One month into the marriage, my husband and mother-in-law’s personalities completely changed. One demanded a car, the other, a dowry.
I slapped my husband hard across the face. “What else do you want?”
After dealing with the mistress and the childhood bride, I sent my mother-in-law straight to jail to work the sewing machine.
My husband knelt in front of me, begging me to spare them.
I threw the divorce papers in his face, but then I discovered that the childhood bride had her own secrets.
Despite taking all the necessary precautions, I ended up pregnant.
It turns out everything had been manipulated behind my back…
I stared at the three figures ahead, a surge of anger welling up inside me. I wanted to rush over, but I forced myself to stay calm.
I pulled out my phone, took several clear photos, and breathed deeply, trying to center myself.
In the photos, the couple looked inseparable, like a pair of lovers celebrating Valentine’s Day. The woman beside them, though clearly displeased, still managed a smile.
Derek Cross—my husband. Sylvia—his sister. And my mother-in-law, Mabel.
If their previous closeness could be explained by sibling affection, the kiss they shared now was harder to justify.
I glanced at the bags they were holding, then at my empty hands.
It felt like a cruel joke.
Today was Valentine’s Day. Derek insisted on taking me out, claiming it was to join the celebration.
But after just an hour, he said he had work to do. No flowers, no gifts. He had brought the bag I’d given to Mabel as a substitute.
When I asked, he casually mentioned it was a new purchase.
Little did he know, the limited edition international brand had been sold out for months.
And he had taken fifty thousand from me.
I pretended not to care, handing him the money. After he left, I quietly followed and witnessed this scene.
No wonder he never allowed Sylvia to appear in front of me. He always said she was busy with her studies, even missing our wedding.
It turns out, they were secretly involved in this kind of affair.
What a great sister she is—not his real sister, but his romantic sister!
And now they wanted to spend my money?
Not going to happen!
It seemed I’d need to make some changes to the divorce agreement I had prepared earlier, adding a little more leverage for myself.
It had been a month since I married Derek, but since the wedding, he had changed. So had his mother.
When we were dating, he was gentle and considerate, always thoughtful in his actions. Even during our two years of dating, when we fought, he’d be the first to apologize, trying to calm me down and make things right.
Mabel, too, was kind-hearted and friendly, cooking me meals and speaking with warmth.
Both my parents and his were satisfied with the marriage, even though Derek’s family wasn’t wealthy and Mabel could be a bit greedy.
Money, well, his family didn’t have much, but I did.
But since the wedding, Derek had been staying out late, often not coming home at all. When he did return, he would blame me for not having dinner ready or the bath water prepared.
I was like, "What?"
He was out all day working a regular job, while I managed a company, and he expected me to cater to him?
Mabel also changed. Whenever I was at home, she insisted that I cook. At first, I tried to accommodate, but no matter what I made, she’d complain. She’d criticize me for being useless, for not knowing how to do anything.
Except, of course, when it came to asking for money—then she was all smiles and sweetness.
I couldn’t take it anymore, so I hired a Taoist priest, had him perform some rituals, and splashed them both with the ritual water. They tried to yell at me, but the money power I wielded shut them up.
I couldn’t stay in this kind of family any longer. I’d already started working on the divorce papers. And then, I witnessed this scene.
