Chapter 4

When I got home, I suddenly felt completely unburdened.

The shackles that had weighed on me in my past life—responsibility, morality, obligation...

In this moment, they all fell away.

I was no longer a daughter-in-law of the Collins family, no longer the free caretaker dealing with bedpans, no longer the fool paying off someone else's debts.

I had my own factory, my own savings, my own life.

This lightness lasted only a few days.

One day, just as I reached the apartment building entrance, Mrs. Wilson from the next building stopped me.

"Oh, Valerie! You're back!"

"I haven't seen Lillian out dancing these past few days. Is she not feeling well?"

Looking at her eager face, my heart tightened, but I still smiled.

"No, she went on a trip."

Monica Wilson leaned in closer and lowered her voice.

"Who did she go with?"

"I saw her getting pretty friendly with Charles from downstairs the other day. They were laughing and chatting together. Don't tell me they're an item?"

As her words fell, my suspicions crystallized.

I'd wondered before whether Ethan might have planted informants around us.

Now it seemed my guess was right.

This Monica Wilson always found ways to ask about our family affairs.

Today she'd ask how Lillian's health was, tomorrow whether anyone had visited, the day after how business was at the furniture factory.

I used to think it was just sisterly concern between dancing buddies.

Now, connecting all the dots, her son apparently worked at the crematorium.

No wonder I'd watched with my own eyes as Ethan was pushed into the cremation furnace, only to have him suddenly come back to life.

This Monica Wilson must be the informant Ethan had planted.

Seeing my silence, Monica Wilson's brow furrowed slightly.

I suppressed the hatred churning in my heart and put on a helpless expression.

"Mrs. Wilson, don't say that. Charles is ten years younger than my mom. He just wanted to replace some furniture recently, so when Lillian had time, she took him to the factory to look around."

Monica Wilson breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, I see. I was going to say, with such a filial daughter-in-law like you, your mother-in-law should just enjoy her golden years. She definitely shouldn't go find another man to serve."

Then she put on a concerned expression.

"Look at you—your father-in-law was paralyzed for years, and you handled everything at home. If your mother-in-law remarried, there's no telling who'd end up with the family assets, right?"

I nodded with an "I think so too" expression.

After chatting a bit more, Monica Wilson said she needed to go cook dinner and left.

I watched her figure disappear around the corner, my smile fading bit by bit, then followed her.

She found a secluded corner, pulled out her phone, looked around, and made a call.

"Mr. Collins, I've found out about your family situation."

My heart clenched. It really was Ethan.

"Your mom went on a trip. She probably doesn't have plans to remarry. I also gave Valerie a little warning, so she should..."

I didn't keep listening. I turned and went home.

Ethan, you like spying?

Then I'll let you spy to your heart's content.

In the following days, Monica Wilson kept coming around like before.

I played along, acting obedient while feeding her false information.

A month later, I got a call from Lillian.

She said she didn't know if it was the change in climate or menopause, but her period was a week late and she felt tired. She wanted to come home early.

My heart leapt and I nearly jumped off the sofa.

"Lillian, could you be pregnant? Have you tested?"