Chapter 3 · Betrayed Wife, Hidden Heiress

I couldn't help but feel a wave of regret crash over me.

Why didn't I listen to my adoptive parents? How did I end up with a guy like James?

The word "divorce" echoed in my mind.

The thought that had haunted me so many times was rising again, pressing so hard it felt ready to burst.

Once Lucas's hernia surgery was done, I'd take him and leave this place behind.

Two days later, the paternity test results were finally in.

The report said Lucas was James's biological son.

James stood at the hospital entrance, clutching the results, checking them again and again. Finally, he reached out to Lucas and said, "Come here. Let me hug you."

Before the results came out, he hadn't hugged Lucas once, no matter how much his kid cried his heart out, begging for James's arms.

But Lucas turned his face away and squirmed out of James's reach, making it clear he didn't want a hug.

When we got home, Evelyn found out Lucas was her grandson and suddenly got all warm and fuzzy again, reaching out to hold him, too.

Since I didn't want any more drama with these two before Lucas's hernia surgery, I let her have her way.

Evelyn kissed Lucas's face over and over. "My precious grandson, you're such a good boy. How about you stay with me from now on?" Evelyn said.

I couldn't help but feel there was something off about what she said.

That night, James walked in to grab a pillow.

Ever since he started spreading rumors that I had syphilis, he hadn't slept in our bedroom once.

As he was heading out with the pillow, it hit me that the doctor had said the best way to track down where Lucas caught syphilis was for everyone in the family to get tested.

I told James that he and Evelyn should get checked at the hospital.

James turned around and said sharply, "Vivian, what's that supposed to mean? Are you accusing Evelyn and me?"

I shot back, "For Lucas's health, don't start with me."

"You..." James started, but he couldn't finish.

When it came to Lucas's health, even James knew there was no point in arguing with me.

"Fine, I'll get tested. But you want Evelyn to go too? She's not young anymore. Have you thought about how she feels?" he asked.

Evelyn overheard us from the living room and jumped right in without missing a beat.

"Anything for my grandson, I'll do the test," she said.

First thing in the morning, James drove Evelyn, Lucas, and me to the hospital.

It was around 11 in the morning, and I was with Lucas in the ultrasound room for his pre-surgery checkup when James came rushing over, looking flustered.

I made sure to check that Evelyn wasn't with him.

He pulled me aside and said, "Vivian, I'm sorry. I was wrong about you. It turns out that the source of the syphilis was Evelyn."

I wasn't surprised at all by the result.

I knew James wasn't the kind to fool around.

But Evelyn? That was a whole different story.

After my father-in-law, Frank Carter, died fifteen years ago, and before Evelyn moved in, James had told me more than once that she had dated quite a few men.

Once she moved in with us, she always went out with some men, acting all flirty with them.

I'd seen it happen plenty of times, but she was my mother-in-law, and with Frank gone, it made sense that she'd want to find someone new.

So I never said anything to James about it.

Still, I never expected her to mess around like that.

James whispered, "Vivian, Evelyn is upset right now. Just keep this to yourself, and don't let anyone else find out, okay?"

I was instantly pissed.

"Don't you think you're being hypocritical? When it's Evelyn, everything gets swept under the rug, but when it was me, you had no problem dragging my name through the mud," I shot back.

James started to panic. Anything involving Evelyn, even the smallest issue, could set him off. Now that she was elderly and had contracted syphilis, which he saw as a humiliating scandal, he lost control.

"Vivian, what do you want from me? I know I was wrong before. I shouldn't have trashed you in the group chat, and I'm sorry. But if you dare let this get out, don't think I'll let it slide," he snapped.

"Don't worry. I'm not as cold as you are. Once Lucas's hernia surgery is done, I want a divorce," Vivian said.

James was frozen in place. As I walked out with Lucas in my arms, I heard him call after me, "You're joking, right?"

Like I'd joke about something like this.

A week after Lucas's hernia surgery, I slapped the divorce papers down in front of James.

"You're really doing this?" James stared at me, stunned.

He looked at the divorce papers, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" I shot back.

He grabbed the papers and ripped them to pieces. "I'm not signing," he shouted.

James, who was clinging to me, looked pathetic.

"If I were the one who had syphilis, would you still refuse to divorce me?" I shot back.

My words left James speechless.

"Back when you thought it was my fault, Evelyn was already telling you to kick me out, right? But now that it turns out I'm not the one who's sick, you're begging me to stay. James, you disgust me," I snapped.

I pulled out another copy of the divorce papers and shoved them right in front of him.

"Just sign it already," I snapped.

Just then, Evelyn came back in from outside.

Ever since she found out she was sick, she'd been pretty out of it lately.

But whenever James was around, she'd get all cocky with me again.

"James, divorce her. I'll take care of Lucas from now on," she said, bossy as ever.

Seriously, how did she have the nerve to think she could take care of Lucas?

"No way. The custody is mine, period. You chewed up food and shoved it in Lucas's mouth, and now he's got syphilis because of you. Why would I ever trust you with Lucas?" I snapped.

James slapped me across the face.

It was the first time he'd ever hit me in our entire marriage.

I held my cheek, shocked.

James came up to me, reaching out like he wanted to hug me.

"Vivian, I didn't want to hit you, but what you said about Evelyn was too much. You shouldn't have said that," he said.

I shoved him away and snapped, "James, I was ready to walk away if you signed the divorce papers and let me take Lucas. I won't hold it against you, but you crossed the line."

James was getting heated and shot back, "Vivian, you're the one who started trash-talking Evelyn. You haven't had a real job in years. No way you're getting custody even if we split."

I pulled out my phone and flashed my bank balance right in his face. "See that? That's all the proof you need. I'm more than capable of raising Lucas."

Chapter 3

I couldn't help but feel a wave of regret crash over me.

Why didn't I listen to my adoptive parents? How did I end up with a guy like James?

The word "divorce" echoed in my mind.

The thought that had haunted me so many times was rising again, pressing so hard it felt ready to burst.

Once Lucas's hernia surgery was done, I'd take him and leave this place behind.

Two days later, the paternity test results were finally in.

The report said Lucas was James's biological son.

James stood at the hospital entrance, clutching the results, checking them again and again. Finally, he reached out to Lucas and said, "Come here. Let me hug you."

Before the results came out, he hadn't hugged Lucas once, no matter how much his kid cried his heart out, begging for James's arms.

But Lucas turned his face away and squirmed out of James's reach, making it clear he didn't want a hug.

When we got home, Evelyn found out Lucas was her grandson and suddenly got all warm and fuzzy again, reaching out to hold him, too.

Since I didn't want any more drama with these two before Lucas's hernia surgery, I let her have her way.

Evelyn kissed Lucas's face over and over. "My precious grandson, you're such a good boy. How about you stay with me from now on?" Evelyn said.

I couldn't help but feel there was something off about what she said.

That night, James walked in to grab a pillow.

Ever since he started spreading rumors that I had syphilis, he hadn't slept in our bedroom once.

As he was heading out with the pillow, it hit me that the doctor had said the best way to track down where Lucas caught syphilis was for everyone in the family to get tested.

I told James that he and Evelyn should get checked at the hospital.

James turned around and said sharply, "Vivian, what's that supposed to mean? Are you accusing Evelyn and me?"

I shot back, "For Lucas's health, don't start with me."

"You..." James started, but he couldn't finish.

When it came to Lucas's health, even James knew there was no point in arguing with me.

"Fine, I'll get tested. But you want Evelyn to go too? She's not young anymore. Have you thought about how she feels?" he asked.

Evelyn overheard us from the living room and jumped right in without missing a beat.

"Anything for my grandson, I'll do the test," she said.

First thing in the morning, James drove Evelyn, Lucas, and me to the hospital.

It was around 11 in the morning, and I was with Lucas in the ultrasound room for his pre-surgery checkup when James came rushing over, looking flustered.

I made sure to check that Evelyn wasn't with him.

He pulled me aside and said, "Vivian, I'm sorry. I was wrong about you. It turns out that the source of the syphilis was Evelyn."

I wasn't surprised at all by the result.

I knew James wasn't the kind to fool around.

But Evelyn? That was a whole different story.

After my father-in-law, Frank Carter, died fifteen years ago, and before Evelyn moved in, James had told me more than once that she had dated quite a few men.

Once she moved in with us, she always went out with some men, acting all flirty with them.

I'd seen it happen plenty of times, but she was my mother-in-law, and with Frank gone, it made sense that she'd want to find someone new.

So I never said anything to James about it.

Still, I never expected her to mess around like that.

James whispered, "Vivian, Evelyn is upset right now. Just keep this to yourself, and don't let anyone else find out, okay?"

I was instantly pissed.

"Don't you think you're being hypocritical? When it's Evelyn, everything gets swept under the rug, but when it was me, you had no problem dragging my name through the mud," I shot back.

"Don't worry. I'm not as cold as you are. Once Lucas's hernia surgery is done, I want a divorce," Vivian said.

James was frozen in place. As I walked out with Lucas in my arms, I heard him call after me, "You're joking, right?"

Like I'd joke about something like this.

A week after Lucas's hernia surgery, I slapped the divorce papers down in front of James.

"You're really doing this?" James stared at me, stunned.

He looked at the divorce papers, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" I shot back.

He grabbed the papers and ripped them to pieces. "I'm not signing," he shouted.

James, who was clinging to me, looked pathetic.

"If I were the one who had syphilis, would you still refuse to divorce me?" I shot back.

My words left James speechless.

I pulled out another copy of the divorce papers and shoved them right in front of him.

"Just sign it already," I snapped.

Just then, Evelyn came back in from outside.

Ever since she found out she was sick, she'd been pretty out of it lately.

But whenever James was around, she'd get all cocky with me again.

"James, divorce her. I'll take care of Lucas from now on," she said, bossy as ever.

Seriously, how did she have the nerve to think she could take care of Lucas?

"No way. The custody is mine, period. You chewed up food and shoved it in Lucas's mouth, and now he's got syphilis because of you. Why would I ever trust you with Lucas?" I snapped.

James slapped me across the face.

It was the first time he'd ever hit me in our entire marriage.

I held my cheek, shocked.

James came up to me, reaching out like he wanted to hug me.

"Vivian, I didn't want to hit you, but what you said about Evelyn was too much. You shouldn't have said that," he said.

I shoved him away and snapped, "James, I was ready to walk away if you signed the divorce papers and let me take Lucas. I won't hold it against you, but you crossed the line."

James was getting heated and shot back, "Vivian, you're the one who started trash-talking Evelyn. You haven't had a real job in years. No way you're getting custody even if we split."

I pulled out my phone and flashed my bank balance right in his face. "See that? That's all the proof you need. I'm more than capable of raising Lucas."