Shades of Solace

The deputy manager lied to his parents, claiming we were dating.

His mother showed up at my place with a horde of relatives, eating and taking whatever they wanted. When I tried to stop them, they tore into me.

"You've got this fancy house, and it's all thanks to our Neil. My son picking you is your good fortune. So ill-mannered. Neil will have to teach you a lesson someday."

Looking at the mess they made of my home, I made a call. "Inform Manager Neil Dawson he's fired.

The missing jewelry and damaged antique paintings are worth about sixty million. I've already called the police.

Not only will you pay, but you're all going to jail!"

1

Exhausted from a flight, I booked a ride straight home.

But as soon as I opened the door, a sour stench hit me. A group of rural women stood inside.

The fridge had been raided, fruits and drinks scattered everywhere. A few women lounged on my sofa, shoes on, chatting away.

The carpet was a disaster, littered with eaten melon seeds and fruit peels.

Next to it, a glob of spit sat on the floor, no clue who left it.

Before I could process, the woman in the main seat waved me over.

"You must be Mina. This is my sister Clara and Emma. We're all here to see you."

She wore a loud floral shirt, flashing a grin full of yellowed teeth.

Her smile seemed friendly, but the problem was I didn't know any of them.

Then, acting like she owned the place, she turned to the group of women behind her.

"This is my daughter-in-law. We're family now."

The moment she said it, a bunch of women in their fifties lined up behind her, chiming in.

"Maia's got it good. This huge house will probably be Neil's wedding home. You're set."

"Exactly. Everyone knows Neil's sharp and devoted. Got into a top university, landed a job at Pinnacle Group right after. His future's bright."

They turned to size me up, smirking.

"Neil's girlfriend is a looker. You'd think she's some heiress. No wonder he's spent so much on her."

"Marrying Neil? You've got it made."

Maia soaked up their flattery, her eyes gleaming with pride.

I wanted to ask if they'd mistaken me for someone else, but the mention of Pinnacle clicked.

They were talking about my subordinate, Neil, deputy manager of R&D.

What did any of this have to do with me?

Daughter-in-law?

I'd never even met Neil outside work.

Before I could speak, Maia strutted to the living room, acting like an elder.

"Get twenty grand for Clara and Emma. Back home, that's the gift you give when family visits.

Look at what you're wearing. That skirt's practically up to your thighs. Doesn't look proper. Only Neil's good nature puts up with you. You can't dress like that after marriage. People will talk.

I'm here to check you out and talk wedding plans with your parents. Let's be clear, Neil paid for this house, so don't expect a dowry.

With that measly three or four grand you make, I say quit your job after the wedding and focus on giving the Dawson family a son.

What are you standing there for? Grab chairs for everyone. Can't you see your elders are standing?"

She rattled on, playing the mother-in-law to a tee.

But I just felt baffled.

"Hold on, what makes you an elder? I've never dated Neil."

2

The living room fell silent. The group of women stared at me, stunned.

Their eyes darted between me and Maia.

"Maia, you didn't mix up your daughter-in-law, did you? She's saying she doesn't accept you as her mother-in-law."

"No way. Neil showed us pictures. It's her. Even the living room setup matches."

"He spent all that money, and now she won't even acknowledge you? What's this about? Does she think Maia's too rural to claim?"

They muttered among themselves.

Maia's face twitched, her expression darkening.

She stood and pointed at me, yelling. "Your name's Mina Ford, and you live in unit one of Willow Heights, right? How could I get that wrong?"

I frowned. "That's correct, but I'm Neil's boss. We've never had personal contact. You should ask him what's going on."

At my first three words, the women swarmed me, their glares turning hostile.

"No relationship, yet Neil spent all that money on you? Moved into your house? You're full of lies."

"Exactly. Talking marriage and you act like we're fools."

Maia pulled out her phone, shoving chat logs in my face.

The screen showed clear photos of my neighborhood, my door number, even my home's interior. No doubt it was my place.

Below were their chats.

"Mom, I just dropped my girlfriend off at home. We're solid."

"Yeah, she's high-maintenance. I bought all this stuff for her."

"Mina says she's not ready to marry. Don't push her."

I froze, unable to wrap my head around what Neil was playing at.

How did he get photos of my home's interior?

We were strictly boss and subordinate. I'd never let him inside.

My silence was taken as guilt.

Maia eyed me suspiciously, then lunged forward, face twisted with rage.

"You took my son's money, strung him along, and now you won't marry him. You're just after his cash, aren't you? People like you, what's that called? Playing the field? You're treating my Neil like a backup."

At that point, it all clicked.

Neil had lied about dating me, and his mom came to inspect her future daughter-in-law.

When I denied it, they thought I was a scammer.

What kind of mess was this?

Out of patience, I made one last attempt to explain.

"I have no relationship with him. This is all Neil's made-up story to fool you. I suggest you leave my house now, or I won't be polite."

The women surrounded me, sneering and hurling insults.

"Who's being impolite? You're just stubborn."

"Neil told me he spent hundreds of thousands on you, even bought this house. All his salary and side money went to you. Now you flip and deny everything? You think we're idiots?"

"Exactly. Probably a con artist. Got the money and now you're done with him."

"You're a shameless fraud."

3

Their shouting drowned out my explanations.

No one listened, and I couldn't get a word in.

The commotion drew my Pomeranian, Annie, out from the bedroom, rushing to my side.

She was a tiny fluffball, all white fur, looking like a little snowball.

But even as small as she was, she stood firm in front of me, barking to protect her owner.

In the next moment, one of the women kicked her, sending her flying a few meters.

She crashed by the coffee table, whimpering in pain.

"Annie! You dared hurt my dog! I'm warning you one last time. Leave my house, or I'm calling the police."

Furious and heartbroken, I pulled out my phone to dial 911.

But Maia, quick on her feet, snatched it and smashed it on the floor.

"Well, look at that, an iPhone. Just how much of my son's money did you take? You're nothing but a gold-digger."

She scanned the house, her eyes gleaming brighter.

"Looks like you took plenty from our Dawson family. These fancy things you got aren't cheap. Clara, Emma, trash her place. Take everything valuable. It's all my son's anyway. Leave nothing for this gold-digger."

"You wouldn't dare. That's my property. Stealing it is a crime."

The rural women burst out laughing, scanning the room while mocking me.

"Your property? These were bought with Neil's salary. They belong to the Dawsons."

"Exactly. A kept woman like you has the nerve to talk? Gold-diggers like you need a lesson."

The mob rampaged through my house, grabbing everything from jade ornaments to computer headphones. Anything that looked valuable got stuffed into their waistbands.

When their pockets overflowed, they used bags.

In their frenzy, Clara even yanked the diamond watch off my wrist.

She held it under the light, greedy eyes gleaming. "My daughter mentioned this brand. Patek something. Worth over two million. Little tramp, Neil makes two hundred grand a year, and you dared buy this?"

The price tag made the group gasp, their gazes turning wilder.

No one wanted to miss out. Everyone craved more.

They stormed every room, looting like lunatics, even dragging the safe from the study.

Maia smashed the lock open. The glittering jewelry inside set their eyes ablaze.

"Good lord, this tramp sure knows how to spend. How much is all this worth?"

They sucked in sharp breaths.

For rural women, two million was an astronomical sum.

These jewels looked even pricier.

As they dove into the frenzy, I rushed forward to warn them. "Calm down and think. Could Neil even afford this stuff? I told you I have no connection to him. Put everything back and get out, or I'll have you all arrested for robbery."

I glanced at the living room camera, my face hardening.

I'd installed it to catch thieves, never imagining it'd record these women first.

Everything they did was on tape. If I called the cops, none would escape.

At my words, the women froze, then looked to Maia.

She hesitated, then stormed over, jabbing a finger at my face.

"You're right. Neil couldn't afford this. So what did you do? You've been cheating on him with other men."

The room erupted. "Yeah, stuff this expensive? Only way she got it is by hooking up with men."

"How many guys has she been with to get all this jewelry?"

"How many times has Neil been played for a fool?"

The accusations grew uglier. Maia's eyes burned with rage.

She stuffed the jewelry into her shirt, advancing on me with a dark look.

"You filthy woman, daring to cheat on my son. You think the Dawsons are pushovers?"

Her intent was clear. I stepped back.

Just then, Annie struggled to her feet and lunged, biting Maia's hand.

Tiny and already injured from the earlier kick, she still clamped down to protect me.

"You little beast, you dare fight me? I'll kill you."

Maia yelped, flinging Annie to the floor. A murderous glint flashed in her eyes as she grabbed a mop and swung it at Annie's head.

"No!"

4

I screamed until my voice broke.

But it was too late. Maia's swing was too fast, too heavy.

Annie couldn't dodge. She yelped once and crumpled to the carpet.

Blood poured from her mouth, and she lay still.

My breath caught. I collapsed, crawling to scoop Annie into my arms, sobbing and shouting.

"Enough! Stop hurting my dog!"

My hands were slick with her blood.

Since moving here, Annie had been my constant companion, as close as family.

I'd promised to care for her forever.

But now, she couldn't even whimper, her white fur matted with blood.

My heart shattered. Tears streamed down my face as I clutched Annie and stumbled toward the door.

I had to call the police and get Annie to a vet.

These people were lunatics, capable of anything.

Maia chased me with the stick. "Stop her! Don't let that tramp escape!"

Outside, I realized a crowd had gathered.

The commotion had drawn neighbors, blocking the way, all gawking.

Zachary Walsh, a neighbor I'd seen a few times, stood at the front, expressionless, watching who knows how long.

Relief washed over me. Choking back sobs, I hid behind him, pleading.

"They're trying to kill my dog and trashed my house. Can you call the police?"

I'd sent small gifts to neighbors to build good relations.

Over time, Zachary seemed to take it as flirtation, showing up at my place to ask me out.

I'd politely declined, and he hadn't pressed.

In this chaos, I thought any decent person would help by calling the cops.

But Zachary just glanced at my face and stayed silent.

Maia and her group caught up, spotting him. They exchanged wary looks before explaining.

"This woman swindled my son out of hundreds of thousands. It's family business, young man. Stay out of it."

"Zachary, they're insane. Call the police. I never dated her son. You know I've always lived here alone."

I shouted, denying their claims.

As we faced off, Zachary pulled out his phone and aimed the camera at my face.

He shot me a malicious look, grinning behind the screen. "Everyone, check this out. This is the gold-digger I mentioned before, mooching off me and refusing to pay back.

Justice is served. Another family she scammed has come knocking. Her karma's here."

I froze, stunned.

Zachary had started a livestream, exposing me online.

A self-media guy, he knew how to chase clout.

With a few paid boosts, his stream's viewers jumped from a handful to thousands.

The crowd behind him pointed and sneered, their eyes dripping with disdain.

"That's the one Zachary talked about. A gold-digger. Who knows where she got all that stuff in her house."

"She deserves this, getting called out."

"Must've scammed a fortune to cause this mess."

Seeing the crowd's reaction, Maia smirked at me.

Then she dropped to the ground, wailing and playing the victim. Zachary swung the camera to her.

"This shameless gold-digger swindled my son out of hundreds of thousands, and now she denies ever dating him.

That was our family's savings for his wedding. Us country folk don't earn much, and this woman spent it all."

People naturally pity the weak. Seeing an old rural woman sobbing on the ground, with others calling me a fraud, the crowd assumed the worst.

Online, viewers bought the narrative, flooding the chat with vile insults.

"Can't stand these leeches. How many guys has she conned?"

"Scum like her ruin everything."

"Are they gonna fight? I'm sending a big donation. I wanna see this gold-digger get what's coming!"

Seeing the venom in Zachary's eyes, my heart sank.

He'd given me a couple of mugs, which I'd accepted as neighborly gestures.

I never imagined he'd hold a grudge, spread lies about me, and blast it all online.

"People like you are habitual scammers. You've conned who knows how many men. Even the cops won't side with you."

"Pay your debts. A gold-digger like you deserves a beating."

The neighbors jeered from the sidelines.

Egged on by their words, the women exchanged glances, their excitement surging.

"You hear that? Call the cops, it won't help. A shameless fraud like you? Beating you is justice."

5

They grabbed my shoulders, dragging me back inside.

I fought with everything I had, but their grip pinned me down.

Annie lay in my arms, her fate unknown, blood-hers or mine-soaking my clothes, a horrifying sight.

I'd gently touched her head earlier, but she didn't respond, as if she were already gone.

Ignoring their pulling, I broke down, pleading through sobs.

"Please, let me take Annie to the vet. She's coughing blood. We can't wait."

They burst out laughing at my words.

"You're done for, and you're still worried about that dog? What's wrong with this gold-digger's brain?"

"Fine, want to save your dog? Kneel and apologize to each of us."

Their faces lit up with cruel glee.

"Kneel one by one, admit you were wrong, or you're not leaving this house."

Zachary streamed it all, zooming in on my pale, desperate face.

"Look at this, folks. The gold-digger's about to kneel and beg.

You don't know these types-chasing wealth, looking all polished, but secretly sleeping with countless old men.

Drop a like, and we'll get a close-up of her later."

He stared at me, acting like some righteous crusader.

But I knew better. He was just humiliated from my rejection, now out for revenge.

My knees buckled as two women dragged me to face a smug Maia.

I resisted with all I had, but their strength overpowered me.

At that point, my mind was fraying, only a shred of pride keeping me from bowing.

"This little tramp's still defying us."

One of the women behind me snapped, reaching to force my head to the floor.

6

Just then, the elevator dinged open.

The building security guard arrived with two community police officers.

The commotion had been too loud. The officers, on patrol, came to check and stumbled into this chaos.

"Stop it. Beating someone in public? What are you doing?"

The officers brandished batons, pushing Maia and her group back before helping me up.

Maia's crew, moments ago ferocious, went quiet, not daring to act out in front of the police.

Zachary stood to the side, silent.

Relief hit me. I was finally safe. Trembling, I grabbed an officer's sleeve.

"Annie... please, call a car. My dog's been hurt by them."

After arranging for Annie, I picked up my phone and called Neil, my voice icy.

"I'm informing you now. You're fired from Pinnacle, blacklisted for life. Also, your mother and her mob trashed my house. You'll compensate for every loss."

My body ached, numb with pain. I'd never been so humiliated in my life.

A subordinate I barely knew caused this disaster, wrecking my home.

If I didn't pursue this, my name wasn't Mina.

Neil's relatives gaped, stunned. "Wait, she's really his boss? She just said she's firing Neil."

Pinnacle's pay was top-tier, no wonder Maia had been so smug.

Neil never saw it coming-his mother cost him his job.

Maia's face shifted between shock and rage. She spat on the ground, cursing.

"She wouldn't dare. Who knows if she's really his boss? A gold-digger's word means nothing. Don't fall for it."

Supported by the police, I stood and faced them, speaking clearly.

"I'm not just Neil's boss. I'm Pinnacle's CEO. You dared lay hands on me. I'm pressing charges, and you'll all see prison."

Furious, Maia charged forward and slapped me twice, hard.

The blows left me dizzy, collapsing to the floor.

"Think you can sue me, you little tramp? Keep dreaming.

You're a shameless gold-digger, spending my son's hundreds of thousands and denying everything. I'm in the right, no matter what."

"Quiet! You dare hit her in front of me? That's assault." Stunned by Maia's brazen attack, the officers pulled her back.

She stumbled, then glared at them with a sly look, spitting venom.

"You're protecting this tramp. What, you sleeping with her too? Hoping you'd serve justice? You're nothing."

She spat again, then waved to her group.

"A gold-digger gets police protection? Clara, Emma, trash her house. Cops won't give us justice? We'll take it ourselves. I'll take the blame."

Convinced she was right, the lawless mob stormed back in, smashing and looting.

They didn't spare the kitchen dishes, shattering them across the floor.

Ceramic decorations too heavy to carry got destroyed.

Even the rare paintings I'd brought from Nivida were yanked from the display case and torn to shreds.

The house looked like a tornado hit it, a total wreck.

Hearing the crashes, the officers rushed to stop them, furious.

But the women, crazed with destruction, ignored them.

Just then, Neil arrived, sweating and breathless.

Seeing my cold stare and his relatives trashing my home, he nearly collapsed.

He bowed repeatedly, apologizing, then stormed inside, shouting.

"Stop it, Mom, what are you doing? She's really my boss. She's Pinnacle's CEO!"