Chapter 3

That night, I didn’t continue to argue with them.

I didn’t want to scare Lily.

Marcus drove me home, and we were both silent the entire way.

He knew I wasn’t easily fooled.

As soon as the car stopped, Marcus was eager to explain.

His tone carried a deliberate attempt to appease me:

“Honey, I didn’t handle things well today. My parents are getting old, please don’t take it to heart, they’re just soft-hearted and can’t bear to see a child suffer.”

“Mhm.”

I replied calmly.

This reaction made Marcus pause.

He hadn’t expected me to be so composed.

But in the end, he relaxed.

In a corner I couldn't see, he secretly sent a message to Maya:

[Don’t worry, she won’t find out. Don’t fret, Leo is my child, I won’t treat him badly.]

I checked the surveillance footage in the middle of the night and saw his sneaky move.

So self-important, wasn't he?

Before falling asleep, Lily told me.

“Mommy, these past few times, after Dad dropped me off at Grandma and Grandpa’s, he and Leo went out for a long time.”

“Really?” My heart felt a sharp tug.

“Yes, Leo… he just transferred to our class, and he keeps bullying me.”

My daughter grumbled.

Only then did I realize that my daughter was being bullied by a classmate at school.

She said Leo and other classmates told her she was stealing someone else’s dad, and that she was shameless.

She tried desperately to explain, but her classmates didn’t believe her.

She had told Marcus about it.

But Marcus only told her that Leo was a good kid and wouldn’t possibly bully her.

Because of this, Lily’s personality had become quieter and less communicative.

Since I was constantly traveling for business, I’d been home very little in the past few months.

Plus, with the time difference when I was abroad, Lily and I barely had a chance to communicate.

I hugged my daughter tightly, filled with self-reproach.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. It won’t happen again.”

I always thought that by working hard to earn money and give Lily a head start, I was doing what was best for her.

But I had neglected her emotional well-being.

At that moment, my private investigator’s message came through.

[I found out. Maya is the wife Marcus married in his village ten years ago…]

The more I read, the more my heart pounded.

So, I’d been the other woman all along?

The private investigator’s last message was a reminder:

[I also found that your husband has frequently been going in and out of banks and real estate companies recently. You should pay attention.]

“Okay, thank you for your hard work.”

I held Lily closer.

In the darkness, my pupils narrowed.

I could understand human hearts changing.

But I couldn’t accept anyone daring to scheme against my daughter and me.

While Lily was asleep, I got up and sent a text to my lawyer.

“I want to divorce Marcus. I want him to leave with absolutely nothing…”

Two days later, Lily’s school held an art performance.

I asked for leave for her and sent her to my parents’ house.

Marcus secretly breathed a sigh of relief, smiling as he said,

“It’s good for Lily to rest a bit. Oh, by the way, I have something to do later and won’t be back until very late. You don’t need to save dinner for me.”

“Okay.”

I gave him a meaningful glance.

As soon as Marcus left, I followed closely behind.

He indeed turned towards the school.

Hatred surged through me.

He used to use "no time" as an excuse and never attended Lily’s school events.

Now, he was going to a school event for Leo.

The hall was packed with parents.

I put on a mask and casually picked a seat.

Soon after, I saw Maya holding Leo’s hand, sitting diagonally across from me.

She was staring intently at Marcus, who was speaking on stage as the parent representative.

The principal smiled at Marcus:

“Mr. Marcus, please share some educational experience. Leo just transferred this semester and has made rapid progress. Could you tell us about it?”

A sarcastic smirk played on my lips.

What a ‘Leo’s Dad’!

Marcus smiled and raised the microphone.

He first uttered a few polite pleasantries.

Then, he looked at Leo in the audience, his eyes filled with pride and satisfaction.

“Actually, it’s not my credit. Mainly, this child is very smart, just a bit mischievous. I’m usually busy, but whenever I have time, I try to spend it with him…”

The surrounding parents all nodded in agreement.

But then, a student suddenly shouted out.

“Whose dad are you, really?”