My husband said he was a wanted fugitive. He claimed he didn’t want to drag me down, so he turned himself in, urging me to remarry. My heart ached for him. I scrimped and saved, providing for our son while waiting for his release. It wasn’t until my hair turned white that I saw him strolling down the street, hand-in-hand with his long-lost love, lavishing her with Hermès and Chanel bags. Only then did I realize that his imprisonment was a charade, a calculated move to escape me and our family. I opened my eyes again, and I was back. Back to the very day my husband pretended to be a wanted fugitive. I quickly called the police and handed over every piece of incriminating evidence in the house. So, you wanted to play the part of a fugitive, did you? Then enjoy rotting in jail for the rest of your life. 1. “Beth, I’m so sorry. After all these years of marriage, there’s something I’ve kept from you. But I can’t bear the guilt any longer.” My husband, Eddy Thorne, gazed at me across the dining table, his face a mask of profound sorrow. My heart skipped a beat, and my gaze swept around the room. I was back. I had been reborn. Reborn to the exact day my husband faked his imprisonment in my previous life! Looking at his utterly phony expression, I felt a surge of nausea. Eddy continued, burying his face in his hands, tears streaming down. “Beth, the truth is, I’m a fugitive. When I was eighteen, I was foolish and broke. I robbed someone, and in the process, the homeowner died, leaving his wife and child utterly destitute. Now, I want to atone for that sin.” He gripped my hand, tears welling in his eyes. “You’ll support me, won’t you, Beth?” Our son, Leo, and my mother-in-law were both seated at the table, but neither of them showed the slightest hint of panic. I almost laughed. So, they all knew, and I was the only one kept completely in the dark! In my past life, to atone for my husband’s supposed sins, I’d humbled myself every holiday, going to their home, bowing and apologizing. The little money I had for our children was spent on gifts for that family, while I subsisted on meager meals day in and day out. But only on my deathbed did I learn that the "victim" I was meant to atone for was none other than his long-lost love, Veronica Hayes. And the 'widowed mother and orphan'? His illegitimate child. The thought of how self-satisfied I'd been, believing I was doing something meaningful for my imprisoned husband, while they were secretly laughing at me, mocking my foolishness in their messages, filled me with incandescent rage. My mother-in-law immediately clutched her chest, slapping her thigh dramatically. “A curse upon our house! A total disgrace! Our family, so respectable for generations, how could you turn out like this, you good-for-nothing! A life on your hands! Come on! Your mother will take you to turn yourself in right now.” With that, she hauled Eddy to his feet and began to pull him towards the door. 2. Eddy gripped my hand, his voice thick with feigned emotion. “I’m sorry, Beth. From now on, you’ll have to take care of Leo all by yourself.” He turned to leave. My heart hammered. Feigning sorrow, I said to my mother-in-law, “Mother, even if Eddy has done something wrong, he’s still your son.” “How about this? I’ll take Eddy. I happen to have a friend who’s a lawyer; they could see if there’s any chance of a lighter sentence for Eddy’s situation.” That was a complete fabrication. I had no lawyer friends. I was just trying to throw them off. “No!” The words were barely out of my mouth when both my husband and mother-in-law protested simultaneously. My mother-in-law stammered, her face flushed with embarrassment. “Aren’t you suffering from back pain today? The journey might be bumpy. We can go by ourselves.” I asked, feigning suspicion. “Mother-in-law, why are you so against me going? Is it because Eddy hasn’t committed any crime at all, and this is just a scheme to fool me?” Our son, Leo, lowered his head, averting his gaze, unable to utter a word. My mother-in-law, however, looked furious, accusing me of trying to abandon my husband and find an excuse to leave him. Eddy, meanwhile, put on his most aggrieved expression. “Beth, I know it will be hard for you to raise Leo alone, but how could I possibly lie about something like this?” He gritted his teeth, as if finally making a difficult decision. “Beth, after I’m gone, you can remarry. Just let my mother raise Leo. I don’t want to burden you. You’re still so young; you can find someone better. The divorce papers are already on the table.” “Daddy… I don’t want you to leave me.” Leo finally began his act, clutching Eddy’s leg. Eddy wore an expression of stoic resignation, as if he were bravely marching to his execution. If I weren’t the victim, I would have applauded them! Their acting was Oscar-worthy! I nodded, then feigning a threat, I pulled out my phone. “Then I’ll call the police right now! Let them come pick up Eddy. It’ll save Mother-in-law a trip.” 3. At this, Eddy’s face instantly drained of color. He frantically shot glances at my mother-in-law, a silent plea in his eyes. My mother-in-law flinched, startled, and quickly said, “Beth has a point.” “How about this, Beth? You rest at home for a bit. I’ll go with Eddy to apologize to the family; after all, we’re in the wrong here.” Clearly, they were trying to buy time, to stall me. I nodded, feigning intense worry, and went back to the bedroom. It wasn't the right moment yet. I checked my bank balance: thirty thousand dollars, my pre-marital savings, untouched. To prevent Eddy from secretly transferring it, I’d moved the funds to a different account. Next, I searched the house again. One of my bank cards was missing! After we married, all our salaries were transferred into this card for joint expenses. And now, the card was gone. Who was behind it? The answer was painfully obvious. A cold premonition settled in my gut. I checked my wardrobe again. My gold and silver bracelets, my expensive handbags, and all my luxury items—they had all been replaced with fakes! My heart hammered against my ribs. Eddy, that despicable dog, had truly gone to extreme lengths! He left me not a single penny, yet expected me to pay restitution to his mistress, raise his son, and care for his elderly mother. He wanted to wash his hands of everything. Disgusting! I immediately called a private investigator, entrusting them with some urgent inquiries. But a cold shadow in my heart stubbornly refused to dissipate. Just as I was drifting into a hazy sleep, the bedroom door was violently pounded. My mother-in-law was pounding her chest, looking utterly heartbroken, as if she were about to collapse. “That… that family’s mistress refused to let Eddy come back for one last goodbye. They… they put Eddy away.” Leo rushed out of his room, clutching my mother-in-law’s leg, not letting go. “Daddy… I want my daddy…” I crumpled to my knees, my face contorted in despair. “How could this happen?” I clutched Leo, weeping uncontrollably. “Eddy, now that you’re gone, how will we, a widowed mother and orphan, survive?” On the surface, I was heartbroken, but inside, I was practically dancing with glee. 4. That wretched man had thought things through quite thoroughly. He'd faked being arrested right after his "apology," saving himself from being genuinely sent to prison. I then suggested to my mother-in-law, “Mother, I want to go see Eddy now.” She immediately waved her hands, rejecting me as if I were the enemy. “The police said Eddy can’t have visitors right now.” My mother-in-law’s eyes darted around, and she quickly proposed, “Since Eddy’s gone in, perhaps we should send that family some money. It might help lighten his sentence.” My mother-in-law, tears and snot streaming down her face, didn't forget to subtly eye Leo. “Mommy, save Daddy!” Leo burst into tears and immediately tugged at my hand. I sneered. What a cunning plan they were playing. It was clear they wanted me to funnel money to Eddy’s mistress and her child. Did they really take me for a fool? I nodded. “Mother-in-law, you’re right. I’ll go get the card.” I feigned compliance and went back to the room. A flicker of triumph crossed my mother-in-law’s eyes. I picked up the bank card, then, a thought striking me, put it back down. Instead, I gathered the incriminating documents from Eddy’s desk drawer. When we arrived at Veronica Hayes’s house, she opened the door, her expression sorrowful, yet her eyes held the same haughty, superior air I remembered from my past life. She gazed at us, her voice stern. “What do you want? Haven’t you caused enough trouble for me and my child?” She was clutching the hand of a frail, thin little girl, and her performance was truly heartfelt. Anyone who didn’t know better would truly believe her husband had died and she was living in abject poverty! At this, my mother-in-law seized Leo and dragged him down with her, kneeling before Veronica, sobbing hysterically. “Veronica, dear… we were wrong, so utterly wrong. Hit me, curse me, this old woman will bear it all, but please, please forgive my Eddy.” A single word she almost blurted out confirmed my suspicions. Then she tried to pull me down to kneel and apologize with her. 5. Was this a joke? The legitimate wife apologizing to the mistress? I wasn’t a fool! I yanked my hand away. My mother-in-law stumbled, her head hitting the floor with a thud, making her wince in pain. I blinked, feigning confusion, and asked, “Mother-in-law, how do you know her name is Veronica?” My mother-in-law’s eyes flickered, and she quickly explained, ignoring the pain. “At first… at first, I didn’t.” She spun a lie. “Eddy told me on the way there. He said we had wronged her, and that we absolutely had to compensate Veronica properly.” Leo chimed in, supporting her. “Yes, Daddy mentioned her before.” I glanced at Leo, my heart chilling to its very core. My own son, simply because Eddy promised him a new racing drone if he lied, had kept me in the dark, letting me slave away for this family for decades. What an ingrate! I looked at the little girl opposite me. She was watching us warily. Yet she bore a striking resemblance to me. A daring suspicion bloomed in my mind. Veronica subtly intercepted my gaze. She shot me a quick, dismissive glance, then demanded, with a lion's appetite, “You want me to forgive him? Fine. Half a million. Not a penny less, or there’s nothing to discuss!” She was remarkably assertive. Then she turned and slammed the door shut. I didn't move. My mother-in-law panicked, lunging forward to grip the doorframe tightly. Veronica couldn't quite shut the door. She spat with disgust, “Get out! I don’t want to see your family for another second! If it weren’t for you, my husband would still be alive!” My mother-in-law whirled around and fell to her knees before me. “Beth, please, I beg you! Save Eddy! I’ll be your slave in my next life, I swear! He’s my only son; please, please save him!” Her cries tore through the air. My expression remained impassive, but a cold smirk played on my lips inwardly. My mother-in-law pretended to beg, but in reality, she was putting me on the spot, banking on my soft heart to give in! “Mother-in-law, what are you doing! Eddy and I are husband and wife. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get Eddy out…” I quickly helped my mother-in-law up from the ground. My mother-in-law was overjoyed, and Veronica subtly revealed a triumphant look. But then, the next second, I handed the documents I’d been holding behind my back to Veronica, sighing. “However, Mother-in-law is right.” “Since Eddy is so principled, I can’t let him be spoken ill of.” “Here are the proofs of Eddy’s crime. I’ll just take them to the police for him now. It’ll save the officers the trouble of searching.”
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