Chapter 2

Nelly eyed the jewelry I was wearing. Then she reached out and forcefully yanked the earrings from my ears.

Pain shot through me, and I winced, certain I was bleeding.

“Have you lost your mind, Nelly? I told you I don’t know your husband!”

Just as Nelly opened her mouth to respond, her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and smiled sweetly.

“It’s my husband. He’s probably calling to check on me.”

Her friend chimed in, “Put it on speaker so this filthy woman can hear how good your husband is to you.”

“Sure.”

As soon as she answered, the fierce Nelly transformed into some docile creature.

“Honey, I’m out shopping with the baby and some friends.”

The man on the other end replied, “Just don’t stay out too late. Take good care of the child.”

I froze. I’ve known Drake for so many years, that I instantly recognized his voice.

Before that, I believed Nelly had made a mistake. But now, it felt like something inside me had broken.

I looked at Nelly, who had just hung up the phone, and asked, “Do you have a picture of your husband?”

Her expression was smug as she opened her phone’s photo gallery and held it up for me to see.

“Open your eyes wide and take a good look—this is my husband. He loves me, and you can’t take him away!”

In the photo, the man sat on the couch with Nelly and the baby in her arms, looking like a happy family of three.

There was no mistaking Drake in that photo.

As I gazed at the familiar living room, my fingers gradually curled into fists.

I bought that villa two years ago.

I hadn’t spent much time there since it was too far from my workplace, so I purchased another larger house where I lived.

The villa was usually under Drake's care.

For the past six months, Drake had often mentioned work trips, returning home only a few days each month.

I worried he was overworking himself, so I made him a grand meal whenever he came home.

So he hadn’t been coming home because he already had another family out there.

A family in a house I had paid for!

Even after being with Drake for so many years, he had always treated me with kindness and affection.

He was hardworking and honest—a good husband in everyone’s eyes.

I couldn’t believe he had cheated on me and fathered a child behind my back!

I still remember the day of our wedding when Drake cried and swore he would treat me well, till death do us part and all that.

Nelly watched me and mistook my silence for guilt. She pulled out another photo to show me.

“This is our marriage certificate. If I hadn’t gotten pregnant and had a baby, he would have thrown me a grand wedding. Eat that up, you filthy woman!”

I stared in confusion at the photo and the names on the marriage certificate.

It couldn’t be.

Drake and I hadn’t divorced. If they were married, then Drake had committed bigamy.

Before I could consider the matter further, Nelly yanked the necklace off my neck and tried to grab my bracelet.

“Don’t touch the bracelet!” I shouted in panic.

“I can let you have everything else, but this bracelet is off-limits.”

Nelly instructed her two friends to hold my hands down while she pried the bracelet from my wrist.

“Give it back! Return my bracelet!” I pleaded desperately.

“Look Nelly, if you return the bracelet, I won’t pursue any damages for the car you smashed or the other antiques you broke.

“Please, just give me my bracelet back.”

Nelly looked at me, her smile wicked and triumphant. “Seeing you so scared is pretty entertaining.”

Desperation consumed me as I growled, “Do you have any idea how much this bespoke bracelet is worth? Over a hundred million dollars!”

Nelly scoffed at me. “Stop trying to fool me. You really think I’m stupid enough to believe a mere bracelet could be worth over a hundred million?”

I clenched my fists. “This bracelet is custom made, one of a kind—priceless! You can’t afford to pay for it!”

Some viewers in the livestream recognized its value.

[That’s true actually. I recognize the maker’s symbol.]

Nelly appeared taken aback.

The middle-aged woman who had slapped me earlier poked her arm.

“Don’t be scared, Nelly. If that bracelet is really worth what she says, how could this fox possibly afford it?

“Your husband must have bought it so that makes it marital property!

“Just smash it if you want! What are you afraid of?”

“Exactly, Nelly. Your aunt is right,” Nelly’s friend chimed in.

Nelly nodded in agreement. “Right! If he gave it to her then it’s rightfully mine!”

I looked at them, my anger boiling over.

What a bunch of fools!

“Listen carefully. I am Drake’s legal wife! You will all pay for your stupidity!”

But my words were drowned out by their shouts and insults.

They held me down, and no matter how fiercely I struggled, I couldn’t break free of their grasp.