Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 121

With a sense of confusion, I signed for the package. I grabbed the blade on my desk and opened the delivery.

When I saw what was inside, I almost screamed in terror. Luckily, I remembered I was at work, bit my lip, and managed to hold it in.

Inside the box lay a deformed, bloody doll. Its eyes had been gouged out, leaving dark, empty sockets staring back at me like a skull. Its mouth was slashed open to the ears, and one of its ears was cut off.

I fought back the nausea, closed the box, and leaned against the desk, trembling. I took several deep breaths to calm myself down.

Just then, Paula sent me a few messages. I opened them.

There were several in a row.

[Melinda, after Lawrence's photo was taken down, a lot of people started trashing him on the school forum. Some even exposed his dirty secrets on the forum, social media, and even Twitter. Later, I'll create an account to help you roast him.]

[Melinda, I haven't even mentioned Christopher, and you're still ignoring me?]

[Am I not your favorite person anymore? Has Christopher taken my place?]

[If Christopher has taken my place, I guess I can be the pitiful 'third wheel.']

[Melinda, talk to me!]

I couldn't help but reply to Paula: [I just received a strange package with a doll inside.]

[Who sent it? Is it a cute doll?] Paula replied almost immediately, clearly not busy at the moment.

I took my phone to the break room and called her, "Paula, someone sent me a bloody doll. Its eyes were gouged out, limbs twisted, mouth slashed open, and one ear cut off. I was almost scared to death."

"Fuck, who would send you something like that? They did it on purpose to scare you. Do you think it could be Clara? Only a few people know about your child." Paula was furious and deeply concerned for me.

"I don't know, but it's possible. The sender was anonymous, so we'll have to investigate."

"Don't worry, I'll help you find out who did this. Once we know, I'll make sure they apologize and face legal consequences," Paula said firmly.

Paula was better at this than I was, so I didn't refuse her help. I told her I'd send photos of the box and the tracking number.

The incident weighed heavily on my mind, and I lost my appetite for lunch.

The doll reminded me of my child, and the gruesome sight was almost too much to bear.

Paula called me at noon, "Melinda, I looked into it, but I haven't found anything yet. The sender was very careful and erased all traces. It seems like someone hired a professional to do this. Someone who has a grudge against you, knows about your child, and has the resources—it's probably Clara."

"Yeah, I think it's her too," I said bitterly. "I wondered why she was so quiet lately. She must be planning something. But if she's targeting me, this won't be the only thing. We'll keep an eye on it and catch her eventually."

"Got it!" Paula said. "I'll send you a video. I suspect Clara because she's been involved in charity work for disabled children recently."

I didn't hang up and opened the video.

In the video, Clara was wearing a designer dress, her hair neatly styled, looking gentle as she handed a cute doll to a disabled child.

I felt a surge of anger, my eyes burning with rage. I wanted to tear Clara apart.

Paula knew how I'd react to the video and started cursing, "That bitch Clara is so cunning. She didn't leave any evidence for Lawrence. He thinks he's smart, but he's just a fool being played by Clara without realizing it."

"Melinda, don't get angry. Clara is doing this to provoke you. We won't fall for it. Clara will get her comeuppance soon."

"Yeah, I know! Clara thinks I'm still the naive girl who was manipulated by Lawrence. She's underestimating me. I won't fall for her tricks. Don't worry about me." I took a few deep breaths to calm down.

Paula was relieved and laughed. "You're the best. You're getting smarter. Someone must be teaching you well. Clara will be the one losing her cool when her plans fail."

"Who's teaching me well? What nonsense are you talking about?" I thought Paula was praising herself.

Paula smiled mysteriously. "I'm not talking about myself. I don't have that ability. We've known each other for years, and I haven't changed you. It must be Mr. Collins. You've become so capable since being around him. He's the perfect match for you."

"Paula, please stop. You don't know how embarrassed I was in the car. Mr. Collins heard what you said and laughed at me. Give me some dignity. I still have to work with him."

I sounded desperate, and Paula could tell I was serious.

"Okay, okay, I won't mention it again. Are we just going to wait for Clara to slip up?"

"Yes, we'll handle it quietly. She probably thinks I'll break down after seeing this. When I don't react, she'll get impatient."

I had come to understand Clara. She might be good at dealing with others and situations, but she was impulsive and irritable when it came to me. I believed she wouldn't be able to hold back.

"Alright, let's do that!" Paula was reassured and hung up.

After work, I found several more boxes at my doorstep, all the same size and anonymously sent. I didn't open them and asked the building management to have them thrown away.

Then I received a text from Christopher: [Come over for dinner!]

I refused immediately. There was no way I was going.

Christopher replied: [Do I need to come and get you myself?]