Chloe Miller hadn’t always been part of our lives.
She appeared only two years ago, when Daniel Brooks suddenly brought her into our home, saying he needed to take care of her.
He told me Chloe was his distant cousin who had been tricked into marriage by some shady guy a few years back and had finally managed to escape.
She was young and wanted to try her luck in the big city.
Here, Daniel was her only family, so he had no choice but to look after her.
I wasn’t blind to the special treatment he gave Chloe, but every time I brought it up, Daniel’s face would turn cold instantly.
He would ask me to cut fruit for her, to let her use the new cosmetics I’d just bought.
If I showed even the slightest displeasure, he would give me an icy, judgmental stare.
“Chloe is my sister. If you can’t even accept me taking care of my sister, then we might as well get divorced early.”
He was certain I couldn’t live without him—and that I would never willingly become a divorced woman.
So I endured it for seven years.
But this time, I wasn’t going to endure it any longer.
When I was wheeled back to the hospital room, there was no one to take care of Margaret Brooks.
I had to push through my own pain, holding my IV pole in one hand while using saline to wipe the corners of her lips.
My surgical wound split open over and over, and the doctor had to come in again and again.
By dawn the next day, Margaret finally woke up.
Her gaze swept over the empty room, and her tone was tinged with disappointment.
“Daniel didn’t come? He must be so busy with work…”
I took a deep breath, unable to hide my exhaustion.
“He’s with his distant cousin. The money for a caregiver was used to buy Chloe a gift, so I’ve been the one taking care of you.”
Margaret’s eyes widened in shock.
“What cousin? How come I’ve never heard of him having a cousin? We barely have any relatives left back in our hometown.”
In that moment, my breath caught. I didn’t know if it was the pain from my incision or the stabbing ache in my heart.
From my expression, Margaret seemed to realize something. She forced a smile and said gently:
“Emma, don’t be upset. Let me ask him—maybe there’s been some misunderstanding. You’ve always been the one in his heart. The worst thing for a couple is to let suspicion take root.”
I’m not even sure how I pulled out my phone, intending to contact Daniel and clarify things, but before I could, I saw a notification:
The two million I had saved for raising a child had been completely transferred out.
At the same time, Chloe posted a new update—a photo of a pink Porsche 911.
The caption read:
“Got bitten by a mad dog, so he bought me a car to cheer me up!”
“It’s my first time meeting a man like this. My heart’s fluttering—should I just make him mine?”
In the photo, the driver’s seat clearly showed the silhouette of a man.
His hand rested on the steering wheel, his wedding ring faintly visible.
That two million was the money I’d saved to give our future child a good life.
After years of marriage without a pregnancy, I had wavered at times, thinking about dipping into the funds for emergencies.
But the moment I mentioned it, Daniel shut me down immediately:
“It’s hard enough to save that money—if you take it out, who’s going to replace it? You’re the one who wants the kid to have a good life. When the time comes and there’s no money, don’t come to me—I won’t have any for you.”
My heart sank to the bottom.
By now, I’d have to be a fool not to see that their relationship was far from innocent.
Two days later, the doctor finally managed to reach Daniel.
His first action wasn’t to come to the hospital to take care of me—it was to call and demand:
“Why didn’t you tell me Mom was having surgery? If something had gone wrong on the operating table, who would’ve taken responsibility? You really think marrying me makes you part of the Brooks family? Who gave you the right to make decisions on your own?”
I clutched at my still-healing incision, the pain in my chest tearing through every nerve.
“The hospital has already issued three critical condition notices. I sent you messages, but you never replied.”
