On my daughter’s very first day of kindergarten, the teacher unceremoniously kicked us out. "Mr. Sterling’s son has already been attending here for a year. Where did this daughter come from?" I was completely baffled. My daughter with my husband had just reached the age of enrollment. How could she possibly have been here for a year? After a quick investigation, I uncovered a chilling truth. A year ago, my husband's new executive assistant had enrolled her own child in this exact kindergarten, masquerading under the title of "Mrs. Sterling." When I confronted her, she casually presented a marriage certificate with my husband. "I know all about you. You're the woman who’s been obsessively stalking my husband all these years, aren't you?" The official seal from the registry office and their smiling photo were crystal clear. The issue date was exactly five years ago. But Julian and I had only been married for three years! 1 "Mommy, am I really a wild kid with no daddy?" Driving home, my daughter looked at me, desperately fighting back tears. My grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Of course not. Lily is Mommy and Daddy's one and only precious baby." The tears pooled in her eyes finally broke free, her voice trembling with profound hurt. "Then why did Auntie Chloe's son say he's Daddy's baby?" "All the other kids at kindergarten were saying it too. They hit me and called me a bastard..." Looking at the faint, swollen red mark on my daughter's cheek, my heart shattered. Today was supposed to be her very first day of school, and she was subjected to this nightmare. The most terrifying part, however, was that when I contacted Chloe Vance, she immediately texted me a photo of a marriage certificate. The man smiling next to her in the photo was the exact same man I had held in my arms countless times. The government seal was undeniably authentic, and the date was from five years ago! Yet, Julian Sterling and I had only celebrated our third anniversary. Come to think of it, Chloe's arrival at the company was incredibly sudden. She was hired directly into the position of Julian's executive assistant without going through the standard HR protocols. Could it be that... I didn't dare finish the thought. I pulled out my phone and dialed Julian's number. Instead of my husband, his male assistant answered the phone. "Mrs. Sterling, Mr. Sterling is currently in a highly sensitive corporate negotiation. All electronic devices had to be surrendered outside. If you have an urgent matter, I can relay a message when he finishes." "Was Julian married before he met me?" The assistant froze. After I quickly explained the situation, he frantically assured me. "Ma'am, that marriage certificate has to be photoshopped! I promise you, the CEO would never dare do something like that!" After hanging up, my panic subsided slightly. It was true. Julian didn't have the guts to pull off a double life of this magnitude. But I still needed to hear him explain it to my face. My only option right now was to head to our new house and wait for him to finish his meeting. To ensure Lily had a short commute to her elite school, Julian and I had recently purchased a massive estate in the most exclusive school district in the city. Today was the exact day we were scheduled to move in. But when my car pulled up to the grand iron gates of the estate, I was shocked. The property, which I was supposed to be personally inspecting today, was bustling with activity. Dozens of people were rushing in and out, unloading luggage that definitely did not belong to me. A massive banner was draped across the front entrance: [Congratulations on Your New Home, Mrs. Sterling!] A swarm of reporters and paparazzi were crowded around the entrance, their cameras aggressively focused on a glamorous, elegantly dressed woman. The moment I clearly saw her face, my pupils dilated in pure shock. Chloe Vance? What the hell was she doing here?! 2 The reporters excitedly shoved their microphones toward Chloe. "Ms. Vance! Is the marriage certificate you posted on your social media real?! Did you retire from the entertainment industry five years ago because you found true love?!" I immediately opened my phone. The trending topics were already exploding. [#ChloeVance #JulianSterling] [#ChloeVanceRevealsMarriageCertificate] [#JulianSterling: The Love Hidden for Five Years is Finally Revealed] I clicked the top trending post. It was the exact same marriage certificate Chloe had texted me earlier. The caption read: [Yes, we've been happily married for five years.] The comments section was an absolute madhouse. [Ahhhh! I KNEW IT! Our goddess didn't retire just to avoid competing with that pathetic try-hard, Mia Harrison!] [Are you kidding me? Chloe is a national treasure. That irrelevant D-lister Mia hasn't achieved anything in three years.] [I'm a kindergarten teacher! Mia Harrison literally brought a kid to my school today claiming it was CEO Sterling's! It was the funniest thing I've seen all year! Hahahaha!] [Oh my god, how delusional do you have to be?] [Before the goddess retired, that desperate Mia was already trying to hook up with CEO Sterling! Bet she never expected he was already married to the goddess! Karma! Hahaha!!] [Wuu-wuu... So she didn't come back for five years because she was secretly living her happily ever after. We love you, goddess!] "What is all this garbage? Throw it out. Julian will be upset if he sees this clutter when he gets home." Chloe, draped in an expensive cashmere shawl, pinched her nose in disgust as she pointed at a collection of pristine, antique items. The movers immediately began tossing my belongings into a massive dumpster outside. These were priceless antiques and calligraphy scrolls I had spent years meticulously sourcing from around the world, now lying in the dirt alongside actual garbage. "Stop right there!" I lunged forward, physically restraining the mover's arm, and glared furiously at Chloe. "Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to break into my house?!" "Oh my god, that desperate Mia actually had the nerve to show up?" "Hey, are you blind? Can't you read the banner? 'Congratulations Mrs. Sterling.' Who the hell are you? Are you Mrs. Sterling? Hilarious!" "Has her delusion progressed to the point where she's trying to claim other people's real estate now? This is psychotic." "This estate has to be worth at least nine figures. She's just desperate for clout. That's how pathetic she is." Smack! I delivered a vicious, full-force slap across the face of the reporter gossiping closest to me. "Who the hell do you think you are?! Did you get my permission to trespass on my property?" I violently swatted his camera out of his hands, grabbed his collar, and shoved him toward the gate. "Get out!" "Stop!" A delicate, manicured hand suddenly blocked my path. Chloe furrowed her perfectly shaped brows, her delicate face projecting a mask of stern authority. "Ms. Harrison, while I consider myself a very easygoing person, that does not give you the right to cause a violent scene on my property!" 3 "She's lost her mind! This delusional stalker actually has the nerve to throw a tantrum on the goddess's property! Does she seriously think she owns this place?!" "Ha! She really convinced herself she's Mrs. Sterling, huh? What a joke." I shot Chloe a look of pure, unfiltered disgust. "Move. My home doesn't welcome outsiders, and that includes you." Chloe stepped protectively in front of the reporter I had just slapped, her frown deepening dramatically. "Ms. Harrison, I'm well aware you've always harbored a grudge against me because of my husband. I don't hold that against you." "Today is the day I move into my new home. If you came to offer your congratulations, you are still welcome as my guest." "But if you insist on being stubborn, unreasonable, and violent on my property, don't blame me for kicking you out!" She stood there wearing a stunning, vintage-inspired qipao with a white cashmere shawl draped over her shoulders, perched on designer stilettos. She looked absolutely ethereal and elegant. Her crisp, authoritative voice instantly won over everyone present. The cameras flashed aggressively in our direction. "Ahhh, is this the power of a true goddess? I'm dead! Her charisma is intoxicating!" "Wuu-wuu... Where else can you find a celebrity this polite but with such strong boundaries?! I'd gladly be her loyal dog for the rest of my life!" "If I were the goddess, seeing this delusional stalker impersonate my identity and crash my new home, I would have had my bodyguards beat her face in and throw her onto the street!" Outwardly, Chloe maintained her poised, elegant demeanor, but the corner of her mouth twitched into a subtle, incredibly smug smirk. When she looked back at me, she tilted her chin up slightly, dripping with condescension. "Given our past working relationship, Ms. Harrison, I strongly suggest you stop causing trouble." Smack! My hand connected squarely with her cheek, leaving a stark red handprint. I slammed the property deed directly onto her chest and grabbed her by the collar of her expensive dress. "Look very closely! This is my property, not yours! I haven't even settled the score with you for stealing my daughter's spot at kindergarten, and now you're trying to hijack my estate?!" "You are nothing but my husband's assistant! Who gave you the audacity to throw a psychotic tantrum in the owner's house?!" "Ah!" She clutched her face and doubled over. Her stilettos wobbled precariously, and her voice trembled with manufactured terror. "Help! Someone help me~" "Have you absolutely no shame?!" Someone suddenly reached out and shoved me violently from behind, nearly ripping off my acrylic nails. "Crashing someone else's house to throw a tantrum—is this how you farm engagement?! I've been sick of you for a long time! If I wasn't worried about ruining the goddess's big day, I would have dealt with you the second you walked in!" "Claiming the goddess is just your husband's assistant? Do you really think we're afraid to put our hands on you?!" I dug my heels in, stabilizing myself, and gripped my phone tightly. I let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Go ahead! I've already called the police. If you have the guts to lay a hand on me, do it!" Hearing this, a subtle, panicked shift crossed Chloe's face. But the rabid reporters quickly drowned out any hesitation. "Ha! You're the one trespassing and causing a scene! When the cops get here, you're the one getting arrested! Get the hell out of here right now! The goddess shouldn't have to look at trash like you!" As they yelled, several men grabbed my arms, aggressively trying to drag me toward the gates. I lost my balance, stumbling backward, about to crash hard onto the pavement. "What is going on here?!" A crisp, authoritative voice rang out. Hearing it, my head snapped up instantly. 4 "Oh my god! It's the estate's new estate manager!" "I recognize her! I recognize her! Our paper just did a massive feature on her! She's the brilliant female executive who fought her way out of poverty in the mountains!" Seeing Sarah walk toward us, a surge of desperate hope filled my chest. "Sarah! Hurry! Tell them the truth! Tell them whose house this is!" Sarah was a brilliant young woman I had personally sponsored through her entire college education. Because of her exceptional capabilities, the moment she graduated, I hired her with a highly lucrative salary to manage my new estate. If it was her, she could definitely clear my name. "Sarah..." Chloe's expression faltered visibly. I shot Chloe a freezing glare and grabbed Sarah's hand firmly. "Sarah, tell them exactly who owns this estate." "Ma'am..." The hand I was gripping struggled slightly, then forcefully pulled away. Sarah offered me a strained, awkward smile. "I'm sorry, I don't recall inviting you here." "Sarah?" I stared at her, genuinely thinking I had misheard. But Sarah had already walked over to Chloe. She gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind Chloe's ear, her voice dripping with sycophantic concern. "Madam, are you alright?" "Madam..." I felt like the ground had dropped out from beneath me. I lunged forward, grabbing Sarah by the arm, forcing her to look me in the eye. "Do you not recognize me?! I'm Mia! I'm the one who sponsored your entire education!" Sarah acted as if she were absolutely terrified. Her previously confident smile crumbled into a mask of pathetic grievance. "I-I'm sorry... but the person who sponsored me has always been Mrs. Sterling..." I was so furious I was practically shaking. "I am Mrs. Sterling! I literally attended your college graduation ceremony last month! You recognized me perfectly fine back then!" "I... I didn't... I don't know what you're talking about..." Tears instantly welled up in Sarah's eyes, her voice cracking into fragile, broken pieces. "Enough!" A hand violently slapped my grip away. Chloe shielded Sarah behind her, glaring at me with deep, righteous indignation. "I know you hate me for stealing Julian from you! This is between the two of us! If you have a problem, take it up with me! Why are you targeting an innocent girl?!" 5 "Oh my god, this is how a true philanthropist acts!" "Exactly! Anyone who genuinely cares about their sponsor treats them like their own child! Who would violently grab them and interrogate them like that?!" "I'm literally crying right now. The goddess is not only generous, she's so incredibly kind! She deserves a lifetime of happiness with CEO Sterling!" "What is wrong with this Mia bitch?! Trying to steal the goddess's man wasn't enough, now she's trying to steal credit for the goddess's charity work?! How can a human being be this vile?!" The cameras flashed relentlessly, blinding me. I stared at Sarah hiding behind Chloe, completely unable to process the betrayal. "Sarah..." Sarah's eyes darted around guiltily, actively avoiding my gaze. She blinked rapidly, tears already clinging to her eyelashes. "Ma'am, I truly don't know who you are. Please, I'm begging you, stop doing this to me..." "Mia!" Chloe pulled Sarah closer, looking at me with fierce, protective vigilance. "I... I will not let you hurt this girl!" With a few loose strands of hair framing her face, her eyes shone with an extraordinary, unyielding resilience. She looked exactly like a tragically misunderstood, yet incredibly strong heroine from a movie. "Wuu-wuu... The goddess is so pitiful! It's all that psychotic bitch's fault!" "I can't take this anymore! I am going to teach this bitch a lesson she'll never forget!" "Hey, wait! Don't just focus on the bitch! I've seen her car in the goddess's social media posts! I bet she's trying to claim the car is hers too!" "Get her! Smash that piece of trash car!" "NO!" My heart stopped. But a few men had already spun around, sprinting toward my car. They grabbed heavy metal poles from the moving truck and violently smashed them into my windshield. From inside the car, my daughter let out a blood-curdling, terrified scream. "Fuck! A bitch's daughter is just a little bitch! Shut the fuck up! If you don't stop crying, I'll drag you out here and beat you too!" "LILY!" I screamed, lunging forward to try and save her, but a stiletto suddenly shot out, deliberately tripping me. I crashed hard onto the pavement. Chloe crossed her arms, looking down at me with absolute, freezing contempt, a cold smirk playing on her lips. Immediately, several people hauled me up by my arms, and a brutal slap cracked across my face. "The goddess gave you a chance to leave, but you refused! You just had to get your ass beat to finally get the message, huh?!" "You psychotic bitch! I'm going to beat you to death today!" The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I lunged forward and viciously bit down on one of the men's hands. He shrieked in agony and violently yanked his hand back. I gritted my teeth, ripped the wedding ring off my finger, and hurled it directly into his face. "I am Julian Sterling's legal wife! You will pay the ultimate price for what you are doing today!" Someone caught the ring. The moment they looked at it, their face drained of color. "The 'Vow of the Stars'? The record-breaking, multi-million dollar ring CEO Sterling won at auction? There's only one in the world. How does she have it?" "Wait, that's not right... Didn't CEO Sterling say he bought it to use as his wedding ring?" I spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, glaring at them with lethal intensity. "Let me go right now, and I might consider not pressing charges." "Ha! Do you really think you can scam us with such a cheap, pathetic knockoff?" An almost identical 'Vow of the Stars' was suddenly tossed onto the pavement next to me. Chloe pulled the real ring from her designer bag, looking at me with profound disgust. "Ms. Harrison, I never imagined your obsession with me would escalate to this level. Even a replica of the 'Vow of the Stars' must have cost a fortune." My breath hitched in my throat. "Impossible... He won that at auction and personally placed it on my finger. Where the hell did you get a replica?!" Smack! Another slap landed on my face. Chloe's brow furrowed in deep, exhausted frustration. "I am so sick of this! I gave you chance after chance, and you still insist on harassing me and my husband!" She pulled a thick stack of documents from her bag and threw them aggressively at my head. "Take a good look! See who the real homewrecker is!" A marriage certificate fluttered to the ground, landing perfectly open right in front of my eyes. The marriage certificate I had originally assumed was photoshopped... was lying tangibly right in front of me. In the photo, the man was smiling brightly, leaning intimately against Chloe. Julian... With trembling fingers, I picked up the scattered photos, one by one. From childhood to adulthood, from college campus to corporate office, from awkward youth to polished maturity... They were holding hands running to school, Chloe's ice cream had a massive bite taken out of it by Julian, and they were leaning against each other under the neon lights of a theme park, smiling the happiest smiles I had ever seen... They... they had known each other for a very long time... They had been married... for five years... My three-year marriage instantly dissolved into a pathetic, humiliating joke. Chloe tossed my car keys directly at my face, her voice devoid of emotion. "I won't keep you any longer. You're on your own now." "Lily?" A familiar, panicked voice suddenly cut through the chaos. "What the hell are you people doing?! Stop right now!" It was Julian's voice. Accompanied by the blaring sirens of arriving police cars.
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