A Tomb of Mirrors

However, reborn with a vengeance, I would live by one rule: if one were to cross me, I would pay it back a hundred times over.

I clutched the phone tightly. "Your mom's the only one who gets it. I'll be tied up here for another couple of hours. Tell her I'm craving her grilled lamb chops, barbeque pork ribs, and that homemade pie mash she makes..."

I rattled off a list of dishes that were notoriously tricky to whip up.

On the other end of the line, Christopher tried to cut in, but I steamrolled right ahead.

"For the main dish, I'm craving your mom's homemade pumpkin soup and her beef and kimchi noodles."

Once I finished, Christopher, a bit flustered, said, "Honey, that's quite a spread you're asking for. Are you sure we can eat all that?"

I played the innocent act. "Oh, well, then just make a tiny bit of each!"

That left Christopher speechless for a moment, scrambling for a response.

I did not give him the chance. "Babe, I have to run. I'm swamped with work. I need to wrap up so I can get home early for the feast your mom's putting together for me!"

I did not wait for his reply; I just hung up.

A smirk played on my lips as I powered my phone off, headed to the salon, and indulged in a relaxing spa session.

Lying there, pampered and at ease, I plotted my day.

The funeral's total expenses, including the bonuses I had promised, came to 33 million dollars.

Any surplus, and I would have to cut another check for the manager.

Next on my list was securing a venue for the funeral, spacious enough for the sea of flowers. That was another hefty chunk of change.

With flowers galore, their arrangement was another puzzle to solve, likely needing a bit of palm greasing to get it done right.

I also had to stockpile plenty of food, water, medicine, and other essentials. That was money, too.

After the house sale, I was still short a whopping 7.5 million dollars.

I eyed my jewelry collection. In a real crunch, it could fetch around three million.

However, that left a 4.5 million dollar gap. What should I do?

Then, it hit me, and I could not help but grin.

I had nearly forgotten the hefty sums Christopher had siphoned off over the years. That should square things, right?

I was just reaching my front door when Sally's voice, laced with venom, reached my ears, her words tangled with Christopher's.

"Chris, Jessica is such a snake. It's late, and she's not back yet. You think she's toying with us?"

Christopher's laugh was like ice. "No way. She's probably tied up with some company mess!"

Sally's voice was thick with disdain. "I've cooked all that food for her. She'll eat herself into an early grave."

Her tone took a sharp turn. "Hey, Chris, Howard's almost ready for school, and you and Chloe can't keep living like this. Let's figure out how to snag her houses, too."

Christopher's words were laced with poison. "That's exactly why you're here. If it wasn't for her old man's last wish, I'd have had the houses by now. A will? It's just a piece of paper. It'll all be mine soon enough."

Sally's laugh was full of false pride. "That's my boy, always the smart one."

I pushed the door open with a frosty half-smile, catching the two smug figures off guard as they scrambled to their feet.

Christopher, ever the rock, greeted me. "You're home!"

I nodded and glanced at Sally. "I appreciate you looking after me."

Sally offered an awkward chuckle. "No need for thanks between family. In my eyes, you're like my daughter. I couldn't rest easily without taking care of you myself. Your favorite dishes are ready. Let's eat."