, waiting for my compliance.

I pushed the document back toward them.

"If anyone's signing this," I said evenly, "it's you. Not me. I'm not the one with standing."

Russell's expression darkened. He thought I was refusing.

"Tania. Don't push your luck."

"Your mother was a vagrant. A nobody. Her existence contributed nothing to this world. The fact that I'm willing to give her a decent burial should have your ancestors weeping with gratitude. Don't get greedy."

Julia's face pinched with disgust. "Exactly. If my brother weren't so kindhearted, no one would even bother collecting her corpse after the filthy things she did."

"We're offering you a way out. Take it while you still can."

I let out a slow breath.

"You've misunderstood. The woman who died" I met Russell's eyes. "is your mother. This settlement letter? Only you have the standing to sign it."

Julia's composure shattered.

"Have you lost your mind?! How dare you say something so vile at my mother's birthday banquetcursing her like that?!"

Russell's fury erupted.

"Tania, I've been far too lenient with you all these years. That's clearly why you've become so arrogant you've forgotten basic respect for your elders."

"My mother is the most important person in my life. I will not tolerate anyone disrespecting hernot even my own wife!"

He whipped around to face Austin, his voice slicing through the air.

"Go back to the restaurant. Now. Throw that old wretch's body into the septic pit."

Austin hesitated, glancing uneasily at me. "Mr. Gilbert, that's... that doesn't seem right..."

Russell's voice dropped to ice.

"She won't sign? She wants to curse my mother? Fine. Today I'll show her exactly what happens when someone disrespects the woman who gave me life."

"Do it. Now. Whatever happens, I'll take full responsibility."

Seeing Russell's fury, Manager Chavez didn't dare defy him any longer. He scrambled away to handle the matter, practically crawling in his haste.

The guests around me shook their heads, their whispers sharp as broken glass:

"Well, Tania's really touched Mr. Gilbert's raw nerve now."

"Exactly. His father died youngMrs. Gilbert raised him and his sister single-handedly. Everyone knows she's the one person he'd burn the world down for. And Tania goes and curses her at her own birthday banquet? The woman's lost her mind."

"No wonder her mother's dead. Saddled with a daughter this ungrateful, what parent could survive?"

The gossip was vicious. Cruel.

It didn't touch me.

I ignored them all, held Russell's gaze, and spokeeach word deliberate as a nail driven into wood:

"Russell. Are you certain you want to push this to the absolute end?"

He looked down at me, cold and imperious. "Tania, you brought this on yourself."

"Your mother died because she was shameless and greedy. Always chasing handouts."

"You had no right to curse mine at her birthday banquet. Not once. Not twice."

"Frankly? Having a daughter as ungrateful and disrespectful as youyour mother deserved to die young."

The words had barely left his lips when my mother walked into the banquet hall.

She looked at Russell, confusion softening her weathered face. "Who died?"