The Mistress Inherited His Debts

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My husband died unexpectedly, and I discovered a transfer record of 19 million dollars to his mistress on his backup phone.

Seven years of marriage, and I couldn't even bring myself to buy clothes over a hundred dollars.

I never imagined he'd be so generous with his mistress!

At the funeral, his mistress showed up with her son, demanding to inherit all of my husband's estate.

My mother-in-law Nancy mocked me for being unable to have children and told me to get lost.

The relatives watched coldly from the sidelines.

Until seven days after my husband's death, when the lawyer I hired arrived.

Millions in debt plus a mistress's bastard childNancy, you better catch this blessing real tight!

The day Liam Walker was buried, Seaside City was hit with a rare torrential downpour.

But I couldn't feel the cold, because my heart had already died three days ago.

I knelt on the prayer cushion in the center of the funeral hall, head bowed, mechanically tossing paper money into the brazier in front of me.

The flames licked at the yellow paper, instantly turning it to ash.

Just like my seven years of youthfed to the dogs without even hearing a sound.

"You cursed woman! How dare you kneel here!"

A shrill curse tore through the funeral.

A hand struck the back of my head with such force that I lurched forward, nearly falling to the ground.

I scrambled to brace myself against the floor. Before I could turn around, Nancy's twisted face was already in mine.

"If it wasn't for you, you husband-killing jinx, I'd be holding Hudson by now! Liam was in his prime earning yearshow did he end up with a cursed wife like you! I can't go on! My son..."

Nancy plopped down on the floor, slapping her thighs and wailing.

Her cries rose and fell in theatrical wavespart venting, part performance for the surrounding relatives.

The room was packed with the Walker family relatives.

"That Evelyn Hart is cursed, that's for sure. Seven years of marriage, can't have children, and got her husband killed."

"Exactly. I heard the day Liam had that car accident, he was supposed to close a multi-million dollar deal."

"Such misfortune. What sins did the Walker family commit?"

I listened to these whispers, clenching my fists.

In the past, I would have explained, felt wronged, begged Nancy for forgiveness.

But today, I didn't say a word.

I just raised my head woodenly and looked at the black and white photo hanging above the funeral hall.

In the photo, Liam wore that smile I knew so wellseemingly honest but actually calculating.

Liam, can you hear this? Your mother is cursing me, your relatives are mocking me.

Underground, you must be laughing happily, right?

After all, you've wanted to get rid of this old woman for a long time, haven't you?

My hand unconsciously reached for my pocket, where a phone with a cracked screen was tucked away.

That was Liam's belongings.

Liam had rear-ended a semi-truck on the highway and died instantly.

When the traffic police notified me to identify the body and collect his belongings, I was completely numb.

Among those blood-stained items, I took back this phone of his.

This wasn't the one he usually brought home, but his so-called work phone.

If I ever glanced at this phone before, he'd fly into a rage, shouting: "Evelyn, don't you know the rules? This has confidential business information! If tens of millions in client data gets leaked, can you afford to pay for it?"

Back then I was foolish enough to believe him.

I thought he was a man doing big things, and as a supportive wife, I couldn't cause trouble for him.

I brought that blood-stained phone home and plugged it into the charger.

The moment the screen lit up, I saw the wallpaper

A photo of him on a yacht with his arm around a woman's waist, showing only their backs.

Though I couldn't see her face, the woman had a killer figure, wearing a bikini, her skin glowing white.

My hands started trembling.

The password lock blocked me.

I tried my birthday. Wrong.

Our wedding anniversary. Wrong.

Nancy's birthday. Wrong.

I even tried his favorite athlete's jersey number. Still wrong.

One last chancethe phone warned that another wrong entry would lock it.

On a whim, I remembered seven years ago when we first started dating, after getting drunk once, he'd called out a name: "Susan."

That was his first love, the campus beauty in college. I heard she later married a rich guy and moved abroad.

With trembling fingers, I entered that date I had secretly written in my diary and considered taboothat woman's birthday.

"Click."

The screen unlocked.

In that instant, my heart went half cold, but it hadn't completely died.

Maybe it was just a coincidence? Maybe he just couldn't forget his old flame?

But the moment I opened his messages, all my illusions were shattered.

I remembered how Liam used to say I was vulgar, that I didn't understand romance.

Turns out, he saved all his romance for someone else.

I opened the conversation.

It was filled with explicit messages, and even many nude photos.

The most recent message was from half an hour before the accident.

Liam: "Baby, the final step is done. The money's already transferred to you. We can take this money and live happily ever after. That old hag is still at home making me dinner, haha."

The other person replied: "You're amazing! Once you get to the airport we'll meet up. Did you buy the tickets?"

Liam: "Bought them, leaving tonight. I've already cooked the company books, they won't find any loopholes. By the time Evelyn figures it out, we'll already be sunbathing in Vancouver."

My breathing became rapid, my chest felt like it had been struck by a sledgehammer.

That's rightthat afternoon I was in the kitchen making his favorite borscht. To save two dollars, I'd even gone to three different markets to buy beef.

Turns out in his eyes, I was just an idiot.

My fingers scrolled up stiffly until I saw that transfer record.

Transfer to: Susan

Amount: Nineteen million dollars.

I suddenly wanted to laugh. I laughed until tears came out.

Liam ran a building materials business. Everyone said business had been tough these past two years.

Every month when I asked him for five thousand dollars for living expenses, he'd haggle with me endlessly, saying the company's cash flow was tight, telling me to be frugal.

To save money, I hadn't bought new clothes in two years. My skincare products were discounted Pond's from the supermarket.

Last month my mom needed heart bypass surgery, urgently needing fifty thousand dollars for the operation. I begged him, almost got on my knees.

What did he say then?

He frowned, looking impatient as he pushed me away: "Evelyn, it's not that I won't help, there's really no money. The company's accounts are all tied up, can't touch it. Figure it out yourself. Why don't you sell that gold bracelet?"

That gold bracelet was a keepsake my grandmother left me.

To save my mom, I sold it.

And he turned around and gave this woman named Susan nineteen million dollars!

Nineteen million!

That was our marital property!

That was the fortune I helped him build sleeping in basements, eating instant noodles, even drinking until I had stomach bleeding just to help him with business entertainment!

He not only betrayed our marriage, he was going to run off with all the money and throw me away like garbage!

That night, I didn't cry out loud.

I sat on the cold floor and backed up all the chat records, transfer receipts, and those disgusting photos from the phone to my cloud storage.

I looked at myself in the mirrorthat sallow-faced woman with fine lines at the corners of her eyes.

Evelyn, you shouldn't cry.

If you cry now, you've truly lost.

Since Liam wanted to scheme against me even in death, I'll make sure he can't rest in peace even as a ghost!

"Hey! What are you spacing out for!"

My husband's brother, Marcus Walker, kicked me roughly, jolting me out of my memories.

He had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, looking completely slovenlythe kind of hoodlum Nancy had spoiled since childhood.

"Evelyn, now that Liam's gone, shouldn't you settle the funeral expenses? Also, the crematorium people are pressing for the cremation fee."

Marcus blew out a smoke ring, his eyes full of calculation.

I kept my head down, my voice hoarse: "I don't have any money on me. Liam left so suddenly, all the cards were on him."

"Bullshit!" Nancy stopped her wailing and sprang up from the floor with the agility of someone far younger than sixty.

"You've been managing the household all these years, how could you not have savings? Let me tell you, Evelyn, Liam's death benefits, insurance compensationthat's all for my retirement! And this house, Liam bought it, what does it have to do with you?"

I looked at this mother and son, sneering inwardly.

"Nancy," I slowly raised my head, my eyes eerily calm, "this house was bought after marriage, and my name is on the deed. According to the law, I'm the first heir."

"Bah!" Nancy spat a glob of phlegm near my feet. "What law? In the Walker family, I AM the law!

The surrounding relatives started chiming in:

"That's right, Evelyn, you have to have a conscience. Liam worked himself to death for this family."

"If you have any shame left, give the house to Marcus. Marcus isn't married yet, he needs a house."

"I bet she just wants to take the money and find another man! Women like this are heartless!"

Listen to these high and mighty justifications.

In the past, for the sake of so-called family harmony, for Liam's reputation, I might have swallowed my anger.

I might have even taken out money to prove my innocence.

But now, looking at these greedy faces, I only found it laughable.

They want money? Want the house?

Fine.

If they knew that Liam left behind not just a house, but a huge surprise, I wonder if they'd still be so eager.

I took a deep breath, about to speak, when suddenly there was a commotion at the entrance.

The previously noisy funeral suddenly fell silent, with only the sound of rain still pattering outside.

"Who's that? Driving such a nice car?"

"That car must cost several hundred thousand, right?"

I followed everyone's gaze.

Through the rain, a black Maybach slowly pulled up to the funeral home entrance.

The car door opened, and a black umbrella unfurled.

First to emerge was a foot in red-soled high heels, a slender ankle visible beneath a black hem.

Then, a woman stepped out.

She wore a perfectly tailored haute couture black mourning dress, oversized sunglasses, skin blindingly white, lips like scarlet flames. She wasn't carrying any offerings, but held the hand of a young boy.

The boy was about four or five years old, wearing a little black suit, chubby-cheeked, holding a Transformer toy.

The woman closed her umbrella, removed her sunglasses, revealing a refined but slightly haggard face.

She surveyed the funeral, her gaze finally landing on me.

In that moment, I recognized her. Susan.

The woman who took the nineteen million dollars.

My heart raced, not with fear, but with unprecedented excitement.

The show was finally beginning.

Nancy froze. Marcus's eyes went wide.

Susan walked to the portrait, ignoring everyone else, and elegantly bowed three times. Then, she gently nudged the little boy beside her.

"Go present flowers to Daddy."

Nancy looked like she'd been struck by lightning. Her mouth hung open, her murky eyes fixed on the little boy.

"Daddy?" Nancy's voice trembled. "What... what did you just say? Who did this child call Daddy?"

Susan turned around, her face showing a pitiful yet strong expression.

She pulled a tissue from her bag and gently dabbed at the corners of her eyes where no tears actually existed.

"Nancy," Susan's voice was soft and pleasant, with a hint of grievance, "I'm Susan. This is Hudson. He's Liam's only flesh and blood."

The room erupted.

"Oh my God! Liam had a son outside?"

"I knew it. A man as outstanding as Liam couldn't really be childless."

"This child looks just like Liam! Look at that nose, those eyebrows!"

Nancy was trembling with excitement. She pushed me aside and stumbled over, wanting to hold the child.

Nancy held Hudson, crying even louder than when her son died, except this time they were tears of joy.

Marcus snapped out of it too, immediately changing his attitude, fawning over them: "Oh my, so this is my little nephew? So sturdy! I'm Uncle Marcus!"

I remained kneeling in place, watching this touching drama like an outsider.

After Susan calmed Nancy down, she turned to look down at me.

Her eyes held no guilt toward the legal wife, only the arrogance and provocation of a victor.

"You must be Evelyn?" Susan spoke, her voice not loud but enough for everyone to hear. "Evelyn, I'm sorry we hid this from you for so long. Liam was afraid of hurting you and never dared tell you. I came today for one reason onlyto let Hudson present flowers to his father, and also... to take back what belongs to Hudson."

I slowly stood up, dusting off my knees.

The prolonged kneeling had made my legs numb, but I stood straight.

I looked at Susan, the woman who spent my husband's nineteen million dollars, slept with my husband, and now wanted to take my property.

"Miss Susan," my voice was calm, even carrying a hint of a smile, "are you sure you want to take back what belongs to this child?"