I was four months pregnant when I discovered that my husband had fallen for our young family helper.

He dropped to his knees and started slapping himself repeatedly with such force that blood rolled down from the corner of his mouth. He sobbed, swearing it was just a drunken mistake, swearing to me he'd never see her again.

Thinking of the baby growing inside me, my heart softened, and I tore the divorce papers.

The day I went into labor, I suffered serious complications.

The baby was stillborn, and the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. He didn't even get the chance to cry.

I was drowning in grief, but then my husband walked into the delivery room holding the family helper's baby in his arms.

"Don't be sad, Kelda. She's willing to let you raise her child."

My anger ran so deep that I bit my lip until it bled.

It was all my fault!

I had been treating him too well all these years. He had completely forgotten what I, Kelda Shaw, was really capable of.

Samson Foster still had a smile on his face as he looked down, playing with the baby in his arms.

He told me his flight was delayed because of a thunderstorm and that he couldn't be there for the delivery, but in truth, he was really with that helper.

Even the nurse couldn't take it anymore. She pushed the lifeless baby in front of him. "Your wife almost died giving birth. The baby was stillborn. How could you…"

Samson just glanced over, his expression showing a hint of pity. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he quickly covered the baby's eyes, worried that the scene would scare him.

I clenched my fists, and I couldn't help but let my thoughts wander.

A few months ago, he fired that helper. He checked in with me many times a day, let me look through his phone whenever I wanted, and patiently helped me pick out baby supplies.

But all of that was just to keep me calm, so that woman could secretly have his child.

Perhaps he had always hoped my baby wouldn't make it.

My mom, Dana, was so shocked that her face turned pale. She rushed over and slapped Samson across the face twice, shouting at him.

"You monster! No wonder… No wonder my daughter would suddenly start crying for no reason whenever we talked while she was pregnant! I was so stupid. I thought she was just getting emotional because of the pregnancy. I had no idea she was suffering this much. You're the one who begged me to let my daughter marry you in the beginning!"

Not long after Samson and I got engaged, his father was reported to the authorities for taking bribes and died suddenly in prison after his conviction. The supposedly devoted and loving Mr. Adam Foster was discovered to have fathered three illegitimate children, all fighting Samson for the inheritance.

My mom insisted we break off the engagement.

"There's no way Samson didn't know his dad was cheating all these years, but he never stood up for his mother because he cared more about his own wealth. Who's to say he won't do the same thing someday? Kelda, listen to me. You can't just pick a man because he's nice to you. If he ever stops treating you well, you'll have nothing left."

But I refused.

We had been together for six years.

That was two thousand two hundred and thirteen days.

If I even sounded a little distant, Samson would immediately ask if he had done something wrong.

When I was studying abroad and couldn't get used to the food, he made a week's worth of meals, froze them in a thermal container, and flew for over ten hours just to bring them to my apartment.

So…

How could someone like that ever change?

I secretly married Samson behind my family's back. My mom was so furious that she nearly broke Samson's leg with a stick. He trembled with pain, but never tried to get out of the way.

"Please don't compare me to my father. I'd rather die than let Kelda suffer even a little," Samson had said.

But Samson's promises were made to be broken. Here today, gone tomorrow.

My mom slapped Samson across the face several times in front of everyone. He didn't say a word, but there was no hiding the resentment in his eyes.

My mother-in-law, Marie, who had been silent the whole time, forced an awkward smile. She walked up, pushed Samson aside, and grabbed my hand tightly.

"Kelda, it's true that Samson has let you down. I brought in one of his distant cousins to help take care of you, but… I didn't expect the two of them to cross the line. But the baby is innocent. I know you won't make things difficult for the baby because you have such a kind heart, right?"

Ha!

After the Foster family scandal was exposed, Marie was bedridden for more than half a year.

I had taken the initiative to share a bedroom with her. I would get up to check if she was feeling sick if there was any noise at night. I massaged her legs for three hours every day, applying a warm compress to her stomach for half an hour, and only after all that did she slowly recover.

I treated her like my own mother.

And yet, what did she see me as?

Seeing the look on my face grow darker and darker, Marie hesitated for a long time. Even so, she still wouldn't give up.

"Kelda, I really do care about you as my daughter-in-law. I'll give you three million dollars. Just swallow your pride and help raise this baby, alright? The Foster family really couldn't handle another scandal."

I yanked my hand away with all my strength. "Why should I have to pay for the Foster family's mess for the rest of my life?"

My angry roar drew a crowd. People started pointing at the Fosters, their eyes full of contempt.

Samson's expression kept changing. He gritted his teeth, picked up the baby, and hurried away. Marie kept mumbling under her breath, asking if I really wanted a divorce.

Samson stopped in his tracks, glanced back at me, and said mockingly, "No one told her? The doctor said that after that difficult delivery, she can never have children again. A woman who can't ever have children dares to talk about divorce?"

I froze. Tears rolled from my eyes onto the back of my hand.

It took me a long time to pull myself together before I finally contacted a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement.

Just then, a video popped up on my phone.

People at the hospital who had been watching the scene uploaded footage of Samson's family online, including the baby.

It went viral.

#Shocking! Foster Group's CEO celebrates a newborn son, but people call the baby illegitimate?

My fingers went numb as I clicked into the Foster family's livestream to see their public statement.

On the screen, Jessica Foster was holding the baby, with Samson's arm around her shoulders. Both of them were grinning, looking like a happy couple welcoming their child to this world.

"I, Samson Foster, will only ever recognize Jessica's child as my own," Samson said.

The host hesitated for a few seconds, but still read out a viewer's comment. "But Mr. Foster, isn't your legal wife Kelda Shaw?"

A flicker of hesitation crossed Samson's face, but in the end, he said, "Kelda can't have any children, but she still refuses to divorce me. As a man, what's wrong with wanting to have a child with the woman I truly love?"

The comments section filled up instantly.

"If she can't have kids and still won't leave, isn't that quite selfish? You can't expect a man to let his family line end."

"Isn't this basically a scam? If I were him, I would want all the money spent on the wedding back."

"A wicked woman like that should go away. I'm wishing the Foster family a sweet and happy life, and their baby a safe, healthy childhood."

It felt like my heart was being strangled tighter and tighter by barbed wire, the pain making it hard to breathe.

My own baby hadn't even been buried, and he was already desperate to clear the name of his mistress's baby.

He deliberately twisted the truth, shifting everyone's attention to me and making it all about me losing the ability to have children.

He was determined to humiliate and ruin me permanently.

I was shaking with anger. It was so bad that I had to ask the nurse for a shot of painkiller, then went straight to the press conference.

Samson and Jessica looked like they had seen a ghost. After all, in their eyes, I was supposed to be curling up in the morgue, crying over my child's corpse.

My tone dripped with sarcasm. "What a pair of star-crossed lovers, Mr. Samson Foster and Ms. Jessica Foster."

I put extra emphasis on the word "Foster."

Reporters surged forward, eager for a headline. Dozens of cameras zeroed in on Jessica's pale face as I dropped the bomb.

"If you love her so much, Samson, why not share with the audience that Jessica's your biological cousin?"

Everyone in the room was immediately dumbfounded.

Camera flashes went off nonstop. Even people who had been cheering them on in the livestream suddenly fell silent.

I smiled. "The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. After Samson's father died, three illegitimate children appeared out of nowhere. Now, you've outdone him by having an affair with your own cousin."

Jessica couldn't stand the stares anymore. She broke down in tears, hiding behind Samson.

I snatched the host's microphone and roared at the top of my lungs. "Now you know what being shamed feels like? Weren't you having a good time taking the role of both cousin and mistress at the same time? How dare you prance around like you've done nothing wrong when you knowingly became a homewrecker!"

Samson shot me a vicious glare.

"If you insist on making a scene, then I'll make everything clear right now. Kelda Shaw and I were only forced together by our families' arrangement. Jessica Foster and I are cousins in name only. We don't have any blood relation. Aren't you worried that this will come back to haunt you by forcing us apart?"

Ha!

Once divorce is on the table, people who loved each other would show their true colors. No lie was too difficult to make.

I took a step closer, locking eyes with Samson.

"Forced together? When your father went to prison and every business partner pulled out, who gave you the money and support to get back on your feet? The Shaw family. Why didn't you refuse us? When you used your connection to the Shaw family at business banquets to network and rebuild your reputation, why didn't you ever say you were being forced?"

Samson had no words as his expression was extremely sour.

But I wasn't finished.

Suddenly, the big screen lit up with a video of him on his knees, sobbing after he was caught cheating, begging me not to divorce him.

The entire room erupted.

More and more reporters rushed in, cameras flashing.

#Breaking news! Foster Group's CEO in an illicit affair!

Public opinion flipped. Suddenly, I was the victim everyone sympathized with.

Samson and Jessica became pariahs. They pulled their coats over their heads, desperately trying to get their assistants to shield them as they fought their way out.

The Foster family's bodyguards were scrambling to snatch and smash the cameras.

I called my assistant.

"Buy up the trending topics for the entire year. I want everyone in the country to recognize those two. Yes, even a stray dog!"

No sooner had I finished speaking than Marie appeared, blocking me in the parking lot with several others.

She waved her hand.

Someone quickly brought over a large case, and with a click, the lid popped open.

The dim parking lot was suddenly flooded with blinding, golden light.

She smiled at me and tried to apologize.

"Alright, Kelda. I'm not going to play any games with you. Five hundred kilos worth of gold should be enough to calm you down, right? This was all Jessica's fault… That witch must have seduced Samson! Don't worry, I'll make sure she'll never show her face in front of you again."