Chapter 1

My mother-in-law demanded $150,000 from me just to cut ties with her son.

My heart ached for my husband, so I scrambled to scrape the money together for him.

But the moment the money was in his hands, he handed me a divorce agreement. He claimed he owed me too much and that living with me would only fill him with guilt.

With a heart turned to ash, I signed the papers. In the blink of an eye, he ran back to his mother and quickly married his mistress.

When the truth came out, my friends and family hounded me to pay back the debts I had incurred for him.

Shawn refused to admit he owed me anything. In a fit of despair, I was pushed during a heated argument and fell down a flight of stairs, dying instantly…

1

"I want $150,000. Consider it Shawn's way of paying me back for raising him all these years."

My mother-in-law, Gertrude, stood there with her hands on her hips. Her eyes were filled with disdain.

She spoke with such arrogance, as if asking for $150,000 was as simple as asking for a spare dollar.

I sat on the sofa, gently rocking my five-year-old daughter, Hazel. I knew exactly where her audacity came from.

Shawn sat in the corner of the couch, his head buried in his hands, looking the picture of agony. But this time, I couldn't find a single ounce of sympathy for him.

If he wanted to put on a show, I would let him perform until he was exhausted.

Seeing me remain unmoved, Gertrude seemed a bit thrown off. she started shooting frantic looks at her son, silently asking what the next move was.

The scene was almost comical. When I thought about how I used to indulge and pity him without limits, I felt like I had swallowed something disgusting.

Shawn and I had dated for three years before marrying, and I had become a stay-at-home mom afterward.

We had been married for six years. Hazel was five. As the saying goes, when people are well-fed and warm, they start looking for trouble.

I had ensured he had no worries at home, yet he craved the thrill of the outside world. He had started sleeping with a female client.

Ever since Holly Sterling appeared, Shawn's heart had completely left our home. If she sent a single text, he would drop his fork mid-dinner to reply immediately.

I had tried to ask him what was so urgent in a subtle way. He would only snap that it was business and that a woman enjoying a comfortable life at home wouldn't understand.

Holly was clever. They had been together for over a year, and I hadn't noticed a single red flag. However, she had been getting impatient lately.

"Selina, just give it to her," Shawn said, turning to look at me. His voice was raspy.

I was busy patting Hazel's back, trying to lull her to sleep. I tried to stand up to carry her to bed, but my leg had gone numb.

I lost my balance and sank back onto the sofa. During the whole ordeal, neither of them reached out to help me.

They just stared at me with wide eyes, waiting for me to cough up the money. How pathetic.

Seeing that I remained silent, Gertrude lunged forward and grabbed my arm. She almost woke Hazel up.

I hurriedly patted the girl back to sleep, my heart racing with anger.

"Ugh, what a useless little brat, raising her to be so fragile," Gertrude spat.

"Since you can't even produce a grandson, I'm not counting on you for my retirement. Just give me the money so I can leave. Looking at you makes my blood boil."

She sneered. I ignored her and carried my daughter into the bedroom, locking the door to drown out the noise.

"I don't have it," I said simply when I walked back out.

Both of them froze. Gertrude immediately pointed a finger at my nose and began screaming.

"You little bitch! My son brings home so much money every month. Where are you hiding it?"

"Are you keeping a side piece behind Shawn's back? My god, what kind of wife did he marry? No son, and now she's a cheater!"

She slapped her thigh and wailed loudly. Shawn looked at me with an expression of pure disbelief.

"Your son makes $5,000 a month, but he only gives me $2,500 for the household," I said coldly.

"Even if the whole family didn't eat or drink, six years would only amount to about $180,000. Can you not do basic math?"

I pulled out my phone, did a quick calculation, and shoved the screen in their faces.

"What about your inheritance? I remember your father left you $100,000. Give me that and I'll leave," Gertrude said, her eyes shifting nervously.

I let out a cold, knowing smile. So, this was their real target.

"I said that's the total if we never spent a cent! Over the years, who paid for your clothes, your food, and your expensive medications? It was me!"

The old woman realized she wasn't getting her way and slammed the table. "I spent my son's money! How dare you say you paid for it!"

Seeing things were about to spiral out of control, Shawn finally spoke up. "Selina, just give it to her. Since you married me, isn't that money mine too?"

"It's just a bit of cash. Don't make a scene like this. I promise I'll treat you better from now on."

He added the last part with reddened eyes, trying to look soft-hearted. He probably realized he had been too aggressive.

In my past life, I had felt so sorry for him because his mother didn't love him. That pity led me to incur massive debts.

Now I realize that feeling sorry for a man is the fastest way to ruin your own life. I remained silent.

He began hitting his own head, acting as if he were in extreme pain. He knelt before his mother, apologizing over and over.

He claimed he was useless because he couldn't control his wife. The two of them were masters of emotional blackmail.

"How about this? Give me whatever cash you have on hand. I'll try to borrow the rest from my relatives," I said, timing it perfectly.

Shawn's expression stiffened. "Why don't… you go borrow the money first? I'll find a way to make up the difference later."

"You don't trust me!" I suddenly raised my voice, sounding heartbroken. I wiped away fake tears and walked away.

I didn't bother listening to their hurried excuses behind me. The negotiation ended in failure.

They could have just divorced me and left quietly, but they were too greedy. They wanted to saddle me with massive debt so I could never recover.

In this life, I'm going to make them pay for that greed. On the weekend, after picking up Hazel from her art class, I let her play at the park for an hour. It was our routine.