Chapter 2

Then I searched everywhere through the apartment, but one of our main bank cards was nowhere to be found.

Ever since we got married, both our salaries had gone straight into that account. It covered all our household expenses.

But now, the card was gone.

A sense of dread hit me, and I rummaged through the closet, searching every corner.

That's when I noticed that all my jewelry, designer bags, and luxury stuff had been swapped out for cheap knockoffs.

I clenched my teeth. Keith, such a bastard, was truly despicable.

He didn't leave me a single penny, but still expected me to pay off his mistress, raise our son, and look after his mom, while he walked away scot-free, leaving me to clean up his mess.

I didn't waste a second. I called up a private investigator and hired them to look into a few things for me.

But even after that, a deep, unsettled feeling lingered in my chest.

Not long after, there was a heavy knock on the bedroom door.

Patricia was pounding her chest, looking absolutely devastated as she wailed, "The victim's wife flat-out refused to let Keith come back and say goodbye to us. She... She had him thrown in jail."

As soon as Samuel heard that, he shot out of his room, latched onto her leg and wouldn't let go, sobbing uncontrollably.

He cried, "I want my dad back..."

I acted all shocked. "How could this happen?" I said, trying to sound devastated.

Then I hung my head and put on my best sob story. "Keith, now that you're gone, how are Sam and I supposed to get by?" I wailed.

On the outside, I was crying my eyes out, but inside I was secretly thrilled.

That scheming bastard. He staged a fake apology and got himself "arrested"—all to dodge real jail time.

I suggested to Patricia, "Patricia, I want to go see Keith."

She immediately waved me off, shutting me down. "The police said no visitors are allowed right now."

Then, with a quick shift in her eyes, Patricia piped up, "Now that Keith's in detention, maybe we should send some cash to that family. Who knows, it might help reduce his sentence."

She shot Samuel a quick, meaningful glance.

Right on cue, he rushed over and grabbed my hand, sobbing dramatically. "Mom, please, you have to save Dad!"

I scoffed inwardly. Seriously? They weren't even trying to be subtle.

They were literally asking me to pay off Keith's mistress and their secret love child.

Fine. If they wanted to put on this show, I'd play my part. Let's see how far they're willing to take this charade.

I nodded, keeping up the act. "You're right, Patricia. I'll go grab the card."

Back in the bedroom, I didn't even touch the bank card. Instead, I grabbed the stack of incriminating documents from Keith's drawer. It was time to flip the script.

After that, we went straight to Rebecca Monroe's place.

When she opened the door, she put on a sad face, but I recognized that same superior look she always had in my previous life.

She shot us a glare, her voice cold and biting.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped. "Haven't you people done enough damage?"

She was really selling it, clutching the hand of a scrawny little girl, putting on a show like she was the picture of heartbreak.

If one didn't know the truth, they'd totally fall for her act—like her husband was truly gone and she'd been struggling to survive ever since.

Hearing that, Patricia grabbed Samuel and began to cry dramatically.

She wailed, "Rebecca, it's all our fault. We've done you wrong. If you need to shout or hit someone, take it out on me. Please, I'm begging you, forgive Keith."

Patricia directly called her name, which proved my hunch was spot on.

Then, unbelievably, she tried to make me grovel to Rebecca right alongside her.

Seriously? Me? The wife, groveling to the side chick? Not happening.

Like hell I was.

I jerked my hand free so hard that Patricia lost her balance, her head hitting the floor with a pained grimace.

I blinked, giving her a suspicious look. "Patricia, how do you even know her name is Rebecca?"

Patricia's eyes darted away, ignoring the pain as she hurried to explain, "I... I just found out.

"Keith mentioned it on the way to the police station. He said we owed Rebecca and had to make it up to her."