Chapter 2

I opened my mouth, but my throat tightened, and no sound came out. All I could do was stare at Natalia, the woman who had been my wife for five years.

The child inside the house shouted, "Mom, you're back!"

Her voice was bright and clear, but her words froze me in place. Vincent quickly picked her up and stepped farther into the house.

My hand on the door frame was shaking. "Natalia, what did that child just call you?"

Natalia's face turned as white as a sheet. Her lips moved, but she made no sound.

At that moment, Arthur and Liliana came to the doorway, with several relatives peering over their shoulders.

Liliana frowned and looked me over with disgust, as if I were something filthy. "Who is this? It's Christmas. Natalia, is he your friend? What's all the shouting about? The relatives inside can hear everything. Take it outside if there's something you need to discuss. Don't cause a scene in the house."

I suddenly laughed, the sound harsh even to my own ears. "Do you two not even recognize your own son-in-law anymore? Were all the money and gifts I sent during the holidays for nothing?"

Liliana's expression changed drastically, her voice turning shrill. "What nonsense are you talking about? We don't know you at all!"

The house was filled with what appeared to be visiting relatives. They were whispering among themselves, but every word reached my ears clearly.

"Son-in-law? Hasn't it always been Vincent?"

"Exactly. Vincent is such a good man. He has spent all these years at home, taking care of Natalia's parents and raising their daughter. He's truly amazing."

"Who is this guy? I've never seen him."

The murmurs remained hushed, but every sentence sounded painfully clear.

Liliana raised her voice. "Did you hear that? Natalia married Vincent. They had a proper wedding. Everyone here attended it!"

The words "proper wedding" crashed down on me like a hammer blow.

I looked at Natalia. My voice was so calm that it even scared me. "Natalia, say something."

She looked up, avoiding my gaze. "Marcus… Just leave for now. We can talk about this another time."

I said, "Another time? Clear this up right now in front of everyone. Tell them who your husband is."

Frightened by the scene, the child burst into tears and reached out her hands. "Mom, hold me."

Natalia glanced at the child, then back at me, her lips trembling. A moment later, she finally spoke. Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone present heard every word. "Marcus, we broke up a long time ago. Why do you keep bothering me? Today is a day for my family to be together. Please leave."

Liliana chimed in immediately. "Did you hear her? Leave now! If you don't, I'm calling the police!"

Arthur started shoving me. "You're causing trouble on Christmas. Get lost!"

I didn't move, keeping my eyes on Natalia. We had been married for five years, more than 1800 days and nights.

We had chosen a house, picked out furniture, and raised a cat together. She had said she would save up to take me on a trip abroad and that I was the only one she would ever love for the rest of her life. It turned out that all of it was a lie.

I said, "Last Wednesday was your birthday. I bought you a watch, and you said you'd keep wearing it forever. Last month, when your mom got sick, I sent you five thousand dollars and told you to use it to buy supplements for her.

"Do I need to keep reading these out loud for everyone? On the first of every month, I had three thousand dollars automatically transferred to you with the memo, 'Living expenses for Mom and Dad.'"

Vincent's face turned pale, and the relatives started murmuring again.

Arthur rushed forward to grab my phone. I took a step back and slipped the phone into my pocket. "No need to try taking it. I've made plenty of backups," I said.

Natalia finally spoke, her voice hoarse. "Marcus… Let's talk in private—"

"Talk about what?" I asked. "About how you lied to me for five years? About how you used my money to provide for another family?"

I looked at the child.