Chapter 7 Mother-in-law From Hell

Darya, caught off guard and off balance, stumbled and would have tumbled back down the steps if Bianca hadn't caught her in time.

Bianca let out an enraged growl.

This was the life her best friend had been living!

This was the way Darya, the apple of every McAllister's eye, was treated!

She waited for Darya to regain her balance, then bounded up the steps and pushed Judy-hard.

'Ow!' Judy staggered on her high heels, hit her back against the door, and slid onto the floor.

Bianca used a foot to nudge Judy's legs out of the way, pushed the door wide open, and tilted her head at Darya. ''Come on.''

''Darya Miller! Help me up! Right now!'' Judy thumped her fists on the floor in impotent rage. ''Or I'll tell Micah you let your low-born friend assault me!''

Darya was unmoved.

She glanced down at Judy. ''Why should I help you?''

Judy had stood by and watched, countless times, as she let her daughter Felicia pick on Darya.

Sometimes she'd even lent a hand.

Darya stepped around her ex-mother-in-law, into the lavishly decorated living room that could have been elegant, except for Judy's insistence on stuffing it with kitsch knick-knacks and gaudy ornaments.

She picked up the express mail lying on the coffee table.

The envelope was torn open, revealing a corner of the divorce certificate from the family court.

She stuffed it into her purse, headed up the stairs, and came back down five minutes later.

Pausing at the threshold, she turned, looked back at the marble floor shining under the brilliant light cast by a trio of chandeliers.

She used to scrub the floor with a mop and a bucket of water, which would always be ice cold in winter.

Thinking back to the past three years with a clear head, she couldn't believe she'd allowed herself to be used like that.

Like an unpaid maid. A slave.

''Let's go.'' She linked arms with Bianca, who'd been keeping a vigilant eye on Judy, still sitting on the floor like a petulant child.

''About time.'' Bianca donned her black sunglasses. ''I was getting bored. Let's blow.''

The flashy Porsche 911 zoomed through the open gates just as a black Bugatti rolled in.

Micah jumped out of his car, sprinted up the steps when he saw Judy trying to pick herself up from the floor.

''Mum, what happened?''

Judy leaned her considerable weight on the arms of her son, breathing heavily. 'Your ex-wife just attacked me!'

''Darya?'' Micah ran his eyes over his mother, noting no visible signs of injury. ''Are you all right?''

''I'm fine! But I want you to punish that woman. Sue her ass off. Put her name on a blacklist. Run her out of town if you can.''

''What did she do?'' Micah helped her into the living room, easing her onto the sofa. ''Do you want me to call a doctor?''

''No, I told you I'm fine. I'll be better once you teach that impudent woman a lesson.''

''She attacked you?'' Micah found that hard to believe.

''Well, not her exactly, but one of her good-for-nothing friends did.'' Judy grabbed Micah's hand. ''It's a good thing you divorced her. She's not fit to be your wife.''

''She was here just now,'' Micah said. ''Where did she go?''

''How should I know?'' Judy waved a hand, dismissive. ''Nor do I care. She's no longer part of this family. She never should have been in the first place.''

Micah looked fixedly at his mother for a long time.

Then he rose to his feet, turned, and headed for the door.

''Where are you going?''

When he didn't answer, Judy raised her voice. ''You are not going to look for that gold-digging hussy, are you?''

Micah paused, then turned around slowly.

He knew Judy used colorful language rather liberally when she got worked up, but he had never heard her talk about Darya that way.

He wondered if she'd ever called Darya that to her face.

Was that one of the reasons Darya left?

Why didn't she tell him if Judy was being harsh to her?

''Which reminds me.'' Judy slapped a hand on her thigh. ''Did you give her anything in the divorce? Tell me you didn't. I bet she asked for a big, fat settlement. Micah, if-''

''She didn't,'' Micah cut her off coldly. ''She didn't ask for anything.''

He left the house before Judy could say more.

In his car, Micah had just ended a call to Elliott, his assistant, when he saw his mother's name flash onscreen.

''Micah, the bitch lied!'' Judy shouted into the phone, hysterical. ''She said she wouldn't take anything. But that's because she'd already stolen what she wanted!''

Frowning, Micah pulled the phone away from his ear. 'What are you talking about?'

''The diamond ring in the safe! The Graff diamond's worth two point five million dollars! She took it! You have to get it back!''

Micah recalled the ring with a 12-carat pink diamond stone and a band of rose gold.

He had a matching wedding band, which he had only worn once.

Darya, in contrast, wore her ring like it was part of her skin.

He couldn't remember a time he'd ever seen her without it.

But she must have taken it off at some point.

Otherwise, Judy wouldn't have known it was in the safe.

Did Darya take it with her after the divorce?

What did that mean?

On the phone, Judy was still ranting. ''She's a thief! Micah, call the police! We'll get her locked up!''

Micah leaned his head back, rubbed at the tension between his brows. ''It's her ring. Her property. She has a right to take it. I'm not calling the police. Neither should you.''

He hung up.

Back in the house, Judy stared at the 'Call Ended' message on her iPhone and screamed.

If Micah couldn't be bothered to do something about that thieving, disrespectful bitch, then she would have to take matters into her own hands.

She was still reeling from the confrontation earlier.

Darya Miller had always been such a meek, spineless weakling.

Just because she was divorced from Micah didn't give her the right to thumb her nose at her ex-mother-in-law.

It wasn't right.

She had to be punished.

Judy gulped down a big glass of Zinfandel and got to work.

***

After a sumptuous dinner, Darya cracked her knuckles and was prepared to burn some serious midnight oil.

Luckily, she had Bianca for company.

"Bloody hell! Sons of bitches! Those backstabbing, slanderous pieces of shit!"

Darya poked her head out of the bathroom, a toothbrush in her mouth. "Who pissed in your nightcap?"

Bianca brandished her iPad Air like a weapon. "Did you see the post by the Cavanaughs? I bet it's written by that bitch, Judy Cavanaugh."

"Wow. You really don't like her."

"How could I, when she smears your name in public like that?" Bianca tossed the tablet at Darya. "See for yourself."