Chapter 1 Chapter 1

“You just left us! How are my son and I supposed to survive?” Xena clung to James’s coffin, sobbing uncontrollably, her eyes red and swollen. Beside her, Charlie, a boy around seven or eight years old, wailed just as loudly, crying out, “Daddy!” Relatives, coworkers, and other onlookers exchanged knowing glances, some barely suppressing smirks at the dramatic scene unfolding before them. Before I could say anything, Mia shoved Charlie away. “Get lost! That’s my dad! Don’t call him that!” Charlie scrambled to his feet and glared at her. “Who do you think you are? I’m his only son!” Then, without warning, he pounced on her, scratching her face until it turned red. When I saw this, fury boiled inside me. I moved to step in, but my mother-in-law, Sally Lincoln, pulled me back and hurried toward the children. She hurriedly separated the two children, her face full of concern as she immediately checked Charlie for any injuries. Mia, refusing to back down, cried out desperately for James. Sally’s expression turned cold and vicious as she glared at Mia. With a sharp slap, she knocked her to the ground. “Why are you crying? You worthless little thing! Your father died because of you!” Mia’s eyes reddened with anger. She lunged forward and bit Sally’s hand hard. “Ow! Get off me, you little brat!” Seeing Sally bitten, Charlie rushed over and kicked Mia in the stomach. Mia let out a piercing scream and collapsed to the floor, lying limp and motionless. It all happened so fast. By the time I reacted, I was already cradling Mia in my arms. But Charlie wasn’t done. He glared at me, punching and kicking. “You’re the bad woman who stole my dad from my mom! You shameless tramp!” Shock coursed through me. I looked up and saw Xena grinning smugly through the crowd. Pain shot through me as Charlie’s kicks landed. I raised my hand to stop him, but before I could, Xena charged at me, shoving me down as she shielded the boy. “Lia, blame me all you want, but don’t hit the child!”“Your child hit mine first!” I shot back. Sally approached, her tone dripping with mockery. “Why make such a fuss over kids fighting? Can’t you let it go? “It’s James’s funeral today. Do you have to make a scene and embarrass everyone? “When he married you, I was against it from the start. You brought nothing good to his life when he was alive, and now you won’t even let him rest in peace. You wicked woman!” When James married me, he had nothing to his name. Afterward, his entire family moved into the house my parents had bought for me, shamelessly taking over. I treated them kindly for the sake of family harmony, but now, here they were, accusing me at the funeral. The only one who seemed reasonable was my father-in-law, Steven Lincoln, who scolded Sally lightly before helping me and Mia to our feet. I barely had time to thank him before he gave me a kind smile and said, “I’ve seen everything you’ve done for this family over the years. Now it’s time for you to show one last act of devotion to James.” A sense of unease washed over me. I pulled my hand back and cautiously asked, “What do you mean?” He produced a pen and a piece of paper, holding them out to me. “James only has one son, Charlie. The family name can’t end here. I hope you’ll give up your share of the inheritance and the house to support his widow and child.”

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

“A widow and her child, huh? What about me? Am I not in the same situation?” Before I could say more, Sally bared her teeth and threw herself onto the floor, wailing loudly. “James! You just passed, and now your wife dares to disrespect her in-laws! Life is so cruel. There’s no justice left in this world!” I pressed my lips together, coldly watching her dramatic performance. “So, you’ve known about James having someone else on the side all along?” Instead of looking ashamed, Sally sneered and spat in my direction. “So what if I did? Just because you couldn’t give us a son, does that mean the Lincoln family is doomed to end?”“Mom, weren’t you the one who said it didn’t matter if we had a son or a daughter? And then refused to move out under the pretense of helping me care for my daughter?” Sally jabbed her finger at me, her eyes bulging with rage. Xena suddenly chimed in with a sharp remark. “Lia, taking care of your in-laws is a daughter-in-law’s responsibility! James just passed, and you’re already treating his parents like this? Watch out. Karma will come for you!” Sally, fueled by Xena’s comment, pretended to be overcome with anger. She rolled her eyes back dramatically, collapsed to the floor, and started wailing like it was the end of the world. Onlookers began murmuring, pointing at me with disapproval. “Look at her. She’s kicking them while they’re down! So ungrateful and unfilial.” Steven helped Sally up, tears streaming down his face as he pleaded with me. “I’ve always treated you like my own daughter. We’ve already lost a son. Why would you take away the last bit of hope we have left?” I took a deep breath and spoke calmly. “The child can stay. As for the inheritance, I have a daughter too. She’s part of this family, isn’t she? You can’t favor one over the other.” Just then, Mia woke up, looking dazed and confused. “A daughter? A useless girl like her thinks she deserves anything? She can keep dreaming!” Sally spat. Charlie stuck out his tongue at Mia, pulling faces. “Dad’s money is all mine! You’re not getting a cent!” Sally’s words crushed Mia’s little heart. She lowered her head, completely silent. Sally turned back to me, her tone demanding. “The house you’re living in should count as your show of respect to us. You wouldn’t have the heart to kick us out, would you? “As for James’s business and other properties, you have no right to them. Those were all built from nothing through his hard work!” Built from nothing? Wasn’t it my parents they begged on their knees to lend them money to pay off debts and start the company? Without me and my family, James would have been nothing! Xena whispered something into Charlie’s ear, and he charged at me, yanking my hair and spewing insults. “Get out of here!” I pushed him away lightly but he fell to the ground with a loud thud, pretending to pass out. “Lia! Not only are you disrespecting your in-laws, but now you’re trying to hurt a child? James was right that you’re heartless! No wonder he couldn’t stand you!” My in-laws blocked my way as Xena continued to slander me in front of everyone. I hugged Mia tightly, a smile curling on my lips despite my anger. “You want it all so badly? Fine. I’ll give it to you. I’ll give up the inheritance.”

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

“Mom, why?! That’s rightfully ours. Why are you giving it to those awful people?” Mia heard what I said and wrapped her arms around my neck, quietly sobbing. Xena narrowed her eyes and shot Mia a sharp glare, then hugged Charlie and said with feigned sympathy, “Such a lovely girl but it’s a shame her mother’s bad influence has made her so ill-mannered!” But when I mentioned giving up the inheritance, I noticed her eyes light up noticeably. Sally covered her mouth, her eyebrows arching with barely concealed joy. She didn’t look at all like someone who had just lost her son. Mia wanted to defend me, but I held her close, whispering a few words in her ear. She looked at me in surprise several times, then turned and hugged me tightly, her back facing my in-laws. “Talk is cheap. Hurry up and sign the papers!” Sally urged impatiently. Just moments ago, she was spitting curses at me and now she was pushing me to sign quickly. At this point, Steven chimed in, playing the good guy again. “You are so understanding. We didn’t care for you all these years for nothing.”“Care for me?” When I was pregnant, they forced me to do housework, making me survive on plain noodles. After I gave birth, they dismissed the nanny I had hired, then shut themselves in their room to sleep, leaving me exhausted and overwhelmed. When my maternity leave ended, they went behind my back to my company and quit on my behalf, just so they could continue living in my house. They trapped me at home, using the excuse of taking care of Mia to continue freeloading. My parents couldn’t stand it and brought me nourishing soup, which my in-laws consumed greedily. I was left hungry, becoming pale and thin, yet Sally scolded me daily. A bitter smile tugged at my lips as I reached for the pen. Slowly, I began listing everything they had done to me, one by one, as I took my time. Sally’s face turned livid, and Steven looked as if he had swallowed something unpleasant. “Stop pretending to be the victim! You have no conscience at all, daring to slander us with baseless lies!” Sally snapped. With that, she raised her hand to slap me. This time, I stepped forward and grabbed her wrist mid-air. “I’m already giving you everything you wanted. What else do you want from me?”“Giving us? What a joke! It’s ours to begin with!” she snapped, pulling her hand free with a fiery glare. “Hand over the keys to your house!” When I didn’t move, she tried to snatch them directly. “We’ve served you for so many years, and now you’ve driven my son to his death. You won’t even leave us a roof over our heads? You’re nothing but pure evil! Why couldn’t it have been you who died instead of him?” she spat venomously. She went on, accusing me of being extravagant and claiming that James wouldn’t have died if he hadn’t gone abroad to buy me jewelry. Hearing this, the crowd began to condemn me as a gold digger. Sally, seeing public opinion shift in her favor, burst into louder sobs, hurling even more accusations. “Her parents always looked down on my son. We humbled ourselves to act as their servants, all so she might treat him kindly! And now she’s plotting to throw us out on the streets? This has been her plan all along!” Xena dropped to her knees, weeping theatrically. “James told me he was driven to desperation by his wife’s cruelty. That’s why he turned to me. He was the one who suffered the most.” A few self-righteous individuals, unable to bear what they were hearing, began live-streaming and recording the scene. In no time, videos flooded the internet, painting me as a gold-digger who ruined her husband, disrespected her in-laws, and left them homeless. The backlash was swift and overwhelming. “Sure, her husband cheated, but can you blame him? She’s vain, selfish, and heartless! What man could tolerate a woman like that?”“She disrespected the elderly, abused a child, and caused her husband’s death. Why doesn’t she just drop dead already?”

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

I watched it all with cold indifference, holding Mia tightly in my arms. She was the only warmth in my life. Xena strutted toward me with her arrogance on full display. James’s company, properties, and savings were now entirely hers and Charlie’s. My in-laws, desperate to keep their grandson, had left themselves with nothing. The more carefree Xena’s smile was, the more sarcastic my thoughts became. “You think you’ve won, don’t you? Don’t rush to celebrate. There’s a long road ahead, and we’ll take it slow,” I silently remarked. In the end, I called the police and left the funeral amidst a torrent of curses and condemnation. Back home, I packed up mine and Mia’s belongings. My brother overseas, Wilfred Ford, called me. “Everything is ready. I’ve booked the tickets. I’ll pick you up when you arrive.”“Okay,” I replied. After hanging up, Mia grasped my hand tightly. “Mom, I’ll always stand by your side. You’re not a bad person, you’re the best.” I playfully tapped her nose, feeling warmth bloom in my heart. Meanwhile, the online hatred against me grew fiercer by the day. I had poured everything I had into helping James’s company go public. Now that he was gone, my in-laws showed their true colors. Not only had they hidden his affair from me, but they also paraded his illegitimate child at his funeral just to humiliate me. They even forced me to sign away my rights to the inheritance. From that moment on, I severed all ties with James and his family. Yet they continued to exploit my name, using me as a tool for attention and clout. Xena went so far as to create a livestream account, spewing baseless accusations that I abused my in-laws, insulted my husband, and squandered money. She quickly gained a huge following, and before long, she started livestreaming product sales, making a fortune. It seemed like the whole family was thriving, leeching off me and living the high life. But there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. After Mia and I settled abroad, the uproar back home could no longer reach us. In fact, I needed the noise. The more viciously they slandered me, the more attention I gained. And in time, Xena and my in-laws would pay the ultimate price for their greed. Meanwhile, Mia seemed more motivated in her studies than ever, perhaps to prove herself. I lounged by the beach, sipping red wine, with my new villa behind me. The overseas company I had set up was initially managed by Wilfred. Once it was on solid footing, I smoothly took over, and now I smiled at the monthly profits in the seven figures. As I was about to finish my wine, a call came in. It was a call that I had been expecting. “You wretched woman! I’ll kill you!!!” The enraged man on the other end screamed like he was on the verge of a complete breakdown. His fury felt so palpable it was as if he wanted to leap through the phone and tear me apart. But I just smiled calmly and replied, “Well, isn’t this my dear husband, who’s already been buried? How are you managing to call me from the grave?” The line went silent. Then, in the background, I heard a woman’s furious screams, sobs, and the chaotic sounds of a physical fight.