As Jonah and his parents plotted in the room, I turned around and rushed back home with a suppressed rage.

I had to get all the family assets into my hands before Jonah took action.

People in the countryside were still rather simple-minded. How could they have stolen my belongings and emptied the house?

I rushed home and stuffed the money that I saved all these years into my underwear.

Then, I located the wedding gifts I brought over when I married Jonah. I hid them in a wooden chest and snapped a lock on it before I finally felt at ease.

That chest cost me a fortune back then. It was solid enough to weigh over 50 kilograms.

Then, I quickly headed to the city hall and had all of Jonah's identification records registered as dead.

Since he was planning on taking his brother's place, as his wife, how could I not help him?

I couldn't wait to see how Jonah was going to handle it when people from the army came looking for him.

After doing all these, I rushed back to the wake.

Upon seeing me, Adele Lakewood, my sister-in-law, rolled her eyes at me and said curtly, "Oh, look, the widow returns. Take your crying, burdensome daughter away. She makes my head hurt."

Then, she pretended to rub her temples. Jonah immediately went over to her and reached out to help her massage her head, completely ignoring his wailing daughter.

"Why the hell are you crying! Can't you see your aunt is feeling unwell?"

He once doted on his daughter, yet he completely changed his attitude toward her. Tina was so frightened she shut up, but could not stop hiccuping.

I pulled her into my arms, feeling sorry for her. My hatred toward Jonah grew a little more.

Adele cast me a smug gaze as she coquettishly punched Jonah in the chest. "Fiona's looking. Her husband just died. She'll feel sad seeing this."

Jonah held Adele's hands naturally, as if he had done so a thousand times. With a darkened gaze, he replied, "So what? Let her see. It's her fate that her husband has died. She only has herself to blame for a terrible life."

Adele smirked victoriously. She was always competitive, so every time she saw me, she would humiliate me. Now, with Jonah's indulgence, she got bolder.

"Fiona, did you hear him? You only have yourself to blame for a terrible life. If I were you, I would take your burdensome daughter home to your parents! The Lloyd family won't feed two useless mouths for nothing!" Adele stood up and slapped the table.

Jonah's face darkened a little. "Adele, come on."

"What? Are you planning to use your allowance to feed them? Let me tell you right now, Noah. I'm not going to pursue the fact that you used to send some of your allowance to your family. I bear your son now. Are you planning to let him stay in the countryside forever?

"My parents said that once he is born, he is to be registered in the city. He's going to study in the city. I came from the city. I married you. Fine, I don't get to choose, but I sure as hell won't let my son grow up to be a country bumpkin!"

Jonah furrowed his brows in silence, which made me want to laugh. So, what if he took over his brother's identity? His cowardice bore no resemblance to Noah.

Jonah was so sure that I loved him so much that I would do whatever it takes to stay in the Lloyd family to bring our daughter up.

I would have done that in my previous life. I was not going to do that in this life.

I cleared my throat and said to my in-laws with reddened eyes, "Dad, Mom, Adele is right. Jonah has passed away, but Tina and I still need to continue living. I've sent word to my parents. Three days after we bury Jonah, I'll move back home to live with my parents."

"No!"

Jonah and his parents yelled in unison.

"Fiona, how could you be so cruel? Jonah's body hasn't even gone cold, yet you're already bringing Tina back to your parents?" Jonah looked at me as if I had committed a terrible crime.

In his eyes, even if he was already dead, I should dedicate my entire life to the Lloyd family. How could I possibly leave them and go back home?

"Yes, Fiona. Jonah has just died, yet you're already bringing Tina back to your parents. How do you think the village will see us? We'll be utterly humiliated!"

"Jonah might have passed, but we're still a family! Let us know if you have any trouble. We'll surely help you!"

They might have kindly offered help, but when you truly needed them, they were nowhere to be found.

Adele rolled her eyes condescendingly as she touched her baby bump. "Mom, Dad, just let her go! We'll be much better off having two fewer useless mouths to feed."

"Adele!" Jonah rebuked.

Adele's eyes instantly reddened. "How dare you yell at me! Noah, I married you and bore you a child, yet you're siding with an outsider?"

Then, ignoring Jonah's reaction, she ran off.

Jonah instantly looked regretful. He snarled at me, "Look at what you've done! If anything were to happen to Adele, I'll make you pay!"

He quickly chased after her.

I chuckled self-deprecatingly, only to see my in-laws looking at me with a complicated gaze.

"Fiona, N-Noah was just concerned. Adele is pregnant, just let her have her way more."

"Jonah might have just passed away, but you're still a part of our family. Don't even bring up going back home to your parents anymore."

I know why they would say that. They couldn't bear to part with my three briefcases full of cash from my wedding gifts and my five amazing brothers.

It brought them pride to be able to boast about my brothers. Besides, my brothers doted on me completely.

They were the ones who came up with the wedding gifts for me.

Sadly, in the past seven years since I got married, only half a briefcase was left.

Just as I was thinking about that, Jonah returned with Adele around his arm. Adele was no longer aggrieved. On the contrary, she was smiling widely. She kept touching her earlobe.

I had a closer look and realized that those were the earrings Jonah gave to me as a wedding gift!

All these years, I couldn't bear to wear it, so I kept it as new in my jewelry box. Yet, it was on Adele right now. An inexplicable rage rose in me.

"Those are my gold earrings!"

Adele snickered and rolled her eyes at me. "No. It's mine! Besides, it has my name on it."

She took off the earring to see her name engraved on it. Jonah was looking rather sheepish. I was dumbstruck.

Adele whispered in Jonah's ear, "Did you hear what I just said?"

Jonah looked a little troubled. "My brother just died. It's not the right time!"

Adele frowned, and he immediately corrected himself, "Alright, alright. I'll agree. Don't get mad."

Looking at his apologetic gaze, a terrible, uneasy feeling rose in my heart. I immediately returned home to see the horrible state it was in.

I was shocked to the core.

The entire house was rummaged. Someone violently hacked off the wooden chest. The items that I carefully locked inside the chest were completely gone.

A strong sense of helpless despair washed over me, and I started bawling out, sobbing.

Could I not change my fate even in this life?

"I already told you you have a terrible life! First, you caused your husband's death. Now, your entire house has been raided. All you do is bring bad luck."

Adele suddenly appeared, followed by Jonah behind her, carefully holding her by the waist.

I wiped away my tears and glared at Jonah.

"I'm sure you both know the best whether this was done by thieves or someone that we know!"

My harsh words caused Jonah's gaze to flicker a little, but his tongue was still sharp.

"So, what if I took them away? Everything that you own belongs to the Lloyd family! I— I mean, my brother might have left all these, but even if I were to take this house for myself one day, it would have been right!

"I am the last and only son of the Lloyd family. Adele is pregnant with our first grandson. This will be all for them in the future!"

What Jonah said clearly struck a chord with Adele. She no longer hid her arrogance. She raised her wrist, showing me the gold locket that my parents gave me when I was ten years old.

My eyes instantly reddened.

"Give it back to me! Hand it back!" I pounced at her.

She was caught off guard by my sudden attack, and she fell to the floor.

Jonah glared at me.

"Adele!"

Adele first cast me a provocative glance before yelling, "Jonah, my tummy hurts!"

I was so focused on getting back my gold locket, yet I completely forgot about Jonah, who only had eyes for Adele.

Slap!

I was slapped so hard my head slammed against a rock. Warm blood trickled down my face, blurring my gaze.

Jonah didn't even look at me. He picked Adele up and said, "Fiona Gardner, how could a vicious woman like you be my— my brother's wife! If anything were to happen to Adele, I'll make you pay with your life!"

Then, he stormed off.

Tina, who had hidden by the side all this while, came out crying and trembling. "Mommy, y-you're bleeding!"

I pulled Tina into my arms, gently comforting her until she fell asleep. The blood on my head long dried. I took a towel and wiped it a few times before heading to bed.

Lying in bed, I quietly consoled myself. I was going home the next day. Finally.

However, in the middle of the night, someone opened the door. I woke up in alarm, only to see Michael Worrey smiling lewdly at me.

He immediately pounced on me when he saw that I was awake, pinning me to the bed. He covered my mouth with a piece of foul-smelling cloth.

It was so vile that my stomach kept churning.

"Listen up. Your family has already sold you to me! If you are good and listen to me, you'll suffer less!"

His free hand wandered around my body while he snickered lustfully.

"Noah Lloyd sure is a ruthless one. His brother has barely just died, yet he already had you sold. But it's a good thing for me. I profited from it."

I suddenly stopped resisting, unable to believe what I just heard. When Jonah said he was going to make me pay with my life, he was really planning to do so!

Michael took the opportunity and tore my clothes apart. I had no time to curse Jonah. I kicked hard and saw Michael in pain. He yelped.

However, the next second, he wrapped his hands around my neck. "You old hag! You need to learn a lesson!"

He tore my pants apart. I felt a hard object poking against my thigh. As a mother, I understood clearly what that was.

However, I was getting asphyxiated. I had no strength left to fight, so I could only watch with horror.

He smirked lewdly as his hand wandered all over me.

My heart sank gradually, and I shut my eyes in despair.

However, the next second, I felt the weight lifted off me.

"What the hell are you doing!"