I Turned His Lie to Ash

Everyone thought I'd lost my mind---my husband just died, and I burned down the factory we'd built together.

But they didn't know that a week ago, I caught my supposedly dead husband embracing his first love, smugly plotting:

The marriage certificate between me and that stupid woman is fake.

Once I fake my death and she helps me pay off the debts, the factory will still be mine.

I stood behind a tree, my whole body ice-cold, yet I wanted to laugh.

Turns out what I'd desperately protected all these years was never really my home.

Since he faked his death to escape, dumping all the debts on me, I didn't mind adding fuel to the fire myself.

This blaze would completely "burn" the old me to death, along with his factory, reducing everything to ash.

Outside the villa's ornate iron gate, I saw the man who should have died in the fire.

He was carefully supporting Lucy, whose delicate face glowed above a belly swollen with six months of pregnancy.

And I could clearly see---the gemstone bracelet on Lucy's wrist and the gold earrings dangling from her ears were the dowry my parents had specially made for me.

Years ago, when I first took over factory management, Harrison had gently persuaded me:

"Jewelry gets in the way when you're working. It'd hurt if you bumped it."

I'd believed him and locked all my jewelry in an iron box, never imagining he'd secretly taken them out and given them to his childhood sweetheart.

This was the devoted husband who'd promised to take care of me for life.

He tightened his arm around Lucy's waist, his voice sticky-sweet like melted candy:

"Haha, Lucy, don't worry. The factory's buried in a million dollars of debt right now. Once that stupid woman fills the hole, Edith will call us right back."

"The factory manager position is mine. Then our little family of three..."

Lucy stroked her swollen belly, asking coquettishly:

"But Vivian is so capable. After she pays off all the debt by herself, will she really give the factory back to you?"

Harrison laughed. "That factory was left to me by my dad. She's just an 'outsider'."

"I'll tell you a secret, but keep it quiet---Vivian and I never actually got our marriage license. My mom had someone forge the certificate years ago. She still has no idea..."

I trembled with rage, my teeth grinding audibly.

A week ago, when I discovered the missing funds in our accounts, I confronted Harrison.

Knowing he was exposed, he knelt and begged for forgiveness, claiming his failed investments were all "for our home."

He grabbed my pant leg, pleading with me to get money from my family to save us.

But a million dollars was an astronomical sum. Even draining my parents dry wouldn't cover it.

I refused to drag my family down, but softened at his seemingly remorseful expression and agreed to shoulder the debt together.

Now I could see---the moment he realized we'd have to suffer and repay together, he'd already planned this fake death to slip away, leaving me holding the entire mess.

This man was utterly vicious.

"Vivian, Harrison? He's not dead?"

Grace, my trusted confidant who'd accompanied me, had stopped at the station to get a cup of coffeeand arrived a few steps behind.

Seeing this scene, she immediately flared up with anger.

"He found a mistress and deliberately wants you to handle the factory's debts alone."

I quickly pulled her behind a sycamore tree to hide.

Grace asked, confused:

"Vivian, Harrison wronged you. He's the one who should be hiding. Why are we hiding?"

I'd already calmed down.

I looked at Grace and asked:

"Grace, all these years, how do you think I've treated Harrison?"

Though Grace didn't understand why I was suddenly asking this, she answered honestly:

"Vivian, you've been incredible for the factory. You handled so many things personally. Without those contracts you negotiated, our factory would have collapsed long ago."

"Harrison... when problems hit the factory, he pretended to be sick and hid. When you were running a fever negotiating contracts, he was drinking at the card table. If you hadn't mortgaged your own dowry, how could their family property and land still be intact?"

I smiled bitterly. "Harrison inherited the family business but couldn't preserve its foundation. You can see that truth clearly. Too bad he's willfully blind."

"Vivian, Harrison is living it up in that villa with his mistress while leaving you to shoulder all that debt. You should divorce him."

I laughed coldly. We never even got a marriage license---what divorce?

"Does he think I'll still stupidly exhaust everything to protect the family assets for him like before? Haha..."

"Since Harrison chose to fake his death, I'll grant him his wish."

My lips curved upward, the flames of anger burning away my grief.

Since Harrison dared to fake his death and enjoy himself, I could sever our marital bonds just as decisively.

In this world, he wasn't the only one who could fake a death.

"What does Vivian plan to do?"

Grace gripped my hand, righteous indignation in her voice. "We absolutely can't let those cheating dogs get away with this."

I naturally wouldn't let them off easy, but this matter couldn't be rushed.

"Grace, don't go back to the factory yet. I need you to spread word about Harrison building a villa in this town to keep his mistress. The more widely it spreads the better---ideally it should reach Edith's ears today."

Since I was an outsider in Harrison's mouth, I had no need to preserve the dignity of the old Harrison family.

Fight with me? They weren't qualified.

Did Harrison think he could live carefree in that villa with his childhood sweetheart, raising their child?

Then I'd reclaim the villa right now, leaving them without even a place to stay.

As soon as I returned to the factory, Harrison's mother, Edith, came looking for me.

I secretly took a breath, suppressed my surging anger, and squeezed out a grieved expression to greet her.

She grabbed my hand, her voice urgent yet soft:

"Vivian, you can't listen to outsiders' gossip. Harrison was honest and straightforward---how could he mess around outside?"

"He can't even rest in peace after death."

I lowered my eyes, my nose tingling:

"Mrs. Harrison, I naturally trust Harrison's character... but did our family really buy a villa in the neighboring town?"

Edith's hand suddenly stiffened.

She froze there, her eyes darting around rapidly before shaking her head like a rattle drum:

"No, no. How could there be? Don't talk nonsense."

Seeing her reaction, I understood completely.

Earlier I'd heard Harrison smugly say that once I finished paying the debts, his mother would call him to "come home and enjoy the good life."

I'd thought perhaps the old lady just felt sorry for her son and knew nothing about his dirty deeds.

But now... she clearly knew everything.

Perfect.

Since you mother and son colluded to treat me as an outsider and play me for a fool, don't blame this outsider for showing no mercy.

I helped Edith sit in a chair and had just poured half a glass of water when the debt collectors arrived exactly as I'd anticipated.

The moment Edith saw them coming, she immediately tried to abandon me and flee.

But the lead creditor grabbed her by the back of her collar at the door, yanking her stumbling back into the chair.

She deliberately fell sideways, drawing out a wail of my name:

"Vivian, they're hitting people."

In the past, I would definitely have already stepped in front of Edith, taking everything upon myself.

But now I just coldly watched Edith perform, then pretended to cry myself:

"Gentlemen, my husband's body is barely cold. What can we widows and orphans use to repay debts?"

The lead creditor spat: "Cut the act. That villa in the neighboring town was Harrison's doing, wasn't it? It's enough to cover the debt."

I hastily waved my hands: "Sir, I just asked my mother-in-law---there's no such thing."

Then I turned to Edith for confirmation. "Edith, right?"

Edith's neck stiffened, her eyes darting wildly as she randomly nodded twice.

With such a guilty appearance, how could the creditors not see through it?

The leader slapped down a paper on the table: "The property owner's name is yours, old lady Harrison."

Edith's face turned white as a sheet as she stammered:

"It's... it's my retirement savings house..."

"Retirement house?" The creditor sneered, pulling out a mortgage agreement. "Sign. Use it to settle the debt right now."

Edith clutched her clothes and shrank back. That was her son's love nest---how could she give it up?

She stood and rushed to grab my arm: "Vivian, think of something. How will I survive without that house?"

I sneered internally but looked distressed on the surface as I pried her hand away:

"Mrs. Harrison, with Harrison gone, the old house is enough for us. This million in debt---we could work ourselves to death and never repay it..."

Hearing this, the creditor erupted in fury, pressing Edith's neck toward the table:

"Your son's dead so you think you can renege on debts? If you don't sign today, I'll chop off your hand and use it for your thumbprint."

Edith threw me a pleading look, which I ignored.

She gritted her teeth and pretended to faint.

The creditor laughed coldly and delivered a sharp slap.

The crisp sound exploded. Edith jerked awake in pain, no longer daring to play tricks, trembling as she signed and stamped the document.

Only then did the creditors swagger away.

Edith's rage attacked her heart, and she actually did faint.

Grace happened to come by and urgently asked if we should send her to the clinic.

I pulled my lips into a smile: "Where would we get extra money? Just send her back to the old house."

Grace immediately called a worker to fetch a cart and send Edith back, then looked at me worriedly:

"Vivian, now that we've set a precedent of using property to settle debts, the other creditors will probably come knocking very soon."

I smiled. "I know."

Haha, I was afraid they wouldn't come knocking.

"Grace, go check how much inventory is still in our warehouse. Before nightfall, pack it all up and take it away. Remember---quietly, don't let anyone else know."

Grace blinked her almond eyes and asked: "Vivian, where should we ship this packed inventory?"

"New York." I met her searching gaze. "What do you say? Do you dare venture out there with me?"

Grace's eyes lit up at these words: "As long as Vivian is willing to take me, I'll go through fire and water."

I smiled and patted her head, then turned my sharp gaze toward the roiling dark clouds outside the window.

A storm was coming.

Harrison and his pampered childhood sweetheart would have nowhere to hide from the rain tonight.

4

Since the villa in the neighboring town was seized, debt collectors descended like a plague of locusts.

I'd already settled the workers' wages in advance and let them leave early.

The creditors entered the factory unobstructed and quickly emptied it of machinery, equipment, tables and chairs.

When there was nothing left to take from the factory, creditors set their sights on the old house.

Edith was furious, demanding why I wasn't finding solutions.

"Vivian. Aren't you supposed to be so capable?"

So much for Edith's act now.

I covered my face and sobbed: "Edith, I've exhausted every option... at least most of the debt is cleared now."

Edith slammed the table in fury: "The machinery and equipment have all been taken---what is the Harrison family supposed to do in the future?"

I lowered my eyes, deliberately adding fuel to the fire: "Edith, as long as we're still here, there will always be a way."

Sure enough, the next second, Edith picked up a teacup and hurled it at me.

I staggered back on cue, porcelain shards exploding near my ear.

"You jinx. Why don't you just die."

When the debt collectors entered, this was exactly the scene that greeted them.

I laughed inwardly while tears streamed down my face:

"Edith, don't worry. I'll go back to the factory right now and find a solution. I'll definitely bring our factory back to life."

Without waiting for Edith's response, I "stumbled" out clutching my forehead.

Behind me, her cursing was cut off by the creditors' rebuke: "Old woman, less talk. Hurry up and hand over assets to settle the debt."

I left the old house and ran into Grace returning.

Before seeing Edith, I'd instructed Grace to do two things:

First, using Edith's name, demand my gemstone bracelet and gold earrings back from Lucy.

Second, in Edith's tone, send Harrison some money, telling them to "take the money and run far away to avoid the storm."

My dowry---why should it benefit Harrison.

"Vivian, I got everything back."

I nodded. With this, everything was ready.

I cried all the way back to the factory, then waited until evening when everyone should be eating dinner, and set a fire just like Harrison had done.

However, Harrison had only burned a small warehouse at the time, while I ignited the entire factory.