The mother-in-law threw dirty water on the poor, pregnant daughter-in-law, unaware that she was the anonymous chairman who held the family’s livelihood
The Miller family’s luxurious dining room was filled with laughter and the aroma of fine steak that day. But to me, the atmosphere was suffocating.
I sat huddled in a corner, one hand gently resting on my five-month pregnant belly, trying to endure the disdainful stares from everyone around me.
“Hey Chloe, get some more sauce? Are you just sitting there like a queen?” my mother-in-law, Eleanor, said in a shrill, sarcastic voice.
“I’m sorry,” I bowed my head and quickly stood up.
My husband, David, didn’t even glance at me. He was busy clinking glasses with his brother-in-law and boasting about his new Tesla. The entire Miller family was enjoying a life of luxury. Why not? They were all high-ranking executives at Aether Group, a multi-billion dollar multinational corporation. David is the Chief Creative Officer, my father-in-law is the Head of Advisory, my sister-in-law is the Head of Human Resources, and Eleanor holds a lucrative position on the company’s social welfare board.
They are incredibly proud of their work. And they despise me just as much.
In their eyes, I’m just an orphan with no family background, a “mouse that fell into a jar” clinging to their precious son. They call me a “poor burden, pregnant to keep a man.” For three years of marriage, I did all the housework like an unpaid maid, receiving only insults and cold treatment in return.
But there’s a secret no one in this family knows.
I am C.L. Avery.
I am the anonymous founder, 75% shareholder, and Supreme Chairperson of Aether Group.
I founded the company during my college years under a completely confidential trust. To avoid the media and gold diggers, I ran everything through my legal representative, Richard. When I met David, I wanted to find a genuine, unattainable love. Therefore, I concealed my identity, pretending to be an ordinary office worker earning minimum wage.
It turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life. The Millers’ greed and cruelty were fully revealed when they thought I had nothing but dependence on them.
The nightmare reached its peak that night when I accidentally dropped a porcelain plate while cleaning. The clatter cut short the laughter and conversation.
“Oh dear! What a clumsy, useless thing to do!” Eleanor hissed. She jumped to her feet, her face contorted with anger. “Do you know how much this set of plates is worth? It’s worth a whole year’s allowance my son gives you!”
“I’m sorry, Mom, I slipped…” I mumbled, bending down to pick up the broken pieces.
“Don’t make excuses! Looking at you all messy and dirty like this makes me sick to my stomach.”
Eleanor strode into the bathroom behind the kitchen. When she came out, she was carrying a bucket of murky gray floor cleaner, full of chemical soap foam and freezing cold from the leftover ice cubes in the refrigerator.
Before I could react…
Splash!
A stream of icy, dirty water poured down from above my head. The water seeped through my hair, soaking my thin maternity dress, chilling me to the bone. The pungent smell of the floor cleaner assaulted my nostrils, making me cough violently. The baby in my womb seemed to sense my panic, stirring slightly, causing me sharp pain.
“Haha! At least you finally got a good wash!” Eleanor laughed loudly, tossing the empty bucket onto the wooden floor.
Laughter erupted around the table. My sister-in-law took out her phone to snap pictures, and my brother-in-law whistled in encouragement. I trembled as I looked up at David, hoping for a last shred of compassion from my husband.
But he only shrugged, took a sip of wine, and said coldly, “Mom was just joking, Chloe. You’re being too sensitive. Go clean up the mess, you look pathetic.”
In that moment, my resentment, my love, and my last glimmer of hope shattered completely. It was replaced by an overwhelming coldness. I didn’t cry. I slowly rose, pushing the strands of hair soaked with dirty water behind my ears.
I looked directly into the eyes of everyone in the dining room. They were still laughing, completely unaware that they had just signed the death warrant for their own careers.
I silently pulled out my waterproof phone from my pocket. The screen was still working. I opened the secure messaging app and found Richard’s contact – the CEO of Aether Group.
I only typed three words in English:
“Burn them down.”
I pressed send at 8:15 PM.
After sending the message, I didn’t say a word, silently turning my back and walking straight out the front door.
“Hey! Where are you going? Who’s going to clean this up?” Eleanor yelled from behind.
I didn’t bother to look back. Stepping out of the Miller mansion, the cold wind rushed over me, but I had never felt so relieved and clear-headed. I got into the Uber I’d booked, calmly counting down the time.
Exactly 10 minutes later.
At the Miller family’s dinner table, David’s phone suddenly rang with an urgent company alert. Almost simultaneously, my father-in-law’s, sister-in-law’s, and Eleanor’s phones also rang incessantly.
“What is this?” David muttered, opening his email.
He pulled up the phone.
His face instantly drained of color. On the screen was an urgent dismissal notice with the digital signature of the Aether Group’s Supreme Board of Directors:
“Dear David Miller, you are immediately dismissed for serious breach of ethical standards and for defaming the company’s image. All your benefits, stock bonuses, and severance pay are completely canceled. A ban on accessing Aether facilities is in effect immediately.”
“What… what? I’m fired?” David stammered.
“Dad too! Your system account is locked!” My father-in-law yelled, his hands and feet trembling.
“Mine too! All the projects you’re in charge of are suspended!” His sister-in-law screamed hysterically.
And it didn’t stop there. The large television in the living room, which had been broadcasting financial news, suddenly switched to an urgent report: “Latest update from Aether Group: The representative of the anonymous Chairman C.L. Avery has just announced the recall of all investments, trusts, and termination of all contracts with any individual bearing the surname Miller. Simultaneously, the group’s legal office is filing lawsuits against former Miller employees for embezzlement and misuse of public funds.”
The entire dining room fell into a deathly silence. The laughter and chatter from moments before vanished, replaced by utter terror.
“No…it can’t be! Who has such immense power? Who is C.L. Avery?” Eleanor’s face turned ashen, her glass shattering on the floor.
Suddenly, David froze. He stared intently at the initials of the mysterious Chairman whom the world feared.
C.L. Avery.
Chloe Louise Avery.
My maiden name was Chloe Louise. Avery is my mother’s surname.
“No… It can’t be…” David mumbled like a madman. He trembled as he flipped through his old marriage registration records in his personal email. My full name was clearly Chloe Louise Avery Miller.
“David! What’s wrong? Say something!” Eleanor shook her son’s shoulder.
“Chloe…” David whispered, his eyes wide with horror. “Chloe is C.L. Avery… She’s the owner of Aether Group!”
The room exploded. Eleanor collapsed to the floor, her face drained of all color. Her sister-in-law burst into tears. Their entire life of luxury, social status, luxury cars, this mortgaged mansion… all depended on the salary and power from Aether Group. And the person who held their fate in her hands was the daughter-in-law they had just disgraced.
My phone rang incessantly.
Dozens of missed calls from David, from my mother-in-law, from my father-in-law. I rejected them all, only accepting one call from David’s number after I had arrived at my private penthouse – a place I’d never told him about.
I put it on speakerphone. On the other end was the heart-wrenching wailing of the entire Miller family.
“Chloe! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” David yelled through the phone, his voice hoarse from crying. “I’m an idiot, a bastard! Please, please take back the firing order. We’ll lose everything, the bank will foreclose on our house and car!”
“It’s yours, not mine,” I replied coldly.
“Chloe, I beg you!” Eleanor’s voice rang out, choked with sobs. “I’m old, I’m senile! I’m sorry for treating you like that. You can ask me to do anything, I’ll kneel down and lick up all that water, please don’t ruin my family’s livelihood!”
“When you poured that dirty water over me and my unborn child, did you think about our lives?” My voice was even, without a hint of emotion. “My suffering over the past three years was the price you paid for what you have today. But you’ve shattered it with your own hands.”
“Chloe, please think about the child in your womb…” David clung to his last lifeline.
“It will bear the Avery name, and it will never have a father or a terrible paternal family like yours.”
I let out a sigh, feeling a sense of peace I’d never experienced before.
“The divorce papers and subpoena for assault and humiliation will be sent to you tomorrow morning. May the Miller family live in poverty for the rest of their lives.”
I hung up, completely blocking their number.
Looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows of my penthouse apartment, the city lights twinkled like stars below me. I gently stroked my pregnant belly, smiling softly. From today, my baby and I will begin a new life – a life where no one can hurt us again.
