Chapter 1The Price of a Hidden Ring

After washing dishes overseas for five years, I finally paid off all the debts my husband had left behind. I was ready to return home and give him the surprise of a lifetime.

But when I arrived at our old apartment with our child, I found the door padlocked and a thick layer of dust on the windows.

A neighbor passing by looked at me in astonishment.

"Didn't you and Ethan break up? What are you doing back here?"

I rushed straight to my husband's workplace, only to be stopped by the receptionist.

"Looking for Mr. Sterling? The CEO isn't in today. He's hosting his baby's one-month celebration."

My phone buzzed. A news notification popped up on my screen:

"Sterling Group CEO Ethan Sterling Spends Millions on Extravagant One-Month Celebration for Heir! The Happy Couple is the Picture of Devotion!"

At the exact same moment, a voice message from Ethan came through:

"Hey honey, I managed to snag a few baby clothes online for cheap. Just a couple of bucks. Don't forget to pick up the package."

In the background of his message, a woman's voice could be heard, teasing with a light laugh:

"The bet is already over. How much longer are you going to keep using that fake marriage certificate to trick Stella? Playing poor all these years... aren't you tired?"

It turned out I was the only one who was actually poor.

It turned out that after all this time, I was the real mistress.

...

Ethan's best friend rushed over, pulling me aside with a panicked look on his face.

"How dare a mistress who can't even see the light of day show her face here? Aren't you afraid Ethan will find out and cut off your child support?"

Seeing me stare silently at my phone, he seemed to realize something.

He suddenly slapped a hand over his mouth, his tone laced with shock when he finally spoke again:

"You don't... you really don't know anything, do you?"

He didn't wait for me to answer.

His panic intensified as he stammered,

"Uh, look, I was just talking nonsense just now. I have things to do, I gotta go."

Watching the man practically run away, my daughter tugged at my hand. She looked up at me, her little face full of confusion.

"Mommy, what's a mistress who can't see the light of day?"

I forced the corners of my mouth up into a bitter smile and said softly,

"I suppose... that would be me."

Perhaps because it was the first time I hadn't replied to Ethan's message immediately, my phone suddenly rang. It was him calling.

The background noise on the line was deafening—the clinking of glasses and overlapping voices offering congratulations.

"What's going on? Didn't you see my message?"

I ignored his interrogation, instead asking softly:

"Ethan, where are you right now?"

"Where else would I be? I'm at work, obviously. Look, I can't talk right now. Remember to get the package."

Click.

He didn't even wait for me to say another word before hanging up.

Looking at the disconnected call, I curled my lips, but the smile didn't reach my eyes.

I never knew.

I never knew Ethan could lie with such effortless calm.

As if remembering something, I unlocked my phone and tapped an app hidden in a folder on the last page of my home screen.

It was a location-sharing app.

Seven years ago, before I left for the States, Ethan had handed me his phone, his eyes red.

"I installed a tracking app on both our phones. This way, we'll always know where the other person is."

"Take good care of yourself over there. Once you pay off the debt, we can finally live a good life together."

But I had been working so hard to pay off his debts that I never once had the time to check the app.

I opened it and located Ethan's current position.

He was at the most luxurious country club in the city.

When I arrived at the entrance with my daughter, Ethan was standing a short distance away.

He was holding a baby in his arms, gently rocking and cooing at it, trying to make it laugh.

Seeing this scene, I froze in place.

Mia is five years old now.

In my memory, Ethan has never held her.

When Mia was just born, she ran a high fever and cried inconsolably. The doctor said a father's embrace could help soothe the baby.

At the time, Mia had been crying for three days straight, refusing to sleep.

Yet even then, Ethan just rolled over in bed, showing no reaction other than muttering,

"I don't like kids."

Looking at the man whose face was now overflowing with love, I finally understood.

It wasn't that he didn't like kids. He just didn't like my kid.

A harsh scolding nearby snapped me back to reality. I looked beside me—my daughter was gone.

I instinctively looked up.

At this very moment, my daughter was standing right in front of Ethan. She tilted her head up, calling him "Daddy" over and over, her small face filled with eager anticipation.

"Daddy, look! I made this for you myself!"

But the next second.

Ethan looked down at the little girl with utter bewilderment. He raised his hand and swatted away the red braided bracelet Mia was holding out to him.

"Is this some kind of new scam?"

"I only have one child. I don't know you."