Fake Rebirth, Real Lottery
The day the divorce was final, he blocked our door, smirking. Reborn? Parents? Did you really believe that? Ive been cheating for years. Lina is pregnant, and Im marrying her. Then our eight-year-old son Leo shoved a paternity test at me. My real mom is your boss. Youre just a fool.
They laughed as if I were a clown. I swallowed my words.
So, the rebirth was a lie. But the lottery win and finding my birth parents? Thats real. And that boss hes marrying? She embezzled millions, was fired, and is now scrambling to repay it all.
1
If you get it, then get lost, Liam said, kicking a duffel bag of my belongings onto the lawn as if it were trash. Lina will be here any minute, and the sight of you will just ruin her mood.
Im so sick of you, he seethed, his face twisted with a resentment Id never seen before. Always that same dead look on your face. It makes me want to puke. And in bed? A total corpse. No passion, nothing.
He wasn't finished. And you, an orphan with no family to speak of, trying to teach me about social etiquette? Thats hilarious. While my parents were teaching me how the world works, you were still begging for scraps in an orphanage!
His words were venomous, fueled by a rage I couldnt comprehend.
But all I felt was a hollow, bitter amusement.
When we got married, he swore hed cherish me forever. After a traumatic birth left me with physical and emotional scars, making intimacy difficult, hed said he understood, that he could handle it. The social etiquette he was so incensed about? It was me, gently suggesting he attend a company party to be more of a team player.
I couldnt fathom how these small, forgotten moments had curdled into such a deep-seated hatred.
Seeing my silence, my son Leo must have thought I was planning to stay. He exploded.
Are you just waiting here to cause trouble for my mom? he shrieked. The house, the car, its all ours now! It has nothing to do with you!
He glared at me, his small face a mask of contempt. If it wasnt for the money you make, I wouldve been disgusted to even call you Mom.
My real mom is a big-shot executive! Shes going to sell this dump and buy us a mansion!
A mansion.
They had no idea. The big-shot executive he was bragging about was already drowning in debt after being fired for embezzlement.
And my lottery win was real. Thirty million dollars.
If things had been different, Leo would have been the heir to a fortune.
But it seemed fate had other plans for him.
I looked at the father and son, a derisive smile touching my lips. What youve done is called fraud. Ill be suing. Expect to be served.
Liams face darkened. You transferred everything willingly. The bank tellers, the notariesthey can all testify to that. He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. Dont be pathetic, Stella. You have no family, no one to back you up. You should be more concerned with where youre going to sleep tonight.
Just then, a woman rushed up, throwing her arms around Liam in a triumphant embrace.
Liam! You really did it? You divorced that bitch? she squealed. The house, the car, the savings its all in your name, right?
It was Lina. My best friend. My boss.
Wed been roommates in college. She came from a poor, rural family, and wed worked countless part-time jobs together, forging a bond I thought was unbreakable. I helped her get a job at my company, and within a year, shed climbed the ladder and become my direct superior.
She was a frequent guest in our home, always helping with Leo. I was so grateful to her.
I never imagined the three of them were playing me for a fool, right under my nose.
Even worse, I now suspected theyd swapped the embryos during my IVF treatment, letting her become a mother without any of the pain.
Seeing my things scattered across the lawn, Lina dropped all pretense. She draped herself over Liam, her voice dripping with mock sympathy.
Stella, thank you so much for taking care of my husband and my son all these years. It must have been so much work for you.
2
Before I could react, Liam spoke, his voice cold and sharp.
Why thank her? If it weren't for me and Leo, shed have spent her whole life never knowing what a real family feels like. He pulled Lina closer, stroking her hair. Youre the one who suffered, my love. Putting up with this for ten years, just to spare her feelings.
He looked at her with feigned adoration. Youve given so much for this family. From now on, Leo and I will treat you like a queen.
The words made my stomach churn.
Liam was a university professor, a man who cloaked himself in an air of intellectual superiority. Yet in over a decade, hed never managed to get tenure and was practically a pariah in his department for being so difficult. He loved hosting pretentious academic salons where he and his colleagues would get drunk, pouring his entire salary into fine wine and cigars.
The mortgage, the car payments, Leos expensive tutoring, the housekeeper every single bill was paid by me, working overtime, chasing bonuses, keeping our heads above water.
And now, with a few careless words, he had erased a decade of my sacrifice.
I remembered the first time I met him. I was working a late shift at a greasy spoon diner, and he stepped in to chase off some guys who were harassing me. His quiet intensity, that scholarly charm I was completely captivated.
And for that, I had spent ten years supporting him without complaint.
So when he told me his bizarre story about being reborn, begging me to transfer our assets, I didnt question it for a second. I just did it.
I never thought my trust would be met with such a profound betrayal, my devotion turned into a punchline.
I took a deep breath, my gaze shifting to Lina. A cold, sharp smile spread across my face.
Liams drinking and smoking habits run about ten grand a month. Leos tutoring is another five. The mortgage is ten, the housekeeper is eight, and miscellaneous expenses usually hit around twenty. All in all, youre looking at over fifty thousand a month. I let the numbers hang in the air. Youve been fired, Lina. Can you really afford these two money pits?
Fired? Liams confident smirk vanished, replaced by confusion. He turned to Lina. What is she talking about?
I watched, waiting for her to squirm her way out of this one.
Lina shot me a venomous glare before forcing a smile for Liam. Honey, I didnt want to worry you. Youve been so stressed with the divorce, I was going to tell you later. She put a hand on her stomach. Besides, I have skills, I have experience. Ill find a new job in no time. And don't forget Im carrying your baby.
The mention of another child instantly erased Liams concerns. His face lit up.
Youre right! Youre pregnant with our baby. You should be quitting any job you have, not looking for a new one.
Leos face, too, was a picture of relief and excitement. That scared me! If Mom was broke, what would I eat? What would I wear? he chirped. Its okay, after the new baby comes, Mom can just go back to work.
Then, his eyes fell on a rock by his feet. He snatched it up and hurled it at my head. It missed, but the intent was clear.
You evil witch! he screamed. Mom worked at the same company as you! You must have gotten her fired! She didn't tell us because she didn't want us to worry, and you just blurted it out to make Dad and me feel sorry for you! You wanted us to choose you over her!
His face was red with fury. Youre the most wicked person I know!
He then ripped a small, woven charm from his neck, a talisman I had gotten for him, and threw it to the ground, grinding it under his heel.
Take your junk back! he yelled. My real mom will buy me something better, something expensive. Im too good for cheap trash like this!
That talisman I remembered Leo running a dangerously high fever. I had spent an entire night kneeling in a cold chapel, praying, and paid a fortune to have it blessed by a renowned priest.
My love, my devotion, stomped into the dirt.
The question I had been burning to askWhy do you hate me so much?died on my lips.
At this point, it didn't matter. There was nothing left to say.
Well then, I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm, congratulations to you both on marrying into such a prestigious family.
I picked up two small, important items from the pile of my discarded life and walked away without looking back.
The thirty million dollars from the lottery was already in my new bank account. The first thing I did was book a flight to Scandinavia to see the northern lights.
While I was gone, Liam posted a picture on social media: his marriage certificate with Lina.
The caption read: After all this time, Ive finally found my way back to you. No one could ever keep us apart.
I liked the post.
And I left a comment: Congratulations! Paying off massive debts is always easier with two incomes instead of one.
Lina, predictably, blocked me.
Then, I called the best divorce lawyer in the city.
Money is no object, I told him. I want them to give back every single thing they took from me. And then some.
3
A week later, my lawyer had a plan.
Ms. Evans, he said, his voice crisp and confident, your evidence is impeccable. We can absolutely file to have all assets returned. And if you wish, we can also sue for a substantial amount in emotional damages.
I transferred his ten-thousand-dollar retainer without a second thought.
Soon after, a legal notice arrived at Liams doorstep. His enraged call came moments later.
Stella, are you insane? Drop this lawsuit right now!
I hung up.
Three days later, he ambushed me outside my office building.
We need to talk, he hissed, blocking my path. Or Ill make a scene right here, and youll be too embarrassed to ever show your face at work again.
A laugh escaped my lips, sharp and humorless.
I remembered our anniversary one year when hed bought me a set of expired, high-end makeup. Id gone to the department store to return it and gotten into an argument with the clerk. Hed stood by, mortified, claiming I was embarrassing him before leaving me there and driving home alone.
Now, he was acting just like that shameless clerk.
Liam stared at me, confused. Whats so funny? Dont think youve won just because you hired some lawyer. Let me tell you somethingLina is the true heiress to the Sutton fortune!
He puffed out his chest. Thats Sutton Corp, Stella. You drop this now, while you still can.
The long-lost heiress?
Linas parents were migrant farm workers. Id met her mother in college; they were practically identical. But Lina had always spun these fantasies about being a secret princess, swapped at birth.
I looked at Liam, intrigued. Youre a professor, an intellectual. You cant possibly believe everything she tells you.
Whats that supposed to mean? he asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. Im warning you, you can come after me, but you leave Lina out of this!
He looked me up and down, a contemptuous sneer on his face. I know your type. An orphan, desperate for love. This whole lawsuit is just a pathetic attempt to get me back, isn't it?
He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. Remarrying you is out of the question. But you could come back as our live-in nanny. Leo misses your cooking, and I dont want Lina to overwork herself.
I laughed again, this time a full-throated, incredulous sound. A nanny? Liam, youve really lost your mind.
He mistook my shock for coyness.
You take good care of the house, and I might consider playing the husband for you every now and then. Maybe even let Leo call you Mom again. He straightened his collar, radiating smug self-importance. Considering our ten years together, this is the best I can offer. Dont push your luck.
Before I could respond, Lina appeared, materializing at his side as if on cue. She planted a kiss on his cheek, then took my hand, her face a mask of magnanimity.
Stella, were best friends. Im willing to share my husband with you. Her eyes pleaded with me. Honestly, Ive wanted to say this for a while. Im not here to break you up; Im here to join you.
She looked at me with pity. There will always be a place for you in this family.
Her performance of a kind, generous victim instantly moved Liam. He wrapped an arm around her, glaring at me.
See? Even Lina doesnt mind. You can move back in tonight. He paused, adding, But just so were clear, Lina will always be number one in my heart.
I almost choked on my laughter.
Join them? Join them in their mountain of debt?
I didnt have a poverty fetish.
That afternoon, Liam sent me a voice message.
From now on, you can live in the storage closet. Rents two thousand a month.
The storage closet was barely big enough to turn around in. He wasnt just insulting me; he was trying to dehumanize me.
I deleted the message, blocked his number, and moved on.
I worked late that night. When I finally got back to my new apartment, I opened the door to a scene that froze the blood in my veins.
The entire place had been stripped bare. It looked like it had been professionally robbed.
My hands shaking, I pulled up the feed from the hidden security camera Id installed in the bedroom. What I saw made my entire body tremble with rage.
Just then, my phone rang. It was Liam, and he sounded furious.
Stella, who the hell do you think you are, living alone in a 1,600-square-foot penthouse? Do you think you deserve that?
I always thought you were a simple, frugal woman. Look at what youve become!
I asked a friend about that sofa I saw on the camera feed. Thirty thousand dollars! Where did you get that kind of money?
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