My Dead Husband Returned With A Pregnant Mistress. So I Sent Him To Jail.

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As a senior partner at a top Manhattan law firm, Ive handled countless messy divorces.

Ive seen bitter exes having catfights, and trashy husbands hiding assets in offshore accounts.

But I never expected that one day, this cheap soap opera would dump its garbage right on my head.

And it was iced, too. Absolutely chilling.

A sobbing, fragile-looking girl was blocking the entrance of my law firm.

She wore a simple, faded white sundress that made her pale face look incredibly pathetic and helpless.

Her belly was slightly swollen. She looked about four or five months pregnant.

"Serena, please, I beg you. Let him go. This baby needs a father."

It was the morning rush hour. The lobby was packed with gossiping colleagues and clients, all staring and whispering.

The receptionist tried to stop her, but the girls dramatic wailing kept everyone frozen in place.

"I know Im in the wrong! But I love him, and he loves me! Please, just sign the papers!"

I stood at the top of the marble steps, my heart completely numb. Honestly, I wanted to laugh.

I see this kind of drama at least eight times a month.

"Miss," I said, walking down the steps. My high heels clicked sharply against the marble floor.

"If you want to pull a scam, at least do your homework. I'm... a widow."

The murmurs around us died down instantly.

Everyone in the firm knew that Serena, the ice queen partner, had lost her husband three years ago. It was a tragedy no one dared to bring up.

But the girl didnt back down. She quickly reached into her designer bag, pulled out a stack of photos, and threw them at my feet.

The pictures scattered across the floor.

I looked down, and my pupils dilated instantly.

The photos showed a man and a woman in very intimate poses.

I knew that man's face all too well.

Julian.

My husband, who had been dead for three years.

In the photos, his skin was darker than I remembered, and there were more wrinkles around his eyes. But that smirk, and the way he held herI would recognize him even if he were burned to ashes.

What the girl said next made my blood run cold.

"He has a birthmark on his lower back. It's shaped like a ragged line. It turns a dark crimson when he gets flushed, right?"

My hand trembled, almost spilling my iced Americano.

The stares from the crowd felt like needles piercing my skin.

"Wait, Serenas husband... isn't dead?"

"Faking his death? Insurance fraud? Or..."

Whispers flooded my ears.

I took a deep breath, pushed up my gold-rimmed glasses, and forced down the raging storm in my chest.

I bent over and picked up one of the photos.

I dug my fingernail hard into Julians face in the photo, almost tearing the paper.

Then, I looked up and gave her a chilling smile.

"Are you sure this baby is my husband's?"

The girl puffed out her chest, looking stubborn. "Julian told me that as soon as you sign the divorce papers, hell marry me!"

"Julian?" I repeated the name slowly. "Julian Miller?"

"Yes! Julian Miller!"

I nodded, took out my phone, and dialed a number right in front of everyone.

"911? Id like to report a disturbance."

"There is a woman harassing people at my office entrance, and I suspect she's trying to extort me."

"Yes, she claims shes pregnant with the child of my husband, who died three years ago. I suspect shes either a grave robber or an escaped mental patient."

I hung up and looked at the girl, whose face had gone completely pale.

"Since you say he's the father, that works out perfectly," I said calmly.

"My husbands cremains are in the columbarium Uptown. Do you want to go there now for a DNA test, or should I hire someone to exhume his body to confront you?"

The girl took two steps back in terror. But the look in her eyes wasn't guilt.

Instead, it was... pity?

"Serena, stop lying to yourself. Julian is alive."

"He said if you agree to sign the divorce agreement, hell meet you."

She showed me an address on her phone.

At that moment, I felt like all the blood in my body was rushing backward.

Alive?

Then what was that funeral where I cried my eyes out? What was my three years of mourning?

I didn't even realize how I got into the elevator.

Security was holding the girl back outside, and she was still screaming.

I pressed the button for the basement level. It was a shortcut to the quiet coffee shop next door.

I am a lawyer. I rely on evidence and logic.

The dead do not rise. Unless... he never died in the first place.

Three years ago, Julian went on a business trip to upstate New York. He was reportedly caught in a massive landslide, and his car went over a cliff.

The police only found a crushed car, fire damage, and some unidentifiable remains.

DNA testing was difficult back then, but his personal belongings and the license plate all matched.

I received a box of cremains and a massive life insurance payout.

Five million dollars.

At that time, I had just been made partner. I was incredibly busy, and his death was a devastating blow. I even took a six-month leave of absence.

And now, she was telling me he was alive?

The elevator doors opened with a ding.

The coffee shop was tucked in a quiet corner, dimly lit.

I saw that familiar back immediately.

He was sitting by the window, wearing a dusty gray jacket. His hair was longer than before, messy and unstyled.

He held a cigarette, looking down at his phone.

The way he smoked, the slight slouch in his shoulders...

My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant fist. It hurt so bad I could barely breathe.

I softened my steps and walked over, inch by inch.

As I got closer, his silhouette became clearer.

When I stood right behind him, I smelled that cheap, harsh tobacco.

I used to tell him to buy better cigarettes, but he always said he preferred this throat-burning stuff.

"Julian."

I called out.

He slowly turned his head.

Our eyes met.

It was indeed Julian.

But he was darker and thinner than three years ago. The gentle, warm smile in his eyes was gone, replaced by a sneaky, greasy look.

Seeing me, he showed no joy, no guilt.

He just frowned and crushed his cigarette butt into his half-finished black coffee.

"You're here?"

His tone was as casual as if he were asking me what we should have for dinner.

*SLAP!*

I raised my hand and slapped him with everything I had.

The crisp sound echoed through the quiet coffee shop.

Julians head snapped to the side, and a trickle of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He was stunned for a second, then his face turned red with anger. He stood up abruptly. "Serena! Are you out of your mind?!"

"Am I out of my mind?"

I laughed coldly, though tears were desperately welling up in my eyes.

"Julian, youve been dead for three years. I spent three years grieving you, and I took care of your parents. I even buried your father last year!"

"And now you show up alive?"

"If you were alive, why didn't you come back? Why did you send a pregnant girl to make a scene at my law firm?"

"Are you trying to ruin my reputation, or are you trying to kill me?"

Julian rubbed his cheek, his eyes darkening.

"Serena, I didn't come back because I was in deep debt. I didn't want the loan sharks to come after you."

"I'm back now because Chloe is pregnant. I need to marry her and give my child a proper name."

"Let's make this easy. Sign the divorce papers, and... you need to return that five-million-dollar insurance payout to me."

"I exchanged my life for that money. Now that I'm alive, that money belongs to me."

I was so angry I laughed out loud.

So that was it.

It wasn't a miracle. It was a scam.

He faked his death to escape his debts and steal insurance money.

Now that the heat was off, or maybe because he had spent all his cash, he wanted to come back and claim the payout.

And he wanted to bring his mistress and his bastard child to step on my face to climb back up.

Looking at the man in front of me, I felt a terrifying wave of disgust.

This was the man I loved for seven years?

This was the "late husband" I wept for during lonely nights?

"Julian," I wiped the tear from the corner of my eye, my gaze turning completely cold. "Did you forget what I do for a living?"

"I'm a lawyer."

"Faking your death for insurance is major grand larceny and insurance fraud. With five million dollars, youre looking at ten years minimum."

"You're also committing bigamy, which is another crime."

"And now, you're extorting me. That's blackmail."

"You want that five million? Sure."

I took a step forward, staring straight into his eyes.

"Go get it in federal prison."

Julians expression changed. He clearly didn't expect me to be this ruthless.

Suddenly, his attitude flipped. He fell to his knees with a thud, grabbing my legs.

"Baby! Serena! I was wrong! I had no choice!"

"I spent all my money on gambling debts! If I didn't pay them, they were going to kill me!"

"Chloe... Chloe is innocent. Please don't sue me, I beg you!"

The other customers in the coffee shop were all staring.

The man who had been so arrogant a second ago was now begging like a stray dog.

I looked down at him. The very last drop of affection I had for him evaporated completely.

I kicked Julian away, ignoring his pathetic groveling, and walked out of the coffee shop.

When I got back to the office lobby, Chloe was still sitting there.

Seeing me, her eyes lit up, but my icy glare froze her in her seat.

"Serena..."

"Shut up."

I walked straight into my private office and slammed the door shut, locking out the world.

My hands were shaking.

Not from fear. From pure, unadulterated rage.

And disgust.

I sat in my leather chair, forcing myself to take deep breaths.

Julian was back. This meant my peaceful life was over.

Faking death for insuranceonce this came out, I would be dragged into the investigation.

Even though I knew nothing about it at the time, as the beneficiary, the insurance company would definitely come after me.

More importantly, the five million dollars.

Julian said he spent his money on gambling debts?

That didn't make sense.

The five million was still sitting in my high-yield investment account. I hadn't touched a single cent because it felt like blood money.

So where did he get the money to pay his gambling debts?

And where did he get the money to support a pregnant mistress?

Suddenly, my phone buzzed.

It was Eleanor, Julians mother.

Over the past three years, even though I resented Julian for leaving me, I had done everything to take care of his parents.

I sent them monthly allowance checks, took care of them when they were sick, and handled all the arrangements for his father's funeral last year.

I picked up the call, keeping my voice steady.

"Hi, Eleanor."

"Serena!" Eleanors voice was incredibly excited, almost shaking. "You need to come home right now! Come to the house! Something wonderful has happened!"

"What is it?"

"Julian! Julian is back!"

Eleanor started sobbing hysterically on the other end. "My boy! Hes not dead! Hes alive! And he brought back a grandson for me! She's still pregnant, but I had a psychic checkit's a boy! Our family name will live on!"

My knuckles turned white as I gripped the phone.

So, they were in on it together.

Julian had just finished his little act with me at the coffee shop, and then he immediately went to his mother so she could pressure me.

And from what Eleanor was saying...

"Eleanor, do you know who that woman is?"

"Oh, who cares who she is! As long as she can give our family a boy, she's a saint!"

Eleanors tone was incredibly self-righteous. "Serena, don't blame me for being blunt. You were married to Julian for five years, and your womb was completely dry. Now Julian survived a miracle and brought back an heir. God has answered my prayers!"

"Just come over and sign the divorce papers. We can't keep that poor girl waiting."

My heart felt like it was dropped into ice water and then smashed with a hammer.

Three years of devotion.

Three years of playing the perfect daughter-in-law.

It was worth absolutely nothing compared to an unborn grandson.

And a trashy, scammer son.

I let out a soft chuckle into the phone.

"Sure, Eleanor."

"I'll be right over."

"I'd love to settle the score with Julian."

I hung up, opened my laptop, and pulled up the digital copy of the life insurance policy.

Beneficiary: Serena Miller.

Insured: Julian Miller.

Death certificate, cremation records, official registrationeverything was complete.

Eleanor had handed me all these documents himself three years ago. She said she couldn't bear to look at them and asked me to handle the paperwork.

Looking back now, it was full of loopholes.

If Julian was alive, whose body was in that coffin?

If Julian was alive, where had he been hiding for three years?

And Eleanors reaction just now was way too fast.

I closed my laptop, grabbed a voice recorder from my desk drawer, and slid it into my purse.

Then, I texted my assistant on WhatsApp:

"Run a check on Julian Millers bank accounts for the last three years. Do the same for his mother, Eleanor Miller. Focus on any large cash transfers."

"Also, contact the legal department at the insurance company. Tell them I have major lead on a fraud case."

I pushed open the door to the Miller family home, and the smell of a home-cooked feast hit me.

In the living room, Eleanor was holding Chloes hand, pampering her like a princess.

The coffee table was covered in expensive fruits, snacks, and a bowl of fresh bird's nest soup.

Julian was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, smoking a cigarette, looking incredibly relaxed.

As soon as I walked in, the room fell dead silent.

Chloe instinctively shrunk back behind Eleanor, looking like a frightened little lamb.

Eleanor immediately stood in front of her like a mother hen protecting her chick, glaring at me.

"Serena, today is a day of celebration. Don't bring your gloomy attitude in here. You should be happy!"

I didn't even take off my high heels. I walked straight into the living room, my heels clicking loudly.

"A day of celebration?"

I looked around the room, my eyes finally locking onto Julian.

"Indeed. A dead man coming back to lifeit's a medical miracle. We should call the news."

Julian blew out a ring of smoke, looking at me with disdain.

"Serena, drop the attitude. Mom told me everything. You barely took care of them anyway; you were too busy making money. But now I'm back."

"I drafted the divorce agreement. Take a look."

He pulled a sheet of paper from under the coffee table and threw it on the glass surface.

I picked it up and almost laughed.

The agreement read:

1. Both parties agree to a mutual divorce.

2. All marital assets, including the house, cars, and savings, go to the husband.

3. The wife must return the $5,000,000 life insurance payout to the husband.

4. The wife leaves with nothing.

"Julian, do you have shit for brains?"

I ripped the agreement into shreds and threw the pieces right into his face.

"You want me to leave with nothing? And return the money?"

"I bought this house. I bought the cars. Even the jacket youre wearing right now was bought with my money!"

"What right do you have to negotiate with me?"

Eleanor suddenly rushed forward, pointing her finger at my nose. "Serena, you barren woman! You couldn't even give him a child! Now that Julian has an heir, why are you still clinging on?"

"That five million is Julian's life money! It belongs to him! You kept it for three years, and I didn't even charge you interest. Are you trying to steal it?"

Chloe chimed in from the side, her voice sweet but venomous.

"Serena, money is just temporary. Julian said that if you let him go, well treat you like our own sister."

*Sister?*

Looking at these three, I felt a deep sense of absurdity.

This wasn't a family. It was a den of thieves.

I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to flip the table.

"Fine," I said, suddenly softening my voice.

"Since you put it that way, I'm not an unreasonable person."

"Divorce is fine. The money... we can negotiate."

"But Julian, you owe me an explanation."

I looked at Julian, my eyes showing a mix of curiosity and hurt.

"Where have you been for three years? Why did you lie to me about your death?"

"If you tell me the truth, I'll sign."

Julian clearly didn't expect me to give in so easily.

He exchanged a look with Eleanor.

"Serena, I knew you still loved me."

Julian stood up, trying to grab my hand, but I subtly stepped back.

"The truth is, the car accident was real. But I survived and was saved by an old herbalist in the deep mountains."

"But I hit my head and got amnesia. I lived in the mountains for three years, and I only regained my memory recently."

"Chloe is the herbalists granddaughter. She took care of me for three years."

*Amnesia?*

*An old herbalist?*

Did he really think he was in a cheap soap opera?

I sneered inside, but kept a touched expression on my face.

"I see... you must have suffered so much."

"Since she saved your life, Chloe definitely deserves to be in this family."

I turned to look at Chloe, my eyes lingering on her stomach for a moment.

"But just to be safe, and to make sure this baby is legally recognized as a Miller..."

"Let's do a paternity test."

"As soon as the DNA proves the baby is yours, Julian, I will sign the paper and leave with nothing."

Julian and Chloes faces turned pale at the same time.

Eleanor jumped up instantly. "Why do we need a test?! I know my son's bloodline when I see it! You just don't want to give us the money!"