I met her eyes without backing down. "Why don't you ask your husband whether it's real or fake? Or better yet, why don't the three of us talk together?"
She clearly hated my attitude, as if I were provoking her.
"Gerald is busy. I won't let him waste time on trivial things like this."
"I won't be swayed by you. I trust him."
As she spoke, she somehow began convincing herself instead of me.
"Men always have mistresses. Which rich, powerful man doesn't? Who hasn't tasted what's outside?"
When she said "tasted," she dragged out the word deliberately, turning it filthy.
"I came today to show you respect as the mistress."
"But if you keep shamelessly clinging to my husband, don't blame me for what happens next."
Her gaze sharpened, waiting for me to break and admit fault.
I let out a soft, cold laugh.
"Ms. Barnes, has it ever occurred to you that you might be the other woman?"
"I think both of us are victims here. We shouldn't be fighting each other. All of this—every bit of it—started because of Gerald."
"He's the one who owes us an explanation. Not you to me, and not me to you."
She sneered, looking at me like I was a stubborn fool refusing to accept reality.
"So you thought you were the real wife? Fine. Let me convince you."
She unlocked her phone and played a video.
On the screen, I saw my mother-in-law, my husband, and my brother-in-law celebrating Stella and Gerald's fifth wedding anniversary.
There was also a little boy—around three years old—whom I had never seen before.
But then the little boy in the video opened his mouth and called Gerald "Dad."
And he called Stella "Mom."
My mother-in-law put twenty million worth necklace around Stella's neck, addressing her affectionately as her daughter-in-law.
My brother-in-law laughed as he called her "Sister-in-law."
I felt as if I'd fallen straight into an ice cellar.
My blood froze.
Every nerve in my body tightened with a sharp, suffocating pain.
So everyone knew.
Everyone accepted and supported Gerald's cheating.
Everyone—except me.
I was the only one they lied to.
The only fool in their eyes.
And when everything finally came to light, Gerald wasn't scared, wasn't ashamed—not afraid of hurting me.
He was only worried I might hurt her.
Never—not once—did I imagine that the man who had always been gentle and obedient with me could betray me like this.