Chapter 8 - POISONED WORDS, POISONED HEARTS

At first, Mrs. Lisa behaved perfectly. She stayed in the small cottage. She cooked only for herself. She greeted Linda politely and kept her distance from Mai. She appeared humbled, broken, genuinely sorry.

Slowly, Linda relaxed her guard. Khai began to breathe easier. Perhaps, they thought, age and hardship truly had softened her heart.

They were wrong. Mrs. Lisa was merely waiting until Khai was absent.

One morning, shortly after Khai left for work, Mrs. Lisa walked into the main house. She found Linda in the kitchen, preparing Mai’s food.

"You are working hard," Mrs. Lisa said, standing in the doorway. Her voice was smooth, gentle — dangerously so. "Let me hold the baby while you finish."

Linda stepped back instinctively. "Thank you. She is fine where she is."

Mrs. Lisa smiled — a thin, sharp smile. She walked closer, lowering her voice.

"You think I do not know what you are doing," she said softly. "You have my son wrapped around your finger. But watch yourself... because one day soon... he will learn the truth about you. And then he will cast you out himself."

Linda froze. "What truth?"

Mrs. Lisa stepped closer still, eyes glittering. "The truth about where you came from. The truth about your family. The curse that follows you. And the truth... about this child. She is not like other babies. And one day... she will bring ruin upon this house."

Linda backed away, trembling. "Leave. Please — go back to your cottage."

"Or what?" Mrs. Lisa laughed quietly. "Will you tell Khai? Will you say that his poor, sick old mother threatened you? Who will believe you? Everyone already knows you are the liar. Everyone already knows I am the victim."

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She leaned forward and whispered into Linda’s ear: "I am back, daughter-in-law. And I am not leaving until you are gone. Just like before. But this time... I will be much more careful."

She turned and walked away, leaving Linda standing alone, cold fear flooding her veins. The monster had never truly changed. She had merely put on a mask. And now that she was safely back inside the walls... the mask had slipped.