My husband wants to be the savior for his childhood sweetheart
I woke up in the hospital, sore and exhausted after delivering my baby girl, Lily, prematurely.
My husband, Mark, was there, not with flowers or congratulations, but with divorce papers.
“You know, Melanie was a huge star before all this,” he said, his voice tight.
“Another ten months out of the spotlight and her career will be over.”
“If the news of her pregnancy gets out before we’re married, the media will destroy her.”
The pain from my C-section was a dull throb, a constant reminder of what I’d just been through.
But this was my second chance.
I remembered dying, remembered the fire, the hate, the utter despair.
“I’ll sign,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady.
“But I want a birth certificate for Lily and I want compensation.”
Mark visibly relaxed. He’d clearly been expecting a fight.
“Sure, a hundred grand. Enough?”
A hundred grand. A pittance compared to his billion-dollar empire.
I knew pushing for more would be futile.
“Fine.”
He left to get the certificate and I signed the papers as soon as I had it.
He didn’t even glance at Lily in the incubator before rushing out to Melanie.
The other new mothers on the floor were surrounded by family, celebrating new life.
I was alone. No parents, no husband. Just me and my tiny daughter.
Two days later, Lily was finally out of the incubator.
I bundled her up, and myself too, ready to go home.
My phone buzzed. It was Mark’s secretary.
“Ms. Parker, please remember to retweet the company’s press release.”
Not even divorced yet, and already I wasn’t worthy of being called “Mrs. Miller.”
To protect Melanie’s image, Mark wanted me to say the divorce was due to irreconcilable differences.
I agreed, but my phone was dying. I’d do it when I got home.
Back at the house, I asked the maids to close all the windows. They ignored me.
As I carried Lily to the nursery, I heard them whispering in the kitchen.
“The nerve of her, bringing that bastard child back here.”
“Mr. Miller is too kind. She should be grateful he’s not suing, and she still wants his money!”
My blood ran cold.
Irreconcilable differences? What were they talking about?
“What are you saying?” I demanded, pushing open the kitchen door.
The maids, who used to call me “Madam,” looked at me with open disdain.
Mary, the housekeeper, was the boldest.
“The whole company knows you cheated. Don’t think you can get away with it.”
I rushed back to my room. My phone was finally charged. I opened Twitter.
#MillerDivorce was trending.
“Due to Ms. Parker’s infidelity, Mr. Miller has filed for divorce. This statement serves as official notice.”
My head spun. Mark was willing to destroy my reputation to protect Melanie’s!
My phone rang before I could even type a response. It was the police.
“Ms. Parker, we got a confession! You were abducted from Lake County!”
“We’re working with Lake County PD to find your family. You need to be there in three days for a DNA test.”
Tears streamed down my face.
Abducted when I was five, I’d never known a real home.
Mark was supposed to be my new beginning, but he’d become my tormentor.
Now, I had a chance to find my real parents. Lily would have a family who loved her!
I packed a few things for myself and Lily, and headed for the nursery again.
As I reached for the doorknob, the front door swung open.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Mark’s voice was sharp.
“Getting some clothes for Lily.”
“Those things are for Melanie’s baby. Buy your own.”
Every item in that nursery was chosen with love, and he was giving it all to Melanie’s child.
A child who wasn’t even his.
Disappointment crushed me, but I didn’t argue.
Mary grabbed my arm.
“Mr. Miller wants us at the maternity center to take care of Ms. Hayes.”
“I just gave birth! I need to recover!” The pain in my incision flared.
“Exactly,” Mark said without turning around. “You have experience.”
“Besides, you’ve always been tough. You don’t need any pampering.”
He got into his Mercedes. I was shoved into a minivan and driven to the maternity center.
Melanie was lounging in bed, surrounded by a dozen nurses.
“Hey, sis! So glad you’re here! Giving birth is tough…”
Mark gently pushed her back down. “She once ran a 10k with a broken leg. Childbirth is nothing.”
He turned to me. “Take good care of Melanie, and I’ll give you another hundred grand. Not a bad deal, right?”
Another hundred grand. Tempting.
“I can’t. There’s no one to look after Lily.”
He hesitated. Melanie grabbed his hand.
“Mark, honey, if she doesn’t want to, it’s okay. I don’t want to be a burden.”
Mark patted her hand, then looked at me with disgust.
“It’s an honor to take care of Melanie. You’re just an orphan, you bring nothing to the table. At least make yourself useful and keep her happy.”
He’d always belittled me, never acknowledging my pain. He sent Mary back to the house.
Mary hated me, she’d never care for Lily properly!
He ignored my protests and ordered me to feed Melanie.
I glanced at the closed door, realizing I was trapped.
Exhausted and hungry, I started feeding Melanie her lunch.
As I brought a spoonful of soup to her lips, she jerked back and screamed.
“Ouch! That’s burning hot!”
Mark snatched the bowl and threw it at me, soaking me in sticky chicken broth.
“What the hell is wrong with you?! If you hurt Melanie, you don’t get to eat tonight!”
Melanie leaned against him, tears rolling down her cheeks. “It’s okay, Mark. She didn’t mean it…”
“Don’t call her ‘sis.’ I’m taking her to get the divorce finalized tomorrow.”
I stood there, covered in soup, utterly alone.
The next day, Mark dragged me to the courthouse.
We signed the papers, then he got in his car.
“I’m going to buy Melanie a new handbag. You can get yourself back.”
His face darkened. “Be at the maternity center in half an hour, or you’ll regret it.”
He sped off. I took a cab back to the house.
As soon as I walked in, I heard Lily’s cries coming from the security guard’s quarters.
Why was she there?
I threw open the door. Lily was lying on a dirty cot. My diaper bag and formula were right next to her, untouched.
She hadn’t been fed or changed since yesterday!
I picked her up, changed her, and fed her, ignoring the urge to confront Mary.
After burping her, Lily gave me a weak smile. Tears welled up in my eyes.
Melanie’s baby would have a dozen nannies, while mine was left to starve.
“Don’t worry, Lily. Mommy’s taking you away from here.”
Suddenly, someone started banging on the front door.
I opened it to find Mark, his face a mask of fury. He slapped me hard.
“You brought those thugs into my house!”
He shoved me inside. Melanie, bundled in layers, was right behind him, flanked by several nurses.
Several men, looking like they’d just stumbled out of a bar, were sprawled on the floor.
The house was trashed, like a wild party had just ended. More men were sleeping in the bedrooms and study.
Five were crammed onto our bed, one completely naked.
“It wasn’t me! I haven’t even been inside!” I cried.
Mary stepped forward, her voice choked with fake distress.
“Mr. Miller, last night, dozens of these men broke in. They said Ms. Parker gave them a key, said the house was empty, invited them to party…”
“They said the baby was annoying, so they put her in the security room…”
I shook my head, terrified. “I don’t know any of these people! I was at the maternity center all night! How could I have given them a key?”
“Yeah…she was taking care of me all night. Mark, honey, maybe we should ask them?” Melanie tugged on Mark’s sleeve.
His anger seemed to melt away. He ordered someone to wake the nearest man.
“Who let you in here?”
The man blinked groggily. “Some lady named… Parker. Gave us a key… Said the house was empty, party time… Hey, where’s the booze?”
He held up my key chain, the one with the little teddy bear charm.
I instinctively patted my pocket. Empty.
“No, my key is missing. I didn’t do this!”
“Still lying? Melanie was worried about you, insisted on coming home. Otherwise, I’d never have known what you were up to!”
“You wanted to have a sex party in my house!”
Mark’s face was contorted with rage. He told Mary to lock me in the security room.
As they left, Melanie turned and gave me a triumphant smirk.
Later that night, after finally soothing Lily to sleep, the lights went out. Probably a power surge. I used my phone to book a train ticket.
Then I heard the lock click. Melanie stood in the doorway, bathed in moonlight.
Without Mark, her eyes were cold and cruel.
“You think you deserve a hundred grand after the divorce? You’re unbelievable!”
I backed away, clutching Lily, but the room was too small.
“We have no quarrel. Why are you doing this to me?”
“No quarrel? If it weren’t for you, I’d be Mrs. Miller!”
I frowned. She was right. An orphan like me had no business marrying him.
I’d saved his grandfather from a heart attack, and the old man had forced Mark to marry me as repayment.
It was a loveless marriage, just a piece of paper. He treated me like a toy, using me until I got pregnant.
I thought things would change, but his grandfather died a week before Lily was born. I was alone again.
So Melanie thought I stole her place?
“You got what you wanted. Why aren’t you happy?”
“No! If you hadn’t married him, I wouldn’t have gotten drunk that night! I wouldn’t have this… bastard!”
“It’s all your fault! I want you dead!”
She grabbed a nightstick and lunged at me. I dodged, and she slammed into the corner of the bed, collapsing to the floor.
Mark burst in.
“What the hell did you do?!”
Melanie lay in his arms, clutching her bleeding forehead.
“I was worried about her, wanted to see if she was okay…”
“She called me names…said I was a homewrecker… tried to kill me…”
Mark cradled her, glaring at me.
“Melanie has been nothing but kind, and you treat her like this!”
“She’s a working actress! You’re trying to ruin her career!”
Lily started crying again. I tried to comfort her, but she was too scared.
A woman emerged from the nearby hospital room. Seeing me struggling with Lily, she offered me a diaper.
“Here you go, honey. She’s probably wet.”
Her kindness warmed me. Even a stranger cared more about Lily than her own father.
I changed Lily’s diaper. Mary was still on the phone at the end of the hallway. I decided to make a run for it.
But as I headed for the stairwell, I saw Mark and Melanie coming towards me.
He slapped me again.
“You bitch! I should have taken your phone!”
I stumbled. Mary grabbed me.
Melanie, her forehead now bandaged, started wailing.
“You told everyone I was a homewrecker! I should just die!”
Mark pulled her close. He gave Mary a look, and she snatched Lily from my arms.
“Give her back!” I screamed.
Mark tightened his grip on my throat until I couldn’t breathe.
“Go live, tell everyone you lied! Tell them you’re the cheater, that Melanie is innocent!”
“Or you’ll never see your daughter again!”
Gasping for air, I saw Mary, at Melanie’s signal, hold a handkerchief over Lily’s face.
She was trying to smother her!
Lily’s cries weakened, but Mark didn’t even notice. He didn’t care!
Terrified, I fell to my knees. “Okay! I’ll do it! Just leave her alone!”
On the livestream, I held my daughter and confessed to everything.
“I’m Qin Li, Mark Miller’s ex-wife. I cheated on him, and we’re divorced. Melanie Hayes had nothing to do with it. It was all me, I was jealous, I’m a terrible person…”
After the livestream, Mark gave me a new phone.
“Good girl. This is your new number. Melanie will need to contact you.”
“She’s so kind, she wants you to stay on as a maid…”
I took the phone and got into the minivan with the other maids.
At the gas station, I threw the phone away and ran. I grabbed Lily and ran as fast as I could to the train station.
