Chapter 19 — My Husband Brought His Ex Home

He was merely calculating whose protection would incur the lowest cost. The male police officer beckoned his female colleague to inspect the situation. Elena leaned back in her chair, weeping as delicately as pear blossoms trembling in the rain.

“I am truly not a bad person.”

“I simply had no other choice.”

“Auntie said that Summer’s household is well-off and would not actually drive me out.”

“Uncle said once I moved in, everyone would slowly come to accept it.”

“I also thought that as long as I was careful enough, I would not disturb Summer.”

Hearing her shed her responsibility with every single word, I felt nothing but utter revulsion.

“Careful enough?”

“Was searching through my drawers considered careful enough?”

“Was stealing my access card considered careful enough?”

“Was telling Howard to open the guest lane from the underground parking garage for you considered careful enough?”

Her lips trembled.

“That was Uncle telling me to go look for the card.”

“I never intended to steal your things.”

“Even the earrings were given to me by Aunt.”

“She said it was a welcome gift.”

I looked over at Julie. Julie instantly sprang to her feet.

“You are talking nonsense!”

“Elena, how can you say such a thing about me?”

Elena panicked as well.

“You were the one who gave them to me in the first place!”

“You said Summer has plenty of jewelry and wouldn't miss a single pair.”

“You also said that once I moved in later, we could slowly purchase whatever furnishings we needed.”

The more agitated she became, the more details she spilled. Julie’s expression shifted entirely. Howard turned his head.

“Mother.”

“What on earth are you people still hiding from me?”

Julie beat her thighs and wailed.

“Didn't I do all of this for your own good!”

“Summer has been married for nearly a year, yet there is no news of any movement in her belly.”

“Elena is pregnant now, so I intended to let her move in first to recuperate.”

“Just in case the child really turns out to belong to you, how could the Han family abandon our own bloodline!”

These words exploded like a thunderclap. Howard froze completely in his tracks. As for me, I could only find it all intensely absurd. I looked at Howard.

“Did you hear that?”

“Your mother doesn’t even know whether or not the child is yours.”

“Yet she had already prepared to force me out of my own home.”

Howard’s lips trembled.

“Mother, have you lost your mind?”

Julie shrieked at the top of her lungs.

“I have not lost my mind!”

“I simply wanted to preserve the ancestral bloodline for the Han family!”

“A woman like Summer only cares about properties and money; could she ever truly live a proper life with you?”

My father raised his hand and pointed straight at her.

“Just dare to hurl one more insult at my daughter and see what happens.”

The police officer slammed his hand heavily against the desk.

“Everyone keep order.”

Lawyer Forest carefully put away the recording and spoke to me in a low voice: “This audio segment is exceptionally crucial.”

“She has already admitted to the subjective intent of bringing a third party into the home to live together.”

I nodded. Inwardly, however, I felt an even greater sense of calm. When a person is wounded to the absolute limit, their emotions suddenly freeze over. I looked around the room filled with people. They cried, they cursed, they shifted blame onto one another. Yet every single tear they shed was not out of shame. It was because their scheming had failed. At that exact moment, the police officer received a callback from the hospital. After listening for a few moments, his expression abruptly shifted. Hanging up the phone, he turned his gaze toward Elena.

“The hospital has confirmed that you did indeed undergo an early pregnancy test.”

Elena let out a momentary sigh of relief. However, the police officer's next words instantly drained all the color from her face.

“However, the date of that test was three days before you returned to the country.”

“The test results were imported from an overseas medical transfer file.”

“Miss Elena, this narrative of yours about returning to China first and only then contacting Howard to take care of you—I am afraid you will need to provide a different explanation.”

Tears froze upon Elena’s face. Howard jerked upright as if propelled by a spring.

“Three days before returning to the country?”

“At that time, you hadn't even met me yet.”

Elena’s lips turned ashen.

“Howard, listen to me explain.”

Howard’s voice was completely distorted.

“Explain what?”

“You got pregnant before returning to the country, racked up over a million in debts, and then instigated my mother to wedge you into Summer’s home?”

“And you even made me believe that this child had something to do with me?”

Elena wept and shook her head.

“I never claimed the child was yours.”

“Auntie simply misunderstood on her own.”

Upon hearing this, Julie completely erupted.

*Elena, you cannot be this devoid of a conscience!*

“Didn't you cry over the phone and say the child couldn't grow up without a father?”

“Didn't you say that you and Howard used to have such a great relationship, and how wonderful it would be if you hadn't broken up back then?”

“Didn't you say that as long as you could move in, you were willing to slowly wait for Howard to come around?”

The fragile facade on Elena’s face finally shattered entirely.

“That was also because you took the initiative to say you would help me!”

“You said Summer’s house was paid for and she had money, and that she was someone easy to manipulate.”

“You said as long as I moved in first, once I stayed long enough she would have no way to kick me out.”

“You also said your son was soft-hearted, and as long as I cried, he would definitely take responsibility for me.”

The two women turned on each other in broad daylight, as unsightly as a crude farce. Standing nearby and listening, I suddenly felt like a complete outsider. It turned out that behind my back, they had already arranged the entire script. I was merely the person cast aside to make room for another. Howard stared at Elena, his eyes terrifyingly bloodshot.

“What on earth have you ever taken me for?”

Elena choked back a sob.