After a year of studying abroad, I returned home with high hopes, only to uncover a shocking secret that left me speechless. My husband, who had always insisted on remaining childless, had fathered a child with another woman behind my back. To add insult to injury, he had the audacity to bring this woman into our home under the guise of a nanny, forcing me to live with her. My mother-in-law’s attitude towards the situation was even more disheartening. She boasted proudly, “My son is truly successful now. He has two wives – one who earns money and another who takes care of the baby.” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly to myself. Just wait and see how I’ll shatter this absurd fantasy of yours! As soon as I stepped through the door, James thrust a baby into my arms. “Honey, look! I adopted him. Isn’t he adorable?” Caught off guard, I awkwardly held the crying infant, a sense of unease washing over me. Just then, the bedroom door slowly opened, and a young, attractive woman emerged. With a smile playing on her lips, she said softly, “Let me take him. You don’t seem to know how to hold a baby properly.” She expertly took the child from me, cooing and soothing him. Within moments, his cries subsided. James grinned proudly. “Alex, I know you’re new to this, so I hired an experienced nanny to help out.” I stood there, stone-faced, my gaze darting between them as my mind raced. Not long ago, I had accidentally become pregnant and was overjoyed at the prospect of starting a family. But James had been adamant about remaining childless, ignoring my pleas and even threatening divorce. Heartbroken, I had no choice but to give up that child. Now, he suddenly brings home a baby? What was this all about? My thoughts were interrupted by the baby’s cries. The nanny, Sophia, said softly, “The little one must be hungry.” Before I could react, Sophia casually lifted her shirt, exposing her skin to breastfeed the baby right in front of James and me. James stood nearby, his eyes fixed on the scene. Anger flared within me. “How can you do that in front of my husband?” I snapped. Sophia looked up at me, her eyes brimming with tears, her lips trembling but no words coming out. James grabbed my arm and pulled me aside, chastising me, “You’ve never been a mother. When a baby’s hungry, nothing else matters.” I scoffed, “Then why are you staring so intently?” “What’s wrong with watching my son eat?” James retorted, shooting me an irritated glance. We stood there in tense silence, the air thick with unspoken hostility. As the room quieted, I could hear Sophia’s soft sobs. “I’m sorry, James. It’s all my fault. I don’t understand city ways,” Sophia whimpered. “Now that your wife is back, I should leave early.” She started to get up. James quickly grabbed her arm. “Don’t be silly. If you leave, who will take care of my son?” He turned to me, seemingly seeking my approval. Watching their little act, I felt a surge of anger and frustration building in my chest. Without another glance at them, I turned and walked into the bedroom. However, the sight that greeted me there only fueled my rage further. Women’s underwear was strewn across the bed, and my closet had been ransacked. My expensive dresses, which I rarely wore, were now stained and crumpled. Furious, I grabbed the underwear and stormed out of the bedroom, flinging it at James’s face. “You’d better explain what the hell is going on here!” My voice shook with anger. James’s face tensed, and he raised his voice, trying to mask his unease. “Alex, you’re being completely unreasonable! When did you become so arrogant and irrational?” His words nearly made me laugh in disbelief. Who was really being unreasonable and arrogant here? He had adopted a child without my consent and now allowed this nanny to invade my personal space so shamelessly. “I’m being unreasonable? James, is this nanny here for your son or for you? Why is her underwear on our bed?” I demanded. James’s face flushed, then paled. He opened his mouth but couldn’t form a response. Suddenly, Sophia fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she begged for forgiveness. “I’m so sorry, Alex. It’s all my fault…”
James shot me a withering glare before moving to help Sophia up. But she stubbornly remained on her knees, lifting her tear-filled eyes to James and shaking her head. “James, I really messed up,” Sophia said. “Alex has been away working hard for so long, and now she’s come home to find us causing trouble. If my kneeling can make her feel better, I’m willing to stay like this.” Her body trembled slightly as she lowered her head, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. James’s eyes filled with concern for Sophia. He turned to me, his gaze cold and hard. “Do you have to push Sophia this far? Do you have any idea how exhausting it is for her to take care of the baby every day? She can’t even get a full night’s sleep.” I let out a derisive laugh. “She’s exhausted? And I’m not?” For the past year, I had been studying abroad, not only adapting to a foreign language environment but also juggling a heavy course load. To save money, I even took on two part-time jobs. I slept only 4-5 hours a night, all to successfully obtain my certification. And all of this was because our family suddenly had an additional monthly mortgage payment of nearly $4,000 – the result of James insisting on upgrading to a 3,200 square foot luxury apartment. I had thought that a happier life awaited me upon my return, but now everything was in chaos. Irritated, I looked at Sophia, still kneeling on the floor, and suddenly realized they were trying to shift the focus of the conversation. This wasn’t about who was more tired; it was about why the nanny was sleeping in my bedroom. Just as I was about to question them, James roughly pushed me aside. “Alex, how long are you going to make Sophia kneel? I told her to sleep in your room. She needs to feed the baby at night, and the other rooms are too small for her to be comfortable.” I stared at him intently. “And where do you sleep?” James’s expression immediately darkened. “What are you implying? I sleep in the study, of course!” At this, Sophia, still kneeling, began to cry even harder. “Alex, I may come from a poor background, but I’m not that kind of woman. I would never do anything so disgraceful.” With that, she got up and rushed into the bedroom to pack her things. James glared at me furiously. “Are you satisfied now? You’re so determined to drive Sophia away that you’d stoop to slandering her. Not only have you insulted her integrity, but you’ve also insulted your husband.” He shoved me aside and went to the bedroom to console Sophia, gently taking the clothes from her hands and carefully folding them before putting them back in the closet. In all our years of marriage, I had never seen him be so gentle. I had always handled all the household chores. Forget about folding clothes – even when I asked him to hang up the laundry while I was working late, he would ignore my request. I’d come home in the early hours of the morning to find the clothes still sitting in the washing machine. As I watched them and the sleeping baby, they looked like a real family of three, while I stood there feeling like an outsider. James turned back to me and shouted, “What are you still standing there for? Come and apologize to Sophia right now! Are you only happy when you’ve driven her away?” Sophia tugged at his sleeve and shook her head timidly. “It’s okay, Alex. You don’t need to apologize. I’m used to being mistreated. I’ll go make dinner for you all.” But James held her back firmly. “Honey, now that you’re back, you can cook for us from now on. Sophia is already exhausted from taking care of the baby.” His words hit me like a bolt of lightning, leaving me numb and unable to move.
I trembled with rage, my voice quivering with barely contained fury: “James, what exactly are you saying? Am I the hired nanny here?” Sophia gently pushed James aside and looked at me apologetically, explaining, “Alex, you might not be familiar with how things work in our industry. A nanny’s main responsibility is to take care of the baby. We don’t usually handle other household tasks because the baby’s safety is our top priority.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart, then turned to Sophia and asked, “How much do you make per month?” Her demeanor changed instantly, a smug smile replacing her previous meekness. “I’m the agency’s top nanny. My monthly salary is $3,500.” I scoffed inwardly. That figure matched James’s monthly salary perfectly. He had been constantly complaining about financial pressure and the company’s poor performance, but it turned out he had dumped the entire burden of the mortgage on me while using his money to pay for this so-called top nanny. My gaze turned icy. “We can’t afford such an expensive nanny. Today is the 10th, so I’ll pay you for the full month. Thank you for your hard work during this time.” Sophia looked at me in shock, her voice choked with tears. “Alex, are you… are you firing me?” She clung to James’s sleeve, her pitiful appearance instantly triggering his protective instincts. James shielded her behind him and glared at me darkly. “Do I need your permission to hire a nanny with my own money? Who do you think you are, Alex?” I shook with anger. After we got married, most of our major purchases – the house, the car, the appliances, and the renovations – were largely funded by my salary. I worked late into the night every day, only to come home to find James either sprawled on the couch watching TV or playing video games in his study, leaving the house a mess for me to clean up. I had foolishly believed that at least his feelings for me were genuine, but now I realized it was all just wishful thinking on my part. I was about to retort when the doorbell suddenly rang. I was surprised to see my mother-in-law, Mrs. Parker, at the door. She pushed past me and went straight to the baby’s crib, her face beaming with joy. “Oh, my precious grandson! Let grandma see if you’ve gotten chubbier!” Sophia attentively catered to Mrs. Parker, regaling her with amusing anecdotes about the baby, which had her roaring with laughter. To my astonishment, Mrs. Parker removed the jade bracelet from her wrist and placed it on Sophia’s. “You’re a true blessing to our family, dear.” I stared at the scene in disbelief. “Mom, how can you give such a precious bracelet to an outsider?” That bracelet was part of my dowry from my own mother and held great sentimental value. Mrs. Parker shot me a disdainful look. “It was given to me, so I can do whatever I want with it. Don’t tell me you want it back now?” She then berated me for not having lunch ready and made a snide remark about my inability to bear children after all these years. Struggling to control my emotions, I said firmly, “That bracelet cannot be given to Sophia.” I stepped forward to retrieve the bracelet, but Sophia roughly pushed me away.
I stumbled, nearly losing my balance. Suddenly, James lunged forward, grabbing my hair and slapping me hard across the face. “Alex, have I been too lenient with you?” he roared. “It’s just a stupid bracelet, and you dare to lay hands on Sophia!” I cupped my stinging cheek, collapsing to the floor. Looking up, I saw the three of them towering over me. Their lips were moving, but all I could hear was a sharp ringing in my ears. Fighting back tears, I struggled to my feet. I grabbed a nearby glass and smashed it on the ground, sending shards flying everywhere. Trying to keep my voice from trembling, I fixed them with an icy stare and said slowly and deliberately: “If that’s how it is, then let’s get a divorce.” Upon hearing this, Mrs. Parker burst into shrill laughter as if she’d just heard a hilarious joke. “Alex, you really think too highly of yourself! Divorce? That’s for my son to decide, not you!” “What right does a woman like you have to ask for a divorce?” she continued, her voice dripping with contempt. “So what if my son hired a nanny? He’s such an outstanding man, he deserves to have eight women serving him if he wants!” She shot James a meaningful glance. “Son, your wife is so petty. Haven’t you been disciplining her properly?” James sneered, his face contorting with anger as he approached me. He grabbed my hair again, ignoring my struggles as he dragged me into the bedroom. I stared at him, my eyes unfocused, letting out a blood-curdling scream. Tears streamed down my face as I felt myself on the verge of a breakdown. I curled up in the corner, hugging my knees to my chest, listening to their laughter and cheerful conversation outside. My heart was filled with rage and despair. “I’ve always said we shouldn’t be too nice to Alex, or she’ll get ideas above her station,” Mrs. Parker’s voice drifted in. “You taught her a good lesson today. She’ll definitely be more obedient from now on,” Sophia chimed in. James laughed heartily, nodding in agreement. “Mom, you’re still the wisest of us all.” I took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure. I realized that their refusal to divorce was simply because they wanted me to continue earning money for them. Moreover, I currently had no concrete evidence against them. If I were to divorce now, I’d lose at least half of our assets, which would be a significant loss for me. With this in mind, I gradually calmed down. I straightened my disheveled clothes and walked out of the bedroom, forcing a smile onto my face. “You must be hungry. I’ll go make lunch for everyone,” I said, trying to keep my voice as natural as possible. Mrs. Parker snorted coldly. “It’s about time! Why did you have to make such a fuss earlier?” Sophia stood nearby, demurely peeling grapes for Mrs. Parker. “Don’t be upset with Alex, Mrs. Parker. It’s not worth ruining your mood over her.” I rolled my eyes, thinking to myself: Enjoy your smugness while you can. It won’t last much longer. After preparing the meal, Mrs. Parker knocked the chopsticks out of my hand and glared at me. “Go buy two bottles of juice. Sophia likes orange juice.” She turned to Sophia with a smile, their expressions full of triumph and challenge. I let out a cold laugh and left the house without a word. I dawdled downstairs while buying the drinks, deliberately giving them enough time. As I left, I intentionally left the door slightly ajar. In the elevator, I pressed the button for one floor below ours, then slowly made my way up the stairs to our front door. I pressed myself against the wall, listening to the cheerful voices and Mrs. Parker’s nauseating laughter coming from inside. My heart was filled with anger and disgust. “My son is truly capable!” Mrs. Parker’s voice rang out. “Now Sophia has given you a son and can live here as a nanny. Let that little bitch Alex go out and earn money for us while you enjoy the best of both worlds at home!”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296275”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #狼人Werewolf #现实主义Realistic
Leave a Reply