Chapter 1

Back home from my trip, the housekeeper dragged my husband and me to court.

In the courtroom, her pregnant belly proudly displayed, Chloe's voice trembled with anguish:

"Daniel Miller and his wife are absolutely disgusting excuses for humans! They used a job ad as a trap, lured me into their home, and then tied me to the bed and abused me!"

"The child in my belly is Daniel Miller's bastard!"

Her mother, Martha, sobbed uncontrollably:

"These two monsters completely ruined my daughter's life! They deserve to be sentenced to death!"

The moment she finished, the public gallery erupted in a chorus of curses directed at my husband and me:

"That scumbag is so brazen, he didn't even show up for court! Lock him up!"

"Yeah! And look at his wife, she's actually smiling! She's utterly heartless, they should both just die!"

The next second, I presented my evidence, making everyone gasp.

The moment I got home, I habitually pulled out my phone to browse my SnapChat feed.

Suddenly, a plea for help from a local online forum popped up.

I tapped on it, and the title made my finger pause:

[Housekeeper assaulted by male employer, what should I do?]

The description below made me frown involuntarily:

[Shortly after I moved in, the madam said she was going on a trip and left me alone at home.]

[The moment she left, the master came back...]

The words "on a trip" made me freeze for a second.

I had just returned from a trip, and I had also hired a housekeeper.

I scrolled down further:

[He dragged me into the bedroom. I didn't dare to fight back. Afterwards, he threatened me not to tell anyone. I'm so scared.]

[Now I found out I'm pregnant, and the madam just got back. I don't know what to do.]

[Oh, and when he assaulted me, he said the madam knew all about it.]

The comment section was already blowing up:

[Call the police, girl! Don't let those beasts get away with it!]

[Husband and wife working together? That's just sick!]

[So much time has passed, it'll be hard to prove. I suggest you talk to the employers privately first, see if you can get compensation.]

I scrolled down further and saw that the poster had liked the last comment.

And replied:

[Thanks for the advice, I'll talk to them first.]

Just then, Chloe, who had been cleaning, suddenly spoke up:

"Stella, there's something I want to tell you."

My heart sank, inexplicably linking it to the forum post I'd just read, but I kept my face calm:

"Go ahead."

Her voice was soft, almost a whisper:

"I'm pregnant, three months."

"It's... it's Daniel's."

I froze, my world tilting, the word "absurd" flashing through my mind.

The "Daniel" she spoke of was my husband, Daniel Miller.

I almost instinctively asked her:

"Do you know what you're saying?"

Chloe nodded, tears welling in her eyes:

"Stella, don't worry, I have no intention of breaking up your family."

"Just give me five million, for child support, plus another two million for my personal damages."

"From now on, I won't bother you or Daniel again."

At first glance, it sounded incredibly considerate, but in reality, it was an outrageous demand.

Looking at her serious face, I only felt amusement.

Because I knew very well that my husband could never do such a thing.

I composed myself, staring at her steadily, enunciating each word:

"This is extortion, and I won't give you a single penny!"

Chloe frowned slightly, looking at me:

"As a woman, you should understand that no woman would lie about her honor."

"Besides, this amount of money is nothing to you."

"I don't want to make things ugly."

I let out a cold laugh:

"I'm not short on cash, but I'm not stupid!"

Seeing that I wouldn't budge, Chloe's voice suddenly rose, her eyes sharp:

"Are you sure you won't pay? Fine, then I'll expose everything! The forums, social media, your company – I won't spare a single one."

I met her gaze:

"Go ahead. I'm ready for whatever comes next."

Chloe glared at me fiercely:

"Alright, let's see if you're still so tough in court!"

With that, she turned and slammed the door shut.

Chloe posted an edited version of that conversation online, quickly causing a massive uproar.

The post went viral, and the comment section was filled with insults against me—"sick couple," "scumbags," "accomplice."

Less than a week later, I received a court summons.

On the day of the hearing, I arrived at the courthouse on time.