Cousin Stole My Husband and Compass, I Ruined Her

At the feng shui appraisal gala, Abner Henson handed our Swanson family's Sky Pool Compass to my cousin, Joyce Swanson.

He sneered at the feng shui journals I'd written back when I was chasing him, calling them nothing but love-talk I'd copied to flatter a man.

He didn't know that his company, worth millions, stood only because of the Triple Wealth Convergence Array I'd laid with my own hands.

Three years ago, when the construction site collapsed, he walked away untouched because of a warding talisman I nearly died drawing to save him.

He was alive today only because I'd used my own innate fortune to carry him through three death-fates.

And today, he pushed me the woman who had shouldered every calamity for him straight into the lethal dark-force array my cousin had long since laid.

"Wanda Swanson, do you think I've run into something evil lately?"

Abner said, frowning. "The West Side project fell through, the scaffolding at the East Side site collapsed and hurt someone, and even a client I've worked with for two years just went and signed with someone else."

"There's no living like this!"

I said gently, "The northwest corner of the site had the ground disturbed last month, and it clashes straight with this year's seat of the year-god."

"If you'd trust me, have someone set three bluestones in the northwest corner today, and then"

Before I could finish, he cut in, impatient. "Enough, enough. Spare me your crooked nonsense."

"Joyce already read it for me. It's your birth chart, carrying dark forces, cursing my fortune."

"She said your fate is skewed toward the shadow. Stay by my side too long and you block my path to wealth."

I stared at him, unable to believe it. "You really believe her that much?"

He looked at me with distaste and gave a cold laugh. "If not her, then who? You?"

"What do you know about feng shui?"

"Joyce is the genius heir of your Swanson collateral branch. Half the bosses in the business fawn over her."

"And you? Three years married, and what can you do besides the laundry and the cooking?"

"Tomorrow you go back to the old estate in the country for two months. Once I've gotten past this rough patch, we'll talk. Don't sit at home making things worse for me."

I lowered my head. "I'm not going."

Abner shot me a hard glare. "You dare talk back?"

"What, my word doesn't count anymore?"

"If you weren't so obedient and sensible, do you think I'd have married you in the first place?"

I looked at his furious face and suddenly found it laughable.

I am the thirty-seventh-generation orthodox heir of the Swanson family. Before Grandfather passed, he held my hand and told me a girl who shows too much brilliance draws misfortune. He wanted me to soften my nature, find someone true, and live out a quiet, steady life.

Later I met Abner, and I took him for the man fate had meant for me.

To marry him, I sealed away seventy percent of my spiritual power, hid the headmaster jade pendant, and never once spoke of feng shui to anyone.

I kept his life running smoothly, quietly setting a wealth-drawing fish tank in the entryway, adjusting the scholar's seat in the study, changing the direction of the headboard in the master bedroom, laying a Triple Wealth Convergence Array without a sound.

From a clerk making eight thousand a month to running his own company and making real money, it took him only three years.

He thought it was his own brilliance, that he was a rare genius.

He never knew that every smooth stretch of that road was me, clearing the way and warding off the disasters.

The doorbell rang, breaking my thoughts.

Abner got up to answer it, his voice going gentle at the door. "Joyce? What brings you here?"

Joyce came in, sweet and simpering. "Abner, I came to check on you!"

"I heard your company's been struggling lately, so I brought you a wealth-attracting talisman I drew myself. Stick it up in your office and it'll do the trick, I promise."

Then she saw me and put on a look of surprise. "You're home too, cousin!"

"So sorry, I didn't call ahead. You're not upset, are you?"

I gave a flat murmur in reply and kept my head down, eating my porridge.

But she wouldn't let it go. She lifted her wrist to show off a diamond bracelet, smiling brightly. "Cousin, don't you think this bracelet's pretty?"

"Abner bought it for me yesterday. Said reading feng shui for him was hard work, so it was a little reward."

That diamond bracelet was the exact style I'd had my eye on last month, out shopping. Abner had said it was too expensive and hadn't wanted to buy it.

I never imagined he'd turn around and buy that same bracelet for Joyce.

Seeing I wouldn't react, Joyce pressed on. "Abner says I bring him luck. Not like you, cousin, sitting at home all day, no help to him at all."

"Speaking of it, you must be bored stiff at home. How about I teach you to read a compass? We could start with the basics, the celestial stems and earthly branches."

Abner beamed at her coaxing. "My cousin here is all thumbs. She'd never learn any of that."

I couldn't quite hold it in anymore. I turned to Joyce. "I hear you set a bronze kirin in the southeast corner of Abner's office?"

"A bronze kirin belongs to fire. The southeast corner of his office is the wealth seat, and it belongs to metal. Fire overcomes metal."

"Three days after you put it in, he lost his first project."

"A few more days, and it'll cost a life."

Joyce got flustered at once. "That's a wealth-drawing kirin. How could it possibly cause harm?"

"Abner, don't listen to her. She's just jealous that I understand these things!"

Abner shielded her instantly, glaring at me, his whole face displeased. "Wanda, are you done yet?"

"Joyce is trying to help me out of kindness, and here you are cursing me. You just can't stand to see me do well!"

I watched him standing guard over someone else, and the last bit of hope in me was gone.

I touched my belly. I had meant to give the child inside me a whole family.

Now, there was no point.

I stood and went toward my room. Behind me came Joyce's coaxing voice. "Abner, don't be angry with your cousin. She's just pregnant, her moods swing a lot."

"Let's leave her be. Come, tell me about the gala."

Abner said, gentle again. "Don't worry, I've got it all arranged."

"When the time comes, I'll bring out the Sky Pool Compass as your centerpiece. It'll make your name in the business in one stroke, I guarantee it."

The Sky Pool Compass. That was the headmaster's token Grandfather passed down to me, the sacred heirloom of the Swanson family.

I'd kept it locked in the safe in the bedroom the whole time. I never thought he'd secretly opened my safe.

My fists clenched, my teeth set hard.

Three years of giving, and it turned out that in his eyes, I wasn't even worth as much as a collateral-branch cousin who'd stolen her way into the craft.

A little past midnight, I pulled a coat over my shoulders and got up to fetch a cup of warm water from the kitchen.

Passing the study, I caught faint laughter drifting out from inside.

The door hadn't been shut all the way, and through the gap I could see in.

A yellowed, thread-bound book lay open on the desk. It was my feng shui journal.

I'd locked it in the very back of the safe. Somehow Abner had dug it out.

Joyce was tapping a finger against one of the pages, laughing. "Cousin is too funny!"

"Look at this line, 'May you always know smooth roads, and years without harm or calamity.' God, that's cringey."

"Does she actually believe that scribbling a few sappy lines will ward off disaster for you?"

Abner answered her gently. "That's just how her little-girl mind works. She writes all sorts of nonsense to entertain herself."

"Back when I was chasing her, she guarded this thing like a treasure, hid it away. I thought it was something valuable. Turns out it's just a beat-up diary."

Joyce pouted at him. "Then why didn't you chase me instead?"

"I understand you so much better than my cousin does, and I can actually help you with your career."

Abner said, indulgent, "Someone like you? I'd never bear to keep you home, stuck at the stove turning into a worn-out housewife."

"You belong up on a stage, shining, with everyone holding you up."

Joyce asked, "So do you love her?"

Abner was quiet for a few seconds, then let out a soft laugh. "Does love really matter that much?"

"We just muddle through."

I stood outside the door, and my heart sank all the way to the bottom.

He'd married me only because I was a serviceable "wife tool."

I thought of that year in college, when he drove drunk and crashed, car and all, off the overpass.

The doctors all said it looked hopeless. It was me who drew a warding talisman, trading three years of my own fortune for his life.

When I got back, I wrote only one line in my journal: "As long as he's safe, that's enough."

So it turned out that, in his eyes, that was just a sappy little love note.

Last year, when the construction site collapsed, everyone had given up.

I was the one who rushed over through the night, spending half my life's spiritual power to hold on until the rescue team dug him out.

When he came to, all he said was, "I've got a strong fate."

He never once knew. There's no such thing as being born lucky. It was only ever me, quietly giving everything for him.

I couldn't help it. I pushed the study door open.

Abner saw it was me, and a flicker of panic crossed his face before he snapped at me. "Why aren't you in bed? What are you doing standing in the doorway?"

Joyce sat up straight in a hurry, all false sweetness. "Cousin, I'm sorry. I was just curious about the notebook. Don't be upset, I'll go now."

I said coldly, "These are my things. What gives you the right to go through them?"

Abner frowned, his face full of irritation. "It's just a beat-up diary."

"Joyce wants to look at it, so I let her. What's the big deal?"

"Do you really have to be this petty?"

I let out a cold laugh, furious. "Abner, every talisman, every array in there could save your life."

"And you call it a beat-up notebook?"

He said impatiently, "Don't start losing your mind in the middle of the night!"

"If there's nothing wrong with you, go back to bed. Don't make trouble."

Joyce stood and headed for the door, dropping her voice as she passed me. "Cousin, a man's heart isn't with you. It doesn't matter how many treasures you guard."

"The place of Mrs. Henson will be mine, sooner or later."

She lifted her chin, pleased with herself, opened the door, and left.

Only Abner and I were left in the study. He raised his voice. "Joyce came over out of kindness to help me get the materials ready for the gala, and you put on a sour face for who to see? I'm telling you, this notebook stays here with me. Joyce can look at it whenever she wants, and you're not to hide it away again."

I said flatly, "Abner, you're taking Joyce to the gala?"

He gave a snort. "What, take you instead?"

"What would you even do there? Embarrass me? Joyce is the star. Of course I have to be with her."

I said coldly, "The Sky Pool Compass, you're letting her use that too?"

He said it like it was obvious. "You don't understand feng shui. In Joyce's hands it can reach its full value. Once she makes a name for herself, it reflects well on me too."

I said calmly, "I'm going to the gala as well."

Abner blanked for a moment, then sneered. "What are you going for? To make a fool of yourself in front of everyone? I'm telling you, Wanda, don't go and cause trouble for me, or I won't let it go."

I said nothing more. I turned and walked out of the study.

Back in the bedroom, I took the eight-trigram jade pendant out of the safe.

My fingertip traced across the pendant, and spiritual power slowly poured in through it.

The spiritual power I had sealed for three years, in this moment, began to wake, little by little.

Since he thought I wasn't fit to stand on that stage, since he thought Joyce was the true genius,

then I would go to the gala, and in front of the entire industry, let them see who the real heir of the Swanson family truly was.

The day of the gala, the sky hung gray and heavy.

Around noon I changed into a loose dress and took a cab to the venue.

Kingsport's top private club.

At the entrance, the people coming and going were all names in the industry.

I knew many of them. Three years ago, when my grandfather was still alive, they'd greeted me respectfully as the young Master Swanson.

Now no one recognized me. I might as well have been an outsider who'd wandered in by mistake.

I followed the crowd inside. The hall was decked out in extravagant style.

The backdrop behind the stage read: the Swanson secret feng shui appraisal gala, signed at the bottom with Joyce Swanson's name.

In a display case off to one side of the stage sat my Sky Pool Compass.

For a moment I could barely hold down the anger rising in me.

My grandfather's keepsake, the treasure of the Swanson family, reduced to a prop a collateral-branch fraud used to line her pockets.

The host walked onstage and opened with warm enthusiasm.

After a few polished pleasantries, he smiled and said, "And now, let's give a warm round of applause and welcome the star of today's gala, the Swanson family's genius heir, Miss Joyce Swanson, along with the host of this event, Mr. Abner Henson!"

Amid thunderous applause, Abner walked out in a tailored suit, leading Joyce by the hand.

Joyce wore a champagne-colored gown, her makeup flawless, looking every bit the daughter of a distinguished house.

Abner picked up the microphone and swept his gaze over the crowd with a smug, satisfied smile. "Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here."

"This is Miss Joyce Swanson, the true and orthodox heir of Swanson family feng shui."

"From now on, I hope all of you seniors in Kingsport's feng shui world will look out for her."

He paused and raised a hand toward the display case. "For today's gala, we've specially brought out the Swanson family's ancestral Sky Pool Compass to anchor the event."

"And next, Joyce will demonstrate the Swanson family's secret wealth-gathering array for everyone."

Waves of admiration rippled through the crowd. "A true Swanson heir. She even brought out the Sky Pool Compass!"

"So young and already this capable. The younger generation really is something!"

"Mr. Henson is a lucky man, landing a partner like Miss Swanson."

Listening to all of it, the smile on Abner's face grew deeper.

That was when someone in the crowd recognized me.

"Hey, isn't that Mr. Henson's wife? What's she doing standing over there?"

"Right, Mr. Henson, your wife came too. Won't you let her come up and say hello to everyone?"

"Mr. Henson's wife is a Swanson too. She must know something about feng shui. Show us a little something!"

The teasing rose from every side, and every eye in the room settled on me.

The smile froze on Abner's face, then twisted into irritation and disgust.

He held the mic and forced out two dry laughs. "Everyone, please stop joking. My wife doesn't understand any of this. She just came to enjoy the fun."

"She can't even recite the celestial stems and earthly branches in full. What would she know about feng shui? Don't let her embarrass herself up here. I'll ask for your patience."

The moment the words left his mouth, the whole room burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, so Mrs. Henson is a complete outsider!"

"Makes sense. Mr. Henson is so impressive, his wife only has to be pretty."

"What a shame, the Swanson heir is Mrs. Henson's younger cousin..."

Standing beside Abner, Joyce covered her mouth and snickered, her eyes full of triumph.

She gave Abner's sleeve a fake little tug and said sweetly, "Oh Abner, don't say that about my cousin!"

"My cousin usually only handles the little things around the house. It's perfectly normal that she doesn't understand these professional matters."

"But cousin, if you're interested, I could teach you someday!"

"We can start with the very basics, reading the compass, and take it slow. You'll get there eventually."

I drew in a deep breath, parted the crowd, and walked toward the stage step by step.

The noisy hall slowly quieted, everyone watching me, not knowing what I meant to do.

Abner frowned and hissed under his breath, "Wanda Swanson, are you done making a scene? Get down here. Don't stand there causing trouble and humiliating me!"

Joyce put on a worried face too. "Cousin, don't be upset. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have offered to teach you feng shui..."

I looked at Joyce and said, right there in front of everyone, "A half-baked amateur like you isn't qualified to teach me!"

The moment my words landed, the whole room erupted.