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All Chapters of My Wife's Secret Family: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

I froze at the sight of the baby in the man's arms. It couldn't have been more than a few months old.Teresa Payne always said we should wait a few more years to have kids, at least until her career was on firmer ground. Yet here was her baby with another man.That explained the sudden business trip a year ago, the one that kept her away for months. She had gone away to have his baby."Hey. Can I help you?" The guy leaned around the door in a loose T-shirt and sweatpants, looking puzzled."Hey, I live downstairs." I kept my voice steady and even managed a friendly smile. "Sorry to bother you, but my cat got out. I think he climbed up onto your balcony railing. Mind if I come in and take a look?"It was a lousy excuse. We didn't even have a cat. But the man just smiled and stepped aside."Oh, hey, neighbor. Yeah, come on in. Cats can get just about anywhere, huh? Let's find him before he takes off.""Thanks." I stepped onto a soft wool rug; it was the same brand as ours, just

Chapter 2

Teresa and I argued about it, but I eventually let it go.Now, the same crib she dismissed as a waste of money sat in the home she shared with another man.A digital photo frame on the nightstand beside it cycled through pictures. One showed the two of them at a ski resort.Teresa wore a bright red ski suit and hugged Anthony from behind. He wore similar gear. They leaned their heads together, grinning at the camera against a backdrop of snowy mountains.The date on the photo was just a month ago.Teresa told me that trip was for a weeklong finance conference in Ivoryn. She claimed her schedule was so packed that she couldn't even squeeze in a video call.And I bought it. I worried about her and texted every day, telling her to get some rest and make time to eat.So that was her finance conference. A romantic ski trip with another man."Find him?" Anthony called from the living room.His voice snapped me out of it. My chest tightened until I could barely draw a breath."No.

Chapter 3

Teresa's eyes flickered with suspicion, but she quickly recovered. "Of course, I remember. You loved that painting. What made you think of it?""No reason. Just seems like a shame." I held her gaze. "I really wish we could've bought it.""Oh, honey, let it go." She smiled and leaned in to kiss my cheek. "Honey, some serious collector probably bought that painting ages ago. We can't compete with that kind of money. Anyway, a friend of mine is throwing a company cocktail party in a few days. Come with me. I'd love for you to meet a few people."She still thought I was the husband who never told her no and did whatever it took to help her get ahead.I closed my eyes and nodded, a cold weight settling in my chest. I no longer knew how much of our life together was a lie.For the next few days, I kept up our usual routine. I made breakfast, helped her get ready for work, and pulled her into my arms before she left.I needed evidence. The apartment upstairs was only the beginning,

Chapter 4

I hung up and sat there, cold all over. The whole thing was a setup, right from the start.All Teresa's talk about building a business together, about being partners in every sense of the word, was a lie.She used my money to put her lover in the apartment upstairs, buy him luxury cars, and funnel 1.5 million dollars into a shell company her family controlled.The assets I thought we owned together belonged to her and her family. Little by little, she took everything while I trusted her enough not to notice.Anger surged through me, along with the sickening weight of her betrayal. Still, I forced myself to stay calm. Losing control now wouldn't help me.I thought of Teresa's parents, with their polished manners and impeccable clothes.They never missed a chance to tell me how glad they were to have me as a son-in-law. They praised me for being a good husband, for working hard, and for everything I had done to help Teresa get ahead.I began to wonder whether they were in on it.

Chapter 5

No one spoke. Monica stopped with her coffee halfway to her lips, her composure slipping.Anthony went pale and took a step back."You know?" Monica's voice rose sharply."Yeah. I know." I pulled out a chair and sat, taking my time. "The apartment upstairs. The Porsche. The 1.5-million-dollar property. And now I know your whole family was in on it. You've all been lying to my face for years."Monica flushed, then went pale. For a moment, she looked humiliated. Then her face hardened.She slammed her coffee down on the table. "Fine. Then let's stop pretending."We've been good to you, Frank. You've been married to Teresa for three years, and you still haven't given us a grandchild."The doctor said you had fertility issues, didn't he? Low sperm motility. What was Teresa supposed to do? "She's our only daughter, Frank. Did you really expect us to give up on ever having grandchildren?"I almost laughed. Her daughter cheated on me, and somehow I was the one to blame."Are you

Chapter 6

Guilt flickered across Grant's face, but he quickly slipped back into his usual condescending manner."Frank, I get it. You're upset. But Teresa had her reasons, and we're prepared to compensate you. "We know how much you've put into the company over the years. Agree to the divorce and sign over your shares in Payne Capital, and we'll give you two million dollars. "You can keep the apartment, too. You'll have enough to live comfortably for the rest of your life."He offered two million dollars as though it settled everything: three years of marriage, the company I helped build, and the humiliation of finding out his entire family was in on the lies.I laughed at his idea of generosity."Grant, you really think you can still push me around?" I stood and looked at each of them in turn. "Let's get one thing straight. I'm getting a divorce, and I'm taking back everything that's mine. Every last cent."I paused, letting that sink in. "And everything you owe me? I'm collecting. Wi

Chapter 7

Anthony wore a casual suit and looked harmless enough. He stayed by the entrance, shifting uneasily and watching Teresa, waiting for her to tell him what to do.Her brow tightened when she spotted him. She turned to me. "I need to take a call."She hurried over to Anthony and spoke to him in a low voice. Then she took a glass of juice from a passing server and handed it to him with a reassuring look.A few guests noticed. They glanced at each other and began to whisper, just as I hoped they would.Halfway through the exhibition, it was time for my speech. I took the microphone and stepped onto the stage.The spotlight settled on me, and hundreds of people turned to listen. I thanked the guests and members of the press for coming, then looked at Teresa in the crowd with a smile."There's one person I want to give special thanks to tonight: my wife, Teresa. Without her, I wouldn't be standing here, and my Emergence collection wouldn't exist."Teresa smiled with satisfaction an

Chapter 8

I continued to speak. "Teresa knew there was a one-in-four chance of passing the hereditary disease on to her child. Before we got married, we both had medical checkups. She paid the doctor to hide her results."Throughout our marriage, her mother gave me supplements that were supposed to improve my health. Instead, they lowered my sperm motility and made it harder for me to father a child."She didn't want us seeing a fertility specialist. She was afraid a doctor would uncover what she was hiding."A medical report appeared on the screen, Teresa's name clearly visible at the top."So she found another man, someone she believed was healthy, who would have a child with her without asking her to leave her husband. She thought she could give her parents a grandchild and keep the whole thing from me."But covering her tracks didn't mean she could protect that baby."The screen changed to Anthony's personal information and a report on his family's medical history."The man she chos

Chapter 9

"Frank, please." Anthony caught my arm, his eyes red."I knew you were married. I got involved anyway, and that's on me. But my daughter shouldn't have to pay for it."The doctors say it's serious. She needs genetic testing and treatment, and I can't afford either. I wouldn't be here if I had anywhere else to go."I looked at him. He traded his self-respect for a comfortable life, and now he stood outside my hotel, swallowing his pride for his daughter.For the first time, I felt something besides anger toward him.I pulled my arm free and took a card from my wallet. "There's 40 grand in this account. It's for your daughter. Not you. The PIN is six zeros. When it's gone, don't come back. This is the last time you and I speak."He took the card and stared at it, his jaw clenched. Then he bowed his head and pressed a hand over his eyes, his shoulders shaking despite his effort to hold still.I turned and walked into the hotel without looking back.I didn't forgive him, but hi

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