We can’t just stand by.”
My dad chimed in. “She’s right.
We’ll help him this one time, and then we won’t deal with him anymore.”
I ran my fingers over my phone, deep in thought.
Then I looked up and said, “Mom, Dad, don’t you think this supposed kidnapping is a little suspicious?”
“What do you mean?”
“Daniel and Melanie lost their jobs. They couldn’t even afford the mortgage and had to move into a rental apartment. They’re completely broke.
What kind of kidnappers would target Robert of all people?” I paused and let the thought sink in.
“Robert? The kidnappers are clearly targeting us.”
My mom’s eyes widened as she put the pieces together.
“Are you saying this kidnapping was staged by Daniel’s family?”
“It’s highly possible. And who else would be so desperate as to try and extort us?”
My father hesitated.
“But what if it’s real?
What if Robert really is kidnapped? We can’t risk anyone’s life.”
I remained calm. “We’ll pay the ransom, but when Robert returns, we’ll call the police and let them thoroughly investigate Daniel’s family.”
My dad nodded.
“Okay, we’ll do it your way.”
We transferred the ransom money to the account designated by the kidnappers.
About three hours later, Daniel called me and said Robert had returned safe and sound. He made sure to emphasize, “Mary, don’t call the police.
The kidnappers said if we involve the police, they’ll come for our entire family.”
At that moment, my family and I had just landed from our flight home. Hearing Daniel’s warning only solidified my suspicion that the whole thing was a setup.
From the beginning, Daniel’s family obsessively repeated one thing: Don’t call the police.
Their tone practically screamed that they were more worried about the kidnappers getting caught than about Robert’s safety. So the moment we landed, I went straight to the police station and reported the incident along with my suspicions. The police worked quickly.
In less than three days, they uncovered the truth.
Robert’s kidnapping had been entirely staged by Daniel’s family. It was all a ploy to scam me out of money.
They apparently wasted no time spending the ransom. Melanie and Susan used $5 million to repurchase their previous home in full.
Then they spent another million on jewelry.
Daniel, now plunged into despair over his life failures, had acquired a gambling addiction and lost $3 million at the tables. As for Robert, he had fallen in with the wrong crowd and splurged tens of thousands of dollars on parties. When the authorities stepped in, they could only recover a portion of the stolen money.
In the end, Robert, being a minor, was sentenced to three years in prison.
The rest received ten years in prison for fraud. Before the sentencing, I went to see them one last time.
They pleaded for mercy, crying that they had simply lost their way, and begged me to forgive them. I refused.
These people had no moral grounding.
If they were capable of faking Robert’s kidnapping just to extort me, what would stop them from kidnapping Olivia in the future to force my hand? For my family’s safety, the best place for them was behind bars. On the day of the sentencing, Robert was in the courtroom and looked at Olivia, who was standing next to me.
She was radiant, confident, happy, and full of life.
Seeing this, he finally broke down. Tears streamed down his face as he sobbed uncontrollably.
“Mom, I was wrong. Mom, I was truly wrong.”
I felt nothing.
I will never forget the cold, detached way he once looked at me.
Did Robert truly realize his mistakes? No, he was only regretful because he had made the wrong choice—because he hadn’t chosen me. If he had, he would be living the luxurious life he had always dreamed of.
But deep down, he was still the same selfish person he had always been.
A year later, Olivia achieved her dream of getting into one of the top design schools overseas. I personally drove her to the airport to see her off.
As we watched her leave, my parents sighed. “Olivia has grown up,” my dad said.
“She’s leaving on her own now.”
My mom looked at me and added, “Mary, you should consider getting married again.
It would be nice to have someone by your side so you don’t feel lonely.”
I laughed. “Why would I bring unnecessary trouble into my life? I feel happier than ever.
I have wealth, freedom, and a family that truly loves me.
And if I ever feel a little lonely, well, I have the always capable young pool boys to keep me entertained. Not to mention, I could always meet new friends and travel the world.
Honestly, life couldn’t get any better.”
