Mommy?

As I stared at the screen, my blood ran cold. That single word hit me like a hammer to the temple, leaving my mind reeling and my thoughts in chaos.

Harper cheated on me? She even had an illegitimate daughter?

Shaking, I turned off the digital tablet. I couldn't bring myself to watch another second of the dashcam footage. My mind was filled with the image of the girl calling Harper "Mommy".

At 10:00 pm, Harper finally came home, looking exhausted. The moment she kicked off her shoes, I slammed the digital tablet onto the coffee table.

The screen was frozen on the exact frame where the girl was calling her "Mommy".

"Care to explain, Harper? Who is this child, and why is she calling you Mommy?" I kept my eyes locked on hers, searching for the slightest flicker of guilt.

She stiffened the moment she saw the screen. But then, to my surprise, her face softened into a look of weary, bitter resignation.

She walked over, took my hand, and took a seat beside me without a hint of hesitation. "Darling, you've misunderstood. That man is Caleb Holmes. He used to work under me in my old department. His wife died in a car accident two years ago. It's just been him and his daughter. It's heartbreaking."

She sighed, her eyes shimmering with what looked like sincerity. "The kids at school tease her for not having a mother. She's become so withdrawn and insecure. Caleb was desperate, so he begged me a dozen times to occasionally step in and play the part to give her a little confidence.

"She's the same age as Erin, and I thought they might be good playmates. I just felt sorry for them. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you'd take it the wrong way.

"As for the student ID, Jodie was just being playful when I dropped them off. She must have swapped it with Erin's by mistake."

Her explanation was seamless, delivered with such earnestness that I felt the tension begin to bleed out of me.

Harper had always been the charitable type, always donating to causes or helping out those in need.

Was I so burnt out from work that I'd turned paranoid?

I pulled my hand back and softened my voice. "Just promise me you'll let me know about stuff like this next time. I don't want other kids calling my wife 'Mommy'."

"You're absolutely right, darling. I'm so sorry. I swear, I'll keep my distance from them from now on. No more unnecessary acts of charity!"

Sensing that I believed her, Harper immediately leaned in and kissed me. "I'm going to take a shower. I'm exhausted."

As she walked toward the bathroom, I let out a deep sigh.

It seemed like it was just a misunderstanding.

I got up to hang up the suit she had left on the couch. Just then, her phone lit up on the coffee table.

A text notification popped up on the lock screen. It was from Sunflower Daycare. "Hello, Ms. Gilmore. This is a reminder that the monthly meal fee of 80 dollars for your daughter, Erin Spence, is now overdue. Please settle the balance as soon as possible to ensure there is no disruption to her meals tomorrow."

The faint smile on my face froze.

Erin was supposed to be at Starry Kindergarten, an elite school that cost over 100 thousand dollars a year, where the children ate meals prepared by expensive nutritionists from abroad.

Why on earth was she enrolled at some no-name daycare?

A wave of uncontrollable panic and rage surged through me.

I pulled up the dashcam app again and played the rest of the footage from that morning.

On the screen, Harper drove Jodie straight to the grand gates of Starry Kindergarten.

"Go on in, Jodie. Make sure to say hi to your teacher." Harper draped Erin's platinum-tier school ID around the girl's neck.

Then, she turned the car into a dilapidated alley a block away and pulled up in front of a place called Sunflower Daycare. The front gate was covered in rust.

When Harper turned around, the warmth on her face was gone, replaced by sharp impatience. "Erin Spence, get out. I'll pick you up tonight. And remember, don't you dare tell your dad about any of this."

Clutching her backpack, my four-year-old daughter looked timidly at the dark entrance of the daycare and whispered, "Mommy, I don't want to go in there. It smells bad, and the food is yucky—"

"Shut up! I won't spoil you! Get in there now!" Harper snapped.

Erin flinched, tears welling in her eyes.

She shakily pushed the door open and walked into that crumbling yard all by herself.

As I watched Erin's small, helpless back, I squeezed my fists until my knuckles turned white. I had to fight the urge to smash the digital tablet screen. How could Harper do this?

Erin was born premature. Her health had always been fragile. For the first three years of her life, I never let her out of my sight. And Harper dared to throw her into a place like that? This was her own flesh and blood!

I took a deep breath to force myself to stay calm.

Suddenly, an exclamation mark flashed on the screen, showing that the video file was missing.

Harper had deleted it.

That malicious woman!

Not only was she cheating, but she was using the money I earned to provide for her secret child while dumping my biological daughter in the slums.

Hearing the water running in the bathroom, I wanted nothing more than to storm in and drag her out.

But I held back.

Confronting her now would only tip her off, giving her time to hide assets or destroy more evidence.

I wasn't going to let this shameless couple get off that easy.

For the next few days, I lived a double life.

By day, I went to work as usual. I even managed to react calmly to Harper's fake displays of affection despite feeling disgusted.

Behind the scenes, I hired the best private investigator in the city to dig into Caleb's background.

I spent nights pulling every financial statement and chat log Harper had from the last few years. I even paid a specialist to recover the deleted dashcam footage.

In less than three days, a thick report landed in my inbox.

Reading through it, I let out a cold, hollow laugh.

At the very top was a DNA test result that proved that Jodie was Harper's biological daughter.

I suddenly remembered the year before we got married, when Harper insisted on going abroad for a study program and forbade me from visiting. She must have given birth then.

No wonder Jodie looked familiar. She was the spitting image of Harper as a child.

The next file made my blood boil even hotter.

It was an enrollment transfer agreement from Starry Kindergarten, and my name was boldly signed at the bottom!

Harper must have used my fingerprint while I was asleep and forged my signature to hand over a 300-thousand-dollar placement to Jodie.

But it didn't stop there. I discovered that over the last two years, Harper had siphoned nearly two million dollars from our accounts under the guise of "bad investments" and "business networking".

Every single cent of that money had gone toward a down payment on a luxury apartment for Caleb in the city center.

I backed up every piece of evidence and called my lawyer, Aiden Chapman.

"Mr. Chapman, I need a divorce agreement drafted. I want her to leave with absolutely nothing. And prepare a lawsuit. I'm suing her for embezzlement, marital asset transfer, and document forgery."

I hung up the call and looked at the calendar on my desk before drawing a heavy red circle around tomorrow's date.

Tomorrow morning was Starry Kindergarten's annual welcome gala and open day.

Just last night, Harper had told me sweetly, "Darling, the gala is going to be such a chaotic, noisy mess. You've been working so hard lately. Why don't you just stay home and get some sleep? I'll attend as the representative."

Since she put it that way, I figured I should show up and give them something truly unforgettable.

I blasted out three messages.

The first went to my parents and my in-laws.

"Mom, Dad, Starry Kindergarten is hosting their gala tomorrow. Harper wants everyone there to celebrate and see how well Erin is doing at such a prestigious school."

The second went to a few of Harper's colleagues, whom she constantly complained about and feuded with at the office.

"There's a high-end networking event tomorrow morning. Harper would love for you all to attend as her guests."

The last one went to the principal of Starry Kindergarten, Myra Arnold.

"Ms. Arnold, I've prepared a special tribute video for the grand finale of the gala. Please ensure it's played on the main screen."

Everyone agreed enthusiastically.

On Friday at 10:00 am, the luxury ballroom at Starry Kindergarten was a sea of designer clothes and clinking champagne flutes.

The scale of this elite gala was staggering.

Long banquet tables were piled high with lobster, beef, and imported champagne.

My in-laws, decked out in brand-new designer gear, were beaming at everyone they met.

Harper's "rival" colleagues were also in position, mingling seamlessly with the wealthy parents.

And there was Harper, standing in the center of the crowd in a sophisticated black dress, looking every bit the elegant socialite.

Flanking her were Caleb, looking sharp in a tailored blazer, and Jodie, their illegitimate daughter, who was wearing a custom-made dress.

"Ms. Gilmore, you really have it all. A thriving career, a brilliant daughter, and such a handsome husband," a local businessman flattered her.

Harper flushed with pride and naturally linked arms with Caleb. She looked triumphant. "Oh, you're too kind, Mr. Hyde. No expense is too great when it comes to a child's future. As long as Jodie gets the best education, I'd give up everything I own to make it happen."

Caleb stood close to her, playing the part of the devoted husband to perfection.

When Harper had just given birth, she'd been an emotional wreck. I had felt so bad for her that I dropped several major projects just to stay home and be with her.

But once Erin started kindergarten, she pushed me back to work and forbade me from getting involved in school affairs.

Every time I offered to pick Erin up or attend a parent-teacher meeting, Harper had an excuse to stop me.

Naturally, none of the other parents knew who I was.

Back then, I'd flattered myself, thinking I had a thoughtful, capable wife.

Now I saw the truth. This kindergarten was nothing more than a playground for this shameless couple.

I quietly watched them from the second floor.

Down at the entrance, my parents, my in-laws, and Harper's colleagues had all arrived.

Harper, Caleb, and their circle of business associates were tucked away in a private section, so she hadn't seen the guests I'd invited for her yet, and they hadn't seen her.

Otherwise, just seeing Caleb by her side would be enough for them to notice something was off.

Once I saw that everyone was in place, I made my move and headed downstairs.

Two stern-faced bodyguards followed closely behind me, drawing curious stares from the crowd.

Mom was the first to spot me. She waved excitedly. "Leonel! Over here! Your dad and I are over here!"

At the sound of my name, the smile on Harper's face froze. She whipped around. When her eyes met mine, she looked like she'd seen a ghost. "D-Darling? What are you doing here?"