Lu Yun didn't tell his mother the truth.

Although we got our marriage certificate and held the wedding ceremony smoothly, I found that his mother still hinted at the topic of having children intentionally or unintentionally.

"Didn't you tell Mom?" I questioned him after being urged to have a baby again; I didn't want to be constantly reminded by my mother-in-law.

"What's there to say?" He gripped the steering wheel tightly and frowned, "We're already married; whether we have children or not is our own business."

At first, I could understand that men always need to maintain their pride.

But later, I found that my mother-in-law's actions were getting more and more excessive. During the Qingming Festival, when we went back to our hometown to visit graves, she actually forbade me from participating in the rituals.

She even sighed and wept in front of the ancestors' tombstones, saying pretentiously, "The lineage of the Lu family is ending here, and I feel so guilty towards our ancestors!"

I felt humiliated. Lu Yun's family is from the countryside, and such important events usually involve gathering many relatives, making it inevitable to hear gossip.

I heard unfamiliar women chatting and laughing while washing dishes: "That daughter-in-law of the Lu family can't have children after a miscarriage, right?"

"Who knows? College students are just weak. What's the use of reading more books?"

I was shocked and looked at Lu Yun in disbelief.

What does this mean? Did he tell his mother when we got married that I was pregnant but had a miscarriage?

Lu Yun didn't speak, awkwardly turning his face away to avoid my gaze.

For the first time, I despised his silence so much.

He couldn't possibly be unaware of the sarcastic remarks from his mother over the years, yet he ignored my grievances and put a false label on me.

If his initial lie was for our marriage and happiness.

Then now, he only made me feel cold and unfamiliar.

My mother-in-law's verbal bullying and accusations, the malicious speculation from both familiar and unfamiliar people, each one nailed me to the pillar of shame.

But I shouldn't have to endure any of this.

After waking up to reality, the first thought that came to my mind was divorce.

However, Lu Yun firmly disagreed. Watching him plead bitterly, I couldn't help but find it laughable.

The main reason he didn't want a divorce might be his condition; another woman may not willingly accept it like I did back then.

I started preparing for the divorce, but unexpectedly, Lu Yun got involved with his intern, Du Tian, during this time.

I heard that Du Tian pursued him actively, knowing he had a family but wishing for a passionate affair anyway.

As soon as Du Tian joined his company, they brazenly showed their relationship.

Seeing Lu Yun's infatuated look was ironic; he's still the same, liking young and beautiful women as he did before.

But just as I prepared everything to file for divorce, Lu Yun died.

Lu Yun died in a car accident caused by the other driver’s mistake; both cars collided, and he eventually died despite rescue efforts.

The police notified me while I was discussing asset distribution with a lawyer.

After I finished the call, the lawyer professionally put away the agreement in front of him: "It looks like we'll need to draft a new one, Miss Shen."

I looked down and smiled, "Yes."

My cheating husband was dead, and the shackles that held me down fell away instantly.

My mother-in-law barged into my home.

She stood in front of me, tightly holding Du Tian's hand like a lifeline.

In her eyes, this woman, pregnant with "Lu Yun's child," was more like her daughter-in-law than I was.

"Xu An," she arrogantly proclaimed as if she had found the rightful heir, "since Du Tian is here with the child, let's settle this."

"I don't need Lu Yun's compensation money, but it must be left for his son!"

As expected.

They were after the inheritance and compensation money.

Du Tian turned to face me, her expression seemingly full of guilt, "Sister Xu... you might not understand because you don’t have a child; this money is really important to me and the baby."

Thanks, but I don’t want to understand, nor do I need to.

I looked at her with a slight smile. It seemed that Lu Yun had also hidden his condition from her; otherwise, how could she be so foolish to walk into my trap?

She had likely been involved with other men during this time and naively thought she could get away with it.

Now they insist that this child is Lu Yun's, thinking they can use it against me.

"Really?" I smiled, "That better be the case."

Du Tian stiffened for a moment, looking somewhat aggrievedly at my mother-in-law, who patted her hand and disdainfully looked me up and down.

"Xu An, don't be selfish. Since you can't have children, you should compensate us with this money for Du Tian."

"Who has children makes the decisions, right? Are you jealous of Du Tian because she's pregnant?"

They couldn’t wait to show their true colors, could they?

It wouldn’t be any fun to refuse outright, now would it?

My mother-in-law calculated carefully for a bastard, and Du Tian flaunted her pregnancy to show her superiority over me. I just wanted to see their reactions when they found out the truth.