It was the holiday season, so I took my foster daughter, Megan Delgado, to our mansion for a vacation. However, I found out that the property had been occupied by someone else.

The woman who opened the door looked at us with an impatient expression.

“What do you want? You’re interrupting my daughter’s birthday party. Are you asking for trouble?”

For a moment, I thought I might have the wrong house. That was until I noticed the clothing and jewelry the woman was wearing. Every piece was an exact match with what I kept in my wardrobe here.

The timing could not be more telling. Just a week ago, my husband, Richie Delgado, said he was planning a surprise for me and Megan. He asked for the spare key to the mansion.

I glanced past her at the crowd of party guests in the living room.

“So, you’re saying you’re the lady of the house?”

She sized me up and noted my simple outfit. “Who else if not me? You? You’ve ruined my daughter’s party. You’d better beg for her forgiveness now!” she said in a condescending tone.

When I did not move, she warned, “My husband will be home any minute now. Do you know who he is? He’s the CEO of Beran Corp! A nobody like you can’t afford to cross him!”

They were using my mansion to throw a birthday party for his illegitimate daughter. It was quite the surprise indeed!

It was the holiday season. So, I took my foster daughter, Megan Delgado, to the mansion in Syleria Bay to relax and unwind.

From a distance, I could already see that the mansion was brightly lit.

A woman yanked the door open with an impatient look on her face.

“Who are you? You’re interrupting my daughter’s birthday party. Are you asking for trouble?”

She seemed so sure of herself, so I thought I must have pulled up to the wrong house in the dark.

When she saw that I was just in a plain white T-shirt, the contempt in her eyes intensified.

“How unfortunate for us.” She scoffed. “You’ve ruined my daughter’s mood. A worthless person like you can’t even begin to make up for it.”

Behind the woman, the party guests began to gather around.

They chimed in to support her. “Everyone here is either a high-ranking official or someone famous from the upper class. Look at what she’s wearing. She must have sneaked into the neighborhood.”

“This woman has no idea what’s coming for her. Everyone knows how powerful Melanie’s husband is.”

“Yes. If Melanie so much as complains, this woman won’t be able to pay for her mistake even if she works for the rest of her life.”

Emboldened by their support, Melanie Vallejo grew even bolder.

“Tell you what. I’m not a bad person. If you crawl inside and apologize to my daughter, I’ll forgive you.”

Seeing how pleased she was with herself, my frown deepened.

“So, you’re saying you’re the lady of this house?”

Something had felt off from the start. But she was so loud and full of herself that it threw me off for a moment.

Right then, I finally noticed it. She was wearing the exact clothes and jewelry I left in my room here.

The timing could not have been more telling. Just a week ago, my husband, Richie Delgado, said he was planning a surprise for me. Then, he took the spare key to this place.

He even reminded me specifically to come back tomorrow night.

I figured that arriving a day early would not hurt. I could just act like I did not know anything.

However, I never imagined…

A flicker of hesitation crossed Melanie’s face, but she quickly covered it up and snapped at me. “Who else would it be if it’s not me? You, you frumpy nobody?”

Then, something seemed to click for her.

“You’ve ruined my daughter’s birthday party. You’d better crawl in there and apologize to her. My husband’s on his way home. Do you know who he is? He’s the CEO of Beran Corp! Someone like you can’t afford to offend him.”

The CEO of Beran Corp?

“Are you talking about Richie Delgado?”

Melanie nodded smugly.

“That’s right!”

At that point, I understood everything. At first, I had thought that maybe Richie had lent the house to a relative in a moment of foolish pride. As it turned out, the man I had supported was having an affair!

I married and brought Richie into my family because I could not have kids.

He always acted like the perfect and devoted husband around me. I never imagined that he had been keeping a mistress behind my back. Additionally, he had a daughter who was almost the same age as our foster child!

Noticing that I was silent, Melanie assumed that I was speechless from fear.

“My husband will be here any minute now. Do yourself a favor and get on your knees like a good dog. Otherwise, when he shows up, kneeling won’t be enough to save you. My husband spoils our daughter.”

My chest ached with fury. “I doubt you can afford the consequences of making me kneel.”

Before Melanie could retort, someone in the crowd muttered, “Poor people always cling to pride like it’s worth something. She’s about to lose everything, and she’s still putting on a tough front.”

I locked eyes with the speaker. “What makes you so sure I’m the one who’s about to lose everything?”

They were trespassing, and they had committed theft. I would see if Melanie could still smile when this blew up in her face.

Someone else cackled from the sidelines. “Just leave her be. If she’s in such a hurry to dig her own grave, why bother stopping her?”

“People like her never learn. All it takes is the snap of a finger from the right person, and she’s done.”

Melanie’s smirk started to crack when she realized that I was not backing down.

“Typical trash with stubborn pride. When my husband gets here, even crawling naked to kiss my feet won’t save you!”

Perfect. That saved me the trouble of calling him myself.

‘Richie, you’ve prepared quite the surprise for me,’ I thought.

Just as Melanie and I were confronting each other, someone suddenly burst out of the house.

“Mom! Her pendant looks exactly like the one I lost!”

Before I could even process what was happening, that girl rushed over and yanked on the necklace around Megan’s neck.

Megan’s skin turned red instantly from the force.

“Leave my necklace alone! It’s from my dad—”

She did not manage to finish her sentence. The girl ripped the necklace off so violently that it drew blood from Megan’s neck.

“This was a custom birthday gift from my dad, specially made in Tzarfat! There’s only one like it in the world! Give it back!”

Melanie immediately backed up her daughter and yelled, “Oh, I see! So, that’s why you’re here at our door at this hour and acting so bold! You’re trying to steal my husband, you shameless homewrecker!”

As she said that, she tried to slap me.

I caught her wrist mid-air and promptly slapped her back with my other hand.

The impact was so hard that her cheek turned bright red almost instantly.

“Don’t you dare project your trashy behavior onto me! We both know who the shameless one is here.”

The slap rattled her.

Melanie lurched at me like she had lost her mind. But the moment she saw me raise my hand again, she flinched.

She immediately switched tactics and wiped away her tears as if trying to be tough.

“Everyone here will be my witness tonight! It’s one thing to ruin Crystal’s birthday party, but you even tried to sneak into the house at night to seduce my husband. And now, you have the audacity to strike me, his rightful wife! How could a homewrecker be so utterly shameless?”

Her performance worked like a charm. The surrounding guests immediately swarmed to comfort her.

“What has the world come to? There must be some kind of misunderstanding. There’s no way a man like Mr. Delgado would be interested in a woman like her.”

“She didn’t even come alone. She had to bring her daughter too. What a pair of cunning little witches!”

I never imagined that coming back to my own house would subject us to such vile insults.

My hands were trembling from anger as I covered Megan’s ears.

“Don’t let her fool you! Check the second drawer of the cabinet in the study. The deed to this house is there, and it’s under my name, Abby Beran. She’s the mistress here!”

The absolute certainty in my voice gave the crowd pause. For a moment, they began to hesitate.

“How does she know the house that well?”

Crystal Vallejo, Melanie’s daughter, was quick to react. She pointed at my face and said, “How many times have you broken in? How do you know this house so well? You really are after this house and my dad!”

Melanie then pulled out her phone and showed the crowd a payment record. “I’ve been paying the utilities here for the past ten years! When did this house belong to you?”

There were payment records dating back a full decade on the screen.

That was exactly the period before I moved out for good; I was here recuperating.

My leg was healing from major surgery. Back then, I would often wake up groggily in the middle of the night. I would be convinced that I had heard heavy breathing in my bedroom. I also felt a persistent presence following me whenever I got up.

It left me a nervous wreck. Strangely, Richie seemed to glow with health. He stopped his morning workouts and no longer worked late. He started staying at home more as well.

He could not even be bothered to accompany me to the hospital. So, I used to wonder why he had suddenly become so willing to stay home with me.

At this moment, I finally realized it. They were fooling around right under my nose!

It was chilling, and my stomach twisted with a wave of pure revulsion.

The crowd believed Melanie’s lies completely and focused their scornful gazes on us.

“How shameless. No wonder her daughter’s all dressed up. If she can’t snag Mr. Delgado, she’ll put her daughter on the job, huh?”

Crystal turned and whispered to a few men, who then began to close in on us.

“Go on. Don’t hold back. Tear their clothes off. Whatever happens, my dad will handle the fallout. Since these women are so desperate to seduce someone, let’s all see if they have the goods to back it up!”

Melanie made no move to stop the unfolding drama. Instead, she watched from the crowd with a triumphant smile and mouthed the word “witch” at me.

I took a deep breath and knew they would only do worse if I did not act soon.

Pulling Megan behind me, I reached into my bag and grabbed a bottle of champagne.

It was to celebrate my daughter’s coming of age. However, I shook it violently and twisted the cork.

The foaming torrent drenched the men before me and soaked Melanie, as well as Crystal, from head to toe.

The sudden explosion of liquid sent them stumbling back in surprise.

After that, I took the windproof lighter from Megan’s hand. Flicking it on, I charged straight at them.

“Arghh!”

The flame from the lighter stopped just inches from Melanie’s face.

I stared at her and Crystal as they stood frozen. The lighter’s fire hovered barely an inch from their eyes.

Then, a foul smell hit my nose.

Melanie had wet herself.

I snorted in response. She got scared so easily, yet she had the guts to be a mistress.

Right as I was about to take another step, Richie’s voice rang out behind me. “Stop!”

Richie shoved me to the ground. Turning his back on me, he wrapped them tightly in his arms and comforted them. “It’s okay. I’m here now. Whoever did this to you is going to pay dearly!”

Melanie latched onto him as if he were her lifeline. She threw her arms around his neck and whined, “Richie, what took you so long? Look at the mess you caused! Those witches tried to set us on fire!”

Then, they started kissing as if they were completely alone.

Crystal covered her eyes.

“Ugh. Dad, Mom, I’m right here.”

Richie held Melanie in his arms like she was some fragile piece of glass.

“What are you talking about? I have no other women in my life. You’re the only one I love. Who hurt you? I’m going to make them pay!”

I watched the affectionate display with icy calm. Then, I began to clap for the loving couple.

“How touching. I’m honestly about to tear up. Who knew you could be such a manly man in private, Richie?”

Hearing my voice, his hands pulled away from Melanie as if they had been scalded by hot iron.

The force of his recoil nearly sent her to the floor.

He turned his head stiffly, and all the color drained from his face when he saw me.

Completely oblivious, Melanie grabbed his head and forced his attention back toward her.

“Honey, don’t get so worked up. Even when you’re getting even for me, your eyes should only be on me.”

Hearing them twist the truth, Megan could not stay silent anymore. She tried to defend me. “They’re the ones who bullied Mom! That girl even stole my necklace!”

Crystal immediately shouted at her, “Your necklace?! You stole that necklace from me!”

I calmed Megan and looked at Richie with an imperious gaze.

“Well, Richie, how exactly are you going to make me pay dearly?”

His lips parted, but no sound came out.

A thin sheen of sweat began breaking out across his forehead.

The watching guests were still clueless, so they snorted at me for being delusional.

“She actually claimed this place was hers earlier. Now that the real owner has shown up, she’s still running her mouth? Isn’t she scared that he’ll break her in half and toss her out like trash?”

“Look at her throwing herself at him, but Mr. Delgado won’t even glance her way. To think she and her daughter stole that pendant from his precious daughter! Women like her should be stripped naked and paraded down the street!”

“Oh, she’s finished. With Mr. Delgado’s power, he could ruin her and her family completely.”

Richie raised his chin a little higher under their flattery.

Melanie’s adoring gaze cemented him more firmly on that pedestal they had built for him.

When his eyes met mine, his jaw tightened as if he had made up his mind.

“You and your daughter have trespassed into our home and committed theft. I have every right to pursue legal action against you.”

Having spoken those words, he seemed to regain confidence.

Meeting my challenging gaze head-on, he no longer flinched. Instead, he adopted a commanding tone like he was the master of the house.

“As for the injury on my daughter’s face, Melanie is very kind. So, she won’t be too hard on you if you just do as she asks.”

Melanie was clearly not thrilled, but she still spoke in a sweet and delicate voice. “As long as you beg for my forgiveness in front of everyone, we’ll let this slide.”

I caught how Richie straightened up, as though he had finally grown a spine.

He was nothing like the man who usually hovered around us with a hunched back and forced smile.

Since he was so determined to buy his dignity by trampling on mine and my daughter’s, I saw no reason to hold back any longer.

I was just about to tell him that he was stripped of his position as CEO of Beran Corp. However, Megan rushed forward and tried to grab his hand. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

“Daddy, how could you do this to Mom?”

Melanie instantly slapped Megan’s hand away. Her eyes were filled with malice.

“Who are you calling Daddy? Any man will do, huh? You’re just like your mother.”

A bold guest chimed in, “Mr. Delgado’s about to press charges, kid. Calling him ‘Daddy’ won’t help you now. But you can try it with us instead. We might help you pay the fines.”

As soon as he said that, Megan could not bring herself to call Richie “Daddy” anymore. Her voice grew steady as she asked, “Why aren’t you saying anything? Didn’t you always say you loved me and Mom the most?”

Richie shoved Megan away and watched with cold indifference as she fell to the ground.

“Don’t be absurd! Keep spreading these lies, and I’ll sue you for defamation.”

Then, he shifted that icy glare to me.

“Know your place. I suggest you do as you’re told before I really lose my patience and you make this worse for yourself!”

I helped my sobbing daughter to her feet and gently brushed the dust from her knees.

After that, I fixed my eyes on Richie and uttered my warning clearly, “Since you’re feeling so mighty tonight, I suppose you’re not afraid of the division of assets that comes with our divorce, Richie.”

The moment I said that, the room erupted in mocking laughter.

“Jesus! Who let this lunatic wander out of the asylum?”

“So, now the lying lunatic isn’t just claiming the house, she’s claiming to be the wife? Asset division? Everything she owns combined wouldn’t even pay for Mr. Delgado’s janitor!”

“Good thing we’re living in modern times. Back in the day, a woman like her would’ve been paraded through town in shame.”

Melanie let out a smug little snort. She was fully convinced that she had won.

Feigning magnanimity, Richie gave me a condescending and triumphant look.

“It’s beneath me to waste another second on a low-class nobody like you. Apologize and get the hell off my property.”

Just as someone shoved a phone in my face to record my humiliation, an authoritative voice thundered from behind us.

“Everyone on site, be quiet! This is an official investigation! We’ve received a report of trespassing. Will the person who made the report please step forward and present identification?”