Chapter 1

I went to the district enrollment office to update our family records.

The clerk stared at her computer screen for a long moment, completely still.

She said, "Ma'am, according to the records, your husband was registered as married overseas three months ago. The spouse listed is a domestic citizen."

My mind went blank.

Was that the business trip he talked about?

He hadn't been working overseas. He had run off with his first love, settled down with her somewhere abroad, and married her.

I went straight home. I dragged my in-laws' suitcases out into the hallway and had the front door locks changed.

Right at midnight, my phone started blowing up with calls from my husband, Benjamin Collins.

He yelled, "Are you out of your mind? My mom has been standing in the hallway for three hours. It's 14 °F outside."

I sneered. "Did you ever think about how I was stuck here taking care of your parents while you were abroad marrying your first love?"

He went silent instantly.

*****

I had gone to the enrollment office to update my daughter's records.

In a year, she'd be starting elementary school.

I grabbed a number and settled into a seat in the waiting area.

Families were everywhere, sitting together with smiles that made it obvious how happy they were.

I lowered my gaze with a faint smile, remembering how six years ago, when we got married, Benjamin and I had felt as happy and full of hope.

"NO. 37, Mrs. Lillian Collins. Please come to Counter 3," came the announcement.

I stood up and made my way over.

The clerk was a young woman. She politely took the enrollment packet from my hands, including my daughter's birth certificate, proof of residency, and the parent identification forms. "Hi, are you here to complete your child's school enrollment?"

"Yeah," I replied.

She nodded and started typing away on her computer.

She clicked quickly across the keyboard.

Suddenly, she stopped. She stared at her computer screen, frozen in place.

She frowned, double-checking whatever was on the screen, then picked up the file and checked it again.

My heart skipped a beat.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with the system?" I asked.

She looked up at me, her eyes showing both sympathy and confusion.

She hesitated for a while before turning the screen so I could see it. "Um, Mrs. Collins, please take a look. Your husband, Mr. Collins, registered his marriage in Helsia three months ago."

My mind went blank.

On the screen, right next to Benjamin's name, there was another woman's name I didn't recognize. It said they were married.

The registration location was some small town in Helsia I'd never even heard of.

"The record shows his wife is a citizen here," the staff member added quietly.

I stared at those words, my blood running cold.

Three months ago, Benjamin told me he was heading to Helsia for a business trip, where he would be helping to grow their business overseas for about six months.

I believed him. I packed his luggage myself and drove him to the airport.

Right before he left, he pulled me into his arms and promised that once he got back, we'd move into a bigger place.

I smiled and said I was looking forward to it.

A business trip for expanding the business, huh?

It turned out he'd run off with the first love he could never let go of, built a life overseas, and married her behind my back.

Meanwhile, I stayed home like an idiot, taking care of his bedridden father and dealing with his harsh, critical mother. I worked myself to the bone every day, still dreaming about the happy future he promised me.

The whole thing felt so ridiculous and humiliating.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms.

It hurt, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

"Mrs. Collins? Are you alright?" the clerk asked, watching me closely with concern.

I took a deep breath, and when I looked up again, my face was blank.

"I'm fine," I said, taking back my documents, my voice eerily calm. "Thank you."

I turned and walked out of the enrollment office. The sun was glaring down, but I felt nothing but cold inside.

I took out my phone, but didn't bother to call or text Benjamin.

I grabbed a cab and went straight home, to the place where the four of us had lived together for six years.

*****

As soon as I walked in, my mother-in-law, Ashley Collins, was lounging on the couch, munching on snacks, and watching TV.

"That was fast. Did you get everything sorted?" she asked, not bothering to look up.

I ignored her and headed straight for their room.

Ashley finally realized something was off and followed me. "What are you doing in our bedroom?"

Without saying a word, I dragged two huge suitcases out of the closet. I opened them up and threw in every piece of Ashley and Grant's clothing, one after another.

"Lillian, have you lost your mind? Don't touch my stuff," Ashley shrieked as she lunged at me to snatch things away.

I shoved her away. For six years, I had endured in silence, and at that moment, the last thread of restraint inside me finally broke.

I pushed harder than I expected.

Ashley stumbled back and hit the wall.

She clutched her arm and stared at me in disbelief, as if she were looking at a stranger.

I kept my face blank as I finished packing the suitcases, then pulled them toward the front door.

I opened the door and, using all my strength, hurled the heavy suitcases out into the hallway.

The suitcases rolled and crashed with a loud bang, clothes spilling everywhere.

I turned back and gave Ashley a cold stare. "Get out."

Ashley finally snapped back to her senses and rushed at me like she had lost control. "Lillian, you're a lunatic. How dare you toss my things out?"

She swung her hand at my face.

I stepped aside, caught her wrist, and shoved it away hard.

She stumbled again, crashing into the cabinet with a yelp of pain. She screamed, "Did you hit me? You're way out of line."

She dropped to the floor and began wailing dramatically. "This is unbelievable. I'm your mother-in-law. How dare you attack me? Benjamin works so hard to support this family. Is this how you treat us?"

Her cries were shrill and piercing.

I watched her performance coldly, feeling absolutely nothing inside.

I pulled out my phone from my bag. Instead of calling the police, I called the maintenance office. "Hi, I'm Lillian Collins. I want to have the door lock changed. Can you come over now? Yeah, I'll text you the address."

I gave the address, booking the earliest possible service.

Ashley's wailing stopped abruptly. She stared at me wide-eyed, as if she couldn't understand what I was about to do.

"What are you doing?" she stammered.

"Having the front door locks changed," I said bluntly.

"This is Benjamin's house. You have no right to do it," Ashley shrieked.

"I absolutely have," I said coldly.

I shut the door, blocking out her yelling and insults.

Everything went quiet at last.

I went back to their bedroom. My father-in-law, Grant Collins, lay on the bed, paralyzed from a stroke, his mouth and eyes twisted, unable to speak.

When he saw me come in, fear flickered in his murky eyes.

I walked over to the bed and looked down at him.

Before he got paralyzed, he was addicted to gambling, lost all his money, and owed a huge amount of debt. And after he fell ill, he kept draining money from our family.

As for Benjamin, he was blindly obedient to his parents, putting them above everything while treating my effort as if it meant nothing.

Without showing any emotion, I gathered his medicines and clothes and stuffed them into a small bag.

Then I called for an ambulance. "Hi, there's a patient here who needs to be transferred to a hospital."