On the eve of my son’s wedding, I returned to the country to meet my soon-to-be daughter-in-law’s family, only to be accused of being the other woman.

“These days, some shameless people think they can get away with anything! Just because you’ve climbed into Hudson’s bed doesn’t mean you’ll marry him!”

“I’m the one who’s about to become his rightful wife.”

“Today, I’m going to show you just how impossible it is to cross the line between our worlds!”

My future daughter-in-law had my legs broken, my hair viciously yanked out as she trampled me underfoot.

She laughed as she had me stripped naked, recording the whole thing while threatening me:

“If you enjoy being a homewrecker so much, let’s show everyone what you look like with nothing to hide.”

She then put a burlap sack over my head and dumped me in front of my son, crying out:

“Honey, she dared to slander your mother, saying she built the family empire by sleeping her way to the top.”

“People like her deserve to be ruined!”

My son, always so filial, was enraged by her words and viciously kicked me in the stomach. He even uploaded the video in front of me.

As I lay there, curled up and barely alive, my future daughter-in-law ripped off the sack, revealing my face:

“Honey, this is the bitch who tried to seduce you!”

——

After my husband died, I worked tirelessly, day and night, to turn our small family business into the Barrett Group.

I raised my son on my own, until he took over the company entirely, finally giving me some free time.

But the media, ever looking to stir trouble, tried to drive a wedge between us:

“Mr. Barrett, you’ve made bold moves since taking over. Are you trying to sideline your mother?”

My son immediately blacklisted that media outlet, declaring angrily, “My mother will always be the president of Barrett Group. I’ll be her son for life!”

My son was both filial and capable, and I was happy to step back and travel the world. I only recently returned to the country to stay for a while, as my son’s wedding was approaching.

Wanting to show my support for the wedding, I made a point of getting a full beauty treatment in France before returning.

The last time I met my future in-laws was via video call, so this would be our first formal meeting. I dressed up especially for the occasion.

With an hour left before the scheduled meeting, I was all set to leave the old family estate, filled with anticipation and goodwill.

Suddenly, the villa’s door was kicked open, and a group of people stormed into the living room, full of anger.

“Where’s the tramp who seduced my son-in-law? Get out here!”

“What nerve! A washed-up tramp trying to steal someone else’s husband – she’s asking for a beating!”

“Hiding, are you? Coward! If you had the guts to sneak into his bed, come out and face me!”

…

The vicious insults echoed through the living room and reached the bedroom.

Frowning, I thought: I’m the only one in the villa – are they mistaken?

Besides, I knew my son well; he was devoted and loyal.

To marry Joey Elliott, he even flew to Italy to ask me to be nice to the girl he loved:

“Mom, Joey’s the sweetest girl I’ve ever met. Don’t judge her for not going to college or because of where she comes from. Once you meet her, I know you’ll love her just as much as I do!”

My son was so sure she was the one that I agreed to the marriage without even meeting her, and I even gifted them the expensive jewelry I had just bought.

This must be a misunderstanding; there’s no other woman here, and Hudson wouldn’t cheat! We just need to clear this up.

With that in mind, I composed myself and walked over to Joey, the leader of the group, with a smile.

But before I could say anything, Joey rushed forward and slapped me hard across the face.

“You filthy whore, I can’t believe I caught you here! Today, I’ll show you what it means to be the rightful wife.”

My face burned with pain. After all my years in the business world, enduring countless hardships, I had never been humiliated like this before – especially not by my future daughter-in-law.

I took a step back, eyeing this group of foul-mouthed people.

Leading them was Joey, and behind her was an older woman who must be her mother. There were also two younger women who looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place where I had seen them before.

“I specifically chose today to show you low-class mistresses that you should never even think about taking my place!” Joey sneered. “Today is your unlucky day. I’m going to make an example out of you!”

She advanced on me again, ready to strike.

I caught her hand mid-air, my expression darkening. “Enough! Joey, do you have any respect for your elders? How dare you treat me like this?”

I began, but before I could finish, Joey’s mother, Lucinda Elliott, rushed forward, yanked my hair, and pulled me violently to the ground.

“You shameless wench! You dare talk about respect? Do I look respectable enough for you? You know you’re not as young as my daughter, yet you still had the nerve to crawl into my son-in-law’s bed! Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson you won’t forget!”

She ripped out a handful of my newly styled hair with one hand and clawed at my face with the other.

I regretted not having any security or staff at the old house.

Who could have imagined that this simple, unassuming woman I had seen on video calls would turn out to be so vicious?

“That’s right, Mom! Scratch up her face! Let’s see how she plans to seduce my brother-in-law now!” one of the younger women jeered.

“She’s not even young anymore, doing something so shameful. If she were beaten to death, people would only cheer!” the other chimed in, both dressed in high-end designer clothes, yet speaking such vile words.

Taking advantage of her mother’s grip on me, Joey stepped forward and slapped me hard twice.

My ears rang, and my mouth filled with the taste of blood. I spat it out and growled, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll call the police? Don’t you think the law exists? Or are you not afraid Hudson will find out and make you pay for this?”

Joey watched me struggle under her mother’s grip, arms crossed, looking amused. “You think you can compare yourself to me? You’re nothing, and I’m his soon-to-be wife! Hudson loves me dearly. Even if I crippled you, he wouldn’t say a word against me – he’d even clean up the mess for me.”

Lucinda yanked my head back, mocking, “Hudson treasures my daughter. How dare someone like you challenge her?

“In a few days, their wedding will be all over the news, and everyone in the city will know my daughter is Mrs. Barrett. But you, since you love climbing into beds so much, let’s show everyone just how low you can go!”

With that, she kicked me hard in the stomach.

Lucinda might have once worked in the fields, for her strength was comparable to that of a man. The force of the kick sent a mouthful of blood rushing up into my mouth.

I bent over in pain and hissed, “What you’re doing is criminal assault! If you don’t stop, you’ll regret this!”

Lucinda hesitated, tugging at my hair to inspect my face. “Joey, are you sure we’ve got the right woman? Would your husband-to-be really pass up someone as young and pretty as you for someone who’s obviously had work done? All her talk about regrets is making me second-guess this,” she said, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Joey sneered and stepped forward, kicking me hard again. “I’ve seen women like her before – nothing but empty threats. Have you seen anyone come to help her since we walked in? Not everyone can fake their way into a life of luxury. Today, I’m going to make an example out of you, and I want to see blood!”

She picked up a golf club from the corner and, without warning, brought it down on my leg with a sickening thud.

The searing pain tore a scream from my throat.

“Listen to that scream – she’s definitely a whore! But one broken leg isn’t enough. Let’s break both to make sure she learns her lesson!”

My legs were quickly reduced to a bloody mess.

To meet them today, I had worn a sleek, form-fitting dress, leaving nothing to cushion the blows.

Each strike of the golf club landed with brutal force, and I could feel my legs break under the pain so intense it left me speechless.

I don’t know how much time passed before Joey, exhausted, finally stopped and looked down at me in satisfaction.

I lay on the floor, gasping for breath, teeth clenched as I forced out the words, “Do you have any idea who you’re beating? I’m Helen – Hudson’s mother!”

As soon as I said those words, Lucinda’s grip on me loosened. She grabbed my head in shock, inspecting my face closely.

Joey, however, sneered, “You’re claiming to be my mother-in-law?”

She grabbed my chin, tilting my face back and forth, then burst into loud laughter. “This is hilarious. Of all the people to impersonate, you chose my mother-in-law? Do you think I’ve never video-called her or seen her in the news? That old woman is just over fifty but looks like she’s seventy! And you think you can fool me with this face? Even a three-year-old wouldn’t buy it!”

As soon as she finished speaking, the others joined in the laughter.

“I knew you looked familiar! So, you’re just someone who had surgery to look like that old hag!”

“That old witch has no femininity at all. What’s she doing trying to be a businesswoman? It’s disgusting!”

“If she wasn’t rich, I wouldn’t even bother sucking up to her!”

Hearing Joey and Lucinda bad-mouthing me behind my back didn’t surprise me.

People who could disregard the law and treat a stranger so brutally clearly had no morals.

I couldn’t help but regret the suffering I endured during the surgery in France.

After my husband passed away, I worked tirelessly, raising my child while building a business, leaving me no time for self-care.

By the time I reached my fifties, I looked much older than my peers.

I was well aware that the media criticized my aged appearance, often comparing me to a man with none of the soft qualities of a woman.

But like any woman, I cared about my appearance. Now that I was semi-retired, I finally had the time and money to fly to France regularly for treatments that made me look younger.

This last surgery was a significant investment. I wanted to look my best at my son’s wedding, to avoid being a source of embarrassment for him.

But now, my efforts had backfired and were the reason they didn’t believe me.

My body was growing weaker, and I knew that if I didn’t get to a hospital soon, I might lose my legs.

I forced myself to stay calm and said coldly, “Why don’t you call Hudson and have him come over? He’ll know whether or not I’m his mother.”

Hearing this, Joey paused, disbelief crossing her face. “You’re still not giving up, are you?

“Do you really think you can fool me into letting you see Hudson?” she asked, turning to the two girls behind her. “What do you think, should I make that call?”

The two girls, eyes gleaming with excitement, rushed forward and slapped me with all their strength. “Still talking back? Trash like you shouldn’t have made my sister lift a finger. I’m going to make sure you regret it!” one girl hissed.

“Want to fight back? You’re not even worth it!” the other girl chimed in.

They each hit me with all their might, and my body felt like it was falling apart. My eyes were so swollen I could barely open them, and my lips were too puffy for me to speak.

I glared at all four of them, silently vowing that if they didn’t kill me here, I’d make sure they paid dearly for this.

Seeing my defiant gaze only fueled Joey’s anger. She turned to the two girls and ordered, “Stop hitting her. Strip her clothes off. Let the whole world see what a shameless wretch she is!”

The two girls eagerly obeyed, viciously tearing at my clothes.

“Haha, serves you right for being a mistress and crossing my sister!”

Their eyes gleamed with malice as they stripped away the last shreds of my dignity.

I tried to resist, but Joey shattered my hands.

After a few minutes, I was lying motionless on the floor, completely battered and exposed.

Even though it was summer, I shivered from the cold that seemed to seep up from the floor.

The villa fell eerily silent, the only sounds were the click of a phone camera and my labored breathing.

Despair replaced my anger, and I lay there, unable to move. Joey gave me another hard kick, sneering, “Stop playing dead; this is just the beginning. If you’re so eager to be a mistress, then let’s show everyone just how low you can go.

“Don’t worry, I won’t post the video myself. I’ll let Hudson do the honors! I’ll make sure the man you’re obsessed with sees your true colors and watches as your life falls apart!”

She stuffed a filthy sock into my mouth and called Hudson.

“Honey, are you home? I’m on my way. I have a surprise for you.”

Joey’s voice was sickeningly sweet, a stark contrast to the cruelty she had just displayed.

“Sure, babe. Dress up nice; you’re meeting my mom for the first time, and I’m a bit nervous,” came my son’s gentle voice from the phone.

I tried desperately to cry out, to let him hear me, but he was too caught up in chatting with Joey about my preferences to notice anything wrong.

After hanging up, Joey slapped me hard across the face again. “Still trying to get help? Wretches like you don’t deserve any mercy!”

With that, she yanked a sack over my head and began dragging me toward the door.

They must have been trying to avoid drawing too much attention, so they threw an old, torn blanket over me.

My head was covered with a hood, making it hard to breathe, and the pain in my hands and legs was so intense that I was close to passing out.

I don’t know how long it took, but eventually, I was thrown harshly onto the ground.

Hearing the familiar footsteps of my son, I mustered the last bit of strength I had left, trying to call out for help.

But before I could say anything, Joey screamed, “Honey, she’s trying to get up and hit me!”

Immediately, my son kicked me away, then pulled Joey into his arms, comforting her softly, “Babe, are you alright? Did she scare you? We were supposed to meet each other’s parents today. Why did you bring a tramp back with you?”

Joey, feigning distress, started crying as she explained, “She said I’m not good enough for you because of my background. But that’s not even the worst part. The most infuriating thing is that she dared to insult your mother, claiming that she built her business empire by sleeping her way to the top.

“Thank goodness I heard her say it first. If the media caught wind of it, imagine how it would tarnish your mom’s reputation!”

Upon hearing this, my son’s expression darkened. He glared at me with disgust and kicked me hard in the abdomen.

My son, who took over the company from me in just a year, was someone I knew had a ruthless side when dealing with others.

I never expected that today, because of Joey’s words, he would turn that ruthlessness on me.

With the sock still stuffed in my mouth, I could only manage weak, gasping cries.

“Since she dared to slander your mother, she should know what it feels like to be publicly humiliated. My mom just recorded a video of the whole thing. What do you think we should do with it?” Joey suggested, holding up her phone to show him the video she had just recorded.

At that moment, I felt a mix of shame and fury like never before.

Despite the unbearable pain in my legs and my weakened state, I tried to lift myself up, desperate to tell my son who I really was.

But this only made him more disgusted with me.

He grabbed Joey’s phone and uploaded the video to a social media platform. “You insult my mom? You must have a death wish,” he said through gritted teeth, ripping off the hood that covered my head.