Chapter 2

2

By the time I got home, night had fallen.

The nanny had already put our twin girls to sleep.

I gently stroked their soft cheeks, feeling the cold sweat and blinding rage slowly settle into an icy resolve.

These twins were the miracle babies I fought for through countless hormone injections and three grueling rounds of IVF.

Five years ago, Derek held my hand in the delivery room, cracking nervous jokes to keep me calm before crying even harder than I did.

"They're twin girls... Will our daughters have to go through this terrible pain when they grow up? No way, Jessica, we are never having more kids, and I won't let them suffer either..."

Back then, I truly believed I had married the most wonderful man on earth.

For the past five years, he had continued to shower me with affection, playing the role of the perfect partner.

Today, that entire illusion shattered into dust.

My poor little girls had no idea their father was welcoming another baby into the world.

Suddenly, an image flashed through my mind: the heavy gold chain around Hailey's wrist.

Wasn't that the custom dowry jewelry I had been saving for my daughters since the day they were born?

My heart hammered in my chest.

I dashed into the study and spun the dial on the safe.

The heirloom box was gone.

Inside had been matching sets of solid gold, diamonds, heirloom jade, and twenty pure gold bullion bars.

A sickening chill ran down my spine, and I immediately dialed a private investigator friend.

"I need you to find someone's residential address right now."

Half an hour later, I pulled up to a secluded luxury villa in the hills.

The door swung open to reveal a familiar face.

It was our former night nanny, who had cared for me and my daughters from the day they were born.

Because the girls loved her so much, I paid her top dollar so she would stay until they started school.

Last year, she claimed her son was getting married and handed in her resignation.

As it turned out, Derek had hired her away to care for his next child.

"Mrs... Mrs. Harrison..."

I pushed past her without a word and walked inside.

In the room closest to the entryway, the pregnant American Shorthair cat was stretching luxuriously.

The room was twice the size of a standard bedroom, fully outfitted with custom cat trees and designer pet furniture.

I walked deeper into the house until Derek's low, soothing voice drifted through the hallway.

"Everything is fine, honey. Didn't the doctor say the baby is perfectly healthy?"

"Whatever she broke, I'll buy you brand new ones... It's just a photo frame, I'll have the studio reprint the whole set tomorrow."

Through the cracked door, I saw Hailey snuggled against his chest, tracing circles over his throat.

"I'm just so scared she'll come after me again... She won't ever accept me..."

Derek chuckled softly.

"What are you afraid of? Have I ever let anyone mistreat you?"

I dug my fingernails deep into my palms and spoke in a clear, frigid voice.

"Derek Harrison, give back my daughters' trust fund and jewelry."

Hailey shrieked in terror and buried her face in his chest.

Derek's tender expression instantly twisted into pure rage.

He shielded Hailey behind his back, grabbed a glass perfume bottle off the dresser, and hurled it straight at my head.

"What the hell are you doing here?! Hailey is days away from her due date! Whatever you want, it can wait until she gives birth!"

In our ten years together, he had only lost his temper at me twice.

Both times were today, both were for Hailey, and this time, he got violent.

The heavy glass bottle struck my forehead, sending a wave of dizzying pain through my skull.

"I'll say it one last time. Return my daughters' heirloom jewelry, or I'm calling the police."

Derek glanced at the blood trickling down my brow, his eyebrows knitting slightly.

Before he could speak, Hailey dropped to her knees with her huge belly, frantically tearing off her bracelets and necklaces.

"Mrs. Harrison, I'll give it all back! I'm sorry, I'm the shameless one! You can hit me, you can scream at me, but my baby is innocent! Please, I beg you, spare my baby..."

Derek hurriedly scooped her up from the floor, his face full of heartache.

"Don't ever talk about yourself like that! What if our son hears you?"

When he looked back up at me, his eyes were cold as ice.

"Fine, Jessica. Since you already know, there's no point in hiding it."

"Hailey is carrying a boy. My son and heir! Your two daughters are useless, and they certainly don't need an inheritance. I gave that entire box to Hailey."

"Don't be so petty about it. Hailey doesn't care about a legal title. As long as you don't touch Hailey and my son, you can remain Mrs. Harrison forever."

His son.

My daughters.

He had separated our children so cleanly by gender.

He no longer loved me, and he had never truly loved our daughters.

What reason did I have to keep him around?

I stepped forward, picked up the shattered half of a jade bracelet from the floor, and spoke calmly.

"No need. Since she is the mother of your precious son, I gladly step aside."

"Derek Harrison, we are getting a divorce."

Under Hailey's horrified gaze, I pulled out my phone and dialed 911.

"Hello, I want to report a grand theft and deliberate destruction of private property. The suspects are right in front of me with the stolen goods. Please send officers immediately."