When I married Blake, everyone said I’d married up. After all, he was the sole heir to the billion-dollar Chen family fortune. But three years into our marriage, my mother-in-law, Evelyn, only allowed me to have a daughter. She never permitted me to have a son. It wasn’t until Blake’s ex-girlfriend showed up with a little boy that I understood why. That boy was supposed to be the Chen family’s “true heir.” To make way for his illegitimate son, Blake tried to force me into a divorce using a fake medical report claiming I was infertile. Heartbroken, I prepared to leave with my daughter. But to everyone’s surprise, Evelyn tore up the divorce papers in front of everyone and slapped Blake hard across the face. “My real son died years ago,” she declared coldly. “You’re just an adopted child I brought in. I’ve kept this secret for years, hoping my granddaughter could grow up happily!” Blake broke down on the spot, still believing his mother was just angry. “Mom! I’m the son you’ve raised for over twenty years!” Evelyn held my daughter close, her eyes ice-cold as she stared at Blake. “The Chen family’s billion-dollar fortune will only go to the true heir. As for you, an outsider, you have no right to call me mother anymore.”
It was Emma’s third birthday party. I wore a cream-colored dress, smiling as I greeted the guests. Blake seemed unusually happy too, dressed in a dark suit that showed a completely different side of him. “Honey, did you really prepare a surprise for Emma?” I tugged at his sleeve, my eyes full of anticipation. He gently caressed my cheek. “You’ll see soon enough.” My heart raced. In four years of marriage, he’d never been this mysterious. I crouched down to hug Emma as she ran around. “Sweetie, Daddy says he has a big surprise for you.” “Really?” Emma clapped her hands, jumping with excitement. In the grand hall, guests held champagne flutes while Evelyn sat at the main table. Suddenly, the ballroom doors swung open. Blake walked in, holding hands with a woman. It was Vanessa, his ex-girlfriend. Beside her was a little boy, about five or six years old, who bore a striking resemblance to Blake. My mind went blank. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Blake took the microphone, walking to the front. “On my daughter’s birthday, I have an announcement to make.” My heart was about to burst out of my chest. Something wasn’t right. “This is Vanessa, my first love. And this boy is my biological son.” The room erupted into chaos. I stood there, my mind completely blank. “Blake, what are you saying?” I rushed forward, my voice trembling. He smirked and pulled out a report from his pocket, throwing it in my face. “Take a look at this.” With shaking hands, I picked up the report. It was a medical diagnosis stating: Natalie, congenital fallopian tube malformation, unable to conceive naturally. “This is impossible!” I cried out. “Impossible? The evidence is right here.” Blake pointed at our confused daughter. “And her? Where did you pick up this bastard child?” Guests began to whisper. “I always thought Emma didn’t look like Mr. Chen at all.” “Oh my God, Natalie actually…” “Poor Mr. Chen…” Their judgmental looks cut into me like knives. Emma ran over and hugged my leg. “Mommy, what are they saying?” I crouched down to hug her, tears streaming down my face. Blake threw another document at me. “Divorce papers. Sign them and leave with Emma. Don’t take anything else.” “You’re insane! Emma is your daughter!” “My daughter?” He laughed maniacally. “How can an infertile woman have a daughter? Sign it, before I make you.” I looked towards Evelyn in the crowd. “Mom, say something!” But Evelyn remained seated, her face expressionless, her eyes lingering on Blake for a long time. My heart sank completely. Even Evelyn didn’t believe me.
My hand trembled as I held the pen. The divorce papers felt like a branding iron. If I signed them, I’d lose everything. Four years of marriage, a child, all reduced to nothing. “Sign it!” Blake sneered, urging me on. “What are you waiting for?” The guests formed a circle around us, watching like it was a show. Some whispered among themselves. “Always said she wasn’t good enough for Mr. Chen.” “Now the truth’s out. The child isn’t even his.” “How shameless, lying for all these years.” Each word cut into my heart like a knife. I gritted my teeth, the pen shaking as it neared the paper. Suddenly, a hand snatched the papers away. Rip! The papers were torn to shreds, fluttering to the ground. I froze. It was Evelyn. She stood in front of me, her face expressionless, her eyes cold and sharp. “Mom?” Blake stared at her in shock. Slap! A resounding slap landed on Blake’s face. The room fell silent. Everyone stared wide-eyed. Evelyn’s voice was ice-cold. “My granddaughter. How dare you question her?” Blake held his cheek, disbelieving. “Mom, you hit me? For a bastard child?” A warmth surged through me. Evelyn was standing up for me. She believed me. But her next words sent a chill down my spine. “Take the young madam and Miss Emma back to the old house,” she ordered her bodyguards. “No one is to see them without my permission.” What? The bodyguards approached me, their movements gentle but leaving no room for refusal. “Madam, please.” I was lifted up, holding a frightened Emma in my arms. “Mommy, where are we going?” Emma asked softly. I couldn’t speak. Looking back, I saw Blake glaring at me venomously. Vanessa stood nearby with the boy, a smug smile on her face. The guests continued to gossip. “What is the old madam thinking?” “Locking Natalie away?” “Could she actually be innocent?” My mind was in chaos. What was Evelyn’s intention? Did she believe me, or was she just protecting the Chen family’s reputation? The car started moving. Through the window, I watched the hotel grow distant. It held four years of memories, now all turned into a nightmare. Emma leaned against me, her little hands clutching my clothes tightly. “Mommy, I’m scared.” I stroked her hair gently. “Don’t be afraid, Mommy’s here.” But I had no idea what would happen next. That slap from Evelyn, what was it really for? Did she truly believe Emma was her granddaughter? Or did she have other motives? The car pulled into the old Chen family mansion. This grand, traditional house was once my safe haven. Now it felt like a prison. The bodyguard respectfully opened the door for me. “Madam, the old madam is waiting for you in the study.” I got out of the car, holding Emma. The night wind was cold, making me shiver. I wasn’t sure if it was the weather or fear. The light in the study was on. Evelyn stood by the window, her back to me. “Mom,” I called softly. She turned around, her face unreadable. “Sit.” I sat down with Emma, my heart pounding. “Natalie, do you find today’s events strange?” Evelyn asked. I nodded. “Did you look at that medical report?” “I did,” I said quietly. “But I really don’t know…” “I know,” Evelyn interrupted me. “Because that report is fake.” What? I looked up sharply. Evelyn’s expression suddenly became complex. “Natalie, it’s time I told you some things.”
She walked to the desk and pulled out a yellowed file from a deep drawer. Opening the folder, there was an old photograph inside. The man in the photo bore a slight resemblance to Blake, but his eyes were much kinder. “This is my real son, Ryan,” Evelyn said. What? I stared, wide-eyed. “Twenty years ago, he was killed by business rivals. To stabilize the company, I adopted Blake from an orphanage and fabricated his identity.” My mind was reeling. Blake wasn’t her real son? “But Mom, what does this have to do with me?” I asked, confused. Evelyn didn’t answer directly. Instead, she took off a phoenix jade pendant from around her neck. The pendant was smooth as water, exquisitely carved, gleaming softly in the lamplight. “This is the Chen family’s blood heirloom. Only a female descendant of the Chen family can activate it.” I was even more puzzled. “Activate?” “This pendant contains the key to a Swiss bank account. Half of the Chen family’s assets are there.” Her words sent a shock through me. “But I’m not part of the Chen family.” Evelyn looked at Emma in my arms, her gaze softening. “But Emma is.” My blood froze. “What do you mean?” “Natalie, I must tell you the truth. Before Ryan’s car accident, I had his sperm frozen.” Oh God. I hugged Emma tighter. “You mean…” “Emma is my real granddaughter. She’s Ryan’s daughter.” Boom! I felt like the whole world was spinning. Emma wasn’t Blake’s daughter? She was the daughter of Evelyn’s deceased son? “So you had me marry Blake just to…” “To allow my true granddaughter to be born,” Evelyn nodded. “I needed a healthy woman to carry the pregnancy. You were suitable.” My shock turned to anger. “So I was just a tool? A surrogate?” “Natalie, listen to me…” “No!” I stood up. “You’ve all been lying to me! I thought I was part of this family, but I’m just an outsider!” Emma was frightened by my outburst and started crying. Evelyn came over, trying to take Emma. “Don’t touch her!” I stepped back. “Since you’ve got what you wanted, why not let us leave?” “Because Emma needs the Chen family’s protection,” Evelyn said gravely. “The people who killed Ryan are still alive. If they discover Emma’s existence, they’ll come after her.” My anger instantly turned to fear. “Who are these people?” “The masterminds behind that business war twenty years ago. They’ve been searching for the Chen family’s core assets all this time.” Evelyn walked to the window, her silhouette looking old and tired. “I pretended to believe in Blake to protect Emma. If outsiders knew her true identity, her life would be in danger.” I felt dizzy. “So what do we do now?” “I’ll drive Blake out of the Chen family. Today’s events might mean he’s figured something out.” Evelyn turned around, her eyes flashing coldly. “He’s no longer useful, but it’s best if you take action yourself.” “You need to grow, to have the ability to protect your daughter.” I looked at her, suddenly understanding something. “You slapping him today, tearing up the divorce papers, it wasn’t to protect me. It was to protect Emma.” Evelyn didn’t deny it. “Natalie, I don’t expect you to forgive me. But Emma is innocent. She needs the Chen family’s protection.” I looked down at my daughter in my arms. She was sleeping peacefully, her little cheeks rosy. This child wasn’t Blake’s daughter after all. She was another man’s daughter. A man I’d never met. “I want to see Ryan’s photos,” I said softly. Evelyn nodded and took out an album from a drawer. Opening the first page, I saw a kind-looking, handsome man. He was holding a baby, smiling brightly. “This is Ryan as a child with his father,” Evelyn said. I continued flipping through. The photos showed the man growing from a baby to a young adult, his eyes always warm. “What kind of person was he?” “Kind, intelligent, responsible,” Evelyn’s voice was nostalgic. “If he were still alive, the Chen family wouldn’t be like this now.” I closed the album, my emotions a mix of confusion and sadness.
That afternoon, Evelyn handed me the evidence. A thick stack of documents recording Blake’s underhanded moves in the company over the years. Transfers, project approvals, each one traceable. “He’s been pushing an overseas mining project recently,” Evelyn pointed to one page. “On the surface, it’s a normal investment, but he’s actually trying to move company funds overseas.” I flipped through the documents, my fingers trembling slightly. This man’s ambitions were greater than I’d imagined. “I’ve given you access to the CEO’s office,” Evelyn handed me a card. “He’s working late tonight. Go see what you can find.” At 8 PM, I arrived at the company. The elevator went straight to the top floor. I swiped the card to enter the CEO’s office, my heart racing. Low voices came from inside. I held my breath and pressed my ear to the door. “Is everything arranged for the DNA report?” Blake asked. “Don’t worry, it’s all taken care of at the hospital,” Vanessa replied smugly. “Once the report comes out, the old lady will have to acknowledge my son’s status.” My blood froze for a moment. So Vanessa’s son wasn’t Blake’s at all! “Does that kid really look like me?” Blake asked. “The features don’t match, but the build is similar. Besides, the old lady’s eyesight isn’t great.” Vanessa laughed confidently. “Once she accepts her grandson, won’t the Chen family fortune be ours?” Blake laughed. “You’re so clever.” I quietly took out a mini camera from my bag and aimed it through the crack in the door. In the lens, the two embraced, Blake’s hands roaming over Vanessa’s body. “Once the old lady dies, we can be together openly,” Vanessa purred. “She’s so healthy, who knows how long we’ll have to wait,” Blake said impatiently. Just then, Blake’s phone rang. “Hello, Lawyer Wang,” he answered. I pricked up my ears to listen carefully. “Did you get Evelyn’s medical report?” Blake walked to the window. “What? Nothing wrong with her health?” My heart tightened. “Then create a problem. Find some doctors to certify she has symptoms of dementia.” Blake’s voice was terrifyingly cold. “Yes, say she’s mentally unfit to manage the company.” Oh God! This beast was planning to frame Evelyn!
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