When Tony was born, he needed phototherapy for mild jaundice. Victor was so anxious that he cleared his entire schedule and stayed by his side around the clock.

The cold feeling in my heart grew heavier. I sat back down and continued going through the evidence of Victor's affair.

Right then, Samantha posted another video.

In the footage, she was wearing the same outfit from our meeting earlier. Tears stained the corners of her eyes as she looked pitiful and helpless.

"Mr. Gardner's ex-wife came to cause trouble again. She even said I'm not worthy of being the mother of Mr. Gardner's child. I'm so scared."

She sniffled, then casually revealed her chat interface with Victor.

"But thankfully, Mr. Gardner dotes on me. He promised to attend tomorrow's parent-teacher conference with me. I'm finally going to be a mother. I'm so nervous."

She had not told Victor I was back?

I stared at Victor's blue profile picture on the screen, the same one he had used since our son was born, and let out a soft laugh.

Perfect. If it was a parent-teacher conference, then it would not be strange for me, the real mother, to attend as well.

…

The next day, at the school's parent-teacher conference, I dressed down and blended into the crowd. I took a seat in the farthest corner of my son's classroom.

The moment I sat down, Victor sent me a message.

[Elle, how's work going? When are you coming home?]

He was testing me.

[Just got to the venue. Gotta go, the meeting's about to start.]

I kept it brief.

The chat box showed he was typing. Then, a small cat emoji appeared, indicating he had received my message. It was identical to Samantha's profile picture.

Disgust churned in my stomach, and I put my phone away without replying.

Samantha, the new homeroom teacher for this semester, stepped to the front of the class. She had dressed up for the occasion. She wore a simple beige dress with her hair braided to one side and her face carefully made up.

Unlike yesterday's timid cowardice, she now carried an air of forced maternal warmth. The sight made me sick.

"Good evening, parents. The theme for today's conference is 'A Harmonious Family.' Family has always been the most important safe haven for children. As parents, we must pay attention to our children's mental health and create a happy, harmonious environment at home."

She spoke confidently to the parents, even sharing several anecdotes to emphasize the importance of being responsible for one's family. Yet, she was the very person destroying mine.

What made it even more absurd was that after her speech, she suddenly tapped the blackboard and looked at the parents below with a shy expression.

"Actually, I have one more announcement to make today. My son, Tony, is also in this class."

Samantha turned toward the door and waved. "Vic, Tony, come in."

The classroom erupted in shocked murmurs. Victor walked into the room, holding our son's hand. He had styled himself carefully. He wore a sleek black suit with his hair slicked back, and on his wrist was the expensive watch I had given him.

Meanwhile, Tony's clothes were wrinkled. His hair was damp and plastered to his forehead. He looked like he had a fever.

My heart seized. I nearly lost control and rushed forward to take Tony back. However, reason held me in place. Now was not the time.

I needed to wait for Samantha to publicly acknowledge her relationship with Victor and let her destroy herself.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Samantha's husband, Victor."

He tugged at our dazed son's arm, his lips curving into the gentle smile I knew so well. However, the words that came out of his mouth made my blood run cold.

"Tony, say hello to Mommy."

Tony shook his head and hid behind Victor, saying quietly, "She's not my mom."

A few of the parents in the audience questioned it too.

"I remember Tony's mother is Eloise, right? I saw her before the semester started. What's going on?"

"Yeah, I remember her too. What is this about?"

Samantha's face went pale, and she looked at Victor as if she were pleading for help.

Sure enough, after only two seconds of hesitation, he stepped forward unhurriedly and cleared his throat.

"You're all mistaken. Eloise Lloyd is not my son's mother. She's only..."

He paused, his gaze falling tenderly on Samantha.

"She's only the nanny I hired for my son. Samantha Yates is my son's real mother."

A nanny? I froze, feeling myself going numb.

Victor and I had been together since college. We had been through thick and thin for ten years.

When his business failed and he fell into debt, I even fought with my father for his sake. When his frequent social drinking gave him stomach problems, I woke up at 5:00 am every day to make him a nourishing stew.

He said he wanted children, so I even considered sacrificing myself to save the baby during delivery.

Now, in front of Tony and all his classmates' parents, he called me nothing more than a nanny.

The coldness in my heart flipped to the opposite extreme. It became a roaring blaze.

The parents in the classroom seemed convinced, and understanding dawned on their faces.

"Oh, I see. Eloise was way out of line, then. She's just a nanny, but she made the kid call her 'Mommy.'"

Some even offered Samantha advice. "Ms. Yates, you're too soft-hearted. You need to watch out. Don't let the nanny walk all over you. If she corrupts the child, that'll be a huge problem."

"Exactly. These nannies are the worst."

Samantha was overjoyed. She smiled gently and virtuously. "You're right. I'll be careful."

Tony's eyes turned red as he protested, "No, you're wrong. She's not my mom. My mom's name is Eloise."

One of the parents clicked their tongue in disdain.

"See? She's already corrupted him. He doesn't even recognize his own mother. When he grows up, he'll be an ungrateful brat. Ms. Yates, you and Mr. Gardner need to discipline this child properly."

"Absolutely. My daughter would never dare act like this. Ms. Yates spoils him too much."

"If you ask me, give him a good spanking right now. Once he learns his lesson, he'll behave."

"That's too violent. I say, lock him in a closet. When he learns to call her 'Mommy,' let him out."

The parents chimed in one after another, offering their suggestions.

Samantha's eyes sparkled with barely concealed delight, though she feigned reluctance. She looked at Victor hesitantly. "Vic, they do have a point. Maybe we should..."

"Wait!"

I stood up, pulled off my mask, and held up my phone, which had been recording the entire time. My voice rang out clearly. "Victor, I'm going to ask you one more time in front of everyone. If Samantha is Tony's mother, then who am I?"

The smiles on Victor's and Samantha's faces froze.