Six Years, One Big Lie

The day I found out I wasn't really an Adelson, Sharon—their real daughter—stormed in and stabbed me—over and over. Just like that, my shot at being a mom? Gone.

Chuck Benetton, my fiancé, lost it. My parents swore they'd disown her.

To "comfort" me, Chuck proposed on the spot. My parents handed me the severance letter—Sharon officially disowned—and told me to just focus on healing.

Later, they said Sharon had run off and gotten trafficked in Nyamara, some hotspot for scams and lost souls.

They said it served her right.

And yeah... I believed them.

Six years into the lie, I saw her—very much alive, baby bump and all, curled up against my husband like she owned him.

"If I hadn't snapped back then, Yasmine never would've married you, " she said. "Thank God you and Mom and Dad backed me. Otherwise, that imposter would've landed me in jail.

"She probably never guessed I've been right here, carrying your baby. Once I give birth, just fake an adoption. She can nanny our kid forever.

"Thanks for everything, Chuck."

She smiled like he was her hero. And he blushed.

"Don't thank me. Marrying her was the only way to protect you. I'd do it all again."

So yeah. The guy I thought loved me? He was always lying. My "parents"? They only cared about Sharon.

If that's love, I want nothing to do with it.

I froze outside the maternity dept, heart pounding. No mistaking that face.

The memory of her knife still burned in my gut. And there was Chuck Benetton—my so-called husband—cradling her belly like it was everything.

Even from far away, his love for Sharon and that baby hit me like a punch.

So that marriage? The one I thought made things right? Total scam.

And my parents—the ones who swore they had my back—had wiped the evidence clean and pushed Chuck to marry me. All to keep their real daughter out of prison.

What a joke.

I looked away before Chuck could see me crack. That's when my phone lit up—Mom and Dad calling. Of course.

Their ringtone blared—panicked and sharp. I took a breath and picked up.

"Yasmine, where'd you go? The butler said you left. Did you go to the hospital again? How many times have we told you—not to go alone! What if something happens?"

My nails dug into my palm, grounding me.

Were they really scared for me... or scared I'd find out?

"Yasmine? You there? Your mom and I just got here. We're coming to find you."

Their fake concern cut deeper than I expected.

I kept my voice cool. "I'm in the OB-GYN restroom. It's just a checkup. No big deal. I'm not a kid—I can't keep leaning on you guys forever."

That fake chill in my tone? It worked. Their panic faded fast.

A few minutes later, Mom barged in, scanning me from head to toe. "You're okay, right? Did you get checked?"

Her lashes lowered, but the flicker of