Chapter 1

When I found out my husband, Alex Carter, had cheated, I broke down in tears.

My mother-in-law, Linda Carter, watched coldly. "What are you crying for? It's not like he's leaving you.

"Hold it together. That's your lot in life.

"Who told you to let him slip away? Blame yourself.

"He's a man. What did he do wrong? The real problem is that you're not generous enough."

I never expected my usually kind mother-in-law to show this side of herself.

She brushed it off with ease. "If I don't protect my son, who else should I protect? You're not family."

She even bragged, "My fate's better than yours. I was never meant to suffer."

Fine. If that was it, she shouldn't blame me for finding my father-in-law, David Carter, a new woman.

*****

I thought Linda would have my back, but instead, she blamed me for failing to keep Alex interested in me and said I was acting crazy and bringing this on myself.

She told me to suck it up, deal with it, and accept my fate.

I bit my tongue and asked her, "I'm not generous enough? He's the one who cheated. It's his fault. Can you honestly say you don't think he's at fault?"

Linda was taken aback. She probably didn't expect me to push back after she'd laid it all out so plainly.

She cleared her throat, ready to go head-to-head. "What's wrong with him being a man? His heart used to be with you, but now it's with someone else.

"Instead of blaming others, maybe you should look at your own shortcomings. You're being petty. Yeah, it's your fault. You're not generous enough. Your mind's too narrow."

Since I finally understood what she really thought, I was completely crushed.

I said, "Linda, you weren't like this before. You always said you treated me like your own daughter, but now you don't care about me at all.

"I'm a person too, you know. Have you ever thought about how much it hurts when you blame everything on me?"

For a split second, Linda looked moved, but it disappeared as fast. "If it hurts, deal with it. Every woman has to go through this. Suck it up. Men fool around, and it's nothing. Don't wreck the family over this.

"He did what all men do. You're the one making a fuss and actually tearing this family apart."

I yelled, "So I'm the one ruining this family? It's Alex. He's the one cheating, chasing after other women. He's got no morals. He's a total fake."

Before I could finish, Linda snapped, "Enough! You're acting like some crazy woman. You're the one wrecking this family."

I was stunned into silence. Of course, they were family. I was the outsider here.

I should've realized this ages ago.

I was stupid, thinking she'd ever treat me like her own.

Seeing how completely unfazed she was, I asked, "Did you know about this from the start?"

"Yeah."

I was shocked to my core. "Why? Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why did you help him lie to me? Do you even have a heart?"

"I was being too much of a good person, always thinking about you. That's why I never told you. Honestly, you should be grateful. If it weren't for me, this family would've fallen apart ages ago.

"You'd be out there, secondhand goods on the market, a woman who's been used up after three years with a man, totally worn out and worthless. Do you really think you're still some catch?"

She kept tearing me down, making me feel more worthless by the minute.

"For the past three years, I've poured my heart out for you and Alex. How have I ever wronged you? Why do you treat me like this?"

"Everything you did for us? Worthless. Honestly, I wish you'd never done any of it. You've failed me in so many ways, but the worst is you couldn't even give me a grandson."

She got so worked up that she started pounding on the coffee table.

A year ago, I got pregnant, but the pregnancy wasn't healthy and stopped developing after two months. Everyone was devastated.

Back then, Linda even pretended to comfort me, but it was all fake. She actually blamed me for not keeping the baby.

Back then, I tried everything and spent nearly 33 thousand dollars, but still couldn't keep the baby. How was that my fault?

And honestly, it wasn't anyone's fault. It was bad luck, a genetic thing, just the odds.

But that loss was always a thorn in my heart.

I wiped my tears away. They didn't deserve even a single tear from me.

Linda kept nagging, going on and on about her precious grandson.

I couldn't hold it back anymore. "The doctor already explained it was an issue with the embryo. Why are you still blaming me? After my miscarriage, it was your son who refused to touch me.

"He was cheating, didn't even want to be with me, so how was I supposed to get pregnant? If you want to blame someone, why don't you go blame your precious son for once."

Linda was clearly triggered. "This isn't my son's fault. He's my own flesh and blood. Who the hell do you think you are, coming in here blaming everyone?"

I took a deep breath. "Fine, neither of you is worth a damn. You're ruthless, you know that?"

She looked smug. "If I wasn't tough, how could I keep my son safe?"

She never shuts up about her son.

"Fine, I'm done with Alex. I want a divorce."

Linda practically jumped out of her seat, furious. "No way. You two can live apart, you can ignore each other, but divorce? Absolutely not. It's embarrassing and humiliating, and my son can't afford to lose face like that."

She jabbed her finger at me, barking orders. "And don't you dare tell anyone about Alex's affair. Sure, it's about protecting his reputation, but honestly, it's for your own good.

"As long as he keeps making money, he can still support you. If you spill the beans, people will laugh at you for being useless, for not being able to keep your man. Nobody will pity you. They'll think you're a joke."

Then she sighed. "Honey, that's how life goes. You have to accept your fate. I'll talk to Alex, get him to come back, and admit he was wrong. You should forgive him and try to make things work.

"Ugh, I really was born luckier than you. I was never meant to suffer. Your father-in-law might love his drinks and cards, but he's never touched another woman.

"He always says none of those women out there could ever hold a candle to me.

"Even if he ever strayed, I'd know how to reel him back in, not like some people who can't keep their man in check and don't even try to hold on to him.

"You only keep making a scene, crying, and acting out. What's the point of all that drama?"

I tuned her out completely. Nothing she said mattered to me anymore.

I only had one thing on my mind: find my father-in-law, David Carter, a new lover.

Since Linda kept defending her cheating son and flaunting how faithful her husband was, let's see how she felt when karma bit back.