A Death Reveals My Husband's Other Family

For the past seven years, I've been taking care of my paralyzed mother-in-law in the countryside on my own till the day she draws her last breath. That's when I finally get to see my husband, Arthur Hughes, whom I haven't seen for a very long time, hurrying back to the countryside.

After the funeral, I pack up everything belonging to me and our daughter, Tessa Hughes, seeing as we're about to move to the city with Arthur soon.

To my surprise, a woman seeks me out and shows me her marriage certificate.

"I'm the actual wife of Arthur Hughes. Now that my mother-in-law has passed away, you've completed your mission. From now on, you are not allowed to contact Arthur anymore."

I remain rooted to the spot, my body already shaking like a leaf uncontrollably.

At that moment, I feel as though my mother-in-law is laughing at my stupidity, based on how she's smiling at me from her portrait.

Lauren Porter threw a wedding photo at me, along with the marriage certificate.

The photo stung my eyes.

With trembling hands, I picked it up. In the picture, my husband, Arthur Hughes, and Lauren were smiling happily.

I lifted the marriage certificate and ran my rough fingers over the embossed seal. The cold stamp felt like a seal burned straight into my heart.

Suddenly, something came to mind. I ran to the cabinet and pulled out my own marriage certificate with Arthur's.

There was no embossed seal. Just a crooked, barely legible red seal.

I had touched this certificate countless times.

This was my only anchor while I stayed in the village, enduring the constant torment from my senile, paralyzed mother-in-law, Paula Rodriguez.

It had been the courage I held onto to raise my daughter, Tessa Hughes, on my own.

And now, Lauren was telling me it was all a lie.

I opened my mouth to argue, but my throat felt blocked. My words came out in fits. "But Arthur and I are married… We have Tessa… How could he ever lie to me?"

Lauren took the marriage certificate and wedding photo back from me. Without any expression, she replied, "Why would Arthur tell you? If you had known, would you still take care of his bedridden mother? Look closely. Arthur and I got married five years ago. Our son is already three."

A cold shiver ran through me, as though I'd fallen into a freezer.

Back then, Arthur and I had agreed we'd get married after college.

But that same year, Paula had a stroke and became paralyzed. Arthur got a job at a big company.

Faced with a paralyzed mother and a bright career, he had held my hand and begged me to stay behind and take care of Paula while he went to the city to work.

"Hattie, I know I'm asking too much, but I promise I'll never let you down. Once I'm settled in the city, I'll bring you and my mom there."

I had