My nanny Melanie Stam sent me a photo of her son, who looked surprisingly similar to me when I was a baby.
I recalled that six months ago, she gave birth on the same day as me in the same hospital.
I had a bad feeling.
Just when I was about to tell my husband, Charles Hooper, I found him having sex with Melanie on my pink bedsheet.
——
Watching the surveillance video on my phone, I breathed fast, and my fingertips holding the water cup turned white.
Charles and Melanie have ended up. Melanie was wearing my black silk pajamas, leaning against Charles's chest, with one hand hooked around his neck. Because of Charles's hard work in bed, Melanie's breath was a bit unstable. "Charles, I miss our son so much."
Charles hugged Melanie with one hand and held a cigarette with the other, satisfied like a champion.
"Vanessa's younger brother just returned from studying abroad, and she went back to her parents' home. Tonight, Matthew and I will bring her and our son back, so you can be with our son every day," Charles said.
"Then when will you marry me? I don't want our son to call Vanessa mommy," Melanie asked.
"Wait for a while, my dear. I will make you the mistress of this house within half a year," Charles patted her head.
"Six months?" Melanie raised her head and continued to ask.
Charles remained silent for a few seconds, then kissed Melanie's forehead. "Vanessa's father said he would give 4.99% of the shares of Flourish Group to our son. I will try to urge him to deal with it in the next two months and make our son benefit. If you can endure a few more months, we will get 30 million dollars," Charles explained.
"As long as the three of us can be together, I can." After saying that, Melanie hugged Charles and started kissing him passionately.
I couldn't bear to watch the video any longer.
I closed the monitoring screen and sat on the sofa for a long time.
Why six months? Was it because the accidental insurance we bought before would expire in six months?
In the second month of my pregnancy, Charles bought maximum life accident insurance for himself, which could be compensated with 30 million dollars. And I was the beneficiary.
He said that he could leave something for me if something happened to him.
I was so touched that I bought the same insurance to benefit him.
Chapter 2How greedy Charles was!
I married Charles with a villa worth 20 million dollars, invested another 10 million dollars to make him CEO, and gave birth to a son for him, but he wanted to kill me.
He thought Melanie's child was his and switched his son with someone else's. What a fool!
How could he hurt his son? Bastard!
A week ago, Melanie said that she had recovered and wanted to help take care of my son to earn some money.
That was our agreement before.
I was curious why Melanie never posted pictures of her baby on social media. After all, every mother loved showing off her baby.
Melanie had sent me a picture of her baby sucking fingers.
At that time, my mother, sitting next to me, saw the picture and asked me, "Why are you photoshopping your childhood photos?"
I gave birth half a month earlier than the due date. When my water broke, Melanie was frightened. I had a natural birth, while Melanie had a cesarean section. Both of us gave birth to sons.
The hospital was chosen by Charles. At that time, my parents were taking care of my grandmother in New York. Only Charles and Melanie's husband, Matthew Davis, stayed with us.
Love was blind. I only suspected that Matthew and Melanie switched children. But I never doubted Charles. I even was afraid that Charles, who was on a business trip, would worry, so I planned to figure it out by myself and tell him when he came back.
Charles treated Matthew as a good friend and thought Matthew and Melanie were a fake couple.
Matthew was our driver. I took his hair for a paternity test with my son Logan. The test result confirmed that Matthew was Logan's biological father.
When I wanted to tell Charles, I discovered their adultery.
After having a baby, I installed surveillance cameras in several places in my house, but I haven't had a chance to tell Charles. He has been on business almost every day for a month. Taking work as an excuse, we rarely chat on WhatsApp.
Charles was confused and foolish.
He used all his wisdom on me and played me around like a fool.
No wonder when I stayed in the same maternity hospital as Melanie, she always ignored her son and looked after my son every day.
When Charles named my son, he looked at Melanie and said affectionately, "How about Logan?"
At that time, I was full of joy, but now I feel disgusted with myself at that time.
I scanned Melanie's Instagram page to show off their love.
[Today, my honey put down his work to buy my favorite desserts on West Street. I'm touched.] Melanie posted some pictures of desserts and Charles's Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
[My honey gave me some money and let me buy whatever I wanted.] She added a blurred image of transferring money.
There were many posters about their sweet love.
I wanted to slap them, but I couldn't do it now.
My parents have been finding my poor child. For the safety of my child, it is better not to scare them off. I would settle accounts with them when my son was found.
Chapter 3My thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing. It was Charles.
"Hey, Vane, I'm on the way. Is there anything else dad and mom need?" asked Charles.
"No, dinner is ready, quickly," I urged him.
Charles was wearing a light blue shirt today, his eyes were bright and shining, like a sophisticated and elegant gentleman.
During the meal, he handed my brother a black card and said, "Frank, you just came back from abroad. I'm afraid you won't be used to domestic cuisine. I asked my friend to get you a VIP card from Elonna Dining. The restaurant opened a few years ago, very popular. You can get a 40% discount by this card. Go eat with your friends when you have time."
Frank raised his eyes and continued to lower his head to enjoy his food, saying lightly, "Elonna Dining belongs to my parents. I don't have to pay."
Charles awkwardly took back his card and looked at me with complaint, "Vane, why didn't you tell me?"
It was of course to protect his self-esteem.
If he knew that my family was much wealthier than he imagined, I didn't know if he would do these foolish things.
I smiled and said, "We agreed to achieve something by ourselves."
Charles nodded repeatedly, "You're right. My company is on track now. I will provide you and Logan with a happy life by myself."
Frank's lips curled up, with a mocking smile on his face, "By yourself? Where does the money for your business come from?"
Seeing Charles didn't say anything, Frank said sarcastically, "If it weren't for Vane, would you think you could win 10 million dollars by lottery tickets?"
Frank added, "Everyone in your industry knows that you are my dad's son-in-law. Do you think that you have abilities? Your projects were all because of my dad."
With a smile on Charles's face and his left hand clenched tightly under the table, he said, "I'm lucky to have her."
I felt satisfied and pretended to blame Frank, "Hey! Don't talk to Charles like this."
After dinner, Charles peeled an apple for me with his slender and well-defined fingers. I said, "Just let Mary peel it."
Charles smiled indulgently and said to me, "It's my honor to prepare fruit for you."
Chapter 4Perhaps because of these details, I fell in love with Charles.
During college, Charles was the most handsome boy in our department, but he ignored all his fangirls and claimed to have someone in his heart.
In the first semester of our junior year, he spent a lot of money to buy two front-row concert tickets and invited me to go with him.
But after that, he still ignored me.
Later, I heard someone saying that the two tickets cost his living expenses for his entire semester.
To take care of his self-esteem, I pretended not to know that he only had one dish for every meal. I gave money to every chef and told them to add some dishes for him, saying that it was leftovers from the day.
I was afraid that his part-time job would earn a little money and influence his schoolwork, so I had my servant squat at the school gate to stop him and arrange for him to tutor kids for 500 dollars per hour every day. Of course, all the money was from me.
At the graduation ceremony, he came over with a red face and wanted to take a photo with me.
He didn't dare to hold my hand, so I held his hand, gave him a bright smile, and confessed to him, "Charles, I love you."
After marriage, I wanted Charles to be a department manager at my father's branch company.
He refused, saying that he didn't want my family to look down on him, and decided to start his own business to give me a comfortable life.
I felt sorry for him and took out my money to help him. I begged him for a long time before he was willing to accept the money.
Now I realized how stupid I had been.
But Charles was a good actor.
He didn't buy a house and pick up her mother in the countryside until the second year after starting her own company.
Charles said, "My mother was vulgar, but you grew up in a wealthy family. I didn't want you to be bothered by the contradictions. When I make some money, I'll buy a house for my mom so that she won't affect our lives."
Charles was such a good partner. But he had an affair under my nose and even wanted to kill me.
Chapter 5I didn't want to go back and face them, so I stayed at my parents' house overnight and didn't go back with him until the next evening.
As soon as I got out of the car, Melanie rushed over and gave me a big hug, saying with a pouting smile, "Vanessa, give me a hug."
I pretended to be surprised and asked, "When did you arrive?"
Melanie hooked her arm with mine, and we walked into the house together. She glanced at Charles imperceptibly and said in a sweet voice, "My honey brought me here yesterday afternoon."
"Where's the baby? Let me hold him."
Melanie took the child from Mary and pressed her face against the baby's, obviously showing her maternal love.
"Melanie, aren't you worried about putting your son in your hometown?"
"What's there to worry about? Rural children can be raised causally. Unlike Logan, he was born into a wealthy family. He's precious." As she spoke, she seemed somewhat proud, "We have to bring the best things in the world to him."
I sneered in my heart, "Yes, my son deserves the best. I'll remove all the trash for him one by one."
"Melanie, do you remember how we met?" I asked her.
Melanie put down Logan with grace and earnestly said, "Yep. We met on the Mommy's Journey App. At that time, I posted a very popular article, and everyone was mocking me. Only you helped me and gave Matthew a job."
"Then am I good to you?" I asked.
"Of course, you took care of me during my pregnancy and spent a hundred thousand dollars to arrange the maternity hospital for me. Now you give me a good job. I'll always be grateful to you."
I sat on the sofa, filed my nails, and asked, "When did you know Charles?"
"When you asked me to have dinner at your house. What do you mean, Vanessa?" Melanie's face turned pale.
"Charles often away for days at a time. Look, he only stayed at home for 8 days last month, and the remaining 23 days were outside." After saying that, I pretended to glare at Charles.
Melanie was so scared.
At this time, the person my parents arranged had already found Melanie's hometown. If nothing else, my biological son would be brought back in two days.
I didn't care about my husband anymore. Melanie, if you wanted him, and then he was yours.
Charles took my nail sponge file and said with a smile, "Don't blame me. It's all for our family."
Melanie's ringtone sounded. She said, "Oh, right. I asked Matthew to buy gifts for you and Logan. I'll get them."
After a while, she came back with a bunch of pink roses and stuffed them into my arms, saying, "I hope Vanessa will always be as beautiful as these roses."
After speaking, she took one from the middle to play with Logan. I was shocked. I quickly threw down the bouquet and ran over to pick Logan up.
Charles shouted, "What are you doing? Melanie is here to take care of our Logan."
Wow, Charles was out of control.
Looking at Melanie's crying and Charles's suppressed displeasure, I didn't want to explain that Logan was allergic to pollen.
After I gave Logan to Mary, I went back to the bedroom to take a shower and asked Mary to throw away the flowers.
Before going upstairs, I turned around and said, "I'll take care of my Logan by myself."
I wonder if they would feel sorry for my son. I went back to the room and took a cold shower to calm down.
Chapter 6I stood in the cold air for a while, locked the door, put on my headphones, and turned on the monitor.
The maid's room was on the first floor. Melanie sneaked into the study on the second floor and asked with worry, "Did she find anything?"
"Impossible. Come here and hug me." Charles sat on the executive chair I bought for him, patted his thigh, and stretched his arms.
Melanie showed a charming smile and sat on Charles's lap, hooking her hands around Charles's neck.
The two started kissing, and Charles's hands began to wander. Melanie suddenly grabbed his hand and said, "Not today. She just came back, and she spoke so strangely. Stay cool."
Charles's was burning with desire and was unwilling to stop. He buried his head in Melanie's chest and slurred, "She is just a self-righteous fool. As long as she gets some benefits, she thinks she is the center of the universe. I know her."
Melanie pushed him away, stood up and straightened her clothes, and anxiously said, "No, for our son, as usual, you come back when she's asleep."
"Okay, I'll comfort her first. Since she had Logan, she hasn't been sleeping well at night. I've prepared sleeping pills for her. Don't worry."
Charles turned his back to the camera, and I couldn't see his face. I couldn't imagine how his usually gentle expression would be when he said these words.
Seeing Charles turned off the monitor and left the study, I took off my headphones and pretended to be asleep quickly.
Soon, I heard the door opening, and he hugged me from behind, burying his head in my neck and whispering, "You fell asleep, Vane? I missed you."
If it were before, I would burst into laughter and play with him.
He always stayed up late, so I pretended to fall asleep first to coax him to sleep.
But today, I wanted to slap him.
Especially when I thought about how his head was buried in Melanie's chest, I felt disgusted, so I said, "I'm tired. Let me sleep for a while."
He considerately touched my forehead, his face showing concern. "What's wrong?"
I forced a smile and said, "Nothing. Frank is naughty. He has caused a lot of trouble since he came back, and I haven't had a good rest."
Charles patted me and said, "My client recommended some sleeping pills to me. Would you like to take it before sleeping?"
Why did he let me take pills so openly? I thought he would secretly put them into my water.
Well, if I hadn't heard his words in the surveillance, I would have obediently eaten them.
I refused. "No, I'm just so tired."
Charles asked carefully, "Shall I sleep in the guest room tonight? I'm afraid my snoring might wake you up at night."
"Okay, please turn off the lights for me. Good night," I replied.
The next day at noon, Frank sent me a message: [Vane, come back now.]
I knew there was news about my son, so I quickly advised Mary a few things and hurried to my parents' house.
Only Frank was sitting on the sofa at home with worry on his face. "We didn't find him."
"Why?" The news came like a bolt from the blue, disrupting my plan.
"We've found Melanie and her husband's hometown, the house they rented. The child has been transferred, and Matthew's ID card is fake."
I remembered child trafficking and my heart tightened.