Bella smoothly took hold of Liam's arm and the two of them strolled into Lovotel, a nearby hotel, with smiles on their faces. I couldn’t wrap my head around Liam's attitude. How could he be so cheerful? Didn't he care about our son's identity? If he did, why was he smiling so carefree, without a trace of concern?

I quickly took out my phone and snapped a few photos of them together. Sitting in the car, I needed a moment to collect my thoughts. After that, I dialed my best friend’s number and asked, "Hey, Betty, remember that private detective you mentioned? Can you send me their contact info?"

Worried, she asked, "Are you okay? Let me know if there's anything I can do. I might have some advice for you."

Putting on a brave front, I chuckled, "Yeah, I'm alright. If things get serious, I'll fill you in."

Since I was a kid, I've always handled things on my own. But witnessing what I just saw tore at my heart. Tears welled up in my eyes and I closed them, trying to shut out the world around me.

After what felt like forever, Bella and Liam finally walked out from the hotel.

I glanced at my watch; they had checked into the hotel at noon and now it was already 5 pm. Watching them together, I automatically pulled out my phone and snapped a photo. After they left, I headed straight to the hotel.

At the front desk, I asked and found out Liam and Bella were staying on a monthly basis, suggesting they planned to be there for a while. A thought started forming in my mind.

Opening WhatsApp, I found the phone number Betty had sent and casually dialed it. "Hey, I need your help tracking and investigating someone."

The private detective sounded professional and assured me, "No worries, I'll keep you updated."

After that, I gathered my emotions and called my mom. "Hey Mom, I need to handle some things here, so I'm leaving the child with you for now."

Mom grumbled a bit but was clearly worried. I reassured her several times, making sure she felt okay about it.

Finally feeling free to act without worrying about accidentally hurting anyone I cared about, I treated myself to a luxurious facial mask—Liam's old favorite—and slept soundly.

I knew tomorrow would be a day of reckoning, for both me and my son. Then, in the morning, I made myself a delicious breakfast to steel myself for what lay ahead.

I made sure to grab a bite and drink up, gearing up for the day. Following Liam, I stuck close as they entered the office building. Along the way, some old faces greeted me, "Hey, Ms. Ziegler." I managed a faint smile and nodded back.

When we reached Liam's office, I knocked on the door but didn't bother waiting for a reply before pushing it open and starting to record on my phone. Inside, Bella was there, standing in an awkwardly close distance from Liam.

The moment Liam laid eyes on me, there was a flash of panic quickly replaced by a cold stare. "What are you doing here? Have you no shame?"

I chuckled, trying to keep things light. "Well, if I can't reach you anywhere else, I've got to come here, right? And it is my company too."

Liam shot back, his tone icy, "Bella's my secretary. We’re doing our work here."

I glared at the two of them and said, "I don't have time for your nonsense. We need to talk about us."

Liam signaled for Bella to leave and as she walked past me, I caught a whiff of her familiar perfume. Shifting to a more business-like tone, I said, "To avoid any future misunderstandings, do you mind if I record this?"

Liam sneered, "Do whatever you want."

I started explaining to Liam that our son was indeed his, but he wasn’t buying it. Frustrated, I pulled out the paternity test report and handed it to him. Liam’s face twisted with anger as he snatched the report and threw it across the room.

"You still have the nerve to lie? Why couldn’t you explain the blood type when I asked? Don't tell me my son's blood type is wrong."

I was speechless. "I didn’t lie. He's your son."

Liam interrupted with a sneer, "Yeah, your son with someone else. We've been betraying each other since we got married. I'm not his..."

He suddenly stopped, realizing he had said too much. His slip confirmed my suspicions—he had been unfaithful, probably with Bella. It was clear that everyone eventually says more than they mean when they're caught off guard.

Bella invited me to the café and I went, secretly turning on the recording on my phone. Her eyes were smug as she said, "Samantha, Liam doesn't even love you. He married you because I left."

Even though I’d expected it, it still stung a bit. I kept my face calm, with a cold smile. "Bella, are you really standing here, acting superior as the side chick? You have no right to lecture me about Liam. I'm his legal wife and you’re just lurking in the shadows. If you step into the light, you'll be like a rat everyone wants to chase away."

My voice was quiet, but in the hushed café, it drew attention. People started whispering and Bella's face turned red with anger.

She finally lost her cool and snapped, "In love, only the one who isn’t loved is the third wheel."

I looked at her with a mix of pity and amusement, a mocking smile on my lips. "Oh and he can't even get a marriage certificate with you."

"You're so pitiful. The louder you shout, the more unreasonable you seem. Look at yourself; what do you even look like?"

Bella's face twisted with anger as she noticed the disdainful looks from people around us. She quickly tried to compose herself, slipping back into her usual fake persona. I knew I was close to getting what I wanted.

I straightened up, maintaining my dignity as Liam's wife and said, "Bella, love can fade. But Liam and I have a son—"

Before I could finish, Bella interrupted with a laugh, "Haha, are you kidding? Liam told me he’s not the father. But..."

She stood up, eyes gleaming with pride and said slowly, "He and I have a daughter and she's definitely his. She’s already seven years old."

A wave of sadness hit me, but it quickly passed, replaced by a sense of calm. Everything was starting to make sense. No wonder Liam had said we’d both betrayed each other since we got married. I thought back to the night before our wedding when Liam came home late, smelling like another woman's perfume.

That was Bella's scent. It hadn't changed in eight years. Back then, when Liam came home late smelling like her, I thought his tears were tears of joy. But really, he was nursing a grudge. He couldn't get over his first love moving abroad with a wealthy man. His tears were a mix of pride and lingering feelings and there were red flags I ignored.

Looking back, any trace of emotion I had left for Liam vanished. I was ready to reclaim what was rightfully mine. I knew Bella's plan would drive Liam to divorce me. And sure enough, he confronted me with cold eyes.

"I'll split the house with you. You have your own equity, so money's not an issue," he said. "Take your son. Raising him all these years was for nothing." His words hurt, but they only fueled my determination.

"I won't push it. When you're ready, just sign it," Liam said, pulling the divorce agreement from his bag and tossing it onto the table in front of me.

I kept my cool as I picked up the document. Liam had everything figured out in terms of property. The house, bought during our marriage, was supposed to be split equally, but he was offering me just 2 million dollars. That house was easily worth at least 16 million dollars by market value. He clearly underestimated me.

I shrugged and pushed the divorce papers aside. "I'm not agreeing to this."