After the Divorce, I Became the Billionaire's Lost Daughter

　　"Trudy Mason, my son is about to marry the richest man's daughter. If you know what's good for you, you'll get lost."

　　"Here's five million dollars. I bet you've never seen this kind of money in your life."

　　Judy Simmons pulled a check from her purse and flicked it at Trudy's face.

　　In five years of marriage to Zachary Simmons, this wasn't the first time his mother had demanded she leave.

　　Because Trudy was an orphan, and because the car accident had left her unable to conceive, Judy had never once accepted her.

　　Every other time, Trudy had swallowed her pride and tried to appease the woman.

　　But this time, she calmly picked the check up off the floor. Her voice didn't waver. "Fine."

　　Half an hour earlier.

　　Trudy clutched the pregnancy test results in her hand, heart racing as she hurried to the door of Zachary's study.

　　Her fingers had just touched the handle when she heard the men inside laughing.

　　"Zach, you lost three rounds in a row. House rules say you owe us three secrets!"

　　Zachary scoffed, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking arc.

　　"The car accident Trudy had? That was me. The plagiarism accusation against her designs? Also me."

　　The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds after the words left his mouth.

　　Then he continued. "The vitamins she's been taking all these years? I swapped them for contraceptives. I don't love her, and I never wanted her child."

　　"I did all of it so she'd hand over her designs and her competition spots to Serena Mason. The woman I love, the only woman I've ever loved, is Serena."

　　Outside the door, the color drained from Trudy's knuckles where they gripped the handle. Tears rolled down her face without a sound.

　　She had been Graystone City's most celebrated jewelry designer, until a car accident on her way to a competition took everything.

　　She'd been trapped in the wreckage for three hours. Zachary was the only one who heard her screams, the only one who rushed in without hesitation and pulled her out.

　　Afterward, he pursued her relentlessly. Grateful for the man who saved her life, she finally said yes.

　　But the accident had damaged her uterus, and the doctors said she would likely never conceive. The Simmons elders refused to let her through the door. Zachary knelt outside his family's home for three days and three nights before Judy grudgingly agreed.

　　After the wedding, her mother-in-law treated her like a hen that couldn't lay eggs, grinding her down day after day, ordering her around like a servant.

　　Zachary stood by her through all of it. He even defied his mother and moved them both out of the Simmons estate.

　　Then came the plagiarism accusation. The internet turned on her overnight. Thousands called her a fraud. One extremist showed up at her door with a knife, ready to kill her.

　　Zachary had pulled her into his arms and taken the blade for her. The scar on his back was still there, jagged and ugly.

　　Desperate to give him a child, Trudy volunteered for IVF. She was terrified of needles, but when the retrieval needle pierced her skin, she forced a smile. "Zach, it doesn't hurt."

　　His eyes went red instantly, his voice shaking so badly it barely held together. "Trudy, let's stop. Let's not have kids. Please."

　　"Even without children, I'll love you and protect you for the rest of my life. I'm never leaving."

　　Trudy had believed love could conquer anything. She thought what they had was the real thing, the kind that lasted forever.

　　Now she knew it was all a lie.

　　The accident was Zachary's doing. Her career was Zachary's doing. And she'd spent five years drowning in his lies, devoted heart and soul to the very man who destroyed her.

　　A bitter laugh escaped her. She forced down the metallic taste rising in her throat, the pain in her chest so sharp she could barely breathe.

　　Inside the study, the conversation went on.

　　"Your renewal ceremony is in a week. What's the plan? Is Serena really going to sit there and watch you marry Trudy?"

　　Zachary lowered his gaze. "The ceremony is compensation for Trudy."

　　"But Serena is the richest man's daughter, and she's carrying my child. I can't slight her either. So during the ceremony, I'll play Trudy's intimate videos on the screen. Once Serena sees that, she won't be upset."

　　"Of course, my real wife will only ever be Serena. As for Trudy, I'll divorce her and keep her in a villa somewhere."

　　"You're not worried she'll leave you over this?"

　　"Leave?"

　　Zachary let out a cold laugh. "She's an orphan with no family. I destroyed her career in jewelry design. Who else does she have besides me?"

　　"Besides, her precious Matron Grace's medical bills every month? She depends on me for that."

　　Trudy bit down on her lip until it went white.

　　Five years ago, she and Zachary were supposed to have a grand wedding. But her body had never fully recovered from the accident.

　　Zachary said he couldn't bear to see her push herself, that the stress of planning and hosting a wedding would be too much for her health.

　　Later, every time Trudy brought it up, Judy would find a reason to block it, and Zachary would say work made it impossible. The wedding kept getting pushed back.

　　But what woman hasn't dreamed of walking down the aisle?

　　Three days ago, she found a receipt for a couture wedding gown in Zachary's coat pocket. She thought it was his surprise for her.

　　She never imagined he planned to use the ceremony she'd waited years for to destroy her.

　　The realization settled through her like a stone dropping into dark water, and in its place, hatred surged.

　　What made Zachary think she could be controlled?

　　She would make him pay for every last thing he'd done.

　　She pulled out her phone. A message from the nation's wealthiest man glowed on the screen, and the faintest smile touched the corner of her lips.

　　Then she turned and walked away without looking back.

　　The paternity test confirms you are my biological daughter. If you're willing to come home, the Mason Group inheritance is yours.

　　Trudy didn't hesitate. Her fingers moved fast across the screen.

　　I'm willing to come home, but I need seven days to take care of things here. I also have two conditions.

　　First, bring Matron Grace abroad for medical treatment. Second, find the evidence that proves I was framed for plagiarism.

　　The reply came almost instantly.

　　Done.