My Family Put His Mistress in My Husband's Bed

After I slapped my husband Ethan Vance's mistress, Chloe, he had my entire family sent to a private psychiatric sanitarium.

Since then, I never dared to cross him again.

When Chloe had cramps, I warmed her milk.

When Chloe went into labor, I stayed up all night to serve her.

Only after her baby with Ethan was born did I finally dare to beg him, with bated breath, to release my family.

But Ethan only let out a mocking laugh, tossing a casual sentence my way:

"Aria, do you know how I met Chloe in the first place?"

"Your dear brother and father personally put her in my bed."

"Aria, she's your half-sister."

He looked at my increasingly pale face with a sneer, unlocked his phone, and pushed it in front of me.

"Your father and Julian were never locked away in that sanitarium. For the past three years, they've been right by Chloe's side."

On the screen, my father and Julian were doting on Chloe and her baby, their faces filled with a pure joy I had never once seen directed at me.

In an instant, my eyes welled with tears.

My heart felt as if it were being slowly ripped apart, inch by inch.

Ethan continued in his self-satisfied tone.

"Aria, you've been very obedient these past three years. Keep it up. Tell me what kind of compensation you want, and I'll give it to you."

"Though..." He smiled mysteriously, "Even if I offer it, you probably won't want it, will you?"

I wiped my tears, lifted my chin, and forced a smile:

"Ethan, I'm afraid you won't be able to afford the compensation I want."

Ethan scoffed.

"Name it. I'll do my best to satisfy you."

I looked him straight in the eye.

"Since you want to compensate me, give me cash."

"I want a hundred million dollars. Not a single penny less."

Ethan's eyes turned cold.

He suddenly sneered and spoke to the phone on the desk.

"Chloe, looks like neither of us guessed right."

I hadn't noticed when the screen had switched to a FaceTime call.

Chloe was smiling, looking at me with pure mockery.

"Aria, we had a bet on what you would ask Ethan for once you found out the truth."

"I bet you would reject any compensation and go crazy, throwing a tantrum in his office. Ethan bet you would use this to blackmail him into never divorcing you."

"As for Dad and Julian, one guessed you would demand Ethan send me away, and the other guessed you would self-harm to force him to compromise."

She turned the camera to the side.

My father was holding Chloe's baby with a beaming smile, but the moment he saw me on screen, his warmth vanished.

"Aria, I really didn't expect you to open your mouth and demand money from Ethan!"

"Has our family ever let you go hungry or cold all these years? How did you become so materialistic? What makes you any different from those greedy gold-diggers out there!"

Julian patted Chloe's head, his eyes full of affection and helplessness, but when he looked back at the camera, his expression iced over.

"Aria, I know you're angry."

"If you're short on cash, I can wire you some. But you shouldn't have demanded it from Ethan."

"Chloe and Ethan love each other. They don't owe you anything."

"Is that so?"

With bloodshot eyes, I cut him off.

"Stealing my husband, stealing my father and my brother, destroying my marriage and my home."

"Playing me like a fool for three years, tricking me into being her maid for three years."

"And you say they don't owe me anything?"

Julian frowned.

"Aria, watch your mouth."

"We didn't mean to lie to you. You've just been stubborn since you were a kid. If we hadn't done this, how could you have ever accepted Chloe?"

"Chloe has been depressed since giving birth. We were worried about her postpartum depression, so we came up with this bet just to cheer her up. Don't take it to heart."

The corners of my lips twisted into a dry laugh.

"In that case, just give me the money."

"Dad, give me fifty million. Julian, give me thirty million. I can keep acting for you guys and play maid for Chloe. How does that sound?"

Julian's face turned livid.

"Aria Montgomery, when are you going to stop throwing this tantrum?"

I sneered.

"It's just a little bit of pocket money. Don't tell me the wealthy Vance and Montgomery families of New York can't even afford this much?"

"Enough."

"Since you love money so much, you can have it."

Ethan glanced at me, pulling a document from his drawer.

"Chloe has already given birth. My child cannot be a bastard. Sign these divorce papers, and a hundred million will be wired to your account immediately."

Looking at those few thin sheets of paper, I didn't hesitate for a second. I grabbed the pen and signed my name.

The look Ethan gave me suddenly became complicated.

"Do you really care about money that much? You weren't like this before..."

Suppressing the knife-like pain in my chest, I squeezed out an indifferent smile.

"If I don't take the money, what else can you give me?"

He stared at me, his dark eyes deep and unreadable.

"Maybe you could beg me not to divorce you."

"Aria, if you just beg me, I'll tear this agreement up right now."

Beg him?

I bit my lip so hard it almost bled, remembering the first few months after I discovered his affair with Chloe.

I had begged him countless times.

I had even slit my wrists just to force him to come home.

But my blood pooling on the floor only earned me a cold sentence from him:

"Don't do this next time. Chloe can't stand the sight of blood."

"And then what?"

I looked at him calmly, my voice dripping with irony.

"And then you'll tell me this is just another one of your bets, designed to make me a laughingstock?"

I let out a bitter laugh, my throat tight.

"Ethan, stop testing me."

"Haven't you played me enough these past three years?"

Something cold rolled down my cheek.

The tears I had held back for so long finally spilled over.

Ethan instinctively reached out to wipe them away.

For a brief second, a flicker of guilt crossed his eyes.

He sighed.

"Chloe had my baby, after all. She's still young and a bit spoiled. Just let her have her way this once."

"Don't worry. I'll keep the position of Mrs. Vance open for you. Marrying Chloe is just to get the baby registered under my name."

He paused, then added as if to reassure himself.

"I'll give you the hundred million. Take the money and travel for a while. Once I handle everything, we'll remarry."

"You should be satisfied with that, right?"

I tilted my face up, smiled, and gave a soft hum.

"Then book me a ticket to Switzerland. We promised we would go see the Alpine lakes together."

He let out a sigh of relief and pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Okay."

"Go by yourself first. Once things are settled here, I'll join you."

"Aria, wait for me."

Leaning against his shoulder, I didn't say another word.

But in my heart, I knew I would never wait for him again.

Seeing that I had complied, Ethan finally spoke up.

"Give me the keys to the villa. You need to move out for a while."

"Chloe is moving in. You know she's been in a bad mood since the delivery. Pack your things thoroughly. Don't leave anything behind that might ruin her mood."

"Besides, we've lived in that villa for years. It's getting old anyway. Don't hold a grudge against her."

He cleared his throat, taking out a set of keys and a property deed from his drawer.

"I've bought you a new villa in the south of the city. Move your things there first."

I remained silent, but my mind drifted back to when we first bought our old villa.

We had designed the layout together, chose the color of the curtains, and picked the paintings for the foyer. We even agreed to reserve two nursery roomsone in pink, one in blue.

He said it was our love nest. He had personally carved a wooden sign to hang at the entrance, naming it Aria's Haven.

But later, he stayed up all night with Chloe in his office while I lost my baby all alone in that empty villa.

I smiled, taking the keys and placing them in his hand.

"It's fine."

"New is good."

From now on, everything I owned would be new. Not just the house.

After leaving the Vance Group headquarters, I drove to the private sanitarium alone.

Over the past three years, I had pushed open the ward doors countless times, crying hysterically as I watched my father and Julian pretend to be patients.

But none of them knew that I had met someone else here.

I pushed open the door to a quiet room. Sunlight spilled across the windowsill where a young man sat, gazing into the distance.

His features were sharp, radiating a cold, rebellious aura. His messy hair fell over his forehead, gilded by the sunlight.

If any reporter were here, they would recognize him instantlythe youngest son of the French shipping tycoon, who had been secretly sent to this sanitarium years ago.

I spoke softly.

"I have the money now. I'm taking you out of here."

Ethan had no idea that my real destination wasn't Switzerland. It was France.

When I went back to the villa to pack my bags, the maid looked at me with a strange, hesitant expression.

I frowned, walked into the living room, and instantly understood why.

My belongings were strewn all over the floor in a messy pile.

And Chloe was walking down the stairs, wearing a snow-white wedding dress.

I bit my lip, staring at her.

She lifted the hem of the dress and smirked.

"Aria, this is the main gown Ethan personally designed for you back then, right?"

"Well, Ethan already promised to give it to me."

"He said that since you're out of shape now anyway, you can't fit into it. It's the dress's good fortune that I like it."

She spun around, letting the skirt flare out.

"Aria, do you think I look good in your dress? Does it fit?"

The pristine white gown looked magical under the crystal chandelier.

Chloe looked radiant, her face flushed with happiness and arrogance.

Years ago, Ethan had stayed up for several nights just to draw the blueprints for this dress.

The first time I tried it on, he told me:

"Aria, this is a one-of-a-kind gown for the one-of-a-kind girl in my life."

The words were still echoing in my ears, but the man had already changed.

Chloe didn't realize that since I didn't even want Ethan anymore, why would I care about a meaningless piece of fabric?

I gave a calm smile, slowly releasing my clenched fists.

"Chloe, did no one ever teach you that you have to pay for taking other people's things?"

"This gown is worth thirty million dollars. I expect that amount wired to my account as soon as possible."

Chloe's face instantly twisted in anger.

"You bitch! You've monopolized Ethan and stolen my family for so many years! How dare you demand money!"

With that, she raised her hand and lunged forward to slap me.

But the gown's train was far too heavy. I simply stepped aside, and Chloe tripped over the lace, crashing heavily onto the floor.

My father and Julian came rushing down the stairs.

"Chloe! What happened?"

Julian glared at me with pure rage.

"Aria! Did you push Chloe again?!"

Before I could speak, a heavy slap landed squarely on my face.

A burning pain erupted across my cheek.

I looked at my father in absolute disbelief.

His face was flushed with anger as he barked:

"I knew you were bitter and never truly accepted Chloe! But she just gave birth and she's still weak! How could you lay a hand on her!"

Chloe sobbed, playing the victim.

"Dad, don't be mad at Aria. It's not her fault. Aria said this dress costs thirty million, and I have no right to wear it if I don't pay her. But I don't have that kind of money... she didn't mean to push me."

She looked up with tearful, pitiful eyes.

"It's my fault for not having the money to give her. Dad, Julian... if we give her the money, will she stop being mad at me?"

My father let out a harsh scoff, completely enraged.

"Chloe, you are too kind! Give money to this ungrateful wretch? In her dreams! I should have known she'd turn out just like her mothera greedy, money-grubbing bitch!"

A sharp pang hit my chest. I clutched my cheek, staring at him.

His face was contorted with hatred, spitting insults. The mask of fatherly love he had worn for years was cracking completely.

Julian quickly stepped in to hold him back.

"Dad, don't."

A tiny spark of hope flared in my chest.

But in the next second, Julian spoke coldly.

"If we push her too hard, she might show up and ruin Chloe's wedding."

"Since she loves money so much, just give it to her. Consider it charity for a beggar."

He pulled out a black card and threw it at my face with utter disgust.

"There's over thirty million in there. Is that enough?"

"Take it and get out. Don't ever show your face in front of Chloe again."

I stared down at the black card belonging to the Montgomery family.

The last thread of connection in my heart snapped.

I bent down slowly, picked up the card, and let out a careless laugh.

Looking at my scattered, messy luggage, I didn't even feel like packing anymore.

"Since you can afford the price, I'm selling all of this to you."

I stared at him mockingly.

"Since you've already accepted your new sister and your new family, I won't stay to eyesore you. From this day forward, I have nothing to do with the Montgomery family!"

I grabbed my legal documents from my bag and turned to leave.

"Wait"

Chloe called out, her face cold.

"Since you said you're selling everything for thirty million, shouldn't you leave one more thing behind?"

I frowned, not understanding.

She sneered. "You're divorcing Ethan. You shouldn't be wearing that wedding ring anymore, right?"

I looked down at the gold band on my ring finger, suddenly realizing what she meant.

This gold ring was the first gift Ethan gave me when we started dating.

He had hand-forged the matching couple rings himself, engraving our names inside.

He once told me that gold was the most stable element in the world.

Just like our love.

But we both forgot that gold is also the softest metal. A little bit of external force, and it becomes completely deformed.

After ten years of entanglement, the ring had practically grown into my skin. It wouldn't budge.

I tugged at it twice but couldn't get it off. Frustrated, I grabbed a pair of heavy scissors from the desk and aimed them straight at the metal band.

The moment the blades snapped the ring, a sharp shout came from the doorway.

"Aria, what are you doing!"

The scissors were violently wrenched from my hand, and Ethan pulled me into a desperate embrace.

"You're trying to hurt yourself again, aren't you"

His voice died in his throat as his eyes fell on the severed ring.

He looked completely devastated.

"You... you actually cut the ring? Why?"

"Ethan, I wanted that ring."

Only then did Ethan notice Chloe standing nearby.

Chloe's expression was incredibly tense, her fingers tightly gripping her skirt.

"Aria already sold all her belongings to me for thirty million. Ethan, you made that ring with your own hands. I want to keep it. You don't mind, do you?"

Ethan quickly let go of me, turning to Chloe with a doting smile.

"Chloe, that design is outdated. If you like gold, I'll forge a brand new set for us."

Tears welled in Chloe's eyes.

"But I want you to melt this one down and use it to make my new one."

"You promised me that once our baby was born, you'd give me whatever I wanted."

Ethan fell silent for a long moment before nodding helplessly.

"Okay."

I let out a mocking laugh, pulled the broken ring off my finger, threw it onto the floor, and turned to walk away.

But Chloe called out to me yet again.

"Aria, you just said you want nothing to do with the Montgomery family. In that case, there's one more thing you need to surrender."

She looked at the men with red, watery eyes.

"Dad, Julian, Ethan... I am a daughter of the Montgomery family. I want to legally change my name and return to the family registry."

My father nodded eagerly.

"Of course! It's a joyous occasion. I'll hire the best consultant to find you a beautiful new name"

But Chloe cut him off.

"Dad, I've already decided on my future name."

A malicious smile spread across her lips.

"I want to be called Aria Montgomery."

"So, Aria, I'm going to need you to legally change your name."

"Ethan, this is my very last request. You'll make sure it happens, won't you?"

Aria... was the name my late mother gave me. It was her final blessing of love.

Ethan knew that.

But after a brief struggle, he still opened his mouth.

"Aria, just change your name. I'll compensate you with more money."

I smirked, nodding without hesitation.

"Sure. As long as the price is right."

Ethan let out a sigh of relief.

"I'll have my assistant wire you another fifty million immediately."

Very soon, Ethan's legal team escorted me to the government office to process the name change.

Holding my brand new ID, I looked up at the sky and smiled.

My name, my identity, my marriage... I had shed everything from my past. From now on, I was truly free.

When I arrived at the airport, Ethan called me.

"Aria... now that you've changed your name, go to the villa in the south of the city. I've already had people move your stuff there."

"Chloe is just throwing a childish tantrum. I'll make her change it back in a few months. Don't take it personally."

I gave a faint "mm-hmm" and hung up.

A message from a real estate agent popped up on my Snapchat.

"Aria, the villa has been sold according to your terms. The buyer was thrilled with the low price and paid in full. Check your account to confirm the wire."

I replied to confirm, verified the transfer, popped my SIM card out, and tossed it into the airport trash can.

Then, I turned to the young man standing beside me with a smile.

"Let's go. Our gate is boarding."