Chapter 2

2

I was feeling a bit dizzy when I saw a stylish young man in his mid-twenties walk out of the art studio across the street.

As I wobbled, he rushed over, stuffed his drink into his pocket, and caught me before I fell.

"What's wrong?" It was Lucas Brooks, Hazel's teacher.

He frowned with concern. I shook my head hard, trying to clear the fog in my brain.

But I felt a sudden heat rising in my body. My limbs felt heavy and weak. All I could hear was my daughter crying out, "Mommy!"

Then, everything went black. When I woke up, Hazel was huddled by my bedside, her eyes red from crying.

The air was thick with the sharp scent of disinfectant. I was in a hospital.

"Mommy, you suddenly fainted. Luckily, Mr. Brooks brought you here. You scared me so much!"

Lucas walked in then. He patted Hazel's head and handed her his phone to play with so we could talk.

"Hazel's mom, you were drugged," he said, scratching his head with an apologetic look.

"I received a message from another parent saying you were looking for me. That's why I rushed out to find you."

"But don't worry, I've already called the police." The police had taken the bottle of water Lucas had been carrying for testing.

The cap had been tampered with. The culprit probably thought a young guy wouldn't notice such a detail.

Both my water and his had been spiked. "Who would do this?" he muttered, trying to think of anyone suspicious.

I already had a very good idea who was behind it. By the time I got Hazel home, the sun had set.

Before I even opened the door, I heard laughter coming from inside. It was Holly Sterling. I knew that voice by heart, and I hated it with a passion.

"Ugh, look who finally crawled back home," Gertrude spat out a sunflower seed shell and looked at us with disgust.

Shawn was fuming. He threw a stack of photos at me, and they scattered across the floor.

"Look at what you've done! Cheating on me while you're supposed to be watching our daughter. Have you no shame?"

"I want a divorce. Who knows what kind of person you're turning Hazel into? I don't want her. You take her."

He spat the words out in a rage. I didn't move. I just stared at the photos on the floor.

They were all of me looking dizzy and being held by Lucas Brooks. The angles made it look incredibly suggestive and intimate.

Poor Mr. Brooks had been blaming himself, yet he was just collateral damage. These people were willing to ruin an innocent teacher just to get what they wanted.

"Sleeping with a student's parent… if these photos get out, his career is over," a clear, smug voice said.

I looked up to see Holly Sterling standing up from the sofa and walking toward me.

In my previous life, she didn't show her face until I had already paid the money and divorced quietly. This time, she was clearly getting desperate because I had changed my attitude.

She wanted to destroy me so that Shawn and I would be finished for good. I curled my lips into a smile.

Hazel started screaming, "No! Mommy didn't! Mommy was sick!"

I quickly covered her mouth. I didn't want her to reveal too much yet. It would spoil the fun.

After putting Hazel in her room, I sat back down on the sofa and picked up the divorce papers Shawn had prepared.

The terms were laughable. I was supposed to leave with nothing. They wanted my inheritance, the house renovations, and the car―all of which had been paid for by my family.

"What are you looking at? You cheated first, so leaving with nothing is only fair," Gertrude barked.

"A woman as loose as you… we don't even know if Hazel is a Baxter. We don't want her."

Shawn tried to look pained. "We've been together for years. Let's just end this civilly."

They were coming at me from both sides. They were determined to make me sign today.

I glanced at my phone. It was June 15th. The official announcement for the neighborhood's redevelopment was only a month away.

Shawn had inside info. He knew that the old family property would be bought out in a month for about $2 million.

They wanted to keep all that money for themselves and ruin me in the process. Holly was also clearly eager for her share.

"Just sign it," Holly sneered. "You're still young. Go find a new daddy for that little brat. Maybe you can still get a good price for yourself."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Two police officers stood there, looking solemn.

When I opened the door, they seemed surprised to see me, but their eyes quickly landed on Holly. "Which one of you is Miss Holly Sterling?"

I pointed directly at her. "That's her. My husband's mistress."

Holly exploded instantly. "Don't talk trash! I'm not even married. You're slandering me!"