Mother-in-law Plans to Give Mistress One Million Yuan

1

On the last day of September, Sophia encountered the most unbearable tragedy of her life. Her husband, Isaac, had a secret meeting with Piper, taking their two-year-old daughter along. A severe car accident occurred on the way to the mall with Piper, resulting in Isaac and their daughter’s immediate death. Only Piper, sitting in the passenger seat, miraculously survived.

Sophia was at work when she received the call and fainted on the spot. Half an hour later, she woke up and rushed to the hospital. There, she saw the lifeless bodies of Isaac and their daughter covered in white sheets. Her in-laws were sobbing inconsolably, and Piper sat trembling on the side.

Outside the emergency room, chaos ensued. Unable to bear the loss of her daughter, Sophia rushed towards Isaac’s lifeless body, punching and kicking. She was restrained by her mother-in-law, and together, they attacked Piper.

Mother-in-law: “Give back my son’s life! Give back my son’s life! You fox spirit! Jinx! You killed my son and granddaughter; I’ll strangle you!”

Sophia transformed into a wild beast, biting Piper’s shoulder. Her tongue could taste the salty tang of blood. Unsatisfied, she wanted to tear apart the woman who had caused her daughter’s death. Unfortunately, Isaac was already gone. If only he were alive, she could have personally strangled him and avenged her daughter.

Her eyes were swollen, and her vision blurred. It felt like blood, not tears, flowed from her eyes — a deep red, dizzying blood.

“Please, don’t hit me, don’t hit me!” Piper cried out, “I’m pregnant! I’m carrying Isaac’s child!”

This statement cut through the air like a sharp sword, leaving Sophia’s in-laws in shock.

Two weeks after the funeral, Sophia’s concerns materialized. Tearfully, her in-laws approached her, asking if they could allocate a portion of Isaac’s estate to Piper. They had confirmed Piper’s pregnancy by reviewing her conversations with Isaac. The child she carried was indeed Isaac’s.

Therefore, they pleaded with Piper to keep the child. Mother-in-law sobbed, “Isaac and Aria are gone, and this child in her belly is the only bloodline left! Ignorance is forgivable, but now that we know, how can we not help Isaac leave behind this child? It’s Isaac’s flesh and blood, our hope to continue living. Since the accident didn’t take this child from us, it must be fate!”

2

Facing Sophia’s silence, the mother-in-law suddenly knelt down, “Sophia, I beg you. Consider our relationship as mother and daughter-in-law, as a couple with Isaac. Please leave some money for that girl… No, for Isaac’s child!”

“A couple?” The rage in Sophia’s heart ignited instantly. She pushed her mother-in-law away, saying, “If we’re a couple, why did he treat me like that? Why did he cheat? If he wanted to fool around, fine, but why involve Aria? Why let my Aria accompany him to his grave? Why!”

Thinking of this, Sophia burst into tears again, “Since the child was born, how many times has he taken care of her? How many times has he played with her? Has he fulfilled his responsibilities as a father? If he wanted to meet that woman, why not arrange things properly before taking Aria? He could have given any excuse to make me come back and take care of Aria; he could have waited until you finished the banquet before leaving. At the very least, he could have sent Aria to my parents’ house… He had so many options, but he deliberately chose to take Aria with him to meet that woman! Why? Because he couldn’t wait! He couldn’t wait to meet that wretched woman!”

“They even let Aria sit in the back alone! Aria is only two years old! Anyone with common sense wouldn’t let such a young child sit alone in the back!”

“Have you ever thought about what they did in front of Aria? Who knows if this was the first time? Just because Aria is young and doesn’t understand anything, he took her with him to fool around with another woman, in front of Aria and Piper! You call it a couple? Damn the idea of a couple!”

In the face of Sophia’s accusations, the mother-in-law cried, “It’s Isaac’s fault, and our family’s fault. Sophia, if I had known Isaac was involved with someone else, I would have scolded him and made him apologize to you. But I truly didn’t know.”

She suddenly slapped herself, “It’s my fault, all my fault! That day, Isaac called me to come back and take care of Aria, but the banquet had just begun, and I couldn’t leave early. I asked him to be patient with Aria and not get impatient. If I had listened to him at that time and come back to take care of Aria, Aria wouldn’t have had an accident, and that car crash might have been avoided…”

“Sophia, I’m begging you. No matter how much you hate me, we must save that child. Since it’s Isaac’s child, it deserves a share of Isaac’s estate.”

“Huh,” Sophia sneered, “Do you think you can save it just because you want to? Isaac is dead. Do you think she’ll still have his child?”

“She will!” The mother-in-law affirmed, “As long as there’s money, she’ll definitely agree. I’ve learned about her background. She’s from a poor village with terrible conditions. She met Isaac while working at a hotel. I’ve seen pictures on her phone. The house she used to rent was old and small, but Isaac rented an apartment for her, bought her a new phone, and got her branded clothes and bags.”

Realizing her mistake, the mother-in-law looked embarrassed. What she intended to convey was that this woman was originally poor and only lived a good life after meeting Isaac. Unfortunately, she forgot that saying this would only deepen Sophia’s hatred for Isaac.

3

Fortunately, Sophia seemed not to be angry, only asking, “So what?”

“A woman without money and education can do anything for money, right? She seduced Isaac just to have an easy and comfortable life. I checked her ultrasound report; she’s been pregnant for over three months. If she hasn’t aborted by now, it’s because she wants to give birth and have Isaac support her for a lifetime. Since her goal is money, as long as we give her enough, let her have the child, what’s so difficult about it? And I think she has some feelings for Isaac… The child can be born, and she doesn’t have to raise it. We have a house, a pension, a bit of savings, plus Isaac’s money…”

Unexpectedly, Sophia smiled, “Mom, Dad, there’s something I have to tell you. Isaac actually hasn’t had much money for a while.”

“No money? How is that possible?”

“I know you don’t believe me. That’s okay; you can check the accounts at his company. If you’re afraid I’ll tamper with it, you can find someone trustworthy to help you check. His company has been on a downhill since the year before last, and last year it was even in deficit, serious losses. I advised him to close the company to cut losses, but he refused and insisted on keeping it.”

“You’re talking nonsense!” The mother-in-law exclaimed, “You just don’t want to give money, so you deliberately say such things. I came to talk to you in a humble manner, considering our relationship as mother and daughter-in-law, not wanting to have a legal dispute over this small amount of money in the future…”

Seeing the in-laws’ reaction, Sophia turned around and threw a house sale contract and a pile of messy documents in front of them.

“What is this?” The mother-in-law picked up the house sale contract, squinting her eyes.

“Last March, Isaac sold the house on Zhongshan Road.”

“What did you say? The house on Zhongshan Road was sold?” The mother-in-law nearly jumped up.

The house was 180 square meters, with its own small garden, valued at over three million. She had just consulted a lawyer, and if it were valued at three million, as part of Isaac’s inheritance, it would be one and a half million. They and the child together could at least get one million. Her original plan was to use this one million to make a deal with Piper. Piper would take the money after giving birth, and they would raise the child. They had a house, a pension, and over three hundred thousand in savings. Raising a child should not be a problem.

But now, the biggest sum of money was gone. Her plan was disrupted.

Without this one million, what could they use to persuade Piper to have the child for them?

4

The mother-in-law, once again, sought hope elsewhere, only to find loan contracts and debt collection notices.

“What’s this again? Loans and debt collection?” she asked.

“Over the past two years, Isaac has been robbing Peter to pay Paul. Borrowing money naturally comes with debt collection. He values face and would rather sell the house to patch up the holes than let you know. Luckily, I still have a job; otherwise, the daily expenses at home for the past two years would have been a problem. Although he later sold the house, settling the accounts, he indeed has no money left. The little money he had is also spent on Piper. In this sorry state, he still indulges in secret meetings with Piper, pretending to be well-off and taking Piper shopping.”

The in-laws sat there and went through all the documents on the table, making phone calls based on the numbers listed. They even asked Sophia to show them all of Isaac’s bank cards, stocks, and funds. Finally, they visited Isaac’s company, checking bank statements and detailed accounts. In the end, they had to accept the desperate reality.

Isaac indeed left no money for this family.

They couldn’t fathom why he, on the brink of bankruptcy and struggling to make ends meet, kept it a secret from Piper. Using the little money he had left to indulge in high spending with Piper, what kind of mentality drove him to do so? This made them, including Sophia, unable to help but suspect that Isaac might truly love Piper. Even in his own destitution, he wanted to ensure Piper lived carefreely, enjoying a comfortable life.

Sophia stated, “You’ve seen it yourselves. Besides this company on the verge of collapse, Isaac has nothing left.”

The mother-in-law persisted, “What about the house you’re living in now…”

“I’m sorry,” Sophia anticipated this and handed a prenuptial agreement to her mother-in-law, “When Isaac’s financial situation was dire, he asked me to lend him my savings for an emergency. I didn’t think he could turn things around and refused. To reassure me, he went with me to make a prenuptial agreement on our marital property. The ownership of this current house belongs to me personally, with no connection to Isaac. So don’t even think about it.”

She paused, giving a cold smile, “Well, not that there’s nothing. Adding up all of Isaac’s miscellaneous money, there’s still sixty-three thousand nine hundred and seven. If you want it, take it all!”

5

The mother-in-law instantly deflated, slumping motionless in her seat. When she lifted her face again, her expression was as rigid as reinforced concrete. She asked Sophia not to publicly announce the closure of Isaac’s company for now. The employees could be laid off, but they should not immediately give up the office building. She would cover the upcoming rent.

Sophia immediately understood her mother-in-law’s intention. She didn’t want Piper to know that Isaac had no money. The previous generosity and gentleness Isaac showed towards Piper made this inexperienced and shallow-minded woman believe he was a wealthy man, her savior who would change her fate. What Sophia’s in-laws planned to do next was to continue Isaac’s facade, making Piper willingly help them bring the child into the world.

At this moment, Sophia was shocked. What frightening in-laws, what malicious thoughts. They had lost their beloved son, and now they wanted another child to fill the void left behind. To prevent their remaining years from being too bleak and miserable, they were willing to bring another child into this world who shouldn’t have been born. They thought that with retirement funds, a house, savings, and enough love, they could raise this child. Yet, they didn’t consider the unforeseen pressures and difficulties they would face at their current age and physical condition in raising a child.

Even if they were capable of handling everything, how could they guarantee that this child, growing up in a special family environment, wouldn’t feel inferior and develop psychological distortions due to their differences?

And what kind of conflicts would arise when Piper discovered the deception after giving birth?

Had they considered all of this?

Perhaps they had considered it all. It’s just that, in their eyes, the hardships of raising a child and the inability to continue the family line, the inevitable loneliness, seemed better than the alternative.

Sophia couldn’t help but find it laughable. The day her mother-in-law asked her for money for Piper’s child, she felt extreme anger. However, now that she learned her mother-in-law intended to deceive Piper into having the child, she didn’t feel triumphant, only discomfort. Because, although it seemed like retribution for Piper and Isaac, it would also create another unfortunate child in the world.

Yet, she had no intention of telling Piper the truth. She wasn’t that noble or magnanimous. Her spiritual state was not enough to perform such an act of repaying evil with kindness.

Not adding insult to injury, not delighting in misfortune, was the greatest kindness she could offer Piper.

6

A month later, while Sophia was tidying up the house, she remembered that Aria’s favorite toys were missing, probably left at her mother-in-law’s house. Knowing that her mother-in-law had recently brought Piper home to take care of, she called her to retrieve Aria’s belongings.

Mother-in-law said, “I’ve already sorted out Aria’s things. You don’t need to come over; I’ll help you deliver them.”

Sophia replied, “Thank you.”

Although Isaac’s death had initially driven a wedge between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law due to conflicting interests, now that everything had settled, the tension and mutual resentment had surprisingly disappeared.

Sophia brewed tea for her mother-in-law, washed some fruits, and even handed over the electric massage pillow she had bought for her before Isaac’s accident but hadn’t had the chance to give her.

Her mother-in-law was somewhat moved. “Sophia, thank you. You’re a good daughter-in-law, something I’m not fortunate enough to have.”

Sophia smiled. After hesitating for a while, she couldn’t help but ask her mother-in-law how she had convinced Piper to make the decision to have the child for them.

Initially reluctant to share, her mother-in-law eventually told Sophia the truth, sensing that Sophia had truly let go of the past and had no malicious intent. Also, feeling lonely and having no one else to confide in, she disclosed the real situation.

She used the over sixty thousand left by Isaac to let Piper go on a shopping spree, gaining her trust. Additionally, she took another two hundred thousand from her own savings to show sincerity. Then, she told Piper that Isaac not only left a lot of money but also had a property on Zhongshan Road worth over three million. Once the child was born, they would hire a lawyer to sue for at least a million. The elderly couple wouldn’t take a single cent; it would all be for her. Because Isaac had mentioned the Zhongshan Road property, Piper had no reason to doubt.

“I told her that both of us have retirement funds, savings, and the current house we live in. This money is enough to ensure the child grows up without worries, and she doesn’t have to worry at all. After winning the lawsuit and getting the money, she can leave directly.”

Sophia asked, “What if she finds out you lied to her after giving birth?”

Her mother-in-law didn’t answer, just offered a somewhat weary smile before standing up. “It’s getting late; I need to go back and cook for her. Take care, Sophia.”

After her mother-in-law left, Sophia felt like she was on a plateau, experiencing a stifling and suffocating feeling due to lack of oxygen.

She walked to the window and opened it, coincidentally seeing a pregnant woman below taking a stroll with her family. The mother-in-law was playing with a child in front, and her husband was following behind, embracing her waist, sharing laughter. Despite her swollen figure and unsteady steps, her face was filled with happiness.

And what about another pregnant woman in another neighborhood not far away? What emotions were written on her face at this moment? Melancholy, confusion, or anxiety? Sophia couldn’t figure it out.