I had lived for 50 years before I finally overheard the ugly truth from my two daughters-in-law. The "one that got away"—the female lead, Stella, who was about to return to the States—was actually the biological daughter of my husband Richard's first love. My daughters-in-law had decided to make a run for it. They revealed that this returning heroine wasn't just the obsession of my two sons, but also the precious daughter of my husband’s past lover. The three men in my life were conspiring to trick me into adopting her as my goddaughter. According to the plot, I was supposed to find out the truth at seventy, but I was only fifty. "Screw that. Why should I suffer for another twenty years?" I decided to fake my death right on the route they took to "rescue" their precious female lead. I wanted to make them drown in guilt for the rest of their lives. Later, Richard lost his mind. My two sons were consumed by regret. Meanwhile, my two daughters-in-law took me away to live our most wicked, fabulous lives. Surrounded by ten gorgeous, young male masseurs, we got pampered at the spa while they hand-fed us fresh fruit. 01 It took half a century to hear the truth slipping from my daughters-in-law's lips. The returning "white moonlight" heroine, Stella, was the daughter of my husband Richard's first love, Valerie. My daughters-in-law had decided to pull a vanishing act. My eldest daughter-in-law, Olivia, was frantically dumping diamonds, gold, and pearls into a designer suitcase. "I refuse to end up like our mother-in-law. I want a divorce. What about you?" My second daughter-in-law, Maya, tapped away on her phone. "If you're out, I'm out. "I definitely don't want to spend the rest of my life watching both my husband and his brother obsess over their dad's first love's daughter. "Let me check how much I've milked from Cole over our three-year marriage. Hehe, nine and a half million in my private account. Enough for us to live like absolute queens. "But how do we get a divorce? Do you really think Wyatt and Cole will just let us go?" Olivia thought about it carefully. "If we just ask for a divorce, they'll flat out refuse. "They might even freeze our accounts. You'll be sitting on nine million bucks and won't be able to spend a dime. "When Valerie came back to the States years ago, Mom asked for a divorce. Dad adamantly refused and froze her accounts, leaving her without a penny to even rent a motel. "And then Mom found out she was pregnant with twins. For the kids' sake, she had to stay trapped by Dad's side. "But what she absolutely never realized is that five years later, Dad frequently took the boys on overseas 'business trips.' He claimed he was grooming them for the business, but he was really taking them to play with Valerie's daughter! "He conditioned the boys to treat Stella like their own precious sister. They practically grew up as childhood sweethearts. "According to the plot, once Stella returns, the three of them will brainwash Mom into adopting her as a goddaughter. She'll dote on her. Where does that leave us? We'll lose our luxurious lives! "Why don't we just fake our deaths and disappear?" Maya agreed immediately. "I'm with you. I'm going back to my room to pack my jewelry right now. "These past three years of maxing out Cole's black card on designer bags and gems... selling them will give us plenty of cash. We won't starve." As she walked out of Olivia's room, she bumped right into me eavesdropping by the door. Maya's face went ghost white. She stammered, "M-Mom... how much of that did you hear?" I felt like I had been plunged into an ice bath, yet my chest burned with a raging fire. Clenching my fists, I asked, "Is everything you said true? Is Stella really Valerie's daughter?" Maya looked conflicted, shooting a desperate glance at Olivia for help. "What do we do now? She's going to tell Richard and the boys and ruin our escape plan!" I grabbed both of their hands tightly, refusing to let go. "You're right. I won't let you go—unless you take me with you." 02 I thought about what Richard had said to me just last night. "Honey, haven't you always wanted a daughter? "A friend of mine overseas passed away, leaving his only daughter all alone. She's moving back to the States. Why don't we make her our goddaughter? She can live with us and be the sweet daughter you always wanted." Wyatt and Cole had chimed in enthusiastically. "Yeah, Mom! Her name is Stella. She's super sweet and knows exactly how to make people smile. You'll definitely love her." Haha. Great. Just great. The three most important men in my life were stabbing me in the back! No wonder Wyatt got into a massive fight with Olivia this morning. He was gripping her by the shoulders, his eyes bloodshot as he demanded, "Stella disappeared right after getting off the plane. Did you hire someone to kidnap her?!" I had rushed in, telling my son to let go and asking if there was a misunderstanding. But Richard had pulled me aside, his temper flaring hotter than his son's. "What misunderstanding?! Olivia, speak up! Where did you take Stella?!" No wonder Richard was more frantic than his own sons. That Stella was the daughter of his "one that got away," Valerie. Memories flooded back like a tidal wave. I suddenly remembered a conversation when Wyatt and Cole were five. "Dad, can Stella's mom be our mom? "We really want Stella's mom to be our mom. Then Stella can be our sister and live with us. "We want to play with her and protect her forever." I had curiously asked, "Who is Stella?" I remembered Richard sternly scolding the boys, "Don't talk nonsense!" Then he turned to me. "She's just the daughter of a friend abroad. A cute little kid. The boys saw her once and are obsessed with wanting to be her big brothers." I had completely ignored how evasive his eyes were and how guilty he sounded. How pathetic. I sacrificed my career and ambitions. I poured my entire heart and soul into these three men. And this was how they repaid me? I felt drained of all my strength, swaying on my feet. Then I looked at my two clear-headed daughters-in-law. When a man loves you, max out his credit cards. When he doesn't, pack the gold and run. By comparison, I felt like the biggest idiot in the world. Afraid they would think I was too old and refuse to take me, I laid my cards on the table. "Richard's private safe has a hundred solid gold bars, 500 grams each. "If you take me with you, I will clean out his safe right now. "From now on, whatever you want to eat, drink, or buy, it's all on me." 03 My daughters-in-law's eyes instantly lit up. They looked ready to hug my legs. Olivia whispered, "Mom, honestly, we've wanted to take you and break this plot for ages. "I'll level with you. We're living the 'best friends marrying brothers' trope, and you're the 'tragic, oblivious mother'. "Three years ago, my best friend and I got into a car crash in our original world and transmigrated into this novel, marrying into the Sterling family. "The System wanted me to romance the CEO older brother, and for her to play the devoted wife to the genius surgeon younger brother. "But once the true female lead, Stella, returns, your sons will act like they're under a spell. They'll go crazy for her and brainwash you into taking her in. "You always wanted a daughter, so you'll treat her like absolute royalty, giving her whatever she wants. "You wouldn't find out her true identity until you're seventy, and you'd divorce in a fit of rage. "But that's not a satisfying ending. It's better to wake up now and make a clean break." Maya gritted her teeth. "Exactly, Mom. If you want daughters, just treat us like your daughters. "We'll take you out to live the high life and enjoy being utterly selfish. "As long as we have money, what kind of handsome, obedient pool boys can't we find? "Last time Olivia and I went to the luxury spa, we ordered ten gorgeous guys to wait on us. It was heavenly. "Next time, we'll take you with us. "Isn't that a million times better than serving an aging father-in-law?" They were right. Why should I waste the rest of my life on three ungrateful wolves? I felt cold, but I smiled through my tears. "Deal. I'll go empty their little treasuries right now. "Then, we disappear." 04 I went to the master bedroom to raid Richard's safe. A full one hundred gold bars, shoved unceremoniously into my suitcase. As I reached for the last bar, my hand brushed against a hidden button. A secret compartment popped open. Inside was an old photograph. The background was a stunning, snow-covered ski resort. There were five people in the picture. Two little boys were teaching a little girl how to ski. The other two adults were a younger Richard and Valerie, her hair blowing in the wind. It was a candid shot. It looked exactly like a perfectly happy family of five. I gripped the photo, my pupils dilating, my hands shaking uncontrollably. It was more jarring than anything my daughters-in-law had told me. It pierced straight through my heart. So, everything they said was true. I wanted to march right up to Richard and smash the photo into his face. I wanted to demand why he treated me this way. It wasn't like I had refused to divorce him back then! Why did he stubbornly refuse to let me go, while secretly taking our sons on ski trips with Valerie? And why did he make my sons treat Valerie's daughter like their precious first love? It was so disgusting. I wanted to throw up. Suddenly, a deep voice came from behind me. "Why are you opening the safe? "And why did you take all the gold out?" 05 It was Richard. I jumped. Terrified he might realize I was planning to run, I took the offensive. I whipped the photo at his face, my eyes welling with tears. "What is this?! Explain this to me! "Richard Sterling, how could you do this to me?!" Richard's eyes clearly darted away in guilt, but he quickly regained his infuriatingly calm CEO demeanor. "It's just an old photo. Don't make a fuss over nothing. "It's ancient history. Not even worth bringing up." Seeing my red eyes, he softened his tone. "If you insist on an explanation, fine. "Valerie's daughter had a rare form of autism. Her psychologist suggested she interact with kids her own age to help her condition. I felt bad for the kid, so I took the boys on a ski trip with them. That's all. I have no other relationship with her." He was still lying to my face! If they had no relationship, why hide this photo in a secret compartment inside his safe? My heart stung, but I fought back the tears and said, "Let's get a divorce." Richard's eyes widened in shock. "What did you say?" I zipped up the suitcase, my heart completely dead. "I said, divorce. I'm keeping these gold bars, and you get the rest. You're not losing out." Richard lost his temper, shouting my full name: "Clara, have you lost your mind?! "I'll give you one last chance. Take back what you just said!" Not a chance. I smiled, feeling a profound bleakness. "I'm not crazy! "That missing girl you're all desperately looking for right now, Stella, is the girl in this photo, isn't she? "And you wanted me to adopt her as my goddaughter? "Richard, what the hell is wrong with you? Do you have no conscience? "Since you want her as a daughter so badly, I'll step aside. I'll make room. Isn't that enough?!" Richard panicked. Just like when he was younger, he aggressively pulled me into a tight embrace. He threw the photo on the floor and stepped on it with his dress shoes to prove a point. "Look, I don't care about this old picture at all. "Stop making a scene. Be a good girl." I pushed him away with every ounce of strength I had. I slapped him hard across the face. I was done being "good." "Clara, stop right there!" I grabbed the suitcase packed with gold bars and bolted faster than a rabbit. 06 Richard chased me to the top of the stairs, yelling down at our sons. "Wyatt! Cole! Stop your mother! "She wants a divorce!" Wyatt and Cole were standing in the living room, frantically making calls to locate Stella. Hearing this, Wyatt stepped in my way, immediately shifting the blame. "Mom, we're dealing with a massive crisis here. What kind of tantrum are you throwing now?" I slapped my eldest son's hand away. "Don't call me Mom. I don't have a son like you!" My second son, Cole, stepped up to block me, looking at me like I was insane. "Mom, Stella is missing. Wyatt and I are busy looking for her. Can you please not add to the chaos right now? "Doesn't Dad spoil you enough? "Why are you suddenly demanding a divorce and disowning Wyatt? "You're not going to disown me too, are you?" I was furious, suffocating from the injustice. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I screamed, "Yes, I'm disowning you too! "Husband, sons—I don't want any of you! "Since you care about Stella so much, go call Valerie your mother! "I'm stepping out so your perfect little family of five can live happily ever after. Are you satisfied?!" I had laid all their dirty secrets bare. Yet, the brothers didn't look an ounce guilty. Cole simply fell silent for a moment before offering a breezy smile. "Mom, is that why you're mad? "We didn't tell you who Stella's mother was because we knew your imagination would run wild. "Dad hasn't spoken to Aunt Valerie in years. "We hadn't even kept in touch with Stella. "It wasn't until half a month ago when Stella called, crying that her mom passed away from a severe illness and left her all alone. She wanted to return to the States. I had almost forgotten what she looked like. "Why are you being so petty? "Aren't you afraid of becoming a laughingstock to our friends and family?" My son was a real wordsmith. I felt chilled to the bone, yet I wanted to laugh. "So now it's my fault?" No wonder the three of them wanted me to make her my goddaughter. Her real mom was dead. They needed me to be her new emotional blood bank and shower her with maternal love. The thought of spending the next twenty years treating Valerie's daughter like a princess made me shake with rage. I had to run! Whoever wanted to be the martyr could do it, but I absolutely refused! 07 Olivia and Maya heard the commotion and rushed into the living room. They pretended to play peacemakers, trying to calm everyone down. But under their breath, they whispered to me: "Mom, weren't we supposed to fake our deaths together? "Why are you going off-script?" I felt a surge of sorrow and whispered back: "Plans changed. "I got caught raiding the gold. "What else could I do? I have a hundred gold bars in this suitcase. I couldn't exactly put them back. "Years ago, I failed to get a divorce because I didn't have any money of my own. "I will absolutely not make the same mistake twice." Olivia told me not to panic and quickly came up with a plan. "Take the gold and drive toward Mount Rainier first. "We'll follow right behind you." I nodded. I dramatically shoved Olivia away, putting on a show of utter despair. "Nobody try to stop me! I'm getting this divorce today!" Olivia cried out, "Ouch!" and dramatically collapsed to the floor. Maya lunged forward and hugged my leg. "Mom, calm down! You need to calm down!" I put on a show of kicking Maya. "Get off me! I'm leaving right now!" Maya's acting skills were Oscar-worthy. Taking my fake kick, she exaggeratedly rolled across the floor three times. Richard couldn't stand it anymore and roared, "Let her go! She's being completely unreasonable! "Throwing away her husband and kids at her age. I want to see how many days she lasts out there on her own!" I wasn't that old. I was fifty. I had plenty of time left to start over. If I waited until I was seventy to leave, that would be too late. Richard was absolutely certain that after throwing a fit for a few days, I'd come crawling back. But I was going to pull a vanishing act. And even if I "died," I wasn't going to let Valerie's daughter have it easy. I was going to bury a thorn so deep in Richard's heart that every time he looked at Stella, he would be reminded of my death. Olivia had given me the perfect idea: "I have a plan. You need to 'die' right on their path to rescuing Stella. "Make them suffer for the rest of their lives." 08 That day, Wyatt and Cole finally got a lead on Stella's whereabouts. All three men, Richard included, rushed off to save her. Olivia called me: "Mom, the window is open. "You can make your exit now. "Turns out, Stella was never kidnapped. "She quietly took a bus to the Mount Rainier tourist resort right after landing, purposely turning off her phone to make Richard and the boys panic. "Since she wants to play games, let's give her a real show." I agreed. I intentionally drove my car along the winding coastal highway. Suddenly, CRASH! My car slammed into the guardrail perched on the edge of the cliff, teetering precariously. At any moment, it could plunge into the ocean. Even though Olivia assured me she had hired divers waiting in the water below to extract me, the sensation of staring death in the face was terrifying. I was so scared I desperately wanted those three men to rush to my side. I remembered the pain of childbirth feeling just like this. Back then, Richard had placed our twin boys by my bed and excitedly kissed my forehead. "Honey, look, you gave me two beautiful sons. "You suffered so much for these brats. "I promise I'll make them treat you like a queen when they grow up. "If they ever disrespect you, I'll beat them senseless." But now, as I sat in a car dangling off a cliff, I called Richard. He heartlessly declined the call. I called three times. He rejected every single one. I called my eldest son, Wyatt. He picked up, but before I could even speak, he snapped impatiently, "Mom, I don't have time for this right now. "Whatever it is, I'll call you back later." Then, he hung up. I pinned my last shred of hope on my youngest son, Cole. His tone was even more irritable: "Mom, can you stop spamming our phones? "Wyatt, Dad, and I are dealing with a life-or-death emergency right now. "If you're regretting the divorce, just go back home and wait." Before I could even scream the word "Help," the line went dead. In that moment, my heart turned to ice. I realized that even if I were genuinely dying in a car crash, they wouldn't come to my side. These were the three men I had served for half my life. When the car finally plummeted off the cliff, my heart was cold. So freezing, bitterly cold.
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