Chapter 1

Harold Cletcher was allergic to hair. For the three years we were married, I kept my head shaved for his sake.

Then I saw him plucking his widowed sister-in-law's gray hair lovingly. I kept quiet, but when he invited her over for dinner the next day, I grabbed three live chickens from the kitchen and hurled them at his face.

"Come on, defeather them. You know you love it. If you get an allergic reaction, I'll take you to the hospital. If you don't, we're done."

Harold frowned. Before he could say anything, Wendy Shaw pulled him behind her, her eyes reddening.

"He's going to be the chairperson, and you want him to defeather the chickens? You'll destroy his reputation!"

My lips curled. "If you're that worried about him, how about you join in?"

Wendy's expression darkened. She bit her lip and bolted. The moment Harold went after her, I laughed bitterly. I had lost the three-year bet I made with my father.

Chapter 1 Betrayal on All Sides

The guests exchanged uneasy glances before quietly taking their leave. Harold Cletcher paused, finally remembering me. He turned around and met my tearful eyes. After a sigh, he reached out to brush the feathers from my head. "Alright, stop this tantrum."

I moved away from his hand, and my gaze fell upon the full-body mirror. On our wedding night, Harold had frowned and told me he was allergic to all hair, fur, and feathers. I had been the lead dancer of a top dance crew. Yet for him, I shaved my head bald.

"Why?" My voice was shaking.

Harold sat down and answered without even blinking, "Wendy's insecure because you had perfectly long hair, while hers is already graying. She nearly took her own life once. I had to come up with an excuse so you'd shave.

"Besides, I'm not complaining. Why do you even care? It's no big deal. Anyone would be concerned about her."

Harold grabbed the chickens and shoved them into the cage. I snickered and pulled out a steel box, then I hurled it right at him. "Right. You care about her so much that you even collected her hair!"

The look on his face shifted. He crouched down and looked up at me, his face full of frustration. "I didn't give you access to my bedroom!" His knuckles were turning white. "Every strand of hair tells of her contribution to the family!"

Beneath his anger, I could see guilt. And that hurt more than anything.

Then he suddenly sneered. "I knew I was right to let Wendy take care of the baby. If I had let you be the caretaker, they'd be done for."

I froze, and something squeezed my throat. "What do you mean the baby?" Two years ago, my firstborn was born prematurely and died from asphyxiation. I nearly cried myself blind.

Harold hugged me and kept repeating, "We'll get another one."

But now he was on the couch and continued, "Wendy's baby died after she gave birth to it. I didn't want her to be heartbroken, so I injected you with oxytocin. Your baby came out prematurely, and I let Wendy take care of it. She helped you raise your child. You should thank her."

Thank her? For what? For letting me grieve over a child who had never truly been gone?

I slapped him across the face. Harold did not dodge. He only pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, then reached out and caressed my belly.

"Have you vented enough? If you hate that box so much, I'll burn it. You're about to be a mother. Stay calm. I gave her the first child. If you want to hate someone, hate me."

I grabbed a glass and threw it at his face. "So what is this child? Some sort of compensation?"

Blood drenched his forehead, and he wiped my tears away. "No," he said softly.

For one brief second, I thought there might still be something worth saving between us. Then he continued matter-of-factly, "Wendy wants a daughter."

Dead silence filled the room. Then my uneven breathing shattered it. "Get out!" I pointed at the door, my finger trembling.

Harold wiped his blood away and chuckled. "You've cut off ties with your family, Elizabeth. You have no choice. Stay in your place, and you'll remain my one and only wife. I promise you, you can be this child's godmother."

He picked up the shawl Wendy had dropped. Not a single drop of blood had touched it. Then he left without turning back.

The ground was covered in nothing but feathers, and I was laughing, yet I was also crying.

Then I called my father for the first time in three years. He was known as the king of gamblers. "I lost the bet, Dad. I'll come home."

I hung up. A moment later, my phone buzzed again. Harold's furious voice came through the speaker. "This is all your fault! You made Wendy so upset that she fainted. Get over here right now!"

Chapter 2 It's Ridiculous

My hand was still shaking as I opened that door. This was the place my son had called home since the day he was born. And this was the first time Harold had ever allowed me inside.

But the moment my fingers touched the handle, pain tore through my scalp.

Nate Cletcher, my son, was standing right before me. He had grabbed the wig I had worn so I would not frighten him, and he was laughing with cruel delight. "That's what you get for bullying my mom, you baldy!"

My trembling fingers touched his face. This was my baby, but he was taken away before I could even hold him properly. "But I'm your mother."

He froze and shoved me away. "As if! You're born to be a lowly servant. I'd rather die than call you my mother!"

Every word struck my heart harder than the last. "You think you're good enough to be my mother, nanny?"

I turned and looked at Harold with one last, unspoken plea. HBut he did not even stop opening the door. For three years, I had cared for his long-term bedridden mother. For three years, I had said goodbye to the stage I loved.

I cleaned his mother and made sure she got to move a little. My hands always smelled faintly of disinfectant. had given up the stage, the spotlight, and all the glory that once belonged to me. Yet when our son insulted me, Harold would not even defend me.

Wendy came in holding a knife against her long, long hair. Tears streamed down her face, and her voice shook pitifully. "I'll cut off my hair, Elizabeth! I'll pay you back! I'll apologize! Please, don't hurt my son!"

Her movements were exaggerated, but she did not even cut a single strand of hair. I pushed myself up from the ground, and a mocking smile curled my lips. "If you're so bad at using a knife, I can help you."

The next second, a slap landed across my face. My cheek burned.

Harold glared at me as if he wanted to bore a hole through my body. The air turned colder. "Enough! How dare you make her cut her hair off? It's sacred! No wonder Nate doesn't like you! We're picking a present for Wendy. You stay here and reflect on yourself!"

Wendy went down and helped Nate wear his shoes, her movements gentle, but she was obviously used to this.

Harold put on his coat, then reached out and tucked Wendy's hair behind her ear. Standing together, they looked like a couple who had lived this way for years.

The living room fell silent. The housekeeper came holding a broom, and she tossed the wig into the trash bin. "He's so nice to his sister-in-law. Spent a fortune hiring us to take care of her and her son. You're so lucky you found a husband who knows gratitude."

I leaned against the wall and slowly pulled myself back up. Harold fell in love with me at first sight during a charity gala, but my father had never liked him. Back then, he made a bet with me.

"If your marriage can survive three years, I'll do all I can to help him. If it fails, you come home and marry the man I choose."

The housekeeper continued, "It's Ms. Shaw's birthday tomorrow. Mr. Clether wants you to apologise to her. If you do, he'll let you be the child's godmother."

I snickered. Just when I was about to say no, Wendy called me. She sounded bashful as she said, "We're even, Elizabeth."

"What do you mean?"

"You were angry because Harold plucked out my gray hairs, weren't you? So I rubbed one out for him." A pause later, she said in a quieter voice, "And I tattooed my name on his… It's my present. Oh, it's so exciting every time it gets bigger. Now we're even."

My hands were trembling. At that moment, my father's message arrived. "I'll pick you up in three days. Get all your affairs in order."

I took a deep breath and told the nanny, "Tell him I'll attend, and I'll bring a grand present."

Chapter 3 Lies

I attended Wendy's birthday party. The moment I walked in, everyone's eyes landed on the shabby clothes I was wearing. Then they looked at Wendy, who was in a custom-made dress.

"Wendy's so lucky. Her husband's dead, but she has a loyal brother-in-law."

"And she's capable. Elizabeth can't even keep a child, and Wendy has to manage the whole household."

Harold had walked up to me. There was a frown on his face as he reached for my hand. "Ignore them."

I pulled my hand away expressionlessly. Then I looked down at the note he had slipped into my palm. "I apologize to Wendy for yelling at her. My pregnancy hormones affected me."

I tore the paper to shreds and sneered. "Why should I apologize to a mistress?"

The hall fell silent, and the guests turned their attention to us. I took out the steel box, and Harold's face fell.

"My husband plucked his sister-in-law's graying hair and collected them in this box. She took my child, seduced my husband, and now she wants my apology?"

Discussions erupted across the hall. "What? He's two-timing?"

"So Harold cheats with his sister-in-law?"

Wendy froze for a moment, then a cryptic smile curled her lips. The side door to the hall opened. My mother-in-law was pushed in on a wheelchair, tears streaming down her face.

"You're making up stories using my hair, Elizabeth! How could you?"

I froze. "What? You know I'd never make up stories!"

My mother-in-law rolled up her sleeves with trembling hands, revealing bruises on her arms. "Ever since that miscarriage, my daughter-in-law has been jealous of her sister-in-law, and she's been trying to get her kicked out of the house!"

She cried until her voice shook. "She even pulled at my hair and demanded I give her strands of it. If I refused, she wouldn't even let me eat properly."

I was stunned. Wendy's voice broke as she spoke. "I'm just a widow, Elizabeth. Why'd you do this? We're a respectable family! You're going to ruin Harold's reputation doing this! Fine, I'll take Nate and leave! I'm a healthy woman! Even if I have to sell my blood, I'll raise my son!"

Harold raised his hand. He wanted to hug her, but he held himself back. His hand clenched into a fist, and his knuckles were turning white. "My home is your home. No one is kicking you out."

My mother-in-law shouted, "Yes! You will always be in charge of this family's finances!"

My nails dug into my palm, and blood trickled through the cracks between my fingers. My voice came out rasping. "Why?"

Wendy came up to me and whispered into my ear, "Harold's mom died a long time ago. The woman you thought was your mother-in-law is my mother!"

Everything around me went black. My legs nearly gave out beneath me.

Harold held me up. A hint of guilt flickered in his eyes. "We couldn't trust any caretakers. You were the better choice, and you did a good job."

Someone hurled a glass of wine at me, and the liquid trickled down my clothes.

Someone in the crowd shouted, "No wonder you're hideous now! Your heart is so ugly!"

"I can't believe her! She'd abuse a widow and her son?"

Harold wanted to say something, but Wendy clutched her chest and grunted. "My heart's not feeling well."

Harold looked at me and hesitated for a moment. "Stay here. You should learn how to be gracious. My appointment as chairman is already being processed. You'll learn a good lesson here. I'll pick you up later."

Then he turned away. He supported Wendy with one hand, pushed the wheelchair with the other, and left me behind. I was left alone at the mercy of an angry crowd.

I did not know how long the insults and humiliation lasted.

Suddenly, I felt something warm flowing out of me. By the time I finally escaped and made it to the hospital, I was trembling from head to toe.

Even then, Harold never sent me a single message.

Chapter 4 Appointment

A long line stretched in front of the registration desk at Cletcher Hospital. I leaned on the wall for support as I dragged myself there. With all my remaining strength, I handed my marriage certificate to a nurse. I was shaking.

"Hi, I'm Mr. Cletcher's wife. I need your help…" Another wave of something warm trickled down my legs.

The nurse noticed how pale I looked and led me to a chair. "A moment. We'll set you up."

I leaned on the back of the chair and breathed heavily. Harold might be scum, but the baby was innocent.

Someone suddenly yanked me out of the chair. "We run a respectable business here! We can't treat you!" The nurse glared at me, holding my torn marriage certificate.

Another nurse pouted. "She's probably pregnant with some random man's child. The certificate is fake. She pretended to be Mr. Cletcher's family just to skip the line."

I stiffened up. The certificate was fake. That man had lied to me even about this. I hung my head low in humiliation. "Then I'll go through the normal process," I said hoarsely as I handed her my card.

The nurse swiped it and snickered. "You want surgery when you don't have a single cent on you? Maybe you should've thought twice before you opened your legs to that guy."

That card held the pay Harold gave me every month. It could not be empty. My whole body began to shake.

Then Harold called. "Every cent you spend has to go through Wendy's approval. That's your lesson."

I was shivering violently. "But the baby…"

He hung up. Even the nurse seemed unable to watch any longer. "Your sponsor dumped you? See if you can sell any of your possessions."

I looked at the designer bag Harold gave me during our wedding anniversary. "Here. It's a limited-edition foreign brand. It should be enough."

The nurse took it, and her lips twitched. "Are you blind? The paint peels right away. It's fake."

I laughed and laughed until tears blurred my vision. Yes, I had been blind. Then a crushing pain swept through me. I curled in on myself, feeling the last bit of the tiny life inside of me leave piece by piece.

It was late at night when I came home, and the lights were blinding. Harold handed me a bowl of chicken soup.

"I was just about to pick you up. Wendy made this for you. Have a sip."

I stared at the bowl, and my stomach churned. Then I threw up all over Harold.

His face fell. "Forget about being a godmother. Wendy's taking care of the baby after it's born."

Wendy strode over and held my arm. "Please, no. He just wants the best for you. I spent a whole afternoon making that. At least have a sip.'

She dug her nails into my flesh where no one was looking, and the pain made my gasp.

Quietly, Wendy hissed, "Make sure you give birth to the baby. Your son's not weak because of the premature birth, but because I'd been drugging him. He's not going to live for too long, so give me a new toy to play with.

"Why… Why do I have to suffer my husband's death while you get to have a family? Why do you get to have your own children while I can't have mine?"

I raised my shaking hand. One thought filled my head. I wanted to tear this woman apart. Before my hand could land, something cold stabbed through my belly. It was a knife. Nate stood in front of me and showed off to Wendy like a child wanting praise.

"I stabbed this baldy and got revenge for you, Mom! I swear I'll protect you with my life, just like uncle has sworn!"

Harold covered Nate's mouth immediately, then he rushed in and kicked me away. I crashed into the coffee table's corner, and the pain made me curl. "You madwoman! You're turning this household upside down!"

Then he turned to the secretary. "Take her to the asylum and get her sedated! I spoiled her too much! She's going to be the wife of a chairman soon. That temper of hers must be corrected."

I watched them leave. Tears slid down my face, hot and bitter.

That night, for some reason, Harold felt unusually restless. He was about to call his secretary to put more food on my menu, but someone called him first.

It was Larry, someone from the company. "Your appointment letter's here."

Harold asked, "Which branch am I going to? I have to bring Elizabeth with me. She's pregnant."

Larry stammered, "It's… It's a new position." He took a deep breath. "It's an agricultural tech company under us. You'll be assigned to a chicken farm. Your main duty will be defeathering chickens."