The day after our wedding, Daniel brought home a mother and her child.

The baby was just a month old, and his features resembled Daniel's quite a bit. He tried to deceive me, saying, "She's my sister! It's just a baby, how can you tell who he looks like?"

But I discovered a paternity test report and a DV tape in his safe, which captured his wild love affair with his beloved stepsister.

In that moment, seven years of feelings went up in flames.

Daniel held a grand celebration for the baby's one-month birthday, and I smiled as I handed over a gold locket.

"May the three of you be locked together forever."

——

After giving the locket, I ignored the whispers and curious looks from the crowd, turned around, and walked out of the banquet.

As I walked, I dialed my lawyer friend, "Find me the best divorce lawyer. I want Daniel out with nothing."

Before I could put my phone away, a strong force pulled me back.

With a dark expression, Daniel cornered me into a pitch-black corner and aggressively questioned me, "Grace, today is the baby's one-month celebration, and you keep saying 'locked together.' What's that supposed to mean?"

His gaze was as if he wanted to devour me alive.

I pulled my hand away coldly, without saying a word.

Thinking about the scenes in the video, the man in front of me made me feel utterly disgusted.

We had been together for seven years. The day after our wedding, he brought his newborn child before me!

He had explained before, and I believed him. After seeing the contents of that DV tape, I could no longer lie to myself.

Seeing me silent, his expression grew more disdainful.

"Ivy gave birth alone abroad. As a woman, can't you have a bit of empathy?"

His scolding and contempt made my heart ache. I swallowed my grievances and responded, "Daniel, did I make her have the baby abroad? Is that my child?

"What right do you have to demand my sympathy?"

Daniel stared at me, suddenly taken aback.

I had always been so obedient in front of him. This was the first time I talked back to Daniel.

Today, the Perry family held a grand one-month celebration for Ivy's child, on par with the grandeur of my wedding with Daniel.

Ivy was Daniel's stepsister. I always thought they had a normal sibling relationship, or at most, just in name.

When Daniel canceled our honeymoon to pick her up and mentioned the baby's one-month celebration, I agreed without hesitation.

But I never imagined they had once been lovers.

Last month, he suddenly flew abroad. It was the first time he brought me a gift.

It was a bracelet, but the matching diamond necklace appeared around Ivy's neck.

"I've told you many times, that child isn't mine!"

Daniel continued to argue, even threatening to get a paternity test. He was unaware that I had already seen it.

"Stop arguing, Daniel. Don't fight because of me and Grace."

Ivy came over, holding the baby, her face flushed with an irresistible charm.

Daniel seemed like he was tranquilized; the tension and fire between us dissipated instantly.

That scene pierced my heart deeply.

Daniel had always been headstrong and temperamental.

Over the years, I had advised him countless times to be humble and flexible with clients and business partners.

But he remained stubborn, leaving me to clean up his messes.

It turns out, he wasn't unwilling to listen. He just didn't listen to me.

With just a few words from Ivy, Daniel softened immediately.

I didn't want to watch, nor did I want to hear it.

The three of them in front of me looked like a perfect family, an eyesore too glaring to ignore.

"Hypocrites."

I muttered a curse under my breath before turning to leave, Ivy's soft sobs echoing behind me.

When I got home, I moved all of Daniel's belongings to the study and took out the paternity test results I had hidden away.

99.99% Father-son relationship.

I clenched that white paper, trembling all over.

Daniel returned, looking worn out, with Ivy and her child following behind him.

I pretended not to see them and turned to go back to my room, but Daniel kicked the door open.

"Are you trying to sleep in separate rooms? Grace, you're going to get angry over a one-month celebration?

"If you've got the guts, stop coming to me at night, claiming you're afraid to sleep alone!"

In the past, whenever Daniel and I had little fights, I would say I was afraid to sleep alone and ask for reconciliation.

What he didn't know was that I was never really afraid of sleeping alone.

Before I could say anything, Daniel was already about to slam the door and leave.

I chased after him and shoved the paternity test results into his hand.

"No need for a paternity test, here's your answer."

Daniel looked at me suspiciously, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

"Grace, you went through my stuff!"

Daniel tore the report to shreds and scattered it in the air, but to me, it was like a feeble attempt to cover up the truth.

I couldn't be bothered with him and casually closed the door.

That night, the noise from the study was piercing, but it also brought me a gradual clarity.

The next day, I forced myself to sleep in until I naturally woke up. When I went downstairs, I saw Daniel.

Clenching my fists tightly, I forced myself to stand tall as I walked downstairs.

Daniel was a total workaholic.

I had asked countless times for him to come home for lunch during his break, but he always found an excuse not to.

But now, the three of them sat together at the corner of the dining table, laughing and playing with the baby.

When I arrived, they exchanged a glance and fell silent.

I felt like an uninvited guest.

"Grace, look, I've made a whole table of food!" Ivy called out with a smile, as if this were her house.

Daniel scoffed coldly. "If she's going to get up this late next time, just don't bother making her breakfast."

"Grace wasn't feeling well, that's why she got up late," Ivy said, patting Daniel on the shoulder to calm him down.

I shrugged indifferently, glanced at the food on the table, and sat down.

Frowning, I picked at the pancakes with my fork before slamming them down with a loud "clap."

A sarcastic smile played on my face as I stared directly at Ivy.

"You really think this greasy dish is fit to serve?"

Ivy looked just like one of those leading ladies from my mom's old melodramas, with her big, fluttering eyes that turned red and teary at the drop of a hat.

As soon as she started crying, the baby joined in with a wail.

"How are we supposed to eat with all this noise?"

Daniel kept a cold expression the entire time. "Grace, if you don't want to eat, then don't!"

I stood up, grabbed my keys, and walked out, hearing Daniel comforting Ivy behind me.

After discussing the details at the lawyer's office, I went back home.

On the way home, I changed my mind.

Ivy just wanted to stir things up so Daniel and I would divorce, giving her a chance to take my place.

I was definitely getting this divorce.

Before I left, I planned to have fun with the two of them first.

Just as I made up my mind, someone showed up at my door.

As soon as I got home, I saw Ivy waiting for me in the garden, still holding her baby.

"Grace, can we talk?"

I stopped and turned to glance at her.

"What do we even have to talk about? Oh? Maybe how you helped me discover that mysterious safe?

"Or should we talk about how you're planning to marry Daniel as the second wife?"

I laughed out loud as I watched Ivy's face turn pale.

Daniel's safe had always been protected by a double password.

I had tried countless times in private, but I could never open it.

Yet, the day before Ivy's baby's full month celebration, the safe was suddenly open.

Other than Ivy, who came around under the pretense of discussing the banquet details, who else could've opened it?

"Grace, I never intended to hurt you... I just thought you had the right to know everything."

Ivy held her child with one hand and reached out to grab me with the other.

Honestly, when I first returned, Ivy and I got along quite well.

I pitied her and took good care of her.

But now, thinking back, there's always something despicable about the pitiable.

"This could've been buried with me, but you just had to dig it all up to disgust me. Ivy, are you addicted to playing the innocent?"

I shook Ivy's hand off, and she pretended to twist her ankle, toppling over with her child in her arms.

The sound of a car horn echoed in my ears, and I grinned.

I didn't know whether to praise Ivy's calculations or marvel at their uncanny coordination.

One set the stage, the other came to perform.

Without these two stars, the Southside Opera Troupe would be heartbroken.

I turned and smiled at Daniel as he stepped out of the car, then gave a sharp push, sending him into the pool.

"Grace!"

His violent roar pierced through my ears.

I turned around, arms crossed, staring defiantly at Daniel.

"It's hot, Ms. Watson thought it would be nice to cool off in the pool with her child."

Daniel called the doctor, causing quite a commotion.

From the second floor, I leaned over the railing, watching the chaos unfold below.

Ivy huddled in Daniel's arms, trembling, her lips pale.

The moment Daniel looked up and saw me, his anger flared. He dropped Ivy and stormed up the stairs in just a few strides.

I sat down, poured myself some coffee, and waited for Daniel to come up and confront me.

"Grace, you pushed a child into the pool! Did you even think about the consequences?!"

Daniel glared at me, his body stiff as if he was holding back endless rage.

I didn't say a word, just took a sip of my coffee.

Daniel stormed forward and flipped the table over. The scalding coffee spilled everywhere, and the sound of shattered porcelain echoed throughout the hall.

I was quick enough to dodge, with only the hem of my dress getting a little stained by the coffee.

"Don't play that silence-is-golden card. You're treating a life like a joke, and you still have the mood to sit here drinking coffee?

"Grace, how did you become like this?"

Daniel stared at me, confusion clouding his eyes, baffled by how cruel I had become.

Yet, even then, he didn't ask me a single question.

"Grace, what happened to you?"

Faced with his relentless questioning and insults, I didn't get angry. Instead, I smiled.

"She doesn't care whether her child lives or dies. Why should I, as an outsider, care?

"Daniel, if you're blind, go to the hospital and get it checked.

"She pretended to trip with her baby in front of me. If I didn't push her, she wouldn't have been able to pull off this act, and you wouldn't have had your stage either!"

I shoved the stunned Daniel aside and looked down at Ivy from above, laughing.

"Ms. Watson, your acting is something. I know people in the entertainment industry. Do you want me to introduce you? At least you could earn some money for baby formula."

Ivy lowered her head, pressing her lips together without saying a word.

"Let me tell you, Ivy, you've messed with the wrong person."

After saying that, I turned to look at Daniel, who was still standing there. I casually straightened his collar and patted the dust off his shoulder.

"Daniel, it's one thing not to have eyes, but you can't go without a brain."

There were surveillance cameras all around the house. If Daniel wanted the truth, he didn't need to hear it from me.

This whole farce was just Ivy playing into his temperament.

He was bound to come after me, not caring about the truth.

Humming a little tune, I sauntered past Daniel and confidently headed downstairs.

As I walked past Ivy, I took a few steps before turning back, leaning close to her and whispering, "Ms. Watson, are you hoping to see me and Daniel get divorced?

"Maybe when I'm in a good mood, I'll put on a show for you and ask for some acting tips."