Wedding Bells and Prison Cells

At the dinner on the third day after our wedding, my husband Ryan Lawson's adopted sister, Zelda Lawson, shoved a baby into my arms along with a legal document.

"Victoria Sullivan, I know you can't have children, so I had one for Ryan. This baby is my wedding gift to you. Sign this custody agreement, and we can all still be one family."

I did not take it. Instead, I turned to look at Ryan standing beside me.

He stepped in front of Zelda protectively and said coldly, "Just sign it, Victoria. I can't let the family line end with me."

As I looked at his matter-of-fact expression, I suddenly laughed. Since that was the case, this marriage was no longer worth keeping.

Being suddenly shoved a baby into my arms left me completely stunned. When I finally processed what was happening, disbelief washed over me.

What did it even mean that Zelda Lawson gave birth to a child for Ryan Lawson?

Even though they were not blood-related, they were still adoptive siblings in name, and more importantly, I was his legal wife.

How could they do something so morally twisted?

Dressing up an affair with such a bizarre justification really showed they thought I was an idiot.

The smile on my face slowly turned cold. I shoved the baby back into Zelda's arms, then ripped that so-called "custody agreement" into tiny pieces. With a flick of my hand, I scattered the shredded paper all over her face.

I said, "I'm not taking the fall for this, especially not for second-hand trash."

Zelda's face instantly flushed red, and her hands trembled as she clutched the baby. Meanwhile, Ryan's expression darkened as he stepped forward and barked at me angrily.

"Victoria Sullivan, what's with that tone?! Zelda was only thinking of what's best for us!"

I felt like I just heard the joke of the century. "Best for us? What's best for us is having her show up at our post-wedding dinner with your bastard child to disgust me?"

He argued, "We're all family here. Can't you be the bigger person?"

Be the bigger person.

It was those exact words again.

Ever since Ryan and I started dating, it was chanted in my ear like a daily mantra, a spell I could not break.

When Zelda said she liked my limited-edition handbag, I had to be the bigger person and give it to her.

When Zelda mentioned she wanted to move into our marital home, I had to be considerate and worry about her safety living alone. So, I became the bigger person and let her move in.

Even when I was pregnant for the first time, Zelda dragged me onto a drop tower ride despite knowing I was terrified of heights. As a result, I was so scared that I started hemorrhaging badly.

My first child with Ryan was just gone like that.

Because of that traumatic experience and the miscarriage, the doctor said I damaged my body fundamentally and