“This is the painless way to become a dad! Shouldn’t you be thanking me?”

With that, I pulled the two boys forward.

“Go on, call him Dad. Call her Grandma.”

“Daddy! Grandma!” their young voices rang out again and again. I didn’t stop them, so they kept calling.

Ethan and Mrs. Walker’s faces turned green.

Ethan coughed furiously from anger.

Even the onlookers, who had never seen such a scene, stood stunned.

My parents couldn’t take it anymore. Each of them clapped a hand over one child’s mouth to stop them.

My mother, who always loved me most, shook her head in disappointment.

“Melissa, you and Ethan are both only children. When you two decided to stay child-free, neither I nor Mrs. Walker understood, but we respected it. Even though we never got grandkids, seeing you happy was enough for us.”

“But if you wanted kids after all, why not talk it over with Ethan? What you’ve done now—you’ve disgraced us completely. Do you realize how many people will laugh at us? How could you be so foolish?”

Beside her, my father’s face darkened.

The onlookers had a point—our company’s growth relied heavily on Ethan’s resources.

Now that I’d brought home illegitimate children and jeopardized my marriage, his business was bound to collapse. No wonder he looked grim.

Like he was venting, my father shoved one of the boys roughly to the ground.

The child cried out in pain.

I hurried to pick him up.

“Dad, what are you doing? These boys are your grandsons.”

Then I turned to Ethan.

“And you—they’re your sons. How can you just stand there while your own sons are hurt?”

Ethan waved his hands frantically.

“No way—those bastards don’t deserve to be called my sons.”

“Melissa Carter, wake up! What man on earth could accept children that aren’t his?”

But before his words settled, a firm voice cut through.

“I can.”

The speaker was none other than the boys’ biological father—Daniel Brooks.

Daniel strode up to Ethan with a cheerful smile, reaching out for a handshake.

But Ethan wouldn’t even look at him, let alone take his hand.

Daniel didn’t mind. He casually lit a cigarette, grinning.

“So you’re Melissa’s husband, huh? She’s told me you’ve treated her really, really well. Honestly, the good life I’ve had these past few years is all thanks to you, brother.”

He deliberately flashed his gleaming wristwatch in Ethan’s face.

“Been meaning to thank you in person. Without you, I never would’ve worn something this expensive.”

“And all that allowance you gave Melissa—she shared plenty with me. Don’t worry. Since I’ve taken your money, I don’t mind letting my kids call you Dad. Hell, I’d even raise your kids if you wanted…”

But Daniel didn’t get to finish before Ethan, furious beyond reason, punched him to the ground.

And no wonder—because that watch had been my grandfather-in-law’s heirloom. Ethan had grown up under his grandfather’s care and was deeply attached to him. After the old man died, Ethan often asked me to show him the watch. Now that I’d gifted it to Daniel, his fury was inevitable.

One punch wasn’t enough. Consumed with rage, Ethan straddled Daniel and raised his fist again.

Seeing he was about to strike again, I threw myself across Daniel’s body.

Ethan, famous for being a gentle husband who’d never once laid a hand on me, froze. I knew he couldn’t bring himself to hurt me.

Sure enough, he stopped, withdrawing his fist with eyes full of disappointment.

“Melissa Carter, do you have any conscience left? My grandfather loved you more than me when he was alive. That watch—he never gave it to me no matter how I begged, but he gave it to you. When you told me you lost it, I didn’t even blame you.”

“But in the end, you gave it to your lover. How could anyone be this shameless? I must’ve been blind to marry you.”

Daniel, to his credit, seemed to realize the watch’s significance. He quickly took it off, ready to return it.

But I stopped him.

When Ethan reached to grab it, I snatched it from Daniel’s hand.

Daniel sighed helplessly.

“It’s just a watch. Why not give it back to him?”

I shook my head.

“I gave it to you. You should wear it proudly. No taking it back.”

Ethan’s eyes burned red, like he could tear me apart.

“Melissa Carter, you really think I’d let him wear my grandfather’s watch now that I’ve seen it?”

I smiled faintly. Then, before anyone could react, I hurled the watch to the floor.

It shattered instantly.

“If you won’t let Daniel wear it, then you won’t have it either.”

Ethan stared at the shards in shock. He trembled as he picked them up, then finally broke down in tears.

“Melissa Carter, why? Why would you do this? You knew how much that watch meant to me. Even if you didn’t want to give it back, why smash it? It was my grandfather’s favorite. Now it’s destroyed forever.”

Tears streamed down his face. He looked utterly heartbroken.

Even the onlookers couldn’t help pitying him.

Some started livestreams just to curse me.

“Never seen a woman this vile! Makes me sick—why doesn’t she just die?”

“She gave her husband’s heirloom to her lover. The lover even tried to return it, but she smashed it instead. Some women just deserve a beating.”

“He’s way too soft. When she shielded her side piece, he should’ve beaten her too.”

I glanced at the livestreams—my scandal had shot to the top trending spot.

Perfect. I needed the heat.

To make sure the cameras caught me, I turned slowly in every direction, then stomped on Ethan’s hand as he held the shards. The glass cut deep, blood spilling instantly.

“So what if I smashed it? So what if I refuse to return it? Once it’s mine, it’s mine. Blame your grandfather—he’s the fool who gave it to me instead of you.”

Seeing her son suffer, Mrs. Walker finally snapped and lunged at me.

But this time, I sidestepped, and she stumbled to the floor herself.

Already old, she hurt her back in the fall and couldn’t get up.