Đang tải thông tin quảng bá...
I Was the Hidden Wife
NovelShort
Hoàn thành
Genevieve had just finished her postpartum confinement when she went to the county office to register her newborn daughter’s birth certificate. But the clerk told her something impossible. There was...
Chương (8)
第1章
I’d just finished my postpartum confinement and finally had enough strength to go out. I took my baby to the county office to request a copy of her birth certificate.
“Hi, I’m here to get my daughter’s birth certificate. Her name’s Blair Evan Sinclair.”
She typed for a while, then paused. Her eyes narrowed at the screen.
“Ma’am… there’s already a child registered under that name. Blair Evan Sinclair is listed under Jordan Evan Sinclair’s household. The child’s about six years old.”
I blinked at her. “That can’t be right. My baby’s only a month old. You have to be looking at the wrong file.”
She shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry. It’s the same name. Same father.”
Before I could even process that, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
It was a message from Jordan’s assistant. Anastasia Beverly.
My chest tightened before I even opened it.
The photo loaded.
Jordan had his arm around her waist and his other arm was around a little boy, maybe five or six. They were standing outside a kindergarten. The three of them were laughing like they were the happiest family in the world.
The boy’s school badge was clear.
Blair Evan Sinclair.
My throat closed.
Another message popped up.
“Genevieve, how does it feel being the other woman? I guess you’ll always live under the real wife.”
The screen blurred. I wasn’t even sure when my eyes filled with tears.
Other woman? Me?
What was I then? What were the past seven years?
I forced myself to breathe and looked back at the clerk. My voice didn’t sound like mine.
“Can you… can you check Jordan Sinclair’s marriage record too?”
She hesitated but nodded. A few minutes later, the printer started humming.
The paper felt light when she handed it to me, but my hands were shaking like it weighed a hundred pounds.
Spouse: Anastasia Sinclair.
Marriage date: Seven years ago.
Seven years.
That was the same year he’d married me.
“Ma’am,” the clerk said gently, “do you still want to process your daughter’s paperwork?”
I looked down at my baby sleeping in her carrier. Her tiny lips moved like she was dreaming.
I swallowed hard. “Yes. Please register her under my name only. And… I need to change her name.”
I couldn’t let my daughter carry a lie.
...
When I walked out of the county office, my legs felt weak, like the ground wasn’t steady.
My phone buzzed again.
Jordan.
“Honey, I’m stuck in a meeting right now. I’ll come home later and spend time with you and the baby. Don’t wait up, okay? Miss you already.”
Honey.
Wife.
He’d called me that every single day. He’d texted me whenever he went out, told me where he was, who he was with. He’d hug me the second he stepped through the door, like he couldn’t survive a minute without me.
Was any of it real?
At some party years ago, some rich girl insulted me in front of everyone. The next day her family’s company collapsed. Jordan told me softly, “No one gets to disrespect my wife.” I’d believed him. I’d thought I was protected.
Once I mentioned I liked a limited edition bag I saw online. He flew overseas overnight just to buy it and came back smiling like he’d won a war. “If it makes you happy, it’s worth it,” he’d said, kissing my forehead.
All that devotion. All that sweetness.
Was it guilt? Was it a performance?
I sat in the driver’s seat and tried to put the key in the ignition, but my hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
So while he was wrapping his arms around another woman and picking up their son from school, he was texting me that he missed me?
How many times had he left their house and come straight to mine?
The thing that used to move me the most was that hospital mistake.
The nurse had mixed up the reports and told me I had bone cancer. Late stage. I still remembered the way the room spun when I heard it.
Before I could even react, Jordan grabbed the doctor’s coat with both hands. His eyes were red in seconds.
“What do you mean bone cancer? Do something!” he shouted. “Find the best specialist, the best hospital, I don’t care how much it costs. If she needs my bone marrow, take it. Take everything. If she dies, I’m not living either. Do you hear me?”
He was shaking. Actually shaking.
When they finally came back and said it was a mistake, that the report wasn’t mine, he slid down the wall in the hallway and squatted there like a lost kid. His shoulders were trembling.
He pulled me into his arms and kept saying, “Thank God, Gen! Thank God you’re okay. I thought I was going to lose you. I can’t lose you.”
I’d believed that. How could I not?
Everyone used to warn me. As his business got bigger, more women would circle him. They’d say powerful men never stayed clean.
But he treated me like I was the only woman in the world. I couldn’t even force myself to doubt him.
So why Anastasia?
Of all people, why her?
He used to despise her.
Back when she worked as a nanny for the Sinclair family, she once showed up in this low cut dress to bring him coffee. I still remembered the sound of the glass shattering against the wall.
“Don’t play these cheap tricks with me!” he’d snapped at her. “You think I don’t see what you’re doing? Don’t come back tomorrow.”
He turned around and pulled me into his arms right in front of her. His voice dropped, low and intense.
“Wife, you’re the only one in my heart. Anyone who tries to get close to me like that, I’ll throw them out. I won’t let anyone disrespect you.”
Anastasia had knelt on the floor crying, begging him not to fire her. He didn’t even look at her.
“I only love my wife,” he'd said coldly. “I can’t stand dirt in my sight. Don’t ever show your face to me again.”
She’d packed up and left that same day.
And then months later, when she suddenly appeared as his personal assistant at the company, I’d questioned him.
He held my face and sighed like he was the reasonable one.
“Genn, after she lost her job, her family tried to marry her off to some old widower. She’s been threatening suicide every day. I’m worried she’ll start spreading rumors about us. It’s safer to keep her where I can see her. I’m doing this to protect you.”
To protect me.
And I believed him.
Six years. They’d been together for six years. They even had a six year old son.
Right under my nose.
I bit down hard and forced the tears back. Crying wasn’t going to change anything. I contacted a private investigator.
Thirty minutes later, he sent me a video with the live location.
I drove there without thinking.
Jordan wasn’t at the company. He’d just come out of Blair’s kindergarten after a parent teacher meeting.
He was holding Anastasia’s hand. Carrying the little boy in his other arm. The three of them crossed the street together, laughing.
The smile on his face looked so soft and real. Softer than any smile he’d ever given me in our family photos.
Why did that hurt more than the marriage certificate?
I pressed the gas and followed them all the way to a villa area on the outskirts of the city.
Jordan got out first and opened the trunk. He pulled out a huge box of toys.
The boy screamed happily and ran off with it.
Anastasia leaned into him, her voice playful. “You spoil him way too much. One day he’s going to walk all over you.”
Jordan chuckled and brushed her hair back. “If I don’t spoil my son, who will? Of course I’m proud.”
He leaned down and kissed her. Not quick. Not distant. A real kiss.
She looked up at him, “Baby, thank you for arranging the best private primary school for Evan. You didn’t have to do so much. When I found out I was pregnant back then, I didn’t even plan to tell you. I never wanted to cause trouble for you and Genevieve. Just seeing you from far away was enough for me.”
“What are you saying?” Jordan pinched her cheek gently. “Don’t think like that. She won’t find out. And even if she does, what can she do?”
He smiled at her like she was the only one who mattered.
“You’re my wife on paper. You and our son deserve everything. It’s only right that I take care of you.”
My wife on paper.
So what was I?
The public decoration? The woman he cried for in hospital hallways? The one he swore he couldn’t live without?
第2章
Anastasia started laughing while she was still crying, like she couldn’t believe how lucky she was. Jordan leaned close to her ear and whispered.
“Since we’re legally husband and wife,” he murmured, “don’t you think we should actually act like it? We’ve been too restrained.”
She hit his chest lightly. “You’re shameless.”
He just laughed, scooped her up and carried her straight into the villa.
I was still sitting in my car.
It felt like something blunt was sawing through my chest. Not sharp enough to kill me quickly. Just slow and painful.
...
I drove home without remembering how I got there.
That night, when Jordan pushed the door open, he did what he always did. He spread his arms wide, that soft smile already on his face.
“Wife,” he said warmly, walking toward me, “did you wait long? You must be exhausted taking care of the baby all day. Come here, let me hug you.”
I stepped aside before he could touch me.
He paused for half a second, then smiled like nothing happened.
“I went to the county office today,” I said quietly. “About registering our daughter.”
His expression changed fast, but he covered it up just as fast.
“Oh, that?” He waved it off. “I’ll handle it another day. Don’t stress about that stuff.”
“I can do it,” I replied. “It’s not that complicated.”
His tone hardened for a split second. “I said I’ll take care of it!”
Then he saw my face and softened immediately. He reached for my hand.
“Genn, don’t misunderstand. The paperwork is messy these days. You just finished postpartum confinement. You shouldn’t be running around. Stay home and rest. Leave everything to me, okay? I don’t want you tired.”
So considerate. So caring.
I lowered my eyes and nodded.
I didn’t tell him that our daughter had already been registered under my name. I didn’t tell him I’d changed her last name.
And I definitely didn’t tell him that on my way home, I’d made another call.
To the one man Jordan hated the most.
I’d held my phone tightly and said, very calmly, “I’m still legally single. If you’re still willing… marry me in seven days.”
There was a long silence on the other end before he answered yes.
Back in the living room, Jordan let out a small sigh and leaned against me like he was the one who’d been wronged.
“It’s been weeks since you finished your confinement,” he said softly. “We haven’t had time for ourselves. Tonight maybe we could…”
My stomach twisted.
Before I could respond, my phone rang.
He glanced at the screen and something flickered in his eyes. Guilt? Panic?
He turned his back to me to answer.
After he hung up, his voice was rushed. “Honey, there’s an emergency at the company. I have to go now. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you, okay?”
He kissed my forehead quickly and grabbed his coat.
I followed him in my own car.
His car didn’t head toward the company.
It stopped in front of that same secluded villa.
A few minutes later, Anastasia walked out. She swayed her hips like she knew she’d won. She slid into the passenger seat.
Then the car started rocking.
I stared at it, numb.
With shaking hands, I opened the listening app on my phone. I’d installed it months ago because I was worried about his safety during business events. I wanted to make sure no one plotted against him.
How ironic.
Now it was helping me hear my husband cheat.
Her voice came first, soft and fake sweet. “Good thing I told you I had a stomachache. If I didn’t lie, you’d have stayed home pretending to be the perfect husband tonight.”
He laughed breathlessly. “You should rest more. Don’t overthink. Genn doesn’t suspect anything.”
There was a pause, then he added, almost casually, “After she gave birth, her body changed so much. Her stomach’s covered in stretch marks. I can’t even look at it without feeling turned off.”
I stopped breathing.
That body had carried his child.
Anastasia gasped softly. “Then don’t go back tonight. Stay with me. Let her sleep alone for once.”
He didn’t answer with words. The sounds that followed were enough.
A few minutes later, the car door opened. He lifted her again and carried her inside like she was something precious.
…
The next morning, I was lying there, pretending to wake up when Jordan came in. His hair was damp like he’d just stepped out of the shower.
“Genn, come on, get up. I’ve got something planned for you today,” he said, “There’s a fair with some antiques you used to like. I thought… you’d enjoy it.”
He leaned down and kissed my forehead, the same gentle gesture I’d believed was love. I hesitated, staring at him, and then got up.
...
At the fair, Anastasia appeared, dripping in red from head to toe, that ridiculous slit in her dress making everyone stare.
“Mr. Sinclair, your coat.”
Jordan froze, then turned to her like she’d just thrown dirt on him. “What are you doing here? I didn’t invite you, and you know better than this.”
She tilted her head at me, trying to look wronged. “But someone has to make sure you’re comfortable, right?”
People around us started whispering immediately. Everyone knew he doted on me. Our wedding had been grand, a spectacle the city still talked about.
Jordan’s grip on my waist tightened, and his eyes went cold. “Anastasia, enough. This is not your place. Go back to the office.”
She hesitated, biting her lip, then ran off, sniffing and wiping her eyes.
Jordan turned back to me, trying to act calm. He kissed my forehead again and helped me sit. But I could feel the tremor in his hands, the tension in his body. He kept glancing at the display cases, his feet shifting nervously under the table.
“I’ll step out for a bit. Just… pick whatever you like.”
The people around us whispered, envious. “Look at him doting on his wife. How sweet.”
“Do you think she even knows what she’s looking at? Born into the Fitzwilliam family. Must feel untouchable.”
I ignored them, my stomach twisting. I followed him as he left, and my heart sank when I reached the women’s restroom.
I shouldn’t have, but I heard them.
“Why did you even come here dressed like that? Three times this morning wasn’t enough?” Jordan’s voice was low, rough, panting almost.
“You started it,” Anastasia said, whining but flirty. “Why didn’t you think of that when you threw me out of the house?”
I wanted to disappear.
He muttered, almost lazily, “Relax, she’s just my wife on paper. Everyone here does this for the Fitzwilliam name, not me. You know that.”
“I am your legal wife!” she whispered, her voice shaking. “When will I ever get to be with you openly?”
Jordan’s voice hardened. “Stop talking nonsense. We agreed to keep this quiet. Don’t push it.”
Then, his voice softened again, “Here, the gem I got? It’s yours. Consider it… a small apology.”
“I want a real wedding too,” she murmured, “something bigger than hers. Something everyone can see.”
Then there was that sound I’ll never forget. I staggered out of the fair, pressing against the wall, retching, heart twisting.
So that’s him. The man who gave me a grand wedding, a title, public displays of affection, all while keeping his real love for her and their child.
I closed my eyes and forced myself to breathe. Six more days. Just six more days and it’s over.
I called my assistant, voice steady but hard as steel. “Check all my shares and projects in Sinclair Group. Prepare the transfer papers immediately.”
Her next words froze me.
“Miss Genevieve… the Cancer Research Project you handled? It was transferred to Miss Anastasia last month.”
第3章
The “Cancer Research Project” had been my father’s pride and joy. He’d devoted his life to helping people, and this project was meant to develop new treatments that could actually save lives.
I’d worked through my pregnancy, keeping the project going for months. It was only right before giving birth, when everything was finally starting to fall into place, that I allowed myself to breathe a little.
When I got to the company, my assistant was sweating like she’d run a marathon.
“Miss Genevieve, Mr. Sinclair has handed everything over to Miss Anastasia. Big, small… we don’t even know what’s happening inside.”
I said quietly, steady as I could, “It’s fine. Take me to the president’s office. I know the password to Jordan’s computer.”
Before I could move, Anastasia appeared, blocking the hallway.
“Miss Genevieve, wait,” her chest puffed out, lips swollen and red. I could see hickeys on her neck. She looked… untouchable.
“You can’t go in without the president’s say-so,” she added, her tone dripping with fake authority.
“Move. This is my project. I’ve overseen it from the start, and I have the right to check it myself.”
She narrowed her eyes and hissed, “You let this slide during your pregnancy, and now you want to swoop in and claim it?!”
I stared at her, my jaw tight. “You think you can steal months of work? You think it just falls into your lap? There’s no free lunch.”
She couldn’t stop me. She couldn’t. In her frustration, she started blurting everything she felt, like a child lashing out.
Just then, Jordan arrived, looking flustered. “Genn… why are you here already? You didn’t wait for me.”
I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Busy playing house with her, weren’t you? How could you even care about me right now?
I handed him a stack of documents. “Look at this, Jordan. Every original sample, every imported material for the treatments… it’s been swapped for cheap junk. Who changed the suppliers and pocketed the difference?”
He glanced at the papers and frowned, clearly realizing something was off.
Anastasia’s face was drained of color. “I… it’s nothing to do with President Sinclair. I just… I wanted extra money for my son. I didn’t think it would go this far. I’m sorry, Miss Genevieve…”
“Sorry? Sorry doesn’t cut it. You’re committing fraud. I’m calling the authorities.”
Before I could even finish, a small figure barreled into me, throwing me off balance.
“Mom! Don’t let her hurt you! Dad, make him pay!”
I froze.
Blair Evan Sinclair.
The hit wasn’t hard, but I’d just given birth a month ago. My body was still weak. When that little body slammed into me, pain shot through my stomach and I couldn’t stop the groan that escaped my throat. My vision blurred for a second.
The whole office went quiet.
Jordan rushed over like some heroic husband. “Genn, hey, look at me. Are you hurt? Does it hurt anywhere? Tell me.”
His hands hovered near my shoulders but didn’t really touch me.
Anastasia quickly pulled Blair behind her, wrapping her arms around him like she was shielding him from danger.
“Evan, that’s not polite,” she said gently, but there was no real anger in her voice. “You can’t push people like that. Say sorry to Auntie.”
Auntie? Me? Wow.
Then she looked at me with those watery eyes. “Miss Genevieve, please don't be upset. Don’t take it out on a child. He’s just protective of his mom.”
Protective.
Before I could even respond, Jordan spoke first. “Genn, don’t be harsh on him. He’s just a kid. He doesn’t understand adult matters.”
He turned to Anastasia. “Take Evan downstairs. I’ll talk to Genevieve. He didn’t mean anything by it.”
Didn’t mean anything?
I looked straight into Jordan’s eyes. “Explain what, exactly?” I asked slowly. “Explain why he called me a bad woman? Or explain why he called you Dad?”
The air turned heavy.
For a second, Jordan’s face stiffened. Then he forced a smile. “You’re overthinking. Kids call anyone they’re close to Dad sometimes. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Really?
I couldn’t stand there and watch them act anymore. I turned and walked out.
Jordan chased after me. “Genevieve, why are you making this a big deal? He’s six! You’re arguing with a six year old now?”
I stopped walking.
Six years old and already that vicious. Who taught him that? Who let him think I was the enemy? Was that not their responsibility?
I clenched my fists. “Kids don’t come up with that kind of hatred on their own. They learn it.”
His expression shifted instantly. He frowned like I’d offended him. “What are you implying? That he’s mine? Genevieve, that’s ridiculous! I only have one child. Our daughter.”
He said it so smoothly. So naturally.
Even now, he was lying.
I let out a laugh that didn’t sound like mine. “Then what’s our daughter’s name?”
He froze.
“You haven’t even named her yet, have you?”
He opened his mouth but nothing came out.
I remembered the name he’d once written in his memo. I’d seen it by accident months ago. He’d written, I hope my child grows up proud and unbreakable. The name attached to that wish had been meant for our baby.
And now that name belonged to Anastasia’s son.
I looked at him steadily. “Her name is Jennifer.”
He swallowed. His eyes flickered with something I couldn’t read, then he softened again, slipping back into that gentle tone.
“Jennifer,” he repeated with a small smile. “That’s beautiful. Bright and warm. Just like you. She’ll always light up your life.”
He reached out like he wanted to touch my hair.
I stepped back slightly.
“I’ve got a business trip for a few days,” he continued, like nothing had happened. “When I get back, we’ll talk properly. I’ll make things clearer for you.”
“Of course,” I cut in. “Work’s important.”
I didn’t wait for him to finish. I walked away.
第4章
When I got home, I fed Jennifer and rocked her to sleep. She made soft little noises and her eyelashes cast tiny shadows on her cheeks under the lamp.
My phone buzzed.
Anastasia had posted on her Insta.
Three hands stacked together. Jordan’s hand. Her hand. And Blair’s chubby little hand holding a set of car keys.
The caption said something about rewarding their little hero.
A five million dollar car, given like a toy.
Last week I’d reminded Jordan three times to buy imported diapers for his daughter. He’d said he was busy and forgot.
I stared at the screen and suddenly laughed. It sounded sharp and empty.
I saved the screenshot into my evidence folder.
Jennifer shifted in my arms, smacking her lips in her sleep.
I lowered my head and kissed her soft cheek.
“Baby, Mommy will protect you. No matter what.”
…
The next day, after checking all my resources and shares, I booked a flight to Newyork three days later.
Jordan had been texting me nonstop for the past few days, probably trying to keep up his “perfect husband” image.
“Honey, the client today was impossible, but I managed to get them on board.”
“Honey, you’ve been working so hard. The pastries in downtown are amazing. I’ll take you there next time.”
I scrolled through the messages, laughing bitterly to myself. Did he think I didn’t know? Every bonus he quietly funneled into Anastasia’s account had been recorded in my emails. Every cent. And while he was pretending to be the devoted husband, she was posting pictures of herself with stacks of money tucked into her underwear and fresh hickeys all over her body.
I couldn’t help but laugh, a little broken, at how blind I had been. Once upon a time, Jordan had loved me like that. We were childhood sweethearts, everyone envied us. He’d promised under that old banyan tree he’d marry no one but me. In college, he’d chased away every girl who even looked at me, acting like a wolf protecting his territory. He stayed at my bedside for three nights straight when I had my appendix surgery, never sleeping. The first paycheck he earned went straight into my account, with a note that said To my little princess.
But none of that mattered anymore.
A sudden cry cut through my thoughts. The nursery.
“Oh my God, Miss Genevieve! The baby had cut on her thigh and the bleeding… it won’t stop!” The nanny’s hands were shaking, smeared with blood.
My chest dropped. I ran in and grabbed Jennifer. Her tiny cries were fading, but the blood on her leg wouldn’t stop. My arms felt weak but I carried her as fast as I could to the hospital.
The doctor looked at the tests and said, “She had a rare neonatal disorder! Her hemoglobin is dangerously low. She needs a blood transfusion immediately.”
My lips trembled. “Do whatever you can. Give her the IV. I’ll do anything… I’m her mother…”
“Parents can’t give blood directly,” the doctor said calmly, almost detached. “And she’s Rh-negative. We need to check the blood bank first.”
“Then give her a clotting agent. Now!” I yelled, panic clawing through me.
Even after the clotting agent, the blood kept coming. I held her pale little body, tears sliding down my face like they’d never end.
Minutes later, a nurse ran in, sympathy written all over her face. “Miss Genevieve… the Rh-negative blood… it’s all been used up.”
“What? You just said there was some in reserve!” My voice cracked.
The nurse looked down and whispered, “This is a private hospital. Mr. Sinclair’s son needed it urgently. The director moved all the rare blood to the VIP ward.”
Everything inside me froze. Thunderbolt. My chest felt like it had been ripped open.
I was about to call Jordan, to scream at him, when my phone lit up. Anastasia had posted a new Insta story.
“Little rascal scraped his knee? Lucky for you, Dad can get the rarest blood in the whole city in no time.”
I felt like my head was about to explode. I handed Jennifer to the nurse and ran. Up the stairs, up the corridors, my heart hammering.
I kicked open the door to the VIP ward.
Anastasia was there, smiling, playing some game with Evan who was sitting comfortably in the hospital bed. The scrape on his knee looked so minor a band-aid wasn’t even needed.
I froze. My chest burned like ice and fire at the same time. That scene, that happy little mother and her child, stabbed straight into my heart.
I could feel the hatred boiling up, overwhelming me, almost taking over. I couldn’t hold it in.
“Give my daughter the blood!” I screamed.
Her face was full of that smug, triumphant look she always got when she thought she’d won.
“Why are you making such a fuss?” she said, voice sharp. “My son scraped his knee, that’s all.”
I couldn’t stop my voice from shaking. “It’s not just a scrape. My daughter… she has a rare neonatal condition. If we wait any longer, she could die!”
The doctor outside heard the shouting and stepped in cautiously. “What’s going on here? If there’s enough blood, could some of it go to this child?”
I looked at him like I was clinging to a lifeline. “Please… my daughter needs Rh-negative blood immediately! If it’s delayed even a little… she won’t survive.”
Anastasia rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Oh please, Doctor. You know who my husband is. He’s the biggest shareholder in this hospital. Did you forget that? Every drop of Rh-negative blood is reserved for our son. You want to lose your job?”
I felt like someone had punched me in the chest. Everything inside me shattered.
I lunged at the IV stand and grabbed the bag of blood. “You stole my daughter’s life! How could you do this?”
Anastasia screamed, stamping her foot. “Security! Grab her! This crazy woman is trying to steal my son’s blood!”
Two guards rushed over and pinned my arms. My rage flared, hot and wild, and I could feel every heartbeat pounding in my ears.
Anastasia snatched the bag back like she’d won a trophy and held it up. “See this? She tried to take my son’s blood. Drag her out now!”
They pulled me away, my chest heaving, fury and despair mixing into something I could barely breathe.
One of them yelled, “The hospital has enough blood, she’s just making a scene!”
I wanted to scream, to burn this place down with my voice. “I don’t care! My daughter is dying, and she has the right to live!”
The hospital director walked in at the commotion and frowned. “Wait, who’s Mrs. Sinclair here?”
第5章
Anastasia waved her phone in his face, showing the electronic marriage certificate. “Look carefully. I am the one President Sinclair married officially. Our Evan is his son. This woman’s child? A mistake. Nothing but a bastard, not even recognized.”
Her words were like knives in my chest. I looked at Nuanxing’s pale little face in my arms and my knees gave out. I fell to the floor right in front of Anastasia.
“Please… please, save my daughter!” I begged, my voice cracking, tears streaming down my face.
The chatter in the hall went silent. Every eye was on us.
Anastasia didn’t even blink. She picked up Jordan’s number and dialed. The moment he answered, her voice was sweet and aggrieved. “Baby, come back! Hurry. Genevieve is trying to steal Evan’s blood. She wants to hurt us. She’s trying to kill our son and me!”
I ripped free from the guards and grabbed the phone. My voice shook, but I forced it to stay strong. “Jordan! Jennifer is cut! She’s severely anemic from a rare condition. She needs a transfusion right now! Tell the hospital to give her the blood, or she will die!”
There was a long silence on the line, and then Jordan’s voice came through, impatient and clipped.
“Genn, the blood’s already been set aside for Evan. He needs it now, so don’t cause a scene and slow things down.”
I felt my chest tighten, my voice breaking. “How much blood does a one-month-old even need?! Your fucking son just scraped his knee, and my daughter is lying in the emergency room, bleeding! She needs it now!”
There was more static on the line before Jordan spoke again, his voice cold, almost suspicious. “A newborn baby with a rare condition? Are you… exaggerating this, Genn? Are you even being honest about your own daughter?”
“Jordan!” My voice cracked, hot tears streaming down my cheeks. “She is your daughter! Your own flesh and blood! Can’t you even understand that?”
I could hear the dean whispering near him, all obsequious, like he was afraid to anger the big man. “Mr. Sinclair, what should we do about this woman? She seems… unstable. She insists she’s your wife…”
Jordan was silent for a beat, and when he spoke again, it was icy and distant. “My wife is Anastasia. She’s the one taking care of our son, Evan. I… don’t have a daughter.”
Relief seemed to wash over the room. People looked at me like I’d gone mad.
Anastasia grinned like she’d won. She slammed the bag of Rh-negative blood onto the floor in front of me. “Does your… child even deserve this?” she hissed. Her heel ground the blood into the floor. “I’d rather see it wasted than see it given to you.”
I felt my chest collapse, like someone had crushed it with a stone, and even breathing felt impossible.
The ward door banged shut behind me, cutting me off from everything. I stumbled back to Jennifer Hospital’s ward, cradled my daughter’s tiny cold body, and tears ran over her face like a broken string of pearls. My arms felt so empty, so useless.
Then my phone lit up. Anastasia had posted again on Insta story. She was holding Evan, smiling bright, and in the picture was the transfer Jordan had just made, 500,000 dollars, with a note: “Take care of our son.”
My stomach dropped, and a chill ran straight through me. The warmth in my arms was fading, and I felt completely powerless. How could he pretend to love me all these years, then let her do this?
And just when despair was about to swallow me whole, I heard a clear, calm male voice from the doorway.
“I have Rh-negative blood. I can donate it to your daughter.”
...
Thanks to that stranger who donated 400cc of blood, my daughter was alive. My little girl was finally safe. How messed up is that? Her own father hoarded every drop of Rh-negative blood in the hospital, refusing to give her a single vial, and some stranger just shows up, quietly saves her life, and vanishes without even leaving a name.
Her tiny face slowly got color back, and her little mouth instinctively searched for milk. The nanny leaned closer, “Miss Genevieve, something isn’t right. I’ve always watched her closely. Nothing sharp ever got near her crib.”
I froze. “But the doctor said her wound came from a razor blade… she was lying in her crib the whole time.”
My stomach dropped. The moment I got home, I checked the crib. Hidden in the folds of the velvet sheets were several razor blades, still stained with my daughter’s blood.
My mind went blank. I had asked Jordan to buy that crib during my postpartum period. Did he even know what Anastasia had done? Of course he didn’t care about anything like that. He just told his assistant, “Buy the most expensive one.” And this crib… it was probably through Anastasia’s connections. She had planted those blades.
A chill ran down my spine. Does Jordan even realize that Anastasia tried to kill our daughter? And if he did know, would he do anything to protect her? Or would he just keep pretending to be the perfect husband while letting her die? I didn’t have an answer.
I curled up on the sofa, holding Jennifer close, letting her little body warm mine, and whispered through my tears, “Baby, don’t be scared. Mommy will never let anyone hurt you again.”
At least in two days we’d be gone from all of this, starting fresh somewhere new.
...
When Jordan came home from his trip, he stormed in immediately, his voice fake and sharp. “Genn, you’ve been acting completely out of line lately!”
I looked up at him, gripping Jennifer tighter.
“You went to the hospital, made a scene, and completely ignored how I’d feel,” he continued, his tone almost sweet, but I knew it was all fake. “Did you even think about me?”
I felt a shiver run through me.
He glanced down at my sleeping daughter, his fake concern showing, but I could see right through it. “You used our daughter to stir up trouble, Genn. That’s really disappointing.”
I shook my head, “Jordan, it’s over. Between us, it’s done.”
His hand shot out and gripped my arm. “Over? What do you mean it’s over? We’ve known each other since we were kids! We’ve been together for over ten years. You can’t just throw that away!”
第6章
I felt like someone had just jabbed a needle into my chest. “Didn’t you just say on the phone that Anastasia is your wife and Blair Evan is your son? So why act pathetic now?”
Jordan didn’t meet my eyes. He turned his face away, looking guilty, “Genevieve, that was an emergency. The staff at that private hospital all know Mrs. Sinclair. If they hear the truth, they might refuse to give Evan his blood. I had no choice.”
No choice? My chest tightened and my tears burned my eyes. I wanted to tell him that we weren’t just a name on paper, that the whole thing was fake, but the words stuck in my throat.
Then he squinted at me, his voice too calm, too smooth, “So you’re jealous of Anastasia, right? You think I care about her more than you? You’re letting your feelings for me make you use your daughter to compete?”
My jaw dropped. “That’s insane! You think I’d ever—”
“Come on, Genn. Just because she had a son and you had a daughter, you deliberately try to cause trouble? Admit it.” He didn’t even give me a chance to speak.
Then his phone rang, and he glanced at it. “Stay home, reflect on your behavior. Don’t even go to the company today.” And he was gone, leaving me shaking and furious.
My chest burned and my hands trembled. The fake marriage certificate I had with him meant I couldn’t even touch Anastasia legally. Not a single thing in this house was safe from her. Not a single thing that belonged to me.
I counted my shares again, thinking about transferring them quietly to protect what was mine, to make sure Anastasia didn’t get even a fraction. But before I could even move, my phone rang.
“Miss Genevieve! You need to come back immediately.”
“What is it?” I asked, my heart hammering.
“The woman claiming to be Mr. Sinclair’s assistant… she just barged in with a child. She says Mr. Sinclair personally told her to come in. We couldn’t stop her.”
Anastasia. My fingers went white around the phone. I didn’t even think. I drove home like my life depended on it.
The nanny was pacing when I got there. Her voice trembled as soon as she saw me. “Miss, I couldn’t stop them at all… Mr. Sinclair personally called and told them to come in.”
I pushed past her and froze for a second. Blair Evan was lying on the floor, rolling colorful marbles everywhere. He spotted me and screamed, “Mommy, look! That wicked woman who stole my blood is back!”
Anastasia was in front of Jennifer’s crib, fingers hovering near her cheek, smiling like she had done nothing wrong.
I ran at her and shoved her hard. She stumbled back a little but didn’t even look mad. She just smiled, all smug and cold.
“Genevieve, let me make this very clear to you,” she said slowly, “Jordan and I are legally married. You’re just a mistress who can’t be seen in public. This house? It’s ours. I can kick you out whenever I want.”
I felt every word like a knife in my chest. I gritted my teeth so hard my jaw ached, my fingers clutching the edge of the crib until they went white. “I didn’t even want that kind of trash Jordan a long time ago. I’m done with him. But before I leave, get out of here. Or I’ll call the media and expose everything you’ve done.”
Anastasia screeched, her face red and veins popping, “Who do you think you are? You don’t get to talk to me like that! The law’s on my side, not yours! You should be leaving, not me, you crazy woman!”
I lifted my chin and stared at her coolly, my voice dripping with sarcasm, “The law? Even if I walked away, I’ve got the Sinclair and Fitzwilliam family backing me up. And you? A nanny who seduces her boss and hides behind a piece of paper calling yourself his wife. You think that marriage certificate makes you anything? Jordan wouldn’t dare show you off in public, would he? You two are just hiding in the shadows, like cowards.”
“Shut up!” Anastasia’s eyes were wild, burning with hatred. She swung her hand and slapped me across the face hard.
The smack echoed, and my cheek stung, but I didn’t flinch. I hit her back harder, letting her feel every ounce of my rage. The cameras in the living room would show the truth anyway.
Then I froze. A tiny, whimpering sound came from the crib. My heart stopped. I whipped around, eyes wide, and saw what Blair Evan had just shoved into Jennifer’s mouth.
A glass marble.
“Jennifer!” I screamed, rushing over like a lunatic. I grabbed her into my arms, patting her back, my fingers shaking. “Spit it out now, baby! Mommy’s here, it’s okay!”
Jordan stormed in like a hurricane, his face dark. “What are you doing to our daughter?”
Anastasia flew to his side, her voice all fake sweetness and panic. “Baby, you’re back! Don’t worry, Evan just wanted to play with her using the marbles. He didn’t mean anything, Genevieve, calm down.”
Calm down? My voice cracked as I tried to pry Jennifer’s mouth open. “Baby, it’s okay, it’s okay now… Mommy’s here, you’re safe…”
Jordan snatched Jennifer out of my arms. “Are you insane? You’ll hurt her if you keep this up!”
Snap.
I slapped him across the face as hard as I could. “You think you get to play judge now? Look at what your little bastard did to my daughter!”
Jennifer vomited violently at the sound, and a marble rolled across the carpet with a heavy thud. She cried out, her tiny face bright red, and my own chest ached watching her.
“Did you see that?!” I pointed at the marbles, my eyes red and burning. “That little bastard shoved marbles into your newborn daughter’s mouth! Are you blind or just another useless bastard like your father?!”
第7章
I snatched Jennifer back into my arms, holding her tight, my gaze like daggers aimed at Anastasia and that little monster she calls her son.
Jordan finally stiffened, pulling Blair Evan over. “Evan, apologize to your auntie and your sister right now.”
The boy just cried harder, kicking his legs. “My dad’s mean! Evan doesn’t want her dad anymore! Waaaaah!”
The crying from both kids mixed together and stabbed through my ears like knives.
Jordan turned to me, his face cold again. “Children don’t know their own strength. You’re being way too serious, Genevieve. You’re an adult. How are you going to teach your daughter to grow up right if you can’t even act mature?”
My heart shattered at his words. I shoved him as hard as I could, slapping his face with all my anger. “Get out of here, Jordan! Take your fake wife and your little monster and get the hell out of my house!”
“Why do you always have to hit people? Why can’t you ever act like a normal human?”
Anastasia lifted her hand, clearly ready to strike back, but Jordan grabbed her wrist like it was nothing.
“Stop it.” His voice was low, but sharp, and he shook her hand off like she was a bothersome fly. Then he turned to me, his eyes full of fake disappointment. “Genn, what’s gotten into you?”
I wanted to spit at him. What do you mean what’s gotten into me? You’ve been pretending to love me while letting her use our daughter as a pawn. How am I supposed to act?
“Let’s step outside. She needs to calm down.” He scooped Evan up like a trophy and shoved Anastasia out of the room.
...
The moment the door clicked shut, all my tension cracked at once. I slid down the wall and collapsed onto the floor, my body trembling, tears pouring down my face, salty and bitter at the same time.
My phone beeped. The equity transfer went through. My heart clenched, then clenched again with a strange mix of relief and rage. Tomorrow, we could finally leave this nightmare behind.
I checked on Jennifer in my arms, gently rocking her, trying to steady both of us. I had to be strong. I had to protect her. I whispered, “We’ll be free soon, baby. Mommy won’t let anything hurt us anymore.”
I got the nanny settled for the night, cleared out all the traces of our life there, and climbed into the pre-booked taxi as dawn cracked the sky.
“Driver, head to the airport.”
“Got it!”
I dialed the contact waiting for us. “Sorry for the delay, we’re on our way.”
A soft, gentle voice answered, like warm sunlight through frost. “No rush. Drive safe.”
For a moment, hope flickered in my chest, but then a sharp chemical smell hit me. My stomach dropped.
I looked in the rearview mirror. The driver’s eyes were dark, cold, slicing through me like knives. My daughter’s tiny body was in my arms, and I gripped her tighter, murmuring over and over, “I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you.”
When I opened my eyes again, we were stopped outside some abandoned factory. Overgrown weeds and cracked concrete stretched as far as I could see. Jordan stood there, phone in hand, Jennifer bundled in his suit jacket, her little face scrunched up.
“The people are here. Proceed with the plan,” he said into the phone. He hung up and turned toward me, his eyebrows knitting, his voice smooth, almost mocking. “You’re awake? Perfect. Saves me the trouble of explaining everything again.”
My wrists burned from the ropes, red welts digging into my skin. I tried to pull myself up. “Jordan, what the hell do you want?! Let my daughter go right now!”
He tilted his head slightly, calm as ice. “Evan has been kidnapped.”
I froze. “What? What do you mean?”
“They wanted my own son,” he said, still avoiding my gaze. “They got the wrong child, so they took Evan. They only want to see him, not Jennifer.”
I shook my head, my voice rising, trembling with disbelief and fury. “So you’re going to trade her for him? She’s only a month old! She has severe anemia from a rare condition! Even a mosquito bite could kill her! Are you insane?!”
Jordan’s expression didn’t change. “This is the only way. They said they’d only release Evan if they saw him in person. He’s six now, and this will mess him up forever if it drags on.”
I lunged for my daughter, but he dodged easily, holding her away from me like she was some fragile trophy.
“She’s still too young to understand, Genn. Nothing like this will leave a mark on her,” he said, his tone disturbingly calm, like my terror didn’t even exist.
Anastasia came running over, her hair messy and her makeup smudged, eyes wild with panic. "Baby! The kidnappers called again! They said if they don’t see the boy soon, they’ll… they’ll kill him!"
She froze when she saw me on the floor, then, like some crazy act of desperation, she dropped to her knees and started kowtowing, pounding her forehead on the ground over and over.
"Genevieve, please! Just this once! Let Jennifer help us get Evan back! I’ll do anything you want, anything at all!"
I kicked her hard, my hands shaking. "Get out of my way! You let this happen because you didn’t watch your kid! Why the hell should my daughter’s life be used to pay for your mess?"
Jordan squatted down next to me, his voice suddenly soft, almost sweet. "Genn, please. Evan’s innocent. Once he’s back, I swear I’ll fix everything for Jennifer too. We can go back to how things were. We… can be a family again, okay?"
I laughed bitterly, tears stinging my eyes. "The same as before? Trade my baby’s life for your illegitimate son, then go live happily ever after with you, the executioner? Jordan, what the hell do you think I am?"
From inside the warehouse came Evan's terrified cries. "Daddy! I’m scared!"
Jordan’s face went dark. He scooped Jennifer up and started toward the warehouse.
I lunged forward, my bound hands digging into his leg. "Jordan! You touch our daughter and see what happens! Go yourself if you care about him so much! Aren’t you her father too?! Go and take his place!"
He shoved me away like I was nothing. "Stop it! Evan’s a boy, the only heir of the Sinclair family! Nothing can happen to him!"
"Isn’t Jennifer your daughter too?!" My fingernails clawed at his trousers. "She’s your flesh and blood! How can you be so heartless?"
He froze, turned, his eyes flicking over my red, tear-streaked face, and said, "I… sorry."
Then suddenly, a sharp sting hit my neck.
"Just a little anesthetic. When you wake up, your daughter will be safe."
And just like that, he turned and walked toward the warehouse, holding her like a prize.
第8章
I woke up coughing, the sharp smell of disinfectant burning my lungs. The white ceiling made my head spin, and I heard Jordan’s voice beside me, all warm and smooth. "You’re awake? How do you feel?"
"Jennifer!" I scrambled up, ignoring the sting from the IV, trying to pull the covers off and get out of bed.
Jordan grabbed my arms, holding me down. "Don’t worry, the baby’s fine. Anastasia’s watching him in the next room."
I shoved him hard. "Get out!"
His face darkened, the fake patience slipping. "Genn, I know you’re angry, but Evan was kidnapped. I didn’t have any other choice."
I laughed bitterly, tears starting to sting my eyes. "So your choice was to use my daughter to save your own ass?"
I grabbed a glass from the table and smashed it on the floor. Shards flew at his feet. "Jordan, get out! I never want to see you again!"
He sighed, his voice like honey covering poison. "Do you really have to be like this? Ever since you had the baby, you’ve been unpredictable. Fine. I’ll leave. Call me when you’ve cooled down."
The door slammed behind him, and silence swallowed the room.
Before I could even breathe, Anastasia barged in, grinning and holding some agreement in her hand. "Your daughter’s in the nursery. Sign this and never show your face to Jordan again, and I’ll let you take her."
I stared at the clause that said we’d never see each other, tracing the words with my fingertips. My chest tightened. "You set up your son’s kidnapping yourself, didn’t you?"
She raised an eyebrow like it was nothing. "You’re smart. I just want you to see that in his heart, Evan and I are the real family. He saved Evan, and all he cares about is us, mother and son. You can’t win."
I didn’t answer. I flipped to the last page and signed.
...
When the nurse brought Jennifer back, I hugged her tiny body, curling her close to me, and finally let the tears fall. This little girl was my whole world.
Anastasia let out a sigh, like she was revealing some kind of truth. "You know, I used to think he loved you too. Our first time was a mistake and he avoided me for months until he found out I was pregnant. Then he finally came around."
I clenched my jaw, listening, feeling like I was being stabbed all over again.
"But men change. He may have loved you before, but now he loves me. I gave birth to a son, and your daughter will never compete with him. Honestly, you’re lucky you were born into a good family. If it were the other way around, you’d be no better than me."
I barely moved my lips, too tired to argue. My throat burned, my chest ached, and even saying one more word felt impossible.
I went to the company one last time to check the production records for the cancer treatment project. Anastasia had hidden everything—switching to cheap suppliers and pocketing the difference—into some encrypted file. I held Jennifer a little tighter. Karma has eyes. Those secrets were ticking time bombs, and I wondered if Jordan would still be able to cover for his greedy little wife when it all blew up.
I sent a message to Jordan’s biggest enemy. "Sorry I took so long. I said I’d marry you, and I never go back on my word."
The reply came almost immediately. "Genevieve, I’ve waited twelve years for this day. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, it’s worth it."
I nodded to myself, swallowing the lump in my throat, and then peeked at Anastasia’s Insta Story. There was Evan in a birthday hat, Jordan and Anastasia smooching his cheeks. The caption read Our little birthday boy is seven today. Mom and Dad will always love you.
I gritted my teeth and muttered under my breath, "Birthday gift from him, huh? For her."
Then my phone buzzed again. It was Jordan. "Gen, I have urgent business at the company. I’ll be home later. When I get back, I’ll register your daughter’s household and find the best doctor to treat her illness. I’ll always love you."
I laughed bitterly. "Always love me? You couldn’t even love your own daughter when she needed you!"
Jennifer stirred in my arms, and I brushed her hair back from her face. "Mommy’s here, baby. Don’t worry."
I scrolled through Anastasia’s pictures again.
My phone buzzed, another message from Jordan. "Gen, don’t be upset. You know I only ever wanted what’s best for you. I’ll fix this, I promise. Everything will be fine when I get home."
I stared at the screen and laughed until it hurt. "Fine? Everything will be fine? You mean for him and that little monster. Not us. Not me."
I blocked every way they could reach me: Jordan, Anastasia, anyone and tossed my phone aside .
The plane broke through the clouds then I shut my eyes.