My husband's mistress, Scarlett, was throwing another fit and threatening to leave him. He drowned his sorrows, drinking until he got a perforated stomach and ended up in the hospital. Half-dead, he mumbled, “Only she dares to treat me like this.” Then he grabbed my hand and asked, “Eleanor, you’re a woman too. Tell me, how can I win her back this time?” Indeed, of all his countless affairs, Scarlett was the only one who truly held his heart. My phone vibrated. A message from Scarlett. “Mrs. Hayes! Please control your husband!” “As a woman, do you have no dignity?! Tell him to stop bothering me!” I scoffed, a cynical smile playing on my lips, and, as usual, offered no reply. On the fifth day of Alistair Hayes's hospitalization, my phone rang off the hook. He was furious. “I’m in the hospital, and you haven’t visited me yet!” “Do you even consider me your husband anymore?!” I calmly replied, “I’m afraid if I go, you might fall in love with me again!” … A scoff came from the other end, as if surprised by my sudden wit. I hung up. My phone chimed with a notification: the three-year mourning period was over. According to the original agreement between the Sterling and Hayes families, I was now free to divorce. Just as I finished instructing my lawyer to begin the divorce process, I saw Scarlett flaunting her love on social media. She’d posted a picture of Alistair in his hospital gown, hooked up to an IV, half-crouching to massage her calf. She sat on the hospital bed, beaming happily. The caption read: “Truly experiencing the phrase ‘even the wealthy can be hopelessly devoted.’ He, a man of such high standing, is just a simp I can’t shake off, no matter how hard I try.” I felt nothing, not even a second glance. My lawyer was surprised by my composure. “It’s truly rare and remarkable to have such a calm client as you, Mrs. Hayes.” I offered a faint smile. She didn’t know that I had once screamed, fought, fallen into depression, and even attempted suicide over Alistair’s infidelity. It was only after my heart died, and then resurrected, that I became the woman I was today. Alistair returned home a month later, in the early hours of the morning. Seeing me asleep, he moved lightly, like a tiptoeing thief. But he didn’t know that I was a light sleeper; the slightest sound would wake me. Having another person beside me felt unsettling. I couldn’t remember how long it had been since Alistair had last slept in my bed. The next morning, I woke to find a necklace, valued at thirty million dollars, on my bedside table. I was used to it. Sure enough, I received another triumphant, provocative message from Scarlett: “Mrs. Hayes! Because of me, you’ve received another thirty-million-dollar necklace. Shouldn’t you thank me?” Every time Alistair tried to appease Scarlett, he would buy all sorts of luxurious items. But Scarlett never accepted a single one. In Alistair’s mind, Scarlett was the purest woman, disdainful of money. She had been with Alistair for three years and hadn’t spent a single penny of his. They split all expenses, and Alistair, who had been born into luxury, willingly lived a commoner’s life with her. Thus, in Alistair’s heart, Scarlett’s love for him was the purest, untainted by any ulterior motive. Only I knew Scarlett was playing a long game, baiting a big fish. Usually, I treated her like air, never replying to any of her messages. But today, I typed back: “Thank you.” A rational woman doesn't let money pass her by. The reply from her side was instantaneous, as if the sun had risen in the west, and came back in a flash. “Oh, you’re breathing today, are you? You know how to reply now.” Her mouth was as if dipped in poison. Alistair woke up and glanced at my chat history with Scarlett. A smile played on his lips, his voice filled with an undisguised affection for Scarlett. “Scarlett’s little mouth is really… quite amusing!” As he spoke, Alistair naturally reached out and stroked my head. “My Eleanor is more composed now, truly like a big sister.” His words felt like praising a dog. A surge of disgust welled up inside me. Before, I had caused a city-wide scandal over his infidelity. I’d flipped tables in public, and the number of times I’d smashed bottles over his head, sending him to the hospital, was fifteen. Media exposés and other behaviors had cost him countless amounts of face. But he never reined himself in. Each time, he would only tell me: “Go out and look around. Which man in this circle doesn’t have a few women?” “I’m having my fun, but I’m not abandoning you!” He had also said many times: “No matter how many women I have, you are still the head, the older sister to all of them.” It wasn’t until the day my father passed away that I truly woke up. For three years, I had been “blind” and “deaf”! It only earned me his patronizing compliment: “My Eleanor finally acts like a big sister.” For these three years, I had not interfered with him. My presence to him was as if I were air. Even after our son turned two, he still didn't know I had given birth to a boy for him. The day I nearly died in childbirth, he was with Scarlett, selling street food from a stall. He said he was utterly smitten by Scarlett’s non-materialistic, self-reliant character! I simply offered a faint, cold smile, saying nothing. In my heart, he had long been dead. On my mother-in-law’s birthday banquet, I went through the motions, playing the dutiful daughter-in-law. But as I walked in with my gifts, I saw Alistair and Scarlett standing on either side of my mother-in-law. My mother-in-law was beaming, chatting with acquaintances. “Mrs. Hayes, your hairstyle today is truly beautiful. Paired with that dress, you look simply elegant and unrivaled.” My mother-in-law’s hairstyle was indeed more beautiful than before, elegantly swept up with a retro hair ornament. She smiled gently, patting Scarlett’s hand with approval. “My daughter-in-law styled it for me. She’s very skilled.” So, my mother-in-law had also accepted Scarlett. Scarlett smiled gracefully in response. “Mom, as long as you like it.” Alistair said, “Mom, she loves you the most. She’s told me so many times.” “You being our daughter-in-law is a blessing to our Hayes family.” A cold laugh bubbled up inside me. I refused to stay another second. As I was about to turn and leave, Scarlett’s voice came from behind me. “Eleanor.” Her tone was light, deliberately making others mistakenly believe we had a good relationship. I paused, turned calmly, and offered a slight smile. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes; she must have expected me to either storm out in a rage, make a scene, or disregard my mother-in-law entirely. Never this calm, this composed. “Sister, you look truly beautiful today.” She feigned composure and warmth. “Thank you.” I smiled faintly, accepting the compliment. I had long since dismissed her from my thoughts. Her deliberate acts of hostility were utterly superfluous to me. My mother-in-law naturally said to me, “You two sisters should accompany me in receiving the guests.” A memory suddenly flooded my mind of what my mother-in-law had told me before: “You are my true daughter from now on. I will love you like my own.” “If Alistair dares to cheat, I’ll be the first to break his legs for you.” Those words were as clear as yesterday. Yet, she was the one causing me immense humiliation now. She gently patted my hand, whispering, “Eleanor, Scarlett is a good girl. She’s different from those other women.” I smiled faintly, saying against my true feelings, “You’re right, Mom.” Anyway, I was leaving. Nothing here mattered to me anymore. My mother-in-law smiled with relief. “It’s so good that you’ve come to your senses.” She looked up at Alistair and said, “I told you, Eleanor is a reasonable person.” Alistair looked at me with a relieved gaze, proudly stating, “I trained her myself.” As if I were a cat or a dog. In the past, I would have smashed every table at this birthday banquet. Now, I wouldn’t waste a single emotion or ounce of energy on people who weren’t worth it. ** Scarlett and I stood on either side, accompanying my mother-in-law. Everyone looked at me strangely. Some were even whispering. “Why has Eleanor suddenly changed? This isn’t like her at all.” “In the past, she would have flipped tables by now. Why is she so quiet today?” To everyone’s astonishment, my mother-in-law, beaming, announced, “I have some good news to share with everyone.” “My daughter-in-law, Scarlett, is three months pregnant.” “The family doctor checked, and it’s a boy.” “For our Hayes family, this is a double blessing.” Everyone present offered flattering words and pleasantries. In this circle of wealthy families, this was indeed a common occurrence. But to so openly slap my face as the legitimate wife—only the Hayes family would dare. Scarlett smiled shyly, and Alistair embraced her, his face filled with happiness. I felt like a clown, an added amusement to the birthday banquet. Finally, I spoke. “I had intended to wait until after Mom’s birthday to discuss the divorce.” “Since Scarlett is pregnant, we can’t have her child be born illegitimate, can we?” “So, discussing the divorce on this occasion is quite fitting.” I glanced at my lawyer, who was not far away. She understood immediately and handed the divorce papers to Alistair. Alistair frowned, stunned, his eyes scrutinizing me! “Are you causing trouble again?” I offered a faint, calm smile. “I am very serious. Do you truly love Scarlett by making her a mistress for life?” He was shocked by the unwavering calmness in my eyes. For a moment, his dark eyes were filled with disbelief. The woman he once believed would never leave him, even in death, was now calmly and resolutely proposing a divorce. My words choked him. He loved Scarlett so much; how could he say anything that would hurt her? The entire hall fell silent, waiting for Alistair’s reaction. Scarlett stared fixedly at him. Alistair hesitated for only two seconds, and she couldn’t contain herself, feigning a wronged and compromising tone. “Alistair, you don’t have to make it difficult.” “I know we’re not a match.” “I’ll have this baby aborted. I can be your mistress.” “But truthfully, I don’t want my child to be called a bastard, an illegitimate child.” “So I’ll have this baby aborted.” Alistair panicked, quickly trying to soothe her. “You mustn’t! This is the crystallization of our love, and my first child.” “Who says he’s illegitimate? I will give him a legitimate identity.” I deliberately said with satisfaction, “Now that’s a man! Sign it!” Under the combined pressure from Scarlett and me, Alistair picked up the pen. Without even looking, he signed the divorce papers. He leaned close to me, speaking in a voice only we two could hear. “Once Scarlett has the baby, I’ll remarry you.” “Just bear with it a little longer. I won’t abandon you.” I remained calm, a sigh of relief washing over me. Alistair, I won’t take you back. Never again. Scarlett flashed me a triumphant smile. I, too, smiled with relief. Back at my and Alistair’s residence, the lawyer had already arranged for a moving company to take my valuable personal belongings. Our two-year-old son was still asleep, and I didn’t have the heart to wake him. The lawyer accidentally injured herself when a cabinet fell, so I rushed her to the hospital. Estimating when my son would wake up, I hurried back to pick him up. Before I even reached the residence, I saw thick black smoke, like clouds, billowing from the house. My heart clenched, and I slammed the accelerator to the floor. The closer I got, the stronger the sense of dread grew. My hands trembled on the steering wheel, and I silently prayed that it wasn't my and Alistair’s house on fire. But when I got out of the car and saw the villa engulfed in flames, my world instantly collapsed. Scarlett was nestled in Alistair’s arms, weeping delicately. “Alistair, I’m so sorry. I never thought setting off fireworks to celebrate would set the house on fire.” “What are we going to do? Waaah…” She looked like a startled rabbit, her eyes wide with terror. Alistair showed no concern for the burning house, smiling as he comforted her. “It’s okay, don’t cry. It’s just a house; it’s nothing major.” “I have plenty of houses. This little loss means nothing to me.” “Don’t cry, you silly girl.” My legs weak, I stumbled forward, screaming desperately, “My son is inside! Put out the fire!” “Put out the fire! Put out the fire!” I lunged madly towards the house. Alistair quickly grabbed me from behind. “Eleanor! Calm down!” “We don’t have a child! Where would a child come from?!” “If you’re worried about the house, I can buy you another one!” Scarlett said sarcastically, “Eleanor, what’s this new trick of yours?” “What child? You’re not hallucinating, are you?” I struggled madly out of Alistair’s grasp and slapped him hard. Trembling, I roared. “It’s our son! He’s two years old! He’s sleeping in there!” I had lost all reason, and was about to rush into the blazing house again. The entire house was engulfed in flames, crackling and popping, about to be completely incinerated. In the distance, the wail of fire truck sirens grew louder. Alistair grabbed me again, shouting angrily, “What are you doing?!” “Are you trying to manipulate me with this?!” “Eleanor, your life is your own!” “If you rush in there today, you’ll only die.” “And a son? When did you ever have a son? How come I don’t know?!” “I think you’ve lost your mind!” Scarlett chimed in, “I think so too. Eleanor, you can’t force feelings. Why are you doing this?” I lunged at Scarlett like a madwoman, grabbing her hair and dragging her towards the flames. “Scarlett, if anything happens to my son, you’ll die in this fire too!” She cried out in pain, struggling and screaming. Alistair rushed over and stood between Scarlett and me, angrily slapping me. “Eleanor, what’s wrong with you?!” He immediately ordered the bodyguards beside him, “Take her to the mental hospital for an examination!” Two burly bodyguards immediately moved to act against me. In utter despair, I was ready to abandon everything and rush into the fire to find my son. Suddenly, a familiar, shaken voice came from behind me. “Mommy, I’m here…”
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