Chapter 1

The day my husband brought his pregnant mistress home, I was in the kitchen, slow-cooking soup for him.

He slammed the divorce papers on the table. He sneered and said, "You can't have kids. You're just hogging the spot and doing nothing."

The mistress stood there, belly out, glaring at me like she owned the place, and even tried to tip over the soup I'd spent hours making.

I didn't cry or throw a fit. I just calmly signed the papers. Then, I dumped the entire pot of scalding soup right over her head.

The mistress's screams echoed through the villa. Edwin charged at me like a madman, his hands clamping around my throat, eyes blazing red with fury.

As I struggled to breathe, I curled my lips into a twisted smile and said, "Edwin, what's got you so worked up?"

I added, my voice low and mocking, "Did you forget what you put in that soup you made your ex-wife drink five years ago, so you could collect the insurance money?"

Edwin's hands went stiff, his face draining of all color.

I shoved him off, straightened my collar, and said softly, "Tell me, doesn't that soup taste exactly like the one you drank today?"

*****

The day my husband brought his pregnant mistress home, I was in the kitchen, slow-cooking soup for him. I'd been cooking that soup for three hours straight.

His name was Edwin Walton. The mistress was Lydia Torres.

Edwin slammed the divorce papers down on the table.

He sneered and said, "You can't have kids. You're just taking up space, useless as ever."

Lydia stood there with her pregnant belly on full display, giving me a smug look.

She even reached out, trying to knock over the soup I'd spent hours making.

I didn't cry or throw a fit. I just calmly signed the papers.

Then, without a word, I upended the whole pot of scalding soup right onto Lydia's head.

Lydia's screams pierced through the villa.

Edwin charged at me like a madman, his hands clamping around my throat, eyes blazing red with fury.

As I struggled to breathe, my lips twisted into a strange, mocking smile.

I said, "Edwin, what's got you so worked up? Did you forget what you put in that soup you made your ex-wife drink five years ago, so you could collect the insurance money?"

Edwin's hands went stiff. His face drained of all color.

I shoved him off and straightened my collar.

I said softly, "Doesn't that soup taste exactly like the coffee you drank today?"

Edwin's whole body started shaking uncontrollably.

He stared at me, his eyes wide with terror.

Lydia was still rolling around on the floor, howling like a pig in pain.

But Edwin didn't even spare her a glance.

He just kept his eyes locked on me, his lips trembling.

Edwin stammered, "H-How do you know?"

I smiled. I walked right up to him and placed my hand on his cheek.

I said, "Your ex-wife, Ellena Miles, is my real sister."

Edwin froze, as if struck by lightning.

He blurted out, "No way! You don't even have the same last name!"

I said, "I took my mom's name, she took my dad's. We're twins. Crazy, right?"

I enjoyed watching the blood drain from his face.

Five years ago, Ellena died of a sudden heart attack.

The police ruled it an accident.

Edwin pocketed a massive insurance payout.

Everyone went on about how loyal he was, saying he took care of me, the only family left after Ellena passed.

Three months later, he proposed to me.

I said yes. I married the man who killed my sister.

For five years, I acted like the perfect, devoted wife.

I cooked his meals, managed his business, and played the dutiful daughter-in-law for his parents.

I made it seem like I loved him even more than Ellena ever could.

Everyone bought it, even Edwin himself.

He thought I loved him so much I'd forget he murdered my sister. He thought I was just a stupid puppet under his thumb.

I leaned in, whispering, "The tea you drank tonight? I prepared it especially for you."

I got right up to his ear, so only he could hear me.

My voice was cold as I explained, "That poison is colorless, tasteless, and slow-acting. First, your limbs will go weak. Then, your organs will start to fail, bit by bit.

"Just like what happened to Ellena back then. Pretty agonizing, isn't it?"

Edwin's legs buckled, and he dropped to the floor.

He pointed at me, his throat letting out choked sounds, but not a single word came out.

Lydia was still howling in pain on the floor.

I grabbed my phone and called for an ambulance.

Then I crouched down in front of Edwin, locking eyes with his terrified stare.

I said, "Relax. The game's only just begun."

The ambulance arrived in no time.

Lydia was loaded onto a stretcher.

She had burns covering sixty percent of her body, and the baby didn't make it.

The doctors and nurses looked at me like I was a monster.

Edwin didn't say a word the whole time.

He just stood there, like a lifeless puppet, completely hollowed out.

The cops showed up too. I was the one who called them.

The charge? Assault.

I was brought to the police station.

Edwin was called in as a witness.

The interrogation room was brightly lit.

A young officer placed a glass of water in front of me.

He asked, "Lenka Lowe, why did you do something like that?"

I looked up at him and said, "He wanted a divorce and brought his mistress home. I lost it for a second."

The officer frowned and pressed, "Just a momentary lapse?"

I shot back, "What else do you want me to say?"

The officer said, "Lydia Torres lost her baby, and she's disfigured. You're looking at some pretty serious charges here."

I nodded. "I know. I'm guilty."

The officer looked genuinely surprised by how cooperative I was.

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Your husband, Edwin Walton, claims you poisoned him. Is that true?"

I laughed. "Officer, do you really buy that?"

I said, "A woman who's been married for five years, always playing the perfect wife and mother, would just up and poison her husband out of nowhere?

"What's my motive? Just because he wanted a divorce?"

The officer just stared at me, saying nothing.

I could read his mind. I was way too calm. No one would expect a woman who just did something like that to be this calm.

Next door, Edwin was losing it.

I could hear him screaming his lungs out.

He was yelling, "She poisoned me! It's the same poison that killed my ex-wife five years ago!

"Go check! Run tests on me, now! She's insane! Her sister was insane too!"

I lifted the glass and took a calm sip of water.

The water was chilled.

I knew Edwin's fate was sealed.