To me, marriage is simply the union of two people who, out of love, naturally find their way to each other.

But when love fades, and the paths of two people diverge, it’s only right to openly choose a different road.

Love and honesty must always go hand in hand.

The sound of my argument with Yara woke my mother-in-law, Eleanor, who had been napping in the living room.

Seeing an unfamiliar face at the door and noticing me trembling with anger, she quickly asked, “Anna, what’s going on? What happened?”

Before I could answer, Yara eagerly jumped in with her introduction.

“Hello, Aunt Eleanor. I’m your future daughter-in-law. I’m carrying Wesley’s child, and I came today to confess this to you.”

The moment Yara laid eyes on Eleanor, her face broke into a wide smile, and she even pushed her belly out a little, as if to emphasize it.

The baby’s already far along, looking to be at least five months old.

Wesley and I had been married for years, and the fact that we didn’t have children had become a lingering worry of mine. Though Eleanor never said anything, there were times when I could feel her disapproval.

Now, with Yara’s belly on full display, I was mentally preparing for Eleanor to take her side.

But to my surprise, Eleanor’s expression changed drastically. Without warning, she slapped Yara across the face.

“Who is this little tramp? Are you out of your mind, showing up at my doorstep with this nonsense? My daughter-in-law is standing right here beside me—do you think just anyone can call me ‘Mother-in-Law’?”

The slap was quick and decisive. Not only did it leave Yara stunned, but it also caught me off guard.

What was going on? Why was everything turning out so differently than I had expected?

I stared at Eleanor in disbelief as she continued glaring at Yara. “Get out of here, do you hear me? If you ever come back to disturb us again, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Yara pressed her hand to her swollen cheek, the slap having been so hard that her face had already started to bruise.

“Aunt, what’s this supposed to mean? The child I’m carrying is from the Hart family. Do you think I won’t go to the hospital right now and get rid of it? I’ll make sure there’s no heir for your family.”

Eleanor sneered. “Fine, let’s go to the hospital right now. I’ll watch you get rid of the child myself. You have no manners at all. I don’t even know how you’re able to live in this world, always seducing other people’s men. Can’t you take care of yourself?”

Compared to my silent reprimands, Eleanor’s harsh words clearly hit a nerve with Yara.

She’d come here with the intent of replacing me, but Eleanor was a different matter entirely. This was the woman she would have to respect and honor in the future.

Yara’s eyes burned with anger. “Old hag, just wait. You’ll regret what you’ve done today. When that time comes, even if you beg me on your knees, it’ll be too late.”

“I spit on you. The sight of you makes me sick. Do you really think that having a child in your belly will earn you a place in the Hart family? Get the hell out, now!”

With that, Yara stormed out, leaving me standing frozen, unable to process what had just happened.

Eleanor rushed over to support me, guiding me to sit on the couch.

“Anna, are you alright? Don’t let someone like that little vixen make you sick. It’s not worth it.”

Eleanor’s concern and anxiety were obvious in her eyes. There was no hint of falseness in her expression.

Before I got married, I was really worried about conflicts with my mother-in-law, but none of my fears ever came to pass.

Eleanor truly treated me like a daughter, spoiling me as if I were her own.

Every month, she’d give me two thousand dollars as pocket money. Whenever a new collection from a big brand came out, whether it was clothes or bags, she would buy my size without fail and send them to me.

The house was always clean without me lifting a finger, and the meals were always prepared to suit my taste.

I had never experienced this kind of pampering before, where I was treated like someone precious in the palm of someone’s hand. She even treated me better than Wesley did.

I used to think she was just trying to keep me happy so I’d have kids sooner, but after five years, all the kindness has never changed.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and my voice wavered with frustration. “If it weren’t for Yara showing up today, I would still be kept in the dark, like an idiot. If he wants a divorce, if he wants to break up, why couldn’t he just tell me straight out? Why did he have to insult me like this?”

I shouldn’t be complaining about Wesley in front of Eleanor, but I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I desperately needed an outlet for my emotions. This whole situation felt like a massive weight on my chest, suffocating me.

Eleanor placed her hand gently over mine, her face full of mixed emotions. “I’ll back you up on this. A good home can’t be destroyed like this.”

I shook my head through my tears. “It’s too far gone now. Wesley and I can’t stay together after all this. I’m going to call him and tell him to come home so we can finalize the divorce.”

At least we didn’t have children or too many ties between us.

We’d split the assets down the middle, but as for the house and car from his family, I wouldn’t take a single cent. They were never mine to begin with.

“You’re just going to let him off the hook like that?”

Eleanor’s unexpected words froze me in place.

I was momentarily confused, unsure of what she meant.

Her voice was tight with anger. “Someone who betrays his wife like that doesn’t deserve to be my son. I raised him all these years, and for what? To raise a beast?”

I was even more stunned.

It felt like Eleanor was angrier than I was.

“Eleanor.”

I couldn’t help but call out to her.

To be honest, I’d never really understood why Eleanor had been so kind to me all these years.

Maybe it was because Wesley was her only son, and I had filled the gap of the daughter she’d never had.

Eleanor and I looked very similar. To what extent? Whenever we went out together, everyone we met instinctively thought we were mother and daughter, not mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Every time she heard someone say that, Eleanor’s face would light up with joy.

Wesley was an only child, and I knew she’d always wanted another daughter.

That was the only explanation I could come up with.

“Anna, I know you have a soft heart, and a good temperament, but you need to understand that in this world, just being kind doesn’t make others value you. They hurt you? You hurt them back, and make sure they feel it. Why should that bastard Wesley get away with it?”

“But Eleanor, he’s your real son, after all.”

I reminded her softly.