Chapter 1The Fake Mother - in - law Is My Husband's Real Mistress

I never imagined that my mother-in-law would turn out to be a fake, and worse yet, my "husband's" real girlfriend.

Yes, Jack had tricked me into marriage.

"Who's more important to you, me or Claire?" I overheard Rachel asking.

"Of course you are, my love. Claire's nothing but a means to an end," Jack replied.

"How do you think I did playing your mother? That little fool never suspected a thing! She even called me 'Mom' - can you believe it?" Rachel cackled.

"You were perfect. Once she has the baby, I'll kick her out and we can raise the child together as our own," Jack assured her.

I had just returned from taking out the trash when I heard my so-called mother-in-law and Jack talking in the bedroom.

Tears began to fall unbidden down my cheeks. I had thought I'd found true love, but it was all an elaborate scam.

Jack had conspired with his girlfriend Rachel to trick me into pregnancy and marriage.

Jack and I met at a real estate company where we both worked as sales agents. As my senior colleague, he always looked out for me.

He would argue with difficult clients on my behalf and bring me breakfast when I was running late. For someone like me, fresh out of college and trying to make it on my own, he seemed like a knight in shining armor.

Our coworkers often teased that he had a crush on me. I started to notice the way he looked at me was different from how he regarded other women in the office. That special look in his eyes - I thought it was love.

Jack casually mentioned to me one day that he made hundreds of thousands a month in real estate commissions and already had over a million in savings.

He said he was looking for a simple woman to settle down with, someone to move back to his hometown with him and start a family. He planned to get a regular job in the small county town to supplement their income.

One night after a work event, a client got me drunk and tried to take advantage of me. Jack chased the man off and took me back to my apartment.

Things progressed naturally from there. Two months later, I started feeling nauseous all the time. A trip to the doctor confirmed it - I was pregnant.

What touched me most was Jack's reaction. He eagerly expressed his desire to take responsibility as a father. After our families met, we had a simple wedding ceremony and got our marriage license. Then I moved with him to his rural hometown to start our new life together.

By the time I discovered that my mother-in-law was actually Jack's girlfriend in disguise, I was nine months pregnant and about to give birth...

No! I couldn't let those two get away with this. All the pain and humiliation they put me through - I would make them pay dearly for it!

They had to face the consequences of their actions!

Perhaps it was the shock and anger, but suddenly my stomach cramped painfully.

I collapsed to the floor. "Jack... Jack, my stomach hurts so bad. I think I'm going into labor. Jack, where are you? Please, save the baby!"

After my cry for help, the bedroom went silent.

Then I heard Jack's voice: "Claire, don't panic. I'm coming right now."

About a minute later, Jack burst out of Rachel's room. Seeing me pale and exhausted on the floor, he frantically called for an ambulance while pacing back and forth in the living room.

Half an hour later, the ambulance managed to navigate the rural roads and arrived at our village.

I refused to let my fake mother-in-law ride in the ambulance with Jack and me, making the excuse that she should rest at home given her age. The paramedic, seeing my insistence, figured there must be some tension between us. She told Jack that a pregnant woman's emotions were crucial and that we should try to accommodate my wishes when possible.