Chapter 1

Right before my husband Richard died, he wrote a will and left everything to his first love.

He grabbed my hand and said with fake guilt in his voice, "Victoria, I've wronged you in this life. Maybe I can make it up to you in the next one."

My son, Andrew, chimed in as well. "Mom, I know Dad left all the family assets to Susan, but you've been playing the role of his wife for so many years. That should be enough, right?"

I looked at these two men with their matching faces, and I just pulled my hand away coldly. Then I said to Richard in a flat voice, "No need to wait for the next life. In this one, I'm not giving you the chance to wrong me at all."

*****

In Richard Stone's final moments, Andrew rushed in with Susan Chase in tow.

I stared at Andrew in disbelief. "Your father's dying, and instead of being at his side, you're bringing in outsiders?"

"Mom, I know Dad doesn't have much time left. That's exactly why I brought Susan here. She's the person Dad wants to see most before he goes."

Before I could process what he'd said, Andrew pulled Susan into the hospital room, completely ignoring the shock on my face.

My head was spinning, and I couldn't make sense of his words.

Susan used to be Andrew's nanny when he was a little boy. Once Andrew got older and no longer needed a nanny, I'd let her go.

But after I fired her, Susan didn't leave town. Instead, she rented an apartment near our house and stayed.

She'd said she'd gotten attached to Andrew over the years and thought of him as her own son, so she wanted to live nearby in case we ever needed help with anything.

I'd felt touched by her loyalty back then, and I'd even paid her generously for her devotion.

But I never imagined she'd turn out to be the person my dying husband wanted to see most.

By the time I finally snapped out of my shock and pushed open the door to the hospital room, I heard Richard—who moments ago could barely speak—grab Susan's hand with sudden energy. "Sue. My Sue. I was so afraid I'd die before I could see you again."

Susan was already sobbing. "Richard, what am I supposed to do without you?"

"Don't be afraid, Sue. Even when I'm gone, Andrew will take care of you." Richard gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with his fingers.

Andrew nodded right away. "Susan, don't worry. Even if my dad's gone, I'll take good care of you."

Susan threw herself into Richard's arms. "Richard, you're the best."

Richard gently patted her back. "Don't worry, I've already taken care of everything. I've written my will and I'm leaving all the family assets to you. After I die, you'll inherit everything, and with Andrew looking after you, I can finally rest easy."

While the two of them were pouring their hearts out to each other, I couldn't take it anymore and cut in. "What do you mean you're giving her all the family assets?"

This bastard. Cheating on me was one thing, but now he was going after my money, too?

When Richard heard my voice, he finally looked at me, and I saw a flicker of guilt in his eyes.

I thought back to before Susan arrived, when he'd been lying in bed like a corpse, completely unresponsive no matter what I said to him.

He said, "Victoria, I know I've wronged you in this lifetime, but I can't help it. Susan is my first love, and she always will be. Once I fell for her, there was never room in my heart for anyone else."

Richard's words dripped with emotion, but all I felt was how pathetic it sounded.

I had no idea what kind of history these two had, but if she was the only one in his heart, then why the hell did he marry me and have a child with me?

Andrew said, "Mom, Dad and Susan were childhood sweethearts. If it weren't for Dad's career, they never would've split up, and you never would've been able to marry him in the first place.

"You've enjoyed being her wife for all these years. Can't you just let Dad go in peace?"