All Chapters of They Thought She Couldn't See: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

"Mr. Hardman, I'm from the storage company," the man said. "Mrs. Hardman left a file with us. Now that the depositor has passed away, as per our policy, we are required to deliver it to the designated recipient."Ivan stared blankly at the man for a long moment before finally taking the file from his hands.Inside was a single USB drive.He found a laptop and plugged it in. There were several audio files on it.When had she recorded these?Were they messages she had wanted to leave him?With trembling hands, Ivan clicked on the first one.It wasn't her voice. Not the clear, gentle tone he knew so well."Your darling husband, Ivan, climbed out of my bed just this morning…""I'm pregnant…""Today, Ivan kissed me in front of a priest at the church…"His face turned ghostly pale.Alison knew. She had known everything.But when? Since when?Driven by a kind of self-punishing desperation, he listened to every single recording. One by one.Alison had not left him a single word.

"Mr. Hardman, good day. This is Dr. Sterling. I was wondering why Mrs. Hardman hasn't come in for her follow-up appointment this week? Her vision has only just recovered. She must continue her treatment to maintain the results."Ivan's heart nearly stopped. Only one phrase echoed in his mind—"Her vision recovered.""What did you just say?" he asked, his voice taut.Dr. Sterling instantly caught the change in his tone. Fearing he might be reprimanded for withholding information, he quickly explained, "It was about half a month ago. During her session, a miracle happened. Mrs. Hardman regained her sight. We were going to inform you, but she insisted on telling you herself. Since you've always doted on her, we followed her wishes. She... didn't tell you?"Dr. Sterling's final question was cautious and tentative.Ivan ended the call without a word.He couldn't bring himself to believe it.If Alison had merely heard Jessica's provocations, he could still lie to himself. Even in death

Alison caught sight of the two figures in the distance—one tall, one short. She quickly turned away, wrapping her scarf over her face and walking in the opposite direction.But she was a step too late. Footsteps and voices called out from behind her."Alison!""Mom!"Josh ran up and threw his arms around her leg, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Mom, you're alive! This is great! How could you leave us like that?"Alison's face remained blank. She had no idea how he could even ask such a thing."I'm sorry," she said flatly. "You've got the wrong person."Ivan shook his head. "No. Impossible."How could he mistake the woman he'd thought about every day and night?It was sheer chance that led Ivan to discover Alison's faked death.Ever since she'd "died," he'd drowned himself in alcohol. His father had taken on all the pressure of running the company, hustling—attending drinking parties, chasing clients, negotiating deals—and eventually collapsed from a sudden stroke one early

To ensure that both Ivan and Josh returned to the country, Ace went so far as to dispatch four bodyguards to escort them onto the plane by force.As the buildings below shrank into the distance, Ivan clenched his fists, silently vowing to himself that he would be back!At the very least, there was one thing Ace had been right about: he hadn't even dealt with Jessica yet. What right did he have to seek Alison's forgiveness?Back then, his mother, fearing he might harm Jessica and the unborn child she carried, had hidden her away. Ivan hadn't cared enough to ask questions, but he vaguely remembered that the due date was still about a month away.Clearly, Jessica had somehow learned that he and Josh had flown to Flance in search of Alison. Afraid that if Alison returned, she would never have another chance to become Mrs. Hardman, Jessica must have resorted to some method to induce labor early.Now that the baby was born, there was no longer any need for Ivan's mom to hide her. Findin

Jessica stared blankly at the lifeless child in her arms.She couldn't recall the last time the baby had cried, nor the last time she had fed him. It hit her like a nightmare: she had smothered her own child to death.Clutching the tiny corpse tightly against her chest, she slowly raised her head to look at Ivan and Josh, only to see a fleeting triumph flash across their faces.From his lofty perch, Ivan declared magnanimously, "Let's end this once and for all. In addition to the million I promised you, I'll throw in a villa. From now on, don't ever show your face to me again."Jessica stared at the heartless pair before her, hatred flaring in her eyes.Everything—her downfall, her madness—was because of them.A million?To the average person, that would be more than enough to live comfortably for a lifetime. But Jessica was no longer average. Over the years, Ivan had nurtured her taste for luxury—bags and jewelry that cost tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands.A