Ad copy

I caught my husband Andrew accompanied his mistress Vivian to do a prenatal check-up when I took our daughter to the hospital alone. "Jennifer, are you stalking me again? Or did you hire someone to follow me?" he snapped. "You're insane!" "Don't you even care why I'm here with Lina?" I choked back my tears. "In that case, we should get a divorce." He barked, "Not this again! I've told you before—don't ever use Lina to threaten me. "I'm not divorcing you. My family has the best resources and connections—this is the best place for you and Lina. As for Vivian's baby, once it's born, it'll be registered under your name. Don't worry. You'll always be my only legal wife." "Daddy, am I getting a little sister? Will you still love me?" my daughter Paulina Barnett asked softly. Her innocence shattered what little strength I had left. That was the moment I decided to leave. -- When Andrew came home that night, even the maid, Corinne Cochran, looked surprised. After all, the last time he'd been home was nearly a month ago. "Mr. Barnett, you didn't say you were coming home. I would've prepared..." she said carefully. Andrew frowned, his tone turning sharp. "What? Do I need permission to come back to my own house?" The three of us sat at the table, but it didn't feel like a family dinner. It felt like a negotiation. Paulina sat beside me and tilted her head up, studying Andrew with curiosity. "Daddy, do you like the lady in the white dress? "My teacher says you only kiss people you like." Andrew stiffened, looking embarrassed. He forced a smile and said gently, "I like you the most." I placed the peeled shrimp onto Paulina's plate. "Eat your dinner. I'll take you to see the ponies tomorrow." Paulina brightened at once and focused on her food, spoon clutched in her small hand. I never once looked at Andrew. That afternoon, when I took Paulina to the hospital, I ran into Andrew as he escorted Vivian Murray to her prenatal appointment. His arm was wrapped around her waist, and he kissed her gently on the lips. Corinne took Paulina upstairs for a bath. The dining room fell silent, except for the soft clink of spoon against plate. I knew Andrew was expecting me to explode, to scream, to demand why he had promised to handle Vivian—yet still showed up at the hospital for her check-up. Then he would give me another polished excuse, just like always. After a long pause, Andrew finally lost patience and tapped the table with his fingers. "Jennifer, were you stalking me again? Or did you hire someone to track me down? "Lina's still young. How could you drag her into your mess?" I stood up, and Andrew straightened, too. His posture was tense, like he was bracing for an attack. A mocking smile touched my lips as I looked him dead in the eye, perfectly calm. "In my eyes, you're no different from a dog in heat. I never expected you to feel embarrassed about it. "I thought, as Lina's biological father, you'd at least ask why we went to the hospital." Andrew seemed to have forgotten that Paulina was born premature and that we were constantly in and out of hospitals for one reason or another. He followed me upstairs, his voice softer now. "Is she sick again? Why didn't you call me?" "You blocked my number, muted my WhatsApp chat, and even reassigned the driver to Vivian. Even if Corinne called, you'd probably just sneer and say she was helping me put on another act." I stopped and turned back to him. "An ambulance, my own car, and you? You're easily the least reliable choice." Chapter 2 My voice stayed calm, but every word landed hard. Andrew fell silent. That night, Paulina curled up warm and soft in my arms, listening to a bedtime story. When her breathing evened out, I slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom. When I came back, I saw Andrew lean down and kiss Paulina's forehead. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking awkward. "I noticed you hadn't come back to the bedroom for a long time, so I thought I'd check on you." His tone carried a faint hint of invitation. I frowned, walked over, picked up a disinfecting wipe from the table, and gently wiped the spot he had kissed. Andrew's face darkened. "What's that supposed to mean?" "You're filthy. I don't want to risk you carrying anything," I replied without looking up. "And since Vivian lay on that bed, I moved out of that room." Andrew scanned the room, like he was only just realizing the old nursery no longer looked the same. His lips parted, then closed. In the end, he quietly shut the door and left. Paulina never woke up cranky. Every morning, she played on her own. Her little arms wrapped around mine. Her big eyes, dark brown and glassy, fixed on the window like she was thinking about something serious. Maybe kids had worries, too. I leaned in and breathed in her milky scent. "Good morning, Lina." "Good morning, Mommy!" Her soft voice melted my heart. When we went outside, I saw Andrew standing in the yard. I thought he had left the night before. He walked over and picked Paulina up. "I don't have much going on today. I'll go to the stables with you." Paulina looked at me, eyes full of hope. Andrew opened the car door and tried to put her inside, but I stopped him. "There's no car seat, and it looks like this car hasn't been cleaned in days. I don't want Lina seeing anything gross." His expression turned vgly. He got in his car and followed us slowly instead. When we arrived at the stables, Paulina looked around, then made a small, disappointed sound. "Daddy's car isn't here." My phone buzzed with a message from Andrew. "Sorry. Something urgent came up." He was probably summoned away by Vivian again. Paulina's attention was quickly stolen by the horses grazing nearby. She clutched my hand tightly, bouncing on her feet with barely contained excitement. "Mommy, look. The big horse is giving the grass a haircut." Her innocent words made the staff laugh. I chose a gentle white pony for kids. Paulina sat on its back, her cheeks flushed with excitement, but her body was stiff like a wooden doll. She didn't dare move. My thoughts drifted back to the family of three I'd just seen. The little girl swayed happily atop the horse, her mother leading it with careful steps, while her father stayed close at her side, one hand always hovering there to protect her. A wave of guilt made my eyes sting. Andrew and I truly loved each other once, and Paulina was a child we had long looked forward to. I entered the Barnett family at 16, began dating Andrew at 21, and married him at 24. Back then, Andrew was bold and reckless. When he loved someone, the whole world knew. After marriage, he treated me like his entire universe. Everyone said he was obsessed with me. When I got pregnaant a year later, he was even more careful than I was. He treated me like I was fragile. He would massage me and apply body oil every day, and even if I whimsically woke him up in the middle of the night to cook something for me, he never once complained. Andrew designed the nursery himself, and the closet was packed wall to wall with carefully chosen baby clothes and tiny shoes. As my belly grew, I gradually cut back on unnecessary social events and formal gatherings. One night, Andrew came home late from a business dinner, and I noticed a red lipstick mark behind his ear. That same night, I went into labor. I wasn't even full-term yet. Andrew was punished by his father and knelt outside my ward all night. He said it was an accident and swore it would never happen again. I looked at our newborn baby and chose to forgive him. To his credit, Andrew truly followed through. He turned down social engagements, cut back on business trips, and handled everything himself. At night, whenever Paulina cried, he always woke up before I did. He mixed formula with practiced ease, fed her, and then coaxed her back to sleep. If she showed even the slightest discomfort, he would drop everything and rush home without hesitation. When it came time to name her, he filled two full pages before finally choosing Paulina—a name he hoped would remind her that quiet humility could hold just as much strength as brilliance. But trust was as fragile as paper. I became hypervigilant, like a vessel riddled with cracks, constantly needing reassurance—messages from morning to night, proof that I was still loved. I checked his phone, questioned his secretary about his schedule, and at the smallest hint of unease, I lashed out. Gradually, he started coming home later each night. A single business trip would stretch into ten days, sometimes two weeks. Our arguments grew more frequent. Each time, Andrew would gently wipe away my tears, hold me tight, and tell me he loved me. At first, I thought this was his way of making peace. Later, I realized it was simply the easiest emotional shortcut to calm me down. Then Vivian appeared. She was a young woman who looked just enough like me to make it unsettling. Chapter 3 Paulina must have worn herself out, because she fell fast asleep during the drive home. Vivian sat at the stone table in the yard, one hand resting on her belly, a soft smile on her face. I asked Corinne to carry Paulina inside. Then I walked over and sat across from Vivian. She stood up in a panic, staring at me like a frightened animal. I studied her carefully, far calmer than someone confronting a mistress should have been. She had soft lips, a delicate nose, and her fair cheeks flushed with color. Andrew had clearly taken good care of her. I lifted the porcelain cup from the table at a measured pace. "Are you looking for me?" Vivian raised her head carefully. Those almond-shaped eyes, so much like mine, were glossy with tears. "I want to ask for your permission to keep this child. I know exactly who I am, and I have never once imagined taking your place. But the baby is innocent... "I've had a checkup. It should be a girl. And Andy... Mr. Barnett agreed to let me give birth." The sound of the teacup shattering made Vivian's body tremble. I tilted my chin toward the shards on the floor. "Kne el then. Beg me, and maybe I'll be generous enough to let you keep it." Her face drained of all color as she stared at the broken porcelain, panic flashing in her eyes. The first time I ever saw Vivian, she was lying in my bed. Andrew had explained back then, "She came to deliver some documents and fainted from low blood sugar." I didn't hear a single word. I grabbed her by the hair, dragged her off the bed, and slapped her hard, again and again. He thought I was overreacting. He stormed out with her, furious. On Paulina's third birthday, Andrew never showed up. All I received were a few photos of him kissing Vivian without a care in the world. I completely lost control and confronted Andrew, and for the first time, I told him I wanted a divorce. He tugged at his tie, clearly irritated. "Jennie, when you sit in my position, some things are unavoidable. Even if it wasn't Vivian, there would always be someone else. "You're my only legitimate wife, and Lina is my only heir. Why can't you just look the other way like everyone else? "I'm not divorcing you. My family has the best resources and connections. For you and Lina, this is the best place you could ever have." That confrontation stripped away the last layer of pretense. Andrew started taking Vivian to public events. When people asked, he brushed it off and said it was just for fun. I hired people to follow him, and I even used Paulina as an excuse to force him to come home. Night after night, I broke down alone in the dark. I called him and messaged him, but there was no response. Yet on every holiday, he would still send extravagant jewelry and limited-edition toys. Sometimes he would suddenly come home, play video games with Paulina for a while, then leave again in a hurry. It was the kind of hollow consolation that followed betrayal. On our wedding anniversary, he booked out an entire rooftop restaurant. Under fireworks custom-made for me, we reminisced about the past. I drank too much, and under the haze of alcoh0l, we shared a kiss for the first time in a long while. I never expected to get pregnaant again—until a month ago, when I miscarried, and the doctor told me my chances of conceiving were slim. Andrew was far calmer than I was when he found out. He said, "We never planned on having a second child anyway. Having Lina is enough." And then, right after I was discharged from the hospital, Vivian sent me her prenatal checkup report. I smashed our wedding photos, the keepsakes we had made together, and the priceless vases. Everything within reach shattered into pieces. Andrew rushed back, reeking of alc0hol. There were red slap marks on his face, bloody scratches on his neck where I had clawed at him. He said, "I'll deal with Vivian. You've made enough of a scene. Lina doesn't need a mother who acts like a lunatic." I stood amid the wreckage, looking like a hysterical shrew from an old black-and-white film, a grotesque shadow of myself. That was our first real blowout and our last. I sat alone in the darkness for a long time. Betrayal was never a multiple-choice question. It was a slap across the face, violent enough to shatter every illusion one had about love. It was like being stabbed out of nowhere. A knife had no conscience, but the person holding it did. As dawn broke, I took the divorce papers and went to the Barnett's residence. There was a saying that a heart could change overnight. But "letting the past go" was a lie. I preferred the saying, "what goes around, comes around." Chapter 4 Vivian bit her lip, shaking all over. Just as her knees started to buckle, Andrew showed up. He had someone esc0rt her to the car. When he turned back to look at me, his gaze was dark and unreadable. He said, "I don't love Vivian, but I'm keeping the baby." I raised an eyebrow and made a polite gesture toward the door. I said, "That's up to you. Now get out." "You've been acting strange lately..." Andrew didn't move. There was confusion in his eyes, mixed with unease, like he hadn't expected me to agree so easily. Maybe he didn't realize there was such a thing as false reconciliation. It was like slapping a bandage on a wound. From the outside, it looked handled, but inside, it was already rotting. Andrew stared straight into my eyes, as if trying to find something. After a long pause, he forced a smile and said, "Tomorrow is Dad's birthday. I'll pick you and Lina up. We'll go to the Barnett's residence together." "I'll give you an explanation about Vivian and the baby." On countless nights when I was suffocating in tears, I wished someone could live my life just once. I wanted someone to truly feel my endless anxiety and brokenness, and understand exactly where every tear came from. But it was too late. I didn't need his explanations anymore, and I didn't care who he loved. Andrew looked like he still wanted to say something, but the words got stuck. He took one last deep look at me, then left in a hurry. After packing our things and arranging an extended leave with Paulina's kindergarten, I took her back to the Barnett's residence with me. The moment she got out of the car, her little legs took off running. "Grandpa! Uncle Benny! I'm here!" Andrew's father, Reuben Suarez, opened his arms and caught her steadily. All the authority he carried vanished in an instant. A figure approached from a distance, dressed in a neatly pressed white shirt with subtle silver stitching, reserved and quietly elegant. As he watched Paulina running and laughing, a faint smile surfaced in his eyes. Reuben Suarez was Andrew's half-brother, but the Barnett family's power had always been in William' and Andrew's hands. Reuben had lived overseas for years. Only in the past two years had he shifted his focus back. After dinner, William had someone bring out two equity transfer agreements, and both were for Paulina. He said, "At the end of the day, it's Andy who failed you. Even if you divorce, Lina is still my granddaughter. Take it." The other agreement was from Reuben. When he wasn't smiling, there was a natural coldness about him. "These are shares from my own company," he said calmly. "I like Lina, so consider it a birthday gift I'm making up for." I didn't refuse, and I wouldn't. Back then, when I brought the divorce papers to William, he stayed silent for a long time before finally agreeing. He said, "Your mother once asked me to promise her that if you ever wanted to leave, I shouldn't stop you. "In my heart, you're not just my daughter-in-law. You're more like my biological daughter. I want you to live well. Andy isn't good enough for you." To be fair, William had always treated me kindly, and he doted on Paulina even more. I never doubted his sincerity, but some things only felt secure when they were firmly in my own hands. William held Paulina and couldn't bring himself to let go. I smiled helplessly and said, "William, I'm just taking Lina out for a short trip. I'll come back later to finish the paperwork." On the plane, Paulina blinked her big eyes and asked softly, "Is Daddy not going to be a big tree anymore?" It sounded random, but I understood immediately. In the storybooks, fathers were like towering trees, shielding their families from the wind and rain. But we all underestimate how time changes everything. When people made promises, they truly believed they would never break them. But people would change. I gently stroked Paulina's soft hair and said, "He's not a good father. He betrayed me, and he betrayed you, too. So we don't need him anymore."