With confidence and determination, Frank and I moved across the corridor to unveil the truth and save the day. We made a decent team. I didn't have a brother, but I imagined him to be something like him: a bittersweet mixture of a lot of trouble and some kindness. It wouldn't be wrong to call us a match made in hell.
Doctor Williams' dishonesty had forced us to become unpaid detectives. We were there to solve the mysteries of an enormous mansion and change the miserable lives of the people living inside. I wasn't as selfish as I thought I was.
"Wait, let's discuss this," said Frank, halting. "Before we find Mrs. Sinclair and learn her master plan, let's decide how much money we should demand from Mr. Sinclair before telling him about it."
"What?" I asked, puzzled. "Frank, I thought we were the heroes here. Why do you want to be the villains who only pretend to be the good guys?"
"I am so tired of your righteousness." Frank rolled his eyes. "In the real world, there are no heroes. In fact, we do. I call them idiots as they only waste their invaluable time on others. There are only smart people or stupid people in this world. Everyone is busy saving themselves."
"I strongly disagree with you. We are rewarded for our good deeds, and every bad deed comes back to us as karma. Frank, there is more to this world than it seems. We should stay on the good side as much as possible..."
"Is that so?" Frank interrupted. He moved towards me intimidatingly. "Then tell me one thing. Do the rich think about others before they think about themselves? The rich don't give a damn about others on this planet, yet they continue to get richer. The only way to move up in this life is to become selfish. Who do you want to be? The choice is yours. Do you want to spend the rest of your life where you save others when you can barely keep your head above the surface of water yourself? When the time comes, no one shall come to help you. I don't care what anyone says. They all have a limit to what they want to do with you. The moment it disrupts their own life, they disappear."
Frank's words made sense in the logical world. But what about God and doing the right thing? What he was saying could be true of most people. However, it couldn't be the truth of the entire human race. Someone must have really hurt Frank for him to give up hope on everyone.
A lover had betrayed me in the worst way possible, and my family had turned their back on me for thinking differently. Then why hadn't the heart of a heartbroken and rejected woman like me still hadn't turned stone cold?
Nathan had made a promise to me about protecting me from the mafia no matter what happened in our relationship. Deep down, it was one of the reasons I wanted to help Mrs. Sinclair. Was I a fool for having faith in him?
"Why are you so silent, Amelia? You can't argue with what I am saying because I speak the truth. Take a knife and butcher all the leftover goodness in your heart right now. These soul-sucking dollar-throwing leeches will suck all the blood out of your body."
I lowered my head. "Okay. Can we leave the reward up to Mr. Sinclair? I don't want him to see me as greedy. I am his new daughter-in-law, after all. Demanding money shall get me into more trouble. No one wants a gold digger for their son."
"Of course. I'll do the talking. Your responsibility is to show him your loyalty to this house and that you are more than just a pretty face. And most importantly, how much you care about his son and the Sinclair name," said Frank. Damn. He had all the qualities of becoming the perfect daughter-in-law to that family. If he were a woman, he would have made his place in the house and everyone's hearts in the blink of an eye.
There wasn't anything left to discuss. I couldn't argue with Frank when he spoke the truth. The Sinclairs weren't helpful at all when what they enjoyed doing the most was abusing their power and wealth.
We continued our journey to Nathan's room. Upon finally arriving there and getting inside, we found something startling. Mrs. Sinclair was sitting on the couch with her husband. Their fingers intertwined with her head on his shoulder in a romantic gesture.
I shared a look of confusion with Frank. What was the meaning of doing that when she was pregnant with another man's baby and so close to leaving him? Mary Sinclair seemed to have more layers than what she chose to reveal. I couldn't help but wonder what went through her mind when she did those things. Had she realized that money was more important than love? Or was it all a deceptive act to obtain something from her filthy rich husband before leaving him forever?
Amid all those thoughts, I failed to notice Nathan's absence. Where was he? And why hadn't the soon-to-be-divorced couple acknowledged our presence yet?
"Amelia, come here. We were just talking about you," Mr. Sinclair spoke, at last, "Forgive me for not noticing your arrival sooner. I forget everything when I am with the love of my life."
Mary Sinclair playfully hit her husband on his arm and buried her face in his shoulder. "Surely they are not here to see an old couple's romance. Get back to the point, honey."
Her shamelessness deserved an award. Was it really the Mary Sinclair I had seen cry her eyes out not more than an hour ago? She wanted something from him. In the end, only time would tell whether it was money or another chance at love. Doctor Williams was not to be trusted.