We had lived as DINKs for twenty years, and now, just as the company was on the verge of going public, my husband came home with a pair of twins.

“Lettie Solana, these are my children. They’re already twenty-two. And we’re not young anymore; it’s time to hand the company over to them.”

I stared at Vale Martin, stunned. He wouldn’t meet my eyes. One moment, he claimed he did it for me. The next, he called it an accident.

But he seemed to forget he was the one who insisted we stay childless back then, saying he didn’t want me to suffer.

And now, he spat out coldly, “If you disagree, then let’s get a divorce. The company will be split fifty-fifty.”

He pulled the twins close and added, with a threatening tone, “You can’t take the company or the shares to the grave with you. You should be grateful I had the foresight to have these two.”

Hearing that, I turned around and calmly dialed a number.

“Secretary Scott, make my DNA information public worldwide. I want to find all of my biological children.”

——

The next morning, the twins were already seated at the dining table, their expressions calm as they handed me a share transfer document.

“Aunt Lettie, we’re Dad’s children. As his spouse, you should acknowledge our right to inherit.”

“You’re getting older, and you don’t have children of your own. If you treat us well, we’ll be filial, take care of you, and see you off when the time comes.”

I stared at the faces that carried a faint five-point resemblance to Vale. My eyes slowly shifted to him, cold, sharp.

He didn’t look up. A flicker of guilt flashed across his face as he kept his gaze fixed on the table.

At this point, what was left to doubt?

“Vale, do you think you’re qualified to split the company?”

“A pair of illegitimate children, do you think they’re worthy of inheriting Solana Group?”

From the day we got married, Vale had always used his health as an excuse, never lifting a finger for the business.

He was either off on so-called ‘inspections’ or indulging himself abroad.

It was I, working through nights, vomiting blood from stress, who built Solana Group from nothing.

The four of us sat around the dining table, silence thick in the air. The boy broke it first.

“Aunt Lettie, since you won’t accept us, we won’t force it. We just want to inherit Dad’s assets.”

The girl quickly followed.

“Legally, we can’t inherit your part. But once Dad divorces you, won’t we still get half? So why not be generous and acknowledge us? Let us inherit the company. For Dad’s sake, we’d never kick you out when you’re old.”

As the three exchanged glances, I sat still, sneering coldly.

They had waited twenty-two years for this moment, showing up now with their timing and logic precise, clearly having studied every legal loophole.

If Vale and I divorced, he truly would take half. The company wouldn’t go public, and every early investment would be lost.

Such cunning. Such cruelty.

The tension hung heavy, and finally, Vale spoke, trying to scold them, trying to soften the blow.

“Percy, don’t speak to your Aunt Lettie that way. She has no children of her own, of course, she’ll care for you.”

He looked at me with an apologetic gaze.

“Honey, look… things have come to this. Percy and Margaret both graduated from top U.S. universities. They’re sensible and filial. You’ll need an heir sooner or later.”

“As long as you hand over the company, they’ll be your children. Naturally, they’ll care for you when you’re older.”

I let out a cold laugh.

He had cheated on me, had children with someone else behind my back, and now I was supposed to thank him? As if without them, I’d grow old and end up picking garbage off the streets?

We had been married for twenty years. Looking at Vale, still youthful and well-kept, I finally realized I had truly aged.

I turned to them and asked the one question that cut straight to the heart.

“Where is your biological mother?”

Percy curled his lips, a knowing smirk flickering across his face.

“Aunt Lettie, my mom’s overseas. She’s not coming back anytime soon, so you won’t feel upset.”

I narrowed my eyes at the boy dressed in flashy designer brands. Twenty years in business had sharpened my instincts; his mockery wasn’t hidden at all. He was clearly implying that if his mother returned, I’d throw a jealous fit, make a scene, and embarrass myself.

He tilted his chin, eyes filled with contempt.

“Aunt Lettie, at your age, you really shouldn’t still be fussing over love and emotions. Isn’t that kind of talk embarrassing already?”

An illegitimate child, yet so arrogant. He thought he had me figured out.

I let out a cold, cutting laugh.

“Your biological mother couldn’t give you wealth or status, so now you want me to be your mother? And you’re not embarrassed to say that out loud?”

Vale’s face darkened, but before he could explode, Percy slammed the table.

“Lettie!”

Soup splashed across my face. I remained still, calmly looking at the group.

Vale spoke with obvious displeasure.

“Lettie, how could you say that about Hyacinth? She gave up her career to raise those two children; she’s sacrificed enough. How could you humiliate her in front of them?”

Margaret, dressed head-to-toe in Chanel, suddenly stood up, pride brimming in her expression as she glared at me.

“What good is your sharp tongue? My mom may not have earned money, but she had my dad’s love, and she has us. Once we get the company, she’ll have everything she deserves.”

“If anyone dares disrespect my mom, my brother and I won’t hesitate to break your legs and feed them to the fish.”

Looking at the righteous fury on these illegitimate children’s faces, I thought, how bold they’d become. Vale had raised something else.

He quickly tried to calm them down, soothing their temper before turning back to me, his voice softening.

“Lettie, you’ve seen it now. They are caring. If you treat them like a mother, they’ll treat you like their own.”

“Hyacinth’s had it tough, too. It all started that night, we were drunk, and the children happened by accident. I wanted her to terminate the pregnancy, but she refused. She promised she’d never interfere in our marriage and would raise the kids alone.”

“Lettie, try to understand her. She’s softhearted. She couldn’t bear to harm two innocent lives. Without her, Percy and Margaret wouldn’t even exist…”

As he spoke, Vale’s eyes reddened, his voice catching in his throat.

Listening to that twisted logic, I felt my anger rise to the brink of eruption. Still unwilling to give up completely, I asked one final question.

“What exactly do you want?”

He stammered for a long while, then finally whispered, barely above a breath.

“Hyacinth has been overseas for more than twenty years, and the kids are used to living with her. I want to give her the villa in the suburbs. In the future, I’ll spend Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with them, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays with you, and Sundays depending on my mood.”

I clenched my fists, cold to the bone. At that moment, all illusions shattered.

“If you want a big happy family so badly, then let’s get a divorce.”

Vale’s face darkened.

“Lettie, I told you, it was just an accident. I still love you. We’ve been married twenty years, can you bring yourself to divorce me?”

I cut him off coldly, spitting out every word straight into his face.

“Vale, do you think you’re some kind of king? You truly have no shame.”

All these years, he had used my money to support his mistress and raise illegitimate children; now he wanted to keep both families, expecting me to go on being the fool who paid for it all.

Those two looked at me with nothing but contempt and disdain. I wasn’t blind. Who knew how many years they’d been mocking me behind my back?

There was a time I had thought, if it was just an accident, maybe I could throw some money their way and let it end there.

After all, I was the one who had fallen for Vale all those years ago. And I had loved him for twenty years.

Even though it hurt, I had once been willing to give him a second chance.

But now it was clear, it had always been my wishful thinking. In his eyes, in his heart, there was only Hyacinth and the children.

He wasn’t unwilling to divorce because he couldn’t bear to lose me, but because he couldn’t afford to lose his cash cow.

As my tone grew sharp, Vale’s face darkened. In the end, he gritted his teeth and made his final threat.

“Lettie, if you want a divorce, I’ll take half the assets. And forget about getting the company listed.”

He had calculated it well. He knew the company was like my own child, something I had built with my blood, sweat, and sleepless nights. I’d spent three years preparing for its IPO.

He was betting that I couldn’t let go of him. I couldn’t bring myself to let go of the company that I would surrender.

But what he didn’t realize was that my children weren’t just tied to one company. I had countless children.

Seeing the storm on my face, Vale softened his tone and coaxed gently.

“Lettie, you know I love you. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have stayed by your side all these twenty years, leaving the kids behind.”

“I just made a mistake. That doesn’t mean I stopped loving you.”

“You once said that when we got older, we’d set the company aside and travel across the rivers and mountains together. Now that we have heirs, he can help manage the company. They both carry my blood, and you know their character. Isn’t that better than handing everything to outsiders?”

He spoke so gently, stringing together all sorts of reasoning like a rehearsed script. If it weren’t for the glances he exchanged with the children, I might’ve believed him, just a little.

But the fleeting glint of calculation in their eyes couldn’t be hidden.

When he insisted on being DINK back then, he had already started planning for this day, waiting until I was too old, past childbearing age.

Then he’d manipulate and coax, bringing in his mistress and illegitimate children to smoothly take over everything I built.

Behind my back, they laughed. “Who told you to be such a fool, blinded by love? You deserve to die alone and pitiful.”

I said nothing as they left, cheerful and smug.

Soon after, social media was filled with their happy photos, family shopping sprees, and a grand airport welcome with 999 roses for the mistress’s glorious return.

For three straight days, Vale didn’t come home. I knew he was at the suburban villa, far too happy to even think of me.

Each day, he sent a message, reminding me to handle the equity transfer as soon as possible, always ending with a kissy-face emoji.

[Wifey, Hyacinth just got back. She’s unfamiliar with everything here. Once I get her settled, I’ll come back to you. Love you!]

I stared coldly at the screen, watching him buy her a luxury car and a designer watch, and then post a picture with a peace sign, full of pride.

The caption read, [After twenty years of storms and trials, I can finally hold you openly.]

Men like him weren’t just deceitful; they were masters at hiding it.

After twenty-two years, he finally didn’t have to pretend anymore.

I calmly gave his post a like.

That single reaction made them believe I had surrendered, that the transfer of the company to the twins was already set in stone.

After all, even if I divorced him, I’d lose both love and money. So why not bow my head, win some favor, and earn myself a few so-called “relatives”?

Besides, I was already over fifty. Without biological children, what use was more wealth?

Vale had already begun contacting reporters and searching for a venue to hold a press conference.

Secretary Larkin Scott arrived with a stack of documents in hand, ready to escort me. Vale smiled and reminded me warmly, “Make sure the listing goes smoothly. Once it's done, the market value will jump by a hundred million. It’ll be easier for Percy and Margaret to take over.”

Larkin added with a polite smile, “Yes, with family involved, everything will move faster. After all, blood runs thicker than water.”

Vale didn’t catch the subtle weight behind those words. He assumed I had already discussed everything with Larkin.

After all, Larkin had been by my side since graduating from college, both my secretary and personal assistant. He was nearly forty now and still unmarried.