The next day, I displayed a tampered pregnancy test stick in front of everyone in the family. Brady immediately forgot our argument from the previous night and hugged me tightly.

"This is amazing, Eloise! I'm going to be a dad too!"

My father-in-law, Oliver Orwell, also beamed with joy. He said, "It seems like the heavens have bestowed two gifts upon us!"

Seeing that both Brady and Oliver were focused on me, Renee's face darkened with displeasure. A sly smile crept onto my face as I looked at her and said, "This baby really couldn't have come at a better time."

Renee quickly grabbed Oliver and wrapped her arms around him, saying, "Neenee is pregnant too. I need a hug!"

Though Oliver was exasperated, he indulgently put his arm around Renee's plump waist.

Still not satisfied, Renee pried Brady's arm away from me and said, "Bubba, am I no longer the most important woman in your life? You didn't even hug me yesterday. I'm upset!"

Brady glanced at me apologetically before letting go of me and embracing Renee instead. Her wrinkled face lit up with delight as she cooed, "Honey, Bubba, Neenee is so lucky to have you both."

I could not help but find the scene of the three of them huddled together like a human sandwich amusing.

That evening, I bought a box of raw beef slices, along with some fresh live crabs and shrimp.

I said to Brady in front of Renee, "A relative who works at the hospital told me that pregnant women should eat more seafood and meat, especially if it’s raw. That's the best way to retain nutrients for the baby."

I added, "Some people eat raw food all the time, and their children grow up strong and tall."

As expected, Renee's eyes lit up, and she quickly pulled on Brady's arm. "Bubba, I want to eat it too! I have a baby in my belly too."

Seeing this, I immediately put the food away, making it clear that she was not getting any of what I bought. Brady hurriedly tried to calm her down, saying, "Mom, if you want to eat those things, I'll go get some for you later."

Renee pouted and insisted, "No! I only want what she bought."

I turned to Brady and said, "There's only enough food for one person today. It's either me or her—you decide."

Renee's smug expression showed that she believed Brady would choose her over me.

Brady hesitated, caught in a dilemma. I gently rested my hand on my flat belly and said, "I'm carrying your child, you know."

Renee immediately patted her large stomach and said, "Bubba, I'm carrying your sibling! Don’t you always say I'm the most important woman in the family? Was that all a lie?"

Brady looked at me with a troubled expression and finally said, "Eloise, let's give it to Mom this time."

I furiously threw the food at him. Then, eager to show off, Renee grabbed it from Brady's hands and began devouring it right in front of me.

"Bubba, I knew you'd always take care of me. When your little brother is born, he'll be so strong," she said as she stuffed the wriggling shrimp and crabs into her mouth, filling the air with their fishy smell.

After that, I would bring home a portion of raw seafood every day, and every time, without fail, Renee would snatch it from me.

As I watched her wolf down the food, I smirked inwardly and thought to myself, ‘Keep eating, Renee. I'm not sure you're getting any nutrients, but I'm sure you're getting plenty of parasites.’

A week later, Renee and I went for a prenatal check-up. I had already arranged for a relative who worked at the hospital to help me out.

When I came out of the ultrasound room, I proudly announced that I was carrying twins. Brady beamed with pride, saying, "Eloise, you're truly our family’s star!" My father-in-law even gave me a big envelope filled with cash as a gift.

I made sure to say, "Honey, since I'm carrying twins now, we need to double my nutrition. No more giving my food away to others."

Now, Brady did not hesitate to agree. "Of course."

Renee immediately put on a pitiful face and clung to Oliver, whining, "Neenee wants to have twins too, and Neenee wants even more cash!"

Oliver tried to comfort her, saying, "You'll have your check-up soon. Who knows? Maybe you're carrying twins too."

Not long after, Renee strutted out of the ultrasound room like a triumphant general and excitedly announced, "I'm carrying multiples!"

Brady looked puzzled as he took the ultrasound report and said, "Mom, it says here that it's a molar pregnancy."

"The doctor said that a molar pregnancy is just like multiples. It means I have so many babies, just like a bunch of grapes. I'm carrying at least ten right now," Renee declared confidently.

Oliver was thrilled upon hearing this. "Really? Neenee, you're practically a miracle for the Orwell family!"

Renee straightened her back even more dramatically. "From now on, I need to focus even more on my nutrition," she said, then cast a mocking glance at me. "Multiples are much rarer than twins. After all, not just anyone can carry them."

‘Indeed, a life-threatening pregnancy like yours is something no one else would want to carry,’ I thought to myself.

As Renee's supposed multiples outshined my 'twins,' she once again became the center of everyone's attention and care.

Renee firmly believed she was carrying divine babies, so she made sure not to starve her ten sons, indulging in all kinds of rich foods and eating far more than usual.

With all the raw seafood I kept bringing home, Renee's weight skyrocketed to 200 pounds. At the supposed three months, her belly looked like she was seven or eight months pregnant.

Renee lay on the sofa in the living room, ordering Oliver to feed her while Brady peeled grapes for her. She touched her round belly and suddenly cried out, "Ouch!"

Oliver immediately asked in concern, "What's wrong?"

Renee smiled and said, "Our sons are kicking me! It hurts so much!" Her belly visibly shifted, and Oliver was overjoyed as he felt the movement.

"The Orwell family has always passed down our lineage through one son only. I can’t believe we’re going to be parents to so many sons at this age. It's like a blessing from our ancestors," he said.

I looked at Renee's belly. A molar pregnancy was just an underdeveloped mass of tissue, so how could there be fetal movement?

A sudden suspicion formed in my mind—could it be that what she was carrying was...

Brady turned to me and asked, "Eloise, Mom's baby is already kicking. Has yours moved yet?"

I snapped back to reality and shook my head. "Fetal movement varies from person to person. Some feel it earlier while others feel it later."

Renee grabbed Brady's hand and placed it on her swollen belly. "Bubba, you can feel it too!" After that, she turned to look at me with a smug expression she could not hide.

"This is a divine pregnancy, unlike a certain other pregnancy… Even though she’s three months along, her belly's still so small. The babies inside are probably dead!"

I could not hold back anymore and rushed forward, slapping her across her smug face.

Renee had not expected me to react so violently. She was stunned for a moment and tried to get up to hit me back, but her obese body made it difficult for her to move.

I dodged her clumsy attempt and slapped her again.

Renee immediately clutched her face, crying out to Oliver and Brady, "Honey, Bubba, Neenee's face hurts! This wicked woman hit Neenee!"

I looked at her coldly. "Who's the wicked one here? The children I'm carrying are also Orwells. How dare you curse them like that!"

Oliver and Brady stood rooted to the spot. They were caught between us, not knowing what to do.

Meanwhile, Renee cried even harder, tears and snot streaming down her face.

Not wanting to see her disgusting display any longer, I turned and went back to the bedroom. As soon as I closed the door, tears started streaming down my face uncontrollably.

In my previous life, I really did have a miscarriage. At that time, Renee had just undergone surgery for her molar pregnancy.

I found out I was pregnant shortly afterward, but I was afraid that announcing my pregnancy would upset her more, considering her recent loss. I planned to wait a little longer before sharing the news with everyone.

However, before I could say anything, she recovered and took my life, so my poor baby died with me.

Outside, I could hear Renee's wailing grow louder as she demanded that Oliver and Brady punish me to avenge her.

Brady burst into the bedroom, yelling angrily, "Eloise, you went too far today! She's my mother, and we've spoiled her all these years. How could you… hit her…"

When he saw the tears staining my face, his angry tone softened, almost trailing off. "Eloise, why are you crying?"

Brady and I had been together for seven years since we met in college, and he had never seen me cry except for our wedding day.

It was no wonder he seemed so lost and confused now.

I wiped away the tears from my face. "Brady, she may be your mother, but I'm a mother too. How can I tolerate her cursing my children to die?"

Brady's voice was much softer now. "My mom's spoiled and a little arrogant, but she doesn't mean any harm."

"Doesn't mean any harm?" I shot back, "What if one day, she kills your children with her own two hands?"

Brady immediately denied it. "No, my mom would never do something like that."

I looked at him quietly. "Anything is possible. Would you avenge the children?"

Brady did not answer my question and quickly walked away.

After that, we were not on speaking terms for several days. During that time, every time Renee saw me, she would gloat, "Some women live such miserable lives. But not me! My husband and son love me so much.”

I deliberately rubbed my belly and smiled faintly. "I'm carrying Brady's children. It won't be long before he comes back to me on his own, and then I'll have him move out with me."

Renee glared at me furiously. "You wouldn't dare!"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Just wait and see!"

She looked at my belly with a flash of malice in her eyes.

Just as I expected, after a week of not talking, Brady coincidentally came to make peace on my birthday. He booked a fancy rooftop restaurant for a romantic dinner, with plans for us to watch the fireworks.

When Renee heard about it, she looked at me as if she wanted to tear me to pieces.

With a smile on my lips and a glance at her hateful gaze, I accepted the invitation. I had been waiting for this day for a long time.

That evening, when Brady arrived to pick me up, a plump figure jumped in faster than me as soon as he opened the passenger door.

I shot Brady a questioning look.

Brady looked a bit helpless and said, "Mom, why aren't you resting at home? What are you doing in the car?"

Renee pouted pitifully. "I've never had a candlelight dinner before. I want to go too!"

I bluntly said, "Today's my birthday. Brady and I planned to spend it together with just the two of us. Please get out."

Ignoring me completely, Renee turned to Brady and whined, "Bubba, am I not the most important woman in your life? How can you take her and not me?"

When Brady did not respond, she continued, "Poor Neenee! Honey's not at home, and now Bubba won't take Neenee out to dinner. Neenee's going to be so hungry…"

Watching a 60-year-old overweight woman with a thick layer of powder on her face and bright red lipstick whining to her son was beyond cringeworthy.

I looked away, fearing I might throw up if I watched any longer.

Having no other option, Brady turned to me with a hint of pleading in his eyes. "Eloise, maybe we should take Mom with us?"

I said nothing and climbed into the back seat.

Of course I had to let her come. Without her, the show tonight would not be complete!

Relieved that I did not protest, Brady quickly drove toward the hotel. He was probably worried I might change my mind.

In the car, Renee turned on her phone camera's beauty filter to the max and recorded a video.

"Bubba is taking me to a candlelight dinner. Neenee is so happy!"

Renee had a TikTok account where she had a series called ‘Neenee's Life As A Pampered Woman’.

She often posted videos bragging about how she used her charm to keep her husband and son doting on her endlessly. She had gathered quite a following online, with tens of thousands of fans praising her.

In my previous life, I suffered a lot because of her fans.

After her molar pregnancy procedure, Renee had gone online to call me a jealous woman and told everyone I was infertile. She said I was envious of her because she had both her husband's and son's affection.

She even claimed I was jealous that she could still get pregnant at nearly 60, so I was the one who forced her to have an abortion.

Every day, she portrayed me as a heartless villain, which led to people throwing rotten eggs at me on my way to work, burning pictures of me outside my office, and even sending me bloody packages to threaten me.

This time around, she would taste the consequences herself.

When we arrived at the hotel, Brady got out first. Renee eagerly rushed to his side, clinging to his arm.

I lagged a few steps behind them, discreetly placing my phone into a specially designed bag and turning on the live stream.

I typed out on the stream: [This is live from Neenee's daughter-in-law from Neenee's Life As A Pampered Woman. Let’s all learn from Neenee how to be the best at charming men.]

Renee's face, with its layers of makeup, looked bashful as she said, "Bubba, this place is so beautiful! Neenee loves it so much!

"Bubba, you have to bring Neenee here more often," she added.

"Bubba, Neenee's feet hurt from walking. Will you carry me?"

She babbled on like a child visiting a grand estate for the first time, completely oblivious to the odd looks people gave her.

Passing guests and staff threw confused glances their way, some even whispering that Brady must be a young boy toy. People wondered how he could put up with being with such an unattractive, older woman.

Brady's face flushed with embarrassment as he awkwardly loosened her grip on his arm and whispered, "Mom, please don't act like this in public!"