Her Cruel Daughter-in-Law Treated Her Like a Maid Until Her Son Intervened — Part 2

Previously: Clara was forced to scrub floors by her abusive daughter-in-law, Jessica. But when Jessica took the physical abuse too far, her husband Mark intervened with a shocking trap.

The Mask Slips

Jessica sputtered, pushing herself up from the puddle of soapy water, her pink floral dress ruined and clinging to her skin. Her face contorted with a mixture of shock and pure rage. She looked from Mark, who stood defensively in front of his mother, to Clara, who was still trembling on the floor.

"Are you insane, Mark?" Jessica shrieked, wiping dirty water from her face. "You shoved me! I am your wife! This old woman is losing her mind, and I was just trying to get her attention!"

Mark laughed, a cold, humorless sound. He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his phone, waving it in front of Jessica’s face. He pointed to a small, barely visible lens nestled inside the bookshelf near the television.

"I saw everything, Jessica," Mark said, his voice deadly calm. "I’ve seen how you treat her when you think I’m at the office. I set up the cameras last week after Mom started getting mysterious bruises."

Jessica’s eyes widened as she realized she had been caught. The sweet, loving persona she had projected for the last year evaporated in an instant. She stood up, her wet shoes squeaking on the wood.

"So what?" she sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "You think you can just throw me out? This house is in my name too, Mark. If you try to divorce me, I will take every single penny you have, and your precious little mother will end up in the cheapest, dirtiest nursing home I can find!"

Clara slowly stood up, using the edge of the sofa for support. She wiped her soapy hands on her beige cardigan, her face surprisingly calm despite the chaos. She looked at her daughter-in-law with pity.

"You always did underestimate me, Jessica," Clara said softly, her voice no longer shaking.