Fallen Grandeur, Shattered Oaths

On my fifth year anniversary, the first two things I receive are two bills for water and electricity.

My wife, Whitney Chapman, comes home at a late hour. She's carrying a food container that's filled with food that has gone cold.

"Sorry, I was dealing with an extremely difficult client. I can only make it up to you with supper."

She puts down the container before walking into the bathroom. While she doesn't reek of alcohol, there's dust coating the hem of her windbreaker.

I call Whitney's secretary, only to find out that she has not been to the company today.

A second before I end the call, the secretary adds, "By the way, Mr. Spencer, the new warehouse manager, Maxwell Clarke, was also absent from work today."

Maxwell Clarke? The illegitimate child who brings nothing but shame to the Spencer family? What a big coincidence… or was it?

I quickly contact the property manager of the villa based on the bills I've received.

"A father-and-son duo have just moved into the villa last month."

The manager then sends the list of inhabitants to me. The name listed is also Maxwell Clarke.

This villa happens to be a property my father left for me back when Whitney and I first got married. Since it's too far from the city, I've left it vacant all this time because I wanted to reserve it as a villa meant for vacation purposes.

Now, the people I hate are the ones living in that villa.

The water was turned on in the bathroom. Whitney Chapman was taking her bath.

I went to the entryway and picked up the trench coat she'd just changed out of. There was an unnoticeable stain on its hem that looked like plaster.

A crumpled supermarket receipt lay in the coat's pocket. I silently smoothed it out. It was issued today at 3:00 pm. The items listed on it were pasta, oil, and…a packet of cigarettes.

She lied to me.

She hadn't been attending a business dinner just now. In fact, she'd been out running errands for those two men voluntarily.

Maxwell Clarke and I, Harvey Spencer, were half-brothers of the same mother. His father, Samuel Clarke, was a home wrecker who seduced my mother for her wealth many years ago and ended up causing my father's death.

After I took over the reins of the Spencer family five years ago, the first thing I did was drive them out of Reelsburg City.

But alas, my wife brought them back recently. She even helped them settle down in the house I inherited from my father.

The shower was turned off. Whitney walked out with a bathrobe wrapped around her body.

Seeing that I was still sitting on the couch, a flicker of uneasiness crossed her eyes. "Why haven't you gone to bed? Have you had your supper? You don't have to eat it if the food's gone cold. I'll cook something for you tomorrow."

Leaning back on the couch, I