Elsie's POV
I let out a deep sigh and helped Marshall to his feet.
“What’s really going on?” I asked.
He lowered his head, clearly embarrassed, and narrated, “At first, I had no idea Maggie was the underprivileged student you were sponsoring. She started pursuing me, and honestly, I didn’t think much of it. But not long after we got together, she told me she was pregnant with triplets.”
Marshall didn't look that old, but let's face it. He was not young anymore. There was no way Maggie actually liked him for who he was. She probably ran into him one of the times he came to school to visit me, and decided to make a move.
I was worried he was being played, but then Marshall admitted it himself.
“I found out the truth later. I knew she was only with me for money. But I’m getting older. I’ve always wanted children of my own. So please, Elsie, don’t expose me. At least not until the babies are born.”
I wanted to say no. After everything I’d done for Maggie, this betrayal cut deep. But maybe that was exactly why I couldn’t bring myself to reject him. I gave him a small nod and followed him back to the VIP room where Maggie and the others were waiting.
“You have my blessing,” I said. “Go ahead with the marriage.”
With my approval, Maggie quickly married Marshall and got her hands on a marriage certificate.
Marshall originally planned for them to live in his suburban house, but Maggie didn’t like the idea. She kept saying she wasn’t in it for the money, but insisted on moving into my villa instead.
Her excuse? She wanted to “bond” with me.
What a joke.
As soon as she moved in, her true colors came out. Whenever Marshall wasn’t home, she dropped the sweet act completely and became downright unbearable.
“Elsie,” she’d sneer, arms crossed over her baby bump. “I’m carrying your three brothers, and you think it’s okay to serve me this garbage?”
“I asked for a steak, and you just gave me steamed vegetables? Are you kidding me?” she snapped. “I may have been some poor charity case before, but I’m your stepmother now. If I weren’t such a kind person, I would’ve kicked you out of here already.”
But whenever Marshall came home from work, Maggie flipped the switch instantly. She’d morph into the picture of a gentle, fragile wife.
“I just had steamed vegetables today,” she’d say, tears brimming in her eyes. “It wasn’t much, but Elsie’s right. Eating too much will make me gain weight. And I know you’d hate that... I mean, I’m just a girl from the countryside. I’m lucky to have anything at all.”
Marshall knew I wasn’t the kind of person to mistreat someone, but he still scolded me now and then just to make her happy. I found the whole performance ridiculous, but in the end, I played along for the sake of peace.
Watching Maggie act like this left me speechless. I had treated her with nothing but kindness. I paid for her education and even planned to give her a position in my family’s company after graduation. But clearly, she had no intention of building her future honestly. All she wanted was to use her unborn children to secure a place in high society.
Months passed. I couldn’t take it anymore. I was afraid I’d break down and spill the truth before she even gave birth. To keep my sanity and avoid ruining everything, I moved into a small villa closer to campus.
I thought moving near school would finally give me some peace. But I was wrong.
Maggie wasn’t done with me. She actually chased me all the way to school.
Since she hadn’t been back on campus since marrying Marshall, her sudden appearance, heavily pregnant, caused a stir. Everyone was shocked and crowded around her, asking when she got married and why they hadn’t been invited.
With a smug little smile, she pointed at me and said in a sharp, sarcastic tone, “Blame Elsie! I’m her stepmother now. Yet she kept saying I wasn’t good enough for her dad. Although she agreed to let us get the marriage certificate, she refused to let us have a proper wedding.”
