Lahat ng Kabanata ng Stepdaughter by Day, Wife by Night: Kabanata 171 - Kabanata 180

LENAI never imagined things would fall apart like this. If someone had told me years ago that Roman and I would end up shouting, accusing, ripping each other open like this… I would’ve laughed in their face. No, not Roman. Not the man who used to look at me like I was his entire damn world. Not the man who promised he’d never be like the others.But life has a funny way of humiliating people who naively believe in love.I used to think loyalty was Roman’s strongest trait. I used to think he wasn’t like those men who cheated just because they could. I used to think, no matter how messy we were, no matter how imperfect our path was, at least his loyalty was something I never had to question.Turns out, that was exactly the thing I should’ve questioned from the start.My trust in him had been built on illusions. Carefully arranged, beautifully spoken illusions that he fed me like bedtime stories. Fairy tales. Promises. Sweet lies wrapped in the same voice that once made me think I was s

I heard the click of heels before I saw her.Vivian stood by the window, phone still pressed to her ear, posture perfect as always, like she was posing for a magazine instead of standing in a house that felt more like a cage with every passing hour. The moment she ended the call, her lips curved upward slowly.That smile.I knew it too well.“Who were you talking to?” I asked, my voice rough from a night without sleep.She turned, eyes glinting with something sharp and satisfied. “Does it matter?”“Yes,” I said flatly. “It does.”Vivian walked toward me instead of answering. Her movements were deliberate, calculated. She lifted her hand and brushed it against my chest like it belonged there, like she had the right.Then she leaned in and kissed me.I stepped back instantly.“Don’t,” I snapped. “Stay within your limits.”Her lips curved higher, amused rather than offended. “Limits?” she echoed. “Roman, if you’re going to stay in my house, you should remember who you’re dealing with.”“

LENA Billy arrived a few minutes later. I knew it was him before I even reached the door. My heart had been counting the seconds since that knock, beating too fast for something I kept insisting was harmless. I smoothed my hair with my palm, took a breath, and opened the door. He stood there holding a small paper bag, looking slightly unsure of himself, like someone who had rehearsed a dozen polite versions of this moment and still didn’t know which one to use. “Hi,” he said, smiling softly. “Hi,” I replied, stepping aside. “Come in.” Before I could say anything else, small footsteps padded across the floor behind me. Isabella appeared at my side, peeking around my leg with wide, curious eyes. Usually she clung to me when strangers were around, her fingers tight in my clothes, her body half-hidden. But this time, she didn’t retreat. She looked up at Billy instead. Billy noticed her instantly. His expression changed, brightening in a way that felt natural, not forced. “Hello

That afternoon felt quieter than it should have.Not peaceful. Just… muted. Like the house was holding its breath along with me.Ava came by just after lunch, as she had been doing more often lately. She brought fruit, some pastries Isabella liked, and that familiar look on her face—the one that said she was worried but trying not to show it.She sat across from me at the kitchen table, watching me pour tea with movements that were a little too careful.“So,” she said casually, stirring her drink. “Tell me about Billy.”My hand paused for half a second before I set the kettle down.“What about him?” I asked, keeping my voice neutral.Ava raised an eyebrow. “You told me he came here. You don’t usually let random men into your house, Lena.”“He’s not random,” I said, then quickly added, “I mean… he was just someone I met by accident. Literally. He just stopped by. Gave Isabella a gift. That’s it.”“A gift?” Ava repeated. “On the first visit?”I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “It wa

LENAVivian didn’t say anything at first.She simply unlocked her phone, placed it on the table between us, and pressed play.At first, there was only muffled sound. Rustling. Breathing. I frowned, confused, until—Roman’s voice.My heart stopped.It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t dramatic. But I knew that voice better than anyone in the world. I had fallen asleep to it. Woken up to it. Built a life around it.And then I heard her name.Not mine.Vivian.The sound of it, leaving his lips like that, shattered something inside my chest. My vision blurred instantly as tears streamed down my face without permission. I couldn’t even hear the rest clearly anymore. The world narrowed down to that one detail, that one cruel truth repeating in my head over and over.I slammed my hand on the table. “Stop it. Please. Stop.”Vivian paused the recording, her fingers lingering on the screen as she watched me cry.“So,” she said softly, almost kindly, “whose name did he say?”I couldn’t speak. My throat fel