The Mistress I Paid For

Joseph did not come home all night.

He stayed at the hospital to keep Monica company.

Early the next morning, I received a call from Marcy.

She cried miserably over the phone.

“You have to save me, Natalie!

“That wretched girl actually sued me! And it was the Adams Inc. legal department that told me. They said they’re sending me to prison!

“But they also said that if I confessed who was behind it, they wouldn’t press charges!

“I didn’t say a single word about you. Please, you have to save me!

“And the compensation for my son’s wedding? Could you raise it a bit more?”

I assured her that nothing would happen to her.

Joseph’s real target had never been her.

Sure enough, just as I hung up, Joseph called.

“Come to the hospital and apologize to Monica. I’ve already contacted the reporters.

“If you put on the right show, everything can still be negotiated.”

“And if I don’t go?” I asked calmly.

There was a brief silence on the line.

“Paying someone to incite serious bodily harm…You know what the company’s legal department is capable of.

“A few years in prison wouldn’t be a problem.”

I agreed to go to the hospital.

On the way there, articles were already being pushed to my phone.

[Turning the World Upside Down: The Legal Wife Teaches the Mistress a Lesson.]

[Adams Inc. CEO Enjoys the Best of Both Worlds—Wife and Mistress Reach a Historic Reconciliation.]

[Wife Reopens Taco Stand, But Due to Suspected Financial Blockade, Seeks to Beg For Forgiveness.]

I looked away.

More than a dozen media outlets were squatting outside Monica’s hospital room.

The moment I appeared, camera flashes nearly blinded me.

“Mrs. Adams, we heard you’re here to apologize to Mr. Adams’s secretary?”

“Don’t you feel this is beneath you, acting as the wife?”

“Are you putting up with Mr. Adams’s infidelity just for the money?”

I smiled calmly. “Apologize? Then make sure you get a good shot. I move fast—if the photos come out blurry, I won’t make tomorrow’s front page.”

The reporters were held back by bodyguards on both sides as I walked into the hospital room.

Joseph was peeling an apple for Monica.

Monica smiled sweetly.

“I just don’t have much of an appetite, Natalie. Joseph is only peeling an apple for me—don’t misunderstand.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“You’ve already slept with him and addressed him by his name, yet you’re still pretending to be innocent?

I suppose the pig manure back in your village was good—it really helped you grow into something that knows how to act.”

“Joseph and I are completely innocent. How can you say such things about me?” Monica clenched her teeth, her cheeks flushed.

Joseph impatiently tossed the fruit knife aside.

“Don’t forget why you’re here, Natalie,” he threatened.

At his signal, Harry handed me a cup of tea.

Steam still rose from the surface.

This kind of cup would scald your hand just holding it.

“As long as you apologize, I guarantee Monica won’t pursue the matter of you inciting violence.”

I clicked my tongue.

“But I didn’t just incite violence,” I said lightly.

“I also spread the news that she climbed into your bed and became your mistress. You’ve already paid for so many front-page headlines, so why not have them polish Monica’s image a little?

After all, doesn’t she insist she’s not a mistress?”

Monica’s eyes reddened, her expression stubborn.

“I remember the kindness you showed when you sponsored my education; that’s why you’re like an older sister to me. But you can’t insult my dignity like this.

“If it weren’t for Joseph speaking up for you, I wouldn’t forgive you, no matter what!”

The scalding tea and a slap landed on Monica’s face at the same time, leaving nothing but humiliation on the carefully crafted mask of innocence.