The results came back perfectly normal. After that, the subject was quietly dropped.

She'd been taking birth control the entire time. She'd even planned to let me raise another man's child like a fool.

Adeline let out a cold scoff. "Maybe you should think about how your family treated me. That whole wedding settlement mess? I hated it from the start."

Peggy spat on the floor. "That pathetic bride price. Your family hemmed and hawed forever before coughing it up. So cheap it made me sick. I never wanted my daughter marrying you in the first place."

My mind flashed back to the wedding three years ago.

We'd agreed on a bride price of $999,000. A lucky number.

But on the day of the wedding, Peggy told Adeline to stay in the car and refused to let her step out unless we paid an extra million as a "door fee."

I thought it was outrageous, but Adeline sat in the wedding car dabbing at her tears, saying her mother only had one daughter and life hadn't been easy for her.

I gritted my teeth and paid.

When we arrived at the house, Peggy demanded another million as a "name-change fee" for calling my parents Mom and Dad.

I was done. This was highway robbery.

But my father stepped in. He said a wedding was a happy occasion, and we shouldn't let money ruin it. He paid.

Thank God my father saw through them. He'd kept our family's multi-billion-dollar fortune a secret.

He'd even held the ceremony at the old house from before the family made its money. In the end, they walked away with three million and finally stopped pushing.

Peggy didn't give Adeline a single cent as a dowry. Said our family "wasn't worth the effort."

I found out later that every dollar of that three million went straight to Tim Harding, who blew through it all.

My father had specifically reminded me back then to keep hiding the family's wealth. "Time reveals a person's true character," he'd said.

Now, it was clear just how right he was.

I took a deep breath, pulled out my phone, and called Tim Harding. "Fine, I'll agree to the divorce. But Tim's debts are not mine. I'm calling him right now to settle this."

I dialed again and again. Tim never picked up.

Adeline slapped the phone right out of my hand. It clattered to the floor. "You know damn well my brother's traveling overseas and can't answer his phone!" she shrieked. "That's the only reason you dare accuse him!"