Chapter 3 Lies

I attended Wendy's birthday party. The moment I walked in, everyone's eyes landed on the shabby clothes I was wearing. Then they looked at Wendy, who was in a custom-made dress.

"Wendy's so lucky. Her husband's dead, but she has a loyal brother-in-law."

"And she's capable. Elizabeth can't even keep a child, and Wendy has to manage the whole household."

Harold had walked up to me. There was a frown on his face as he reached for my hand. "Ignore them."

I pulled my hand away expressionlessly. Then I looked down at the note he had slipped into my palm. "I apologize to Wendy for yelling at her. My pregnancy hormones affected me."

I tore the paper to shreds and sneered. "Why should I apologize to a mistress?"

The hall fell silent, and the guests turned their attention to us. I took out the steel box, and Harold's face fell.

"My husband plucked his sister-in-law's graying hair and collected them in this box. She took my child, seduced my husband, and now she wants my apology?"

Discussions erupted across the hall. "What? He's two-timing?"

"So Harold cheats with his sister-in-law?"

Wendy froze for a moment, then a cryptic smile curled her lips. The side door to the hall opened. My mother-in-law was pushed in on a wheelchair, tears streaming down her face.

"You're making up stories using my hair, Elizabeth! How could you?"

I froze. "What? You know I'd never make up stories!"

My mother-in-law rolled up her sleeves with trembling hands, revealing bruises on her arms. "Ever since that miscarriage, my daughter-in-law has been jealous of her sister-in-law, and she's been trying to get her kicked out of the house!"

She cried until her voice shook. "She even pulled at my hair and demanded I give her strands of it. If I refused, she wouldn't even let me eat properly."

I was stunned. Wendy's voice broke as she spoke. "I'm just a widow, Elizabeth. Why'd you do this? We're a respectable family! You're going to ruin Harold's reputation doing this! Fine, I'll take Nate and leave! I'm a healthy woman! Even if I have to sell my blood, I'll raise my son!"

Harold raised his hand. He wanted to hug her, but he held himself back. His hand clenched into a fist, and his knuckles were turning white. "My home is your home. No one is kicking you out."

My mother-in-law shouted, "Yes! You will always be in charge of this family's finances!"

My nails dug into my palm, and blood trickled through the cracks between my fingers. My voice came out rasping. "Why?"

Wendy came up to me and whispered into my ear, "Harold's mom died a long time ago. The woman you thought was your mother-in-law is my mother!"

Everything around me went black. My legs nearly gave out beneath me.

Harold held me up. A hint of guilt flickered in his eyes. "We couldn't trust any caretakers. You were the better choice, and you did a good job."

Someone hurled a glass of wine at me, and the liquid trickled down my clothes.

Someone in the crowd shouted, "No wonder you're hideous now! Your heart is so ugly!"

"I can't believe her! She'd abuse a widow and her son?"

Harold wanted to say something, but Wendy clutched her chest and grunted. "My heart's not feeling well."

Harold looked at me and hesitated for a moment. "Stay here. You should learn how to be gracious. My appointment as chairman is already being processed. You'll learn a good lesson here. I'll pick you up later."

Then he turned away. He supported Wendy with one hand, pushed the wheelchair with the other, and left me behind. I was left alone at the mercy of an angry crowd.

I did not know how long the insults and humiliation lasted.

Suddenly, I felt something warm flowing out of me. By the time I finally escaped and made it to the hospital, I was trembling from head to toe.

Even then, Harold never sent me a single message.