Milford hesitated for a moment, but before he could say anything, Malissa burst into louder sobs, her voice quivering with theatrical despair.

“Forget it. I know I’m just a burden in this house,” she cried. “It’s all my fault, right? Fine. I’ll take Eddy and go—I’ll go down to the grave and keep your brother company!”

Then, she spun around dramatically and ran off.

Milford’s eyes followed her retreating figure, full of worry. But before chasing after her, he shot me a venomous glare.

“This is the daughter you raised?” he snapped. “A little girl already capable of lying and becoming a manipulator... She always picked on her aunt, too. What next? Was she going to bully her baby brother too?”

He stepped closer, his voice full of righteous anger.

“My brother died young. Lisa has no one to rely on but me. Is it really so hard for you two to just accept her? You’re unbelievable, Lorraine. You’ve completely lost your sense of decency.” With that, he turned on his heel and left us standing there, bloodied and bruised, to go after her.

Enid watched his back disappear, her tiny hands clutching the hem of my shirt, her big eyes filled with confusion and hurt.

“Mama,” she whispered, “is it because I’m a girl? Is that why Daddy likes Auntie Malissa and Eddy more than us?” She continued, “I’m sorry… It’s my fault. I made things hard for you…”

Even after Milford hit her—after all the pain—my daughter didn’t hate him. Not even a little. She blamed herself for being born the way she was.

I knelt down and pulled her into my arms, my heart shattering all over again.

“No, baby. None of this is your fault,” I murmured, my voice thick with tears. “You’re the best thing in my life. The kindest, bravest little girl I’ve ever known.”

“Sweetheart,” I kissed the top of her head and whispered, “You don't need that kind of father. Not anymore.”

I carried Enid back to the guest room and asked the old butler to call a private doctor. He came quickly and administered a rabies shot.

From Enid, I finally learned the truth about the past year.

Milford had poured all his attention into Malissa and her unborn child, completely ignoring his own daughter. Malissa, on the other hand, had tormented Enid in secret—and sometimes even right under his nose. And every time Enid tried to tell her father the truth, Malissa would twist it, accuse her of lying and Milford would believe her without question.

It was also them—Milford and Malissa—who told Enid I had been killed by “bad people.”

Enid cried herself to sleep night after night, clutching a wooden tablet with my name carved into it like it was all she had left. She even let the dog bite her, just so it wouldn’t damage my memorial.

After I finally coaxed her to sleep, I sat at the edge of the bed, but there was no peace in my heart.

I had told her we didn’t need that kind of father anymore—but she hadn’t agreed. She didn’t say a word.

I knew. Deep down, she still missed him.

No matter how often Milford criticized her for being a girl, said she was weak or worthless, she still longed for his love. Still saw him as her dad.

Should I give Milford one more chance—for her sake?

I was lost in thought when suddenly, I felt myself pulled into a warm embrace. The scent of milk and postpartum sweat clung thick in the air.

“Lori,” came a voice from behind me, trembling with emotion. “Thank God… you’re alive. You made it back to me.”

Milford pressed soft kisses along my neck, his voice low and caring, “I promised my brother I’d take care of Lisa... that I’d give him an heir. When she found out she was pregnant, she had a terrible time with it—constant sickness, fainting spells. I had to stay by her side. That’s why I wasn’t there to save you.”

“I have looked everywhere for you. But then, I heard you were dead... Lori, it broke me.”

I pushed him away, swallowing down the nausea that rose in my throat. My voice was calm, but there was steel beneath it.

“I’m back now. Very much alive. Yet, you're still going to marry her. Isn't that correct? You DO still plan on making her your wife.”

Milford gave a helpless sigh, as if I were being unreasonable. “Of course not. You’re my wife. You always have been. The wedding’s just for show—I’m not signing any papers.”

“I need to give Lisa and Eddy some kind of status, so people won’t gossip. That’s all this is—just a performance. You know that. We’re the real thing. Legally, emotionally—everything. You’ve always been so understanding, Lori. You won’t make a big deal out of this... right?”

So that was it. He still expected me to live in the shadows—officially dead, unofficially his. Hidden. Forgotten. Then, with the same casual entitlement, Milford started to undo the buttons of my blouse.

“Lisa’s already given me a son,” he murmured. “We should catch up, don’t you think? If we have a boy and with Enid… the three of them together would make a perfect little family. Harmony. Balance.”

He wanted to complete his pretty little family picture—with me as the secret corner of the frame.

There were milk stains on his pants just below the belt—still damp, mingled with the lingering scent of Malissa’s perfume. I didn’t need to guess what the two of them had been doing.

My stomach churned.

Just then, the maternity nurse from Malissa’s room came knocking on the door, flustered.

“Sir, madam’s breasts are engorged again. She’s been holding in tears all morning. The baby hasn’t eaten and her chest is rock hard. She’s in so much pain—please, could you come?”

Milford shoved me aside without hesitation. My injured leg buckled and I collapsed onto the floor. He didn’t even glance back.

“She’s in that much pain and no one thought to tell me sooner? What do I even pay you people for?” he barked, already halfway out the door.

“Starting today, she’s not nursing anymore. Hire as many wet nurses as it takes. I don’t want Lisa hurting another second—and my son is not going hungry!”

Just like that, he was gone, leaving me crumpled on the floor.

I sat there in stunned silence, remembering.

When he first decided to take Malissa in, Enid had just been born. I was still in postpartum recovery when I heard the news—so angry and heartbroken that my milk stopped flowing. My chest swelled until it felt like it was filled with stones, the pain so unbearable I couldn’t sleep.

I’d begged him to hire a nurse, someone to help.

But he’d just stared me down and said, “Lori, you’re the daughter of a mob boss. You were raised to be tough. What’s a little pain to someone like you?”

“I don’t trust strangers coming into this house. What if they’re spies sent by our enemies? I won’t gamble with Lisa’s safety.”

“So no, I won’t bring in a nurse. You’ll feed the baby yourself. You’ve always been the sensible one. Just hang in there a little longer, okay?”

Milford was willing to do anything so long as Malissa was comfortable. So, when had that started?

When had he gone from calling her “my sister-in-law,” to “Lisa,” and now—“my wife”?

Then what about me? What did that make me?

“Mama, don’t cry.”

I hadn’t even noticed when Enid woke up. She slid off the bed and padded over to me, her tiny hand brushing against my cheek.

Only then did I realize—my face was soaked with tears.

She wrapped her arms tightly around me, her little voice thick with emotion. “Mama… this is the hundredth time Daddy left us to go be with her.”

“I’ve made up my mind. We don’t need him anymore. Let’s go, just the two of us.”

So she knew. She had known all along. She just kept giving him one more chance… and then another. Until she finally ran out of chances to give. Until she finally gave up.

I pulled her close and held her to my chest, my tears falling again—but this time, I smiled through them.

“Okay, baby. Mama will take you away.”

The next morning, Malissa showed up at my door with a cheery smile, as if nothing had happened. She invited me out shopping—said it was her way of apologizing for “not taking better care of Enid.”

She looped her arm around Milford’s and purred sweetly, “Milo, you better come with us to pay the bills. After all, Lori’s had such a rough year—we owe her, don’t you think?”

Malissa played the role of The Wrights' Lady of the House like she was born for it—graceful, entitled, utterly in control. So, when I didn’t respond right away, Milford’s expression soured.

“Lori,” he said, irritated, “Lisa’s just trying to be nice. You and Enid upset her so badly yesterday she was in pain all night, couldn’t even nurse Eddy. And she still hasn’t held it against you. The least you could do is not make this harder.”

He must’ve forgotten the walls in that house were paper thin. I’d heard everything the night before—their moaning, their whispered promises, the sound of their bodies tangled in something sickening.

The memory made my stomach churn, but I swallowed the bile and gave a small nod. I didn’t have the strength to fight—at least not right then.

At the mall, Malissa stayed latched to Milford’s arm the entire time, parading him like a trophy. He wore his tailored suit like it was armor; she floated beside him in a designer gown that probably cost more than my old car. They basked in the praise of the store clerks, soaking up the attention like royalty.

Meanwhile, I limped behind them in a faded, off-brand dress that had seen better days—if it had ever seen one at all. I caught the judgment in the eyes of the staff, the sneers they didn’t bother hiding. I wasn’t supposed to be there, not in their world.

Whenever someone asked who I was, Milford would glance back at me—nervous, guilty—and say with a tight smile:

“She’s our housemaid. My wife thought she could use some new clothes.”

The store clerks always swooned, their admiration as thick as honey.

“Mr. and Mrs. Wright,” one of them gushed, “You both look like a match made in heaven and you’ve got such kind hearts. Even treating your housemaid like family? That’s real love—may your marriage last a lifetime.”

I bit my tongue and smiled politely, even as every word sliced through me.

Then, fate had other plans for our ride home.

Halfway there, our car was suddenly surrounded—at least a dozen bikers in masks and helmets blocked the road, roaring up on motorcycles like a storm rolling in. They forced the driver to stop, shattered the windows with crowbars and swarmed us. This wasn’t a random robbery—they were here for Milford.

Their leader leaned in through the broken glass, voice rough and unapologetic. “Fifteen million dollars. In cash. Now.”

Milford, still trying to maintain his calm, adjusted his jacket and replied coolly, “Fifteen mil? Please. That’s pocket change to me. But cash like that takes time. Let us go and I’ll wire it or go get it myself.”

The man scoffed. “Don’t insult us, Mr. Wright. We all know how this game works. Word is you’re getting married. So tell us—” he glanced between me and Malissa, lips curling—“which one’s the lucky bride?”

His tone turned venomous. “Leave one of them behind. We’ll hold her as a little insurance. You try anything funny, we take a finger. Every hour, another one.”

Malissa and I both turned to Milford. These men weren’t bluffing—they had the look of people with nothing to lose.

Milford hesitated, his face twisted in some cocktail of calculation and fear.

Then, without warning, he grabbed me by the arm and shoved me forward. “It’s her,” he said coldly. “She’s my fiancée. Look her up, the photos are all online. Same face. You’ll see.”

I stumbled, stunned, as he practically offered me up.

“This is who you want. Let the rest of us go.”

I stared at Milford in disbelief.

So that was the real reason he’d been showing my photos around, acting like the doting fiancé? It wasn’t love. It was strategy. I was just a shield—for Malissa.

The gang wasn’t playing games. One of them grabbed my hand and, without a word, sliced off one of my fingers. Blood gushed instantly, hot and blinding.

I went white from the pain, but I never looked away from Milford.

“Are you sure you won’t regret this?” I asked, voice low and shaking.

Milford flinched under my gaze. He looked away, unable to meet my eyes.

“Lori… Lisa has no one else. I promised her I’d protect her,” he said, like he was the noble one here. “Just hang on for a while, okay? I’ll make it up to you. I’ll get the money. I’ll come back.”

Without hesitation, he took Malissa’s hand and walked away with her—never looking back.

I watched them leave, numb. My hand throbbed with pain, blood soaking through my sleeve, but the agony inside me ran deeper. In that moment, our entire marriage—the years, the promises, the child we had together—felt like a cruel joke.

Two hours passed. Two more fingers gone.

The gang leader grew impatient. He sent one of his men to check in with the Wright Clan.

“Boss, we got played.” The guy came back, pissed. “I went to their house to find that bastard Milford and guess what the butler says? Mr. Wright is busy putting his wife to sleep. That’s what he said. His wife.”

He spat on the ground and jerked a thumb toward me.

“Turns out this one isn’t the fiancée. She’s a goddamn decoy. The real one’s that other chick he left with.”

The pain radiated from my hand straight to my chest and for a moment, I couldn’t tell which hurt more—my body or my heart.

The gang leader snapped.

“You lying bitch!” he roared, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking my head back. “You think you can play me? Huh? I ought to slit your damn throat right now!”

The blade was already at my neck when, finally—finally—Milford showed up.

However, he didn’t bring the money. Instead, he brought an army of bodyguards, who stormed the place and beat the gang to the ground in minutes.

So that’s where he’d been. Not getting cash. Not negotiating. Just… putting Malissa to bed.

The ride back was quiet at first. Then, as he wrapped gauze clumsily around my mangled hand, he said with a sigh—like he was the one who’d been through something.

“Lori, I know this was hard on you. I really do. But Lisa... she’s not like you. She’s sensitive. She couldn’t handle something like that.”

“If anything had happened to her, I couldn’t face my brother in the afterlife. You understand, don’t you?”

I was too exhausted to argue. Too done to care.

I waved him off, voice flat. “You don’t need to explain. I get it. I won’t take it personally.”

His eyes lit up like I’d just given him a gold star. “That’s what I love about you, Lori. You’re always the understanding one.”

“Once the wedding with Lisa’s over, I swear—I’ll take care of those enemies. You’ll never be in danger again.”

Whether Milford did it for me, or for Malissa’s safety—he knew the answer better than anyone. I didn’t have to say it out loud.

On the morning of the wedding, just before heading out, Milford took my hand.

“Lori,” he said gently, “thank you for being so understanding. Once all this is over, I’ll take you and Enid on a trip—just the three of us. A proper break.”

I gave him a soft smile and reached up to straighten his collar. “Sure,” I said, “go on now. Don’t keep your dear sister-in-law waiting.”

He paused, surprised—maybe even suspicious. He hadn’t expected me to be so calm. So agreeable. After all, I’d fought him so many times over his “dear Malissa.”

He didn’t dwell on it in the end. With a nod, he turned and left for the hotel, wedding suit crisp, steps confident.

I watched his back disappear down the drive and thought to myself—yeah, it was time. Enid and I needed to go.

Meanwhile, at the hotel, the ceremony was in full swing.

The officiant stood tall, voice echoing through the grand hall. “Mr. Wright, do you take Miss Malissa to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

Milford opened his mouth to speak—but before he could say a word, the old family butler burst through the doors, pale and breathless.

“Sir—something terrible’s happened! Right after you left, those men from the other day—they came back. Reinforcements, maybe. They stormed the house. Took the madam and the young miss!”

The room froze.

“They just sent a video,” the butler stammered, hands shaking. “They—they’ve been killed.”