Three months after my baby was born, I found out my husband, Joe, was cheating.

The other woman? Hailey. Pregnant and smug. Joe actually got on his knees, begging for a divorce.

I said yes.

Until I could find a place, Joe's mom, Claudia, let me stay at the house.

"Hailey," Claudia said, "you'll handle all the household responsibilities now."

Hailey, all fake enthusiasm, chirped, "I'll take good care of this family!"

Claudia replied, "Great. You'll start your day at five making breakfast. When Luca's hungry, you'll feed him and change his diapers. Once he's down for a nap, clean the house, grocery shop, and prep lunch. Laundry in the afternoon, tea service mid-day, then bathe Luca and cook dinner. After that, you'll put him to bed."

Hailey's face? Priceless.

The day after my divorce from Joe Powell, Hailey wasted no time. She had all her luggage delivered to the Powell house by a moving service.

"Joe told me to bring everything over," she said, full of herself.

She directed the movers to pile her belongings in the master bedroom, then jabbed a finger in my direction. "You're so pathetic. Divorced and still squatting here? Joe told me he never loved you. Said just looking at you makes him sick."

I was about to pack my things when Joe's mom, Claudia Caire, walked in.

"Vera, the guest room is available," she said.

Hailey practically glowed with victory.

Claudia, as always, had her own agenda. She turned to Hailey, her tone serious. "Since you'll be living in my house, you'll handle all the household chores. I'm up at five, so breakfast better be ready by then."

Then she glanced back at me. "Hailey's new. Teach her our routines when you can."

Hailey's eyes widened. "Claudia, I'm pregnant! You can't expect me to do chores. Hasn't Vera always done that stuff?"

Claudia didn't flinch. "Vera is a guest in this house. She'll move out when she's ready, and any help she gives is a courtesy, not a duty. Don't forget, she's also taking care of my grandson."

Hailey's lips twisted in a sulk. "Then Joe should hire a maid. He's some big-shot executive, right? He can afford it."

Claudia snapped, "The mortgage on this house isn't even paid off yet, and you're already dreaming of hired help? If you don't want to do the work, you're welcome to leave."

Hailey deflated, mumbling, "Fine. I'll do it."

I had just finished cramming my stuff into the tiny guest room when Claudia knocked, stepping in with a few books. She set them on the rickety table by the bed—guides on storytelling and writing.

"Luca's only three months old," she said. "You've got your hands full. But you were a language teacher, so writing isn't exactly foreign to you. If you're serious, you could make a career out of it."

I stared at the books. Sadness hit me like a freight train.

Claudia had told me I could stay at the Powell house until I found a place to rent. At the time, I thought she was just trying to push me into finalizing the divorce faster.

She smiled. "The road ahead is long, Vera. You'll have to learn to stand on your own. Husbands can be replaced. Losing one? It's not the end of the world."

Only then did it dawn on me that she'd lived this. Betrayed by Joe's dad, she'd raised him alone and built her success one word at a time.

When the door closed, I crumpled to the floor and sobbed until my chest ached.

When the divorce was finalized, my future felt like a blank void, full of uncertainty and fear.

My parents had died years ago, and my little brother had been kidnapped when he was five.

I had no one left. Even distant relatives had faded from my life long ago. I had nowhere to go.

After three years as a full-time housewife, I felt like I'd lost touch with the world. Luca was still so little, and after everything I'd endured to bring him into the world, I couldn't let him suffer.

Honestly, I was shocked Claudia let me stay. During my marriage, she was polite but distant—never mean, but definitely not warm. Now, looking back, I wondered if her tough exterior hid a softer side.

One morning, while I was soothing a crying Luca, Claudia casually said to Hailey, "You should learn how to take care of children. You'll need the practice for when you have your own."

Hailey gave Luca a disgusted look. "He's not my kid. I'm not dealing with him."

Claudia snapped, "He's Joe's son. If you want to be part of his life, you take care of his family and this household. If you're not up for it, the door's right there."

Hailey, clearly fuming, grabbed Luca and awkwardly tried to soothe him. When he finally fell asleep, she dumped him into his crib and stormed off to her room, wailing dramatically. Minutes later, she was on the phone with Joe, demanding he come home immediately.

***

When Joe stormed in, his finger was already in my face. "Vera Sommer, do you have any shame? This isn't your house anymore!

"Why are you still here, stirring up trouble and getting Hailey scolded by Mom? What's your game? If you're so desperate to keep the kid, take him and get out of here!"

His words hit like a slap. My son—my child, whom I carried for nine long months—being dismissed like he was nothing by his own father.

Legally, custody of a three-month-old typically goes to the mother after a divorce, but with no job, no money, and nowhere else to go, I had no choice but to stay here.

The prenuptial agreement Joe insisted on before we got married left me with nothing—no claim to his pre-marriage assets, no safety net.

Raising Luca on my own felt impossible.

I shot Joe a glare. "Your mom said I could stay until I find a place. As long as she doesn't kick me out, neither of you can."

Joe couldn't argue. The down payment on this house had come from Claudia, not him.

Fuming but out of moves, Joe turned to Claudia, hoping to convince her to send me packing.

Claudia, as immovable as ever, shot back, "I don't care who you marry, Joe, but Vera has no money, and Luca is just a baby. I won't let our family's bloodline end up starving on the streets."

Hailey latched onto Claudia's arm. "Claudia, the baby I'm carrying is your family's bloodline too. If Vera can give you a grandson, I can too."

Claudia's eyes lit with fury. "Oh, you think that matters? You're not going to push me into mistreating my grandson. Not a chance."

She cut off any further argument. "That's the end of it. If either of you has a problem with my decision, feel free to move out of MY house."

Joe, of course, wasn't about to leave. Giving up the house? Not happening.

Because of that, I couldn't shake the feeling that Hailey's pregnancy was a sham.

She was constantly ordering takeout—loaded with deli meats and undercooked steak, stuff pregnant women are supposed to avoid.

Real pregnant women? They're usually queasy, can't keep much down, or lose their appetite. Hailey? She ate like nothing had changed.

The real kicker? I'd caught her working out in their bedroom.

If she really was pregnant, she sure wasn't acting like it.

Joe's career wasn't exactly smooth sailing. His head wasn't in the game, and it showed.

A year ago, he almost cost the company millions. The CEO caught the mistake just in time; otherwise, it would've been catastrophic. The only reason Joe still had his job was because he'd saved the CEO's life in a near-fatal car accident years ago.

Since then, Joe had been on a mission to land big deals, throwing himself into endless social events and networking. It changed him—and not in a good way.

Joe barely came home at night anymore. When I tried to bring it up, he'd shut me down with insults. "You're just a useless housewife," he'd snap. "All you do is obsess over me and the kid. You add nothing to my life."

Then Hailey entered the picture.

Fresh out of college, she was everything Joe wanted: young, beautiful, and full of energy. She joined the company as the CEO's secretary, and it wasn't long before she and Joe became inseparable.

The reason they refused to move out of this house was obvious: Claudia.

Over her career as a bestselling author, Claudia had built a fortune worth millions. If they left the house, that inheritance would inevitably go to Luca—Claudia's only grandchild. And since I was the one raising him, Luca would naturally side with me when he got older.

In their eyes, that money might as well already be mine.

***

At dinner, I stood up to help with the dishes, but Claudia waved me off. "Vera, you've got enough on your plate with Luca. Let someone else handle it."

So I sat back down.

To my surprise, the food Hailey put out looked amazing—picture-perfect and mouthwatering. And it tasted just as good.

Claudia, ever the first to dig in, speared a piece of baked ribs, chewed, and paused. Her brow furrowed. "This is from the restaurant down the street, isn't it? I know their ribs anywhere."

Hailey froze, her head ducking.

Claudia's eyes narrowed. "That place isn't cheap. What's your plan here—takeout for every meal? Are you trying to burn through our money? If you can't cook without shortcuts, what's the point?"

Joe, desperate to shield Hailey from the heat, jumped in. "Mom, give her a break. She just graduated. She's still figuring things out. Besides, Vera's not doing anything. She's freeloading—why not make her cook? That'll at least cover her rent."

Hailey gave me a smug look. "Exactly, Claudia. I mean, I'm a college graduate. Vera? She's just some small-town orphan who lucked out marrying Joe. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't even have this life. Housework suits her."

Her words hit like a slap. I'd spent years running their household, saving them the cost of a housekeeper—which would've been a small fortune in this city. And Joe? He'd handed me a measly $300 a month.

He didn't care that I'd graduated with better grades than him or that I used to be a respected language teacher. To make him and Claudia happy, I'd dropped my career to be the perfect wife.

Three years of marriage, and it all felt like a cruel joke.

Claudia set her fork down and pinned Hailey with a look. "How far along are you now?"

Hailey's hand flew to her stomach, a smug smile creeping across her face. "Nine weeks. The heartbeat's normal, and the baby's measuring 2.4 centimeters—"

Claudia cut her off. "Schedule a checkup soon. I'll go with you."

Hailey went pale. Guilty much?

Joe wrapped an arm around her, his tone sharp. "Mom, that's out of line! Hailey just had a checkup. She even showed me the report. What, you think she's lying?"

Claudia didn't flinch. Her instincts were razor-sharp, and she never said anything without a reason. If she suspected something, there was probably something to suspect.

When Joe proposed to me, Claudia had sent someone to dig into my background before she'd grudgingly approved. Humble beginnings she could tolerate—lies, not so much.

Taking a slow sip of soup, she answered coolly, "Why are you so defensive? I'm only concerned about the baby. If she's carrying a Powell, I have every right to know how things are going."