My Savage Daughter Exposed My Husband's Affair

The company had just allocated us a brand-new apartment, but Carter gave the keys to someone else. "Chloe, the chemical fumes from the new renovation aren’t good for Lily. I let Mia move in first to open the windows and air it out for us. “ “It’s only temporary. I need you and Lily to squeeze into the old apartment for a little longer." I was about to grab a spare blanket for Mia when strange, floating black text suddenly appeared right in front of my eyes: [Cousin, my ass! That’s his first love! She’s already pregnant with the baby boy Carter has been begging for!] [Poor female lead. In the end, this despicable duo kicked her out of the house, leaving her and her daughter to freeze to death on the streets!] My blood ran cold. Before I could even process this, my daughter, Lily, ran up to Mia and stared curiously at her stomach. "Daddy, is the bed in the new apartment really that soft? Yesterday, when you and Mia were wrestling on it, Mia didn't cry at all. “ “She kept screaming, 'Harder, faster!' Was the baby brother in her tummy trying to crawl out early?" The black text floated again: [Wait...] I stared at my daughter. She looked up, her big, innocent eyes blinking as she waited for Carter's answer. Carter’s face flushed a deep, angry red. The veins on his forehead bulged. Mia gasped, taking a sharp step back and bumping hard against the doorframe. An eerie silence fell over the old apartment. The semi-transparent black text floated past again. [Hold on! In the original plot, this kid became mute after a severe high fever. How is she talking now? And she just dropped a total truth bomb?!] My mind raced. How did these mysterious words know about Lily's sickness? Six months ago, Lily did have a terrible fever. After she recovered, she stopped talking. Carter constantly verbally abused her, calling her a useless mute, and refused to spend a single penny on her doctor visits. But just now, Lily not only spoke, she exposed Carter and Mia’s dirty laundry perfectly. Following Lily's lead, I turned a freezing gaze to Carter. "Is what Lily said true? You two slept in the new apartment's bed?" Everyone in the room was an adult. We all knew exactly what Lily meant by "wrestling." Carter swallowed hard, forcing a tight, awkward smile. "Chloe, don't listen to her nonsense. Mia just moved in yesterday. One of the bed frame joints was loose, so I was just helping her fix it." "Mia was just worried I’d pinch my fingers, so she was telling me to pull harder." Mia quickly stepped forward, her eyes pooling with tears. "Chloe, Carter was really just fixing the bed." "I know my staying here is causing trouble for you. If you're unhappy, I'll leave right now. I don't want you and Carter to fight because of me." She turned to leave, her shoulders trembling like a fragile, victimized flower. Carter immediately grabbed her arm, his voice dripping with protectiveness. "Where do you think you’re going? You're a young girl new to this city. You don't even know the roads!" He turned around, glaring at me with deep irritation. "Chloe, you're a mother too. Where is your compassion?" "Mia is only staying at the new place for a few days. Did you really have to brainwash Lily to say such disgusting things just to drive her out?" Lily tilted her head, continuing her innocent interrogation. "Daddy, why do you have to take your pants off to fix a bed? And Mia was riding on your back. Was she helping you pull the springs too?" Carter snapped. He raised his hand, aiming a savage slap right at Lily’s face. "You little brat! Stop lying! I’m going to teach you a lesson!" I stepped forward instantly, shielding Lily behind my back. Grabbing a heavy ceramic mug from the table, I slammed it hard onto the floor right at Carter's feet. The mug shattered, hot water splashing everywhere. Carter flinched, pulling his hand back in shock. "Touch her, and see what happens," I hissed. Knowing he was in the wrong, Carter avoided my eyes. He quickly tried to change the subject. "Fine! I don't have time for your drama. Just get that new comforter from the closet. Mia gets cold easily. She needs extra padding tonight." I let out a cold laugh. Walking over to the wardrobe, I locked it, pulled the key out, and slipped it into my pocket. "This blanket is for Lily. No matter how fragile Mia is, surely she isn't going to steal from a six-year-old child?" Mia clenched her jaw, squeezing out a fake, painful smile. "Chloe is right. I'm not picky. I'm just grateful to have a place to sleep." Seeing my stubborn attitude, Carter knew he wouldn't win today. He dragged Mia out of the room, looking thoroughly defeated.By nighttime, a howling wind began to blow, whistling through the cracks of the old window. When Carter pushed the bedroom door open, Lily and I were already getting ready for bed. He rubbed his hands together, a fake, flattering smile plastered on his face. "Chloe, you're not asleep yet?" He sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to touch my shoulder. I coldly swerved to avoid him. Carter's hand froze in mid-air, and he pulled it back awkwardly. "Well, Chloe... Mia’s health has always been weak. Now that she's in the city and winter is coming, I was thinking of buying her some good food to nourish her." "Like what?" "Give me the cash you got from your bonus last month. I want to buy a couple of pounds of beef and some imported cheese." That money was my hard-earned bonus, earned after pulling multiple all-nighters at my accounting job. I had saved it specifically for Lily's preschool tuition next month. And he was asking for it so casually. [The audacity! He wants to take his wife's hard-earned money to buy cheese for his mistress, while his own daughter gets kicked out of preschool because he won't pay her tuition!] Lily, who had been lying under the blanket, suddenly sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Daddy, didn't you already buy Mia beef yesterday?" Carter's face darkened instantly. "What does a kid know? Mia had plain noodles yesterday. Where would she get beef?" Lily tilted her head, her face full of genuine confusion. "But I saw you pull a thick stack of cash from your pocket and give it to her. You told her to buy whatever meat she wanted, even a whole pig if she liked." Being exposed again, Carter jumped up, pointing a finger at Lily and screaming. "You little liar! Who taught you to make up stories? Where would I get a stack of cash? Did your mother tell you to say this?!" His voice screamed anger, but his eyes were filled with sheer panic. Watching his frantic reaction, suspicion bloomed in my chest. I was the one managing our family budget. Every month, after leaving enough for basic expenses, I put the rest into a savings account. Carter's monthly allowance was only fifty dollars. Where on earth did he get a thick stack of cash to give to Mia? [The scumbag has been doing illegal side-deals! He’s been stealing scrap metal and copper wires from the company warehouse and selling them. The cash is hidden right inside the lining of that ragged sofa in the living room!] I sneered inwardly but kept my face neutral and troubled. "Carter, why are you screaming at a child?" "The money is already in the high-yield savings account. If I withdraw it now, we’ll lose all the interest." "Who told you to lock it up in savings?!" Carter hissed impatiently. "I need cash now! Where am I supposed to get it?" "Do you even care about our family's situation?" I pulled the blanket up, turning my back to him. "Lily's tuition is due next month. I saved that money for our family. If you want to buy fancy food for Mia, find your own way." Carter stood there for a moment. Realizing he wouldn't get a dime out of me, he spat, "Selfish bitch," and slammed the door as he left. As soon as his footsteps faded, I slipped out of bed. Without turning on the lights, I crept to the corner of the living room, right where that old, peeling leather sofa sat. Carter had brought this second-hand couch home when we got married. The leather was completely worn out. I reached my hand deep into the gap beneath the sofa frame, feeling along the wooden support beams. In the deepest, most hidden corner, my fingers brushed against something thick and plastic. With a hard tug, I pulled out a heavy black trash bag. Inside was a massive stack of hundred-dollar bills. A quick count revealed it was easily over fifty thousand dollars. For a working-class family like us, this was an absolute fortune. Staring at the money, a wave of cold fury washed over me.The next morning was Saturday. I woke up early, took Lily by the hand, and went downstairs. The weather was nice, and many neighbors from the apartment complex were hanging out in the courtyard, chatting. I led Lily right toward the crowd. Just as we walked out, we saw Mia coming down the stairs. She was wearing a delicate, hand-embroidered silk pajama set—one of my prized possessions that I had kept stored away in the new apartment's closet. I had barely worn it myself. Several older ladies in the courtyard were already whispering, their eyes scanning Mia up and down. "Oh, is that Carter's cousin who's staying with them? She looks so delicate." "Right? Look at that silk fabric. That must have cost a fortune." Hearing the whispers, Mia puffed out her chest and patted her hair, acting like she owned the place. Suddenly, Lily broke free from my hand and ran toward her like a little bird. "Mia!" Mia flinched. Seeing it was Lily, a flash of disgust crossed her face, but she quickly masked it with a fake smile for the neighbors. "Oh, Lily. What are you doing here?" Lily looked up, her dark eyes locked onto the silk pajamas. She asked loudly, "Mia, why are you wearing my mommy's clothes?" Mia froze, her smile cracking completely. "Lily, don't talk nonsense. This isn't your mom's. This... your dad bought this for me." Mia scrambled for an excuse to avoid being called a thief. But she didn't realize how lethal her lie was. The surrounding neighbors gasped, and the whispering turned into an intense buzz. Lily looked troubled, counting on her fingers. "But Daddy only has a fifty-dollar allowance every month. How could he afford such expensive silk?" "And look, there's a little flower hand-embroidered on the collar. My mommy made that. Didn't you see it, Mia?" Several sharp-eyed neighbors stepped closer. Sure enough, right on the collar of the pajamas was my signature, delicate embroidery. Instantly, the neighbors' gazes turned icy and judgmental. "Wow, that really is Chloe’s handiwork. I knew it looked familiar." "Even if she's his cousin, why is he buying her expensive clothes? And why is she wearing his wife's personal pajamas? That's just inappropriate." "Cousin? Please. I heard she’s his mistress..." Mia’s face burned red as the neighbors stared at her like a clown. I stepped forward, letting out a heavy sigh. "Mia, if you liked the pajamas, you could have just asked me. I would have given them to you." "But Carter shouldn't have taken my clothes to give to you behind my back." "If people see this, they might get the wrong idea about the two of you." With me confirming the story, the gossip flared up like wildfire. Mia's tears started flowing instantly. "Chloe, I'm sorry... I just thought it was pretty and wanted to try it on." "I'll go take it off and return it right now." She covered her face and turned to run back up the stairs. Lily watched her retreating back and chirped innocently, "Walk slowly, Mia! Be careful not to let the baby brother fall out of your tummy!" Thud! Mia tripped over her own feet and tumbled right onto the stairs. It was a pathetic sight.After leaving Mia in shame, I took Lily straight to the company's main office building. We didn't come out until noon. When we pushed the apartment door open, Carter was sitting there with a dark, angry face. Next to him sat his mother, Martha, her face twisted in a sneer. "Where the hell have you been?! It's the weekend, and you're nowhere to be found, making me wait for you!" The moment Martha saw me, she slammed her hand on the table. She was clearly here to start a fight. Carter glared at me coldly. "Chloe, Mia told me everything about what you did this morning." "Are you trying to make our family the laughingstock of the entire company?" I closed the door behind me, pulled up a chair, and sat down calmly. "What did I do? I just told her that she shouldn't take other people's things without asking." "It's just a cheap piece of clothing! Mia is carrying the Miller family legacy right now! What's wrong with her wearing your clothes?" Martha shrieked, her spit flying everywhere. As expected, she knew about the pregnancy all along. Carter waved his hand to silence his mother. He took a deep breath, putting on a hypocritical, righteous expression. "Chloe, since we're laying all the cards on the table, I won't lie to you anymore." "Mia is pregnant, and the baby is mine." "But I don't plan on divorcing you. You couldn't give me a son, so Mia is doing it for you. Once the baby is born, he can call you 'Auntie'." I had never seen anyone so shamelessly disgusting. "And?" "The environment in this old apartment is too run-down. It's not suitable for you and Lily." "My mom is moving in to take care of Mia, and the new apartment won't fit all of us." "So, tomorrow, take Lily and move back to your parents' place for a while." "Also, hand over your savings card to my mom. Mia needs proper nutrition right now. We can't let the baby suffer." He wanted to strip me of everything. He took all the benefits, and now he wanted to kick my daughter and me onto the streets. Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door. It was Mr. Davis, the operations manager, along with several security officers. The moment Carter saw Mr. Davis, his face turned pale. He scrambled to his feet to greet him. "Mr. Davis! What brings you here?" Mr. Davis kept a stern face, scanning the messy room. "We received a report that you are having an affair and have brought an unauthorized person into company housing." "Carter, this apartment is a company perk meant to ease your financial burden, not a place for you to conduct your sordid affairs!" Seeing the serious situation, Martha immediately threw herself onto the floor, wailing. "Oh, Mr. Davis! Don't listen to the rumors! It's just my jealous daughter-in-law who can't tolerate our relatives!" "Mia is our cousin!" Lily peeked out from behind me, glaring at Martha. "Grandma is lying! I heard her tell Daddy that once Mia gives birth to a boy, they will kick Mommy and me onto the streets and use Mommy’s savings to buy a big house for the baby!" Mr. Davis and the security officers' faces turned incredibly grim. Carter went into a full panic. He lunged at Lily, his hand raised to strike. "You little brat, I'll shut your mouth!" I was faster. I yanked Lily behind me. Carter swung wild, losing his balance and almost face-planting on the floor. At that exact moment, Mia crawled out of the hallway. Seeing the tides turning against them, she immediately collapsed onto the floor, clutching her stomach and groaning. "Oh... my stomach hurts! Carter, save me! The baby... I think I'm having a miscarriage!" Martha let out a bloodcurdling shriek and charged at me like a wild animal. "You evil woman! You cursed my grandson, and now you want to destroy our family!" Cornered, Carter rushed up to Mr. Davis, pointing at me. "Mr. Davis, you see this! She’s a toxic, violent woman! She is a cancer to this company!" The room was in utter chaos. Mr. Davis looked overwhelmed. With a hard shove, I pushed the crazy old woman off me, sending her sprawling onto the floor. Then, I pulled a folded slip of paper from my pocket and held it high in the air. "Mr. Davis, let's put the affair aside for a moment." "I have a receipt here. Would you like to take a look at it first?" "Over the past six months, Carter has been stealing and selling company scrap metal and copper wires. He made quite a fortune."