Chapter 4

I hung up the phone. It felt like every drop of blood in my body had frozen solid.

A scam. From the start, it had all been a carefully engineered fraud. Whatever self-made success and marital partnership nonsense Julian had spun was just lies.

He had used my money not only to keep a mistress in the upstairs apartment and buy luxury cars but also to funnel my eight million dollars into a shell company under his family's control.

From the very beginning, what I thought was our marital property had been nothing more than an asset pool for him and his family to siphon from.

I didn't see it coming until today—and by now, everything had already gotten out of control.

Rage and betrayal crashed over me like a tidal wave. But I couldn't fall apart. I needed clarity… and control.

Suddenly, I thought of Julian's parents—that pair of seemingly refined, well-mannered elders.

They had always praised me endlessly, calling me their family's lucky charm and admiring me for being both a talented career woman and a good housewife. They saw me as Julian's strongest pillar of support.

So, were they part of this too? A terrifying thought formed in my mind.

The next day, I bought a selection of expensive supplements and drove to the White residence.

The door was opened by their longtime housekeeper. When she saw me, her face broke into a warm, almost affectionate smile. "Ms. Monica's here! Mr. and Mrs. White Senior are having afternoon tea in the garden."

I walked through the living room and headed toward the back garden. From a distance, I already heard laughter.

Julian's mother, Elena Wilson, was sitting with someone on a wicker chair, chatting cheerfully. As I got closer, I finally saw who it was.

Hazel.

Elena held Hazel's hand intimately, her other hand resting gently on Hazel's prominent baby bump. "Your belly has gotten even bigger. The baby must be very healthy."

"The doctor says I'm due next month," Hazel said sweetly. "Julian said he'll hire the best postpartum doula to take care of me then."

I stood frozen in place. Chills ran down my spine and across my limbs.

This had to be the real family, huh? I, Monica Sawyer, who should've been the legitimate daughter-in-law, was nothing more than an outsider.

It seemed Elena noticed my gaze. She looked up and met my eyes. Her smile stiffened for a split second, but she quickly regained her composure and even waved me over.

"Mo, you're here. Sit," she said casually.

"Perfect timing—let me introduce you. This is Hazel, the granddaughter of William's old comrade. She hasn't been feeling well lately, so she's staying at home to rest during her pregnancy. I asked her to come over and keep me company."

What a flawless lie.

Hazel stood up as well. When she saw me, a flash of panic crossed her face, but she quickly lowered her head and greeted me softly, "Ms. Sawyer."

I walked over and placed the supplements on the stone table. They hit the surface with a dull thud. I asked, "Where's Dad?"

That would be William White, my father-in-law.

"He's in the study," Elena said naturally, as if nothing was wrong at all. As she poured me a cup of tea, she asked, "What brings you here today?"

I didn't answer her. Instead, I looked straight at Hazel before flashing a cold smile back at Elena.

"You're funny, Mom. Your future grandchild is on the way in some other woman's belly. As your son's wife, shouldn't I at least drop by to check in?"