All Chapters of Wife on Contract, Stepmom by Surprise: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

After a brief inner struggle, I couldn't help but remind him. "You do remember you have to pay me double the alimony as stated in the agreement, right?"He gazed at me, his expression dark.I waited for several seconds. Feeling the weird tension in the air, I turned on my heels and fled upstairs.Closing the door, I leaned against it and looked up at the ceiling light.After we got married, Shane was so frequently on business trips that he wasn't home most of the time.I thought our marriage was as pure as a blank page. It turned out he had already found his true love and even had a son with her.I scrolled through my phone and opened my banking app. In the transaction history, there was a ten-million-dollar transfer from before the wedding. Doubled, that came to 20 million. I'd only found out about his son now that the boy was 17. That clearly counted as a scam, no?It wasn't too much for me to demand another five million dollars, was it?It was 1:00 am, and I tossed and tur

Chris wrote, "I'm not Shane's son. You don't have to divorce him. If you stay, at least you won't have to worry about money. My mom refused to return to the Zimmer family back then. Later, she got sick and didn't have money for the treatment. Shane annoys me, but I don't want to hurt you."I clutched the piece of paper tightly and stood there for some time.When I opened the door, Chris was still waiting in the hallway."Your mom…" I began.He said, "She didn't demand to be acknowledged, refused the money offered to her, and stayed out of my father's marriage. She thought she could raise me without any of that. Then she got sick and couldn't pay the medical bills. Still, she said she didn't blame anyone for it." When Shane returned, I called out to him."Shane."He paused."About Chris' mother…" I said.There was no moon that night. The light from through the door gap shone on him, blurring his features.I asked, "What exactly happened?"Chris is Ivan's son," he said emotio

Tracing the rim of his glass with his finger, Leo drawled, "He's part of the family too. He's been out there long enough. It's about time he returns home."I looked up.Leo was smiling gently, but his smile sent a chill down my spine.The moment he said that, everyone turned to look.Some sipped their drinks; others exchanged glances.Ivan, who'd passed away at a young age, had an illegitimate son. That news spread like wildfire among the guests.Shane set his utensils down. He was about to speak when I put my napkin aside and chuckled."You sure are well-informed, Uncle Leo. Chris is still young. His education comes first. There's no need to rush to bring him back into the family."Leo's smile froze.I met his eyes. "On the other hand, you've been so kind to Chris over the years. We appreciate the thought."He turned to look at me. He was still smiling, but his eyes gleamed dangerously. After a few seconds, he picked up his glass and downed it as punishment."You're too kin

Chris had worn the same clothes for two days. It was badly wrinkled now. From where I stood, I could see the back of his neck and his shoulder blades trembling beneath the fabric.Shane said, "Your mom left you in my care before she passed away. I failed to take good care of you. I'm sorry."Chris didn't turn around. His shoulders heaved once and relaxed.Gazing at the headstone, Shane continued, "Also, the money you've received over the years isn't from me. Your mother enlisted the help of a trust company when she was still around to transfer the money to you every month on the 15th. She said it was a little gesture from her as a mother, not the Zimmer family." Chris didn't budge.He stayed crouched there, like a tree bent over by a storm.After a long time, he said in a hoarse voice, "…Shane."His back sagged, as if saying Shane's name had lifted the weight he'd been carrying for eight years.Shane patted his shoulder. "Let's go home."On the drive back, Chris leaned agains