
Bloody Revenge, Perfect Counterattack
Chapter 1
After my son brought a girl home, strange things started happening around the house. The weird part was, I was the only one who noticed.
Every night, I was gripped by this deep fear and anxiety, but my family just didn’t understand. Their indifference broke my heart even more. Then, one day, by accident, I stumbled upon the truth.
I used to be the one at the mercy of others, but now it's my turn to take control and handle the situation head-on.
——
When my son showed up with a sweet, innocent-looking girl, I couldn't help but wonder if he had fallen for her.
"Mom, this is Josie Dunn, a college junior of mine. Our company sponsored her and now that she’s graduated and looking for a job, she doesn’t have a place to stay yet. So, I told her she could stay here for a while. Please look after her," he said.
"Hi, Mrs. Smith. Sorry for the trouble. If there’s anything I can do to help around here, just let me know," Josie added with a smile.
I hesitated, speechless for a moment. It felt too late to say no. She seemed polite and well-mannered, but something about her felt a little too calculated for my liking. But what could I do? I had no choice but to nod and smile.
"You're Liam’s friend, so make yourself at home. Just focus on your job search and don’t worry about a thing," I replied.
I asked Lorraine, our housekeeper, to set up a guest room for her near my daughter Yasmine’s room. But as Josie passed Yasmine’s door, I caught her sneaking a few glances, with a look in her eyes that felt too greedy to ignore. Something about it made me uneasy. I started worrying that maybe I’d invited trouble into our home.
Later that evening, my daughter, who was home for summer break, arrived.
"Sweetheart, I’ve missed you so much! Your dad is on a business trip but he'll be back tomorrow. I made all your favorite dishes tonight!" I said, excited to have her back home.
"Thanks, Mom! Oh? Who's this? Could she be my future sister-in-law?" Yasmine joked.
Liam turned bright red, but Josie just smiled and said, "Hi, I’m Josie Dunn. Your family has been kind enough to support me and I’m staying here while I look for a job."
I frowned at that. She didn’t deny Yasmine’s teasing. Could she really be interested in Liam?
Yasmine, as usual, didn’t think twice about it. She just assumed it was no big deal having someone their age stayed over.
"Welcome, Josie! Make yourself at home and don’t be shy about anything," Yasmine said, all friendly.
"Thanks," Josie replied with a sweet smile, but something about it gave me the chills. Maybe I was being too paranoid, but I couldn’t shake the feeling.
A little while later, I heard Yasmine shout from her room, so I rushed over.
"Mom! The diamond necklace you gave me for my 18th birthday—it’s gone!" she cried out, clearly upset.
I felt a wave of shock. The necklace disappearing right after Josie moved in felt like more than just a coincidence. My instincts were screaming, but I held back my anger. I took a deep breath and headed to the living room.
"Miss Dunn," I said as calmly as possible, "my daughter’s necklace seems to have gone missing. Did you happen to see it when you walked by her room earlier?"
Josie looked at me, wide-eyed, her face full of surprise. "Mrs. Smith, do you think I took Yasmine’s necklace? I may come from a poor background, but I’d never steal!" she said, looking hurt by the suggestion.
When Liam heard Josie, he looked at me, clearly upset.
"Mom, you can't just accuse someone without proof. Maybe Yasmine just misplaced it! Josie’s my friend and you need to respect her," he said, sounding frustrated.
I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t even accused Josie outright, but somehow, she had twisted the whole situation and now Liam was angry at me.
"Liam, you know your sister has OCD. She always keeps her things in the same spot. And honestly, who else goes into her room? I'm not disrespecting Josie—I’m just asking a question. And is this really how you speak to your mother?" I said, trying to stay calm, but my patience was wearing thin.
Liam opened his mouth to argue, but Josie stepped in, her eyes brimming with fake tears. "Mrs. Smith, if you don’t believe me, you can search my room or even me. But please, Liam, don’t argue with your mom because of me. I’m just a guest here. I’ll move out soon so I won’t cause any more trouble," she said, her voice full of fake humility.
As if on cue, tears started rolling down her cheeks. I stood there, stunned. This girl was something else—turning on the tears so effortlessly.
Just then, Yasmine rushed out of her room, panicked. "Mom! I found it—it was under my bed! Josie didn’t take it. Liam, don’t be mad at me! Josie, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse you!"
Liam scoffed and grabbed Josie by the hand. "We’re not staying here. Josie and I will go eat somewhere else. We don’t need to stick around and be treated like this," he snapped.
Without waiting for a response, they left. As they walked out, Josie glanced back at me with a sly, triumphant smile that made my stomach turn. I collapsed onto the sofa, my heart heavy. How could my own son turn on me so quickly, all because of her?
I didn’t know what hurt more—his coldness or the fact that Josie was clearly manipulating him. But if she was only after our family’s money, then I’d make sure this little love story ended. I wasn’t about to let her get away with it.