Chapter 1

Ten years ago, on the night of our engagement party, my sister slept with my fiancé.

I was hell-bent on calling off the wedding.

My parents beat her half to death and shipped her off overseas.

Meanwhile, my fiancé, Nathan Reed, knelt outside my door for nine hundred and ninety-nine days before I finally softened and gave in.

For the past ten years, we seemed to live a wonderful life.

He treated me with nothing but gentle care and utmost devotion.

I genuinely believed our happiness would last forever.

Until today—at our daughter's first birthday party.

Nathan walked into the ballroom holding the hand of a secret love child, trying to force me into accepting the boy as my own.

"This is Vivian's son. Since your body has failed to give me an heir anyway, you might as well take him in."

Vivian Vance is my younger sister.

It turns out Nathan had rekindled his dirty affair with her behind my back God knows how long ago.

My parents stepped up instantly, shielding Vivian behind them like a precious treasure.

"We're all family here! You should be thanking your sister for stepping up and giving Nathan an heir!"

I looked at them, my heart turning to ice.

My daughter never needed an unfaithful father.

And if this family has no room for us, I'll simply build another one.

Holding my one-year-old daughter in my arms, a creeping numbness spread through my veins.

So I was the only one kept in the dark the entire time.

I stared at them coldly, my voice trembling with suppressed rage.

"You all knew about this from the very beginning, didn't you?"

Instead of feeling guilty, my parents fussed over Vivian. Facing my sharp interrogation, my father frowned in annoyance.

"We're all family! How can you hold a grudge for so long? No matter what she did, she's still your sister!"

Then, my mother cast a blaming glare at me and the tiny baby in my arms.

"It's your own fault for being so useless. It took you an entire decade just to produce one single baby girl! If it weren't for you, your sister and her poor boy wouldn't have suffered in exile overseas for all these years!"

I shifted my gaze to Nathan, waiting for an explanation.

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?"

A mocking smirk crossed his lips.

"I waited until you had our daughter before bringing them back. I've already done more than enough to respect you. Don't be ungrateful, Natalie, and don't make a scene on a day like this. You will keep your status as Mrs. Reed. But Vivian has suffered away from me for too long, and I need to make it up to her."

Listening to them sing the same twisted tune, my heart sank to rock bottom.

Without another word, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face.

Slap!

"Nathan Reed, have you completely forgotten how you begged outside my door on your knees? Have you forgotten every single promise you ever made to me?!"

I didn't wait for his reply. I turned on my heel, walked to a quiet corner, sat down, pulled out my phone, and dialed a number.

"Weren't you looking for a chance to be my daughter's father? Well, your chance just arrived."

Nursing his stinging cheek, Nathan walked over to me, choking down his fury.

He reached out, trying to slide his arm around my waist.

"Stop acting out, Natalie. I promise you, Vivian will never step out of line or cross you."

Before I could swat his hand away, Vivian stepped forward, leading her little boy by the hand.

Ten years had passed, yet she looked more radiant than ever.

Her skin was flawless and glowing, and every gesture screamed the effortless poise of a pampered, wealthy mistress.

Meanwhile, look at me. Over the last decade, I had run myself into the ground helping Nathan build his business empire. My skin was dull, and my eyes were filled with bone-deep exhaustion.

After ten years, it felt as though I was the shameful sinner who had been exiled, not her.

Vivian glided up to Nathan with a demure, delicate smile, her voice soft as silk.

"Natalie, please don't be mad at Nathan. It's all my fault. I just couldn't bear to let our little Andy grow up without a proper name or a recognized family... Besides, Nathan, you promised you would introduce Andy to the family today."

Nathan nodded. He turned toward me, wearing a look as if he were merely seeking my routine consent.

"Vivian really went through a lot of hardships abroad over the years. We can't keep mother and son hidden in the shadows forever."

A sneer formed in my heart. Just as I was about to walk away from their sickening performance, my daughter suddenly burst into loud wails, her tiny hands reaching out desperately for comfort.

Her cries immediately drew curious glances from all the party guests. Flustered, I cradled her closer, rocking her gently to calm her down.

Out of nowhere, Vivian jumped in, her voice brimming with theatrical shock. "Natalie! I know I ruined your marriage, and I know you hate me! But no matter how angry you are, how could you pinch your own sweet baby just to make her cry?!"

I frowned, completely baffled by her cheap trick. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Vivian flinched, shrinking back as if I were about to assault her, mumbling incoherently with fake terror in her eyes.

Before I could call her out, Nathan snapped at me, his patience completely worn thin.

"I was literally about to introduce Andy to our relatives, and your daughter magically starts screaming at the top of her lungs! Natalie, you deliberately pinched her just to stop me, didn't you?!"

His tone was brimming with unwavering certainty, his face dripping with utter disgust.

"You truly have a venomous heart, Natalie. To think you'd use your own flesh and blood as a pawn! Stop making excuses!"

With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leading Vivian and their bastard son with him.

I stood frozen in place, not bothering to chase after him.