entrance of the kindergarten.
Jake’s tall figure was seen at the entrance,
looking like he had rushed to the place.
Before he even had the chance to open his
mouth, the two little demons held onto his leg
on the left and right.
And then they shouted, “Dad!”
Jake looked past them straight at me.
I stayed where I was as though all the blood
in my body had been frozen.
His brows were furrowed, his eyes searching
the crowd.
He was clearly looking for the one who called
him, but I was bundled up so much, it was
impossible to see my face.
The water kept running in the nurse’s office;
my daughter was still washing off the paint.
I bit my lip hard, terrified that I’d start crying.
Brianna Gallagher strutted up to Jake like a
peacock, “Honey, what are you doing here?”
“Couldn’t stand being away from me and the
boys?”
Jake kept scanning around, his gaze gliding
over my bundled–up figure, and I saw him
く
visibly relax.
He didn’t recognize me.
He frowned, asking, “What’s going on? Did
someone bully the kids?”
“Just some hick who’s never seen the world!”
Brianna Gallagher pointed at me, “Her little
brat seduced our sons, and then dared to hit
someone!”
Jake strode over, towering over me, his eyes
like he was looking at something disgusting.
He pulled out his checkbook, scribbled a
number, and threw it in my face.
“Five million. Should keep you busy for half a
く
year, right? Don’t get greedy.”
I looked up at him, realizing this man I’d
shared a bed with for five years was now
looking at me with contempt.
“What? Not enough?”
J
Jake sneered, adding more fuel to the fire,
“I’ll give you another million. Apologize to my
sons, then get the hell out of here!”
“Mr. Campbell is so generous.”
I picked up the money, trembling as little as
possible, “Your sons tied my daughter to a
tree and threw paint on her. How do you
figure that?”
Jake’s expression changed, and he turned to
く
glare at the twins.
“I told you not to cause trouble! Now you’ve
gotten into a mess that you can’t shake off.”
“Alright.
Jake pulled out his wallet again, extracting a
thick stack of bills. “Is this enough for
medical expenses?”
The pink bills flashed before my eyes. I
recognized it as the commemorative wallet I
gave him for our anniversary.
Now it was filled with hush money for me.
“Mr. Campbell is so generous.”
I watched him throw the money on a bench.
r
and suddenly remembered all those “business.
trips” he took. He must have been spending
them with Brianna Gallagher.
He was bold, putting all his kids in the same
school.
I threw the money back. “I don’t need this. I
want your sons to publicly apologize to my
daughter.”
“Dream on!”
Brianna Gallagher screamed, “Do you know
who my husband is?”
Jake’s face darkened, and he pulled out his
checkbook again.
“Final offer: another three hundred thousand.
<
Don’t push it.”
Three hundred thousand, no more, no less.
Added to what he’d already given me, it was
exactly the limit of his credit card.
- 6.
I slowly stood up, brushing off imaginary dust from my knees, deliberately raising my voice,
as if in defiance.
“Are you two legally married? Do you have a
marriage certificate?”
Jake and Brianna Gallagher froze.
I smiled.
L
Jake was my husband. How could he have a
marriage certificate with Brianna Gallagher?
I shook my phone. “Should I call the marriage
registry right now and check?”
Jake snapped back to reality, his eyes turning
cold.
“What’s it to you? Lady, stick to the issue.”
“Can all this money withstand scrutiny?”
I interrupted, tapping the check he’d just
thrown at me, “Is it coming from a company
account or a personal one? Will it pass tax
inspection?”
“Who do you think you are!”
<
Brianna Gallagher suddenly screamed, as if
she was about to explode. “We’re the richest
family in town! Who are you to tell us what to
do?”
Jake waved over the principal, his eyes cold.
“Mrs. Jenkins, immediately start the process
of expelling that child!”
“I won’t let my children be around kids from a
family like that!”
In less than five minutes, the principal came
running, nodding and bowing, with an
expulsion form in hand.
