When His Mistress Lied
The screen displayed the three characters Cara Shane—she was my mother-in-law's distant niece.
I answered the phone, but before I could say a word, I heard her crying and shouting on the other end.
Sabrina, hurry! Come to the downtown supermarket right now!
"Cara, what happened? Take your time and tell me." I gripped the phone tightly, feeling an inexplicable tightness in my chest.
"Your mother-in-law... someone attacked her! She was pushed down the elevator shaft!"
Those words hit me like a thunderclap, and the strawberry box in my hand fell to the floor with a loud thud.
I didn't have time to pick anything up; I grabbed my bag and rushed into the supermarket, my heels clicking sharply on the concrete floor.
My mind went blank, the words "my mother-in-law is in trouble" repeatedly running through my head.
When I arrived at the supermarket, a crowd had already gathered near the elevator, with police tape separating the onlookers from the scene inside.
I pushed through and saw my mother-in-law lying on the cold floor, her face pale and blood still trickling from her forehead.
Standing nearby was a man in a black jacket, hands in his pockets, wearing a look of complete disdain.
Cara Shane grabbed my arm, her voice trembling: "It was him! His mother had a few words with your mother-in-law, and he lost it! He even pushed your mother-in-law down!"
I was shaking with anger, about to rush over and confront him, but the security guard beside me held me back.
"Madam, please calm down. The doctor will arrive any moment now."
The ambulance siren grew louder as the medical team rushed over carrying a stretcher, carefully placing my mother-in-law on it.
I followed the ambulance to the hospital, tightly holding my mother-in-law's cold hand all the way.
"Mom, hold on, you'll be okay." I kept repeating this, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face.
At the hospital, my mother-in-law was rushed straight into the emergency room. When the red light came on, it felt like the entire world had stopped.
I pulled out my mobile phone, trembling as I dialed my husband Marcus Stafford's number.
The phone rang for a long time before he finally answered with an impatient voice: "Hello? What is it? I'm in a meeting right now."
"Marcus! Mom's in trouble! She's in emergency care at the hospital! You have to come right away!" I tried to keep my voice steady, but it still cracked with sobs.
"Mom? Which mom?" Marcus Stafford's voice faltered.
"Which mom? Your mom! Hurry up and bring the money. The doctor said the surgery needs to happen immediately, and it's very expensive!" I was so anxious I almost cried.
"My mom?" Marcus's tone suddenly turned cold. "All the family money has been invested in a fund, and it can't be withdrawn."
I was stunned, unable to believe my ears. "It can't be withdrawn? That's your mom! She's waiting in the emergency room right now, needing to be saved!"
"What can I do? The fund has a lock-up period. I can't just break the contract over this." There wasn't a trace of worry in Marcus Stafford's voice.
"This is nothing? Marcus! That's our mom! How can you say that?" I trembled with anger.
"Then what do you want me to do? Figure out how to make money yourself. Don't you still have a job?" After saying that, Marcus Stafford immediately hung up the phone.
Hearing the busy signal, I collapsed weakly against the wall, tears falling like beads breaking loose.
Strange looks came from the people around me, but I didn't care at all.
All I knew was that my mother-in-law was still in the emergency room, waiting for money to save her life, while her own son refused to pay.
The emergency room light stayed on for a full four hours before finally going out.
The doctor walked out, removed his mask, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, we did our best. The injuries were too severe. Resuscitation was unsuccessful."
"Resuscitation unsuccessful..." I echoed those words, darkness clouding my vision as I nearly collapsed.
Cara Shane supported me, her voice breaking, "Sabrina, please don't be too upset. Take care of yourself."
I pushed her away and staggered into the emergency room.
My mother-in-law lay silently on the hospital bed, her eyes tightly closed, her face drained of all color.
I threw myself beside the bed and clasped her cold hand. "Mom, please wake up! How could you leave us behind?"
My cries echoed through the empty emergency room, but there was no response.
I lost track of how long I stayed in the emergency room until a nurse came in to remind me that the body needed to be taken to the morgue.
I wiped away my tears with a single thought driving me: I must make the murderer pay!
I contacted a lawyer and decided to proceed with an autopsy, obtain an injury assessment, and then report the case to the police so that the man who pushed my mother-in-law would be held accountable under the law.
After finishing the formalities at the morgue, I returned home. As soon as I opened the door, I saw Marcus sitting on the sofa, with a young woman beside him.
I recognized the woman. She's Marcus's childhood friend—Amy Watson.
Amy was wearing a white dress, a false smile on her face. When she saw me come in, she stood up and said, "Sabrina, you're back."
I ignored her and stared at Marcus. "Why are you back? Weren't you at a meeting?"
Marcus stood up, took an envelope out of his bag, and placed it on the coffee table. "There's 100,000 dollars inside. Take it."
"One hundred thousand dollars? What do you mean by that?" I frowned.
"Your mother is gone. Once someone dies, they can't be brought back." Marcus Stafford avoided my gaze.
"The man who pushed your mother is Amy Watson's brother. Don't pursue this any further. Take this one hundred thousand dollars as compensation."
I could hardly believe my ears. "Marcus Stafford! Do you know what you're saying?"
"That was your mother! She was murdered, and you actually want me not to seek justice? And take money from Amy's brother?"
"Then what do you want me to do?" Marcus Stafford's tone hardened.
"Amy's brother didn't do it on purpose. Taking this to the police won't help anyone."
"Won't help? It won't help you!" I pointed at Amy.
"Did you know about this all along? Have you cared so little about your mother's death?"
Amy lowered her head and tugged on Marcus Stafford's arm. "Marcus, stop it. Sabrina isn't in the right state of mind right now."
"Shut up!" I shouted sharply, then looked at Marcus Stafford. "I won't take the 100,000 dollars."
"I've already contacted the lawyer. Tomorrow we'll do the autopsy, and then report it to the police."
Marcus Stafford's face instantly darkened. "Sabrina Lowell, don't be ungrateful! I'm telling you, if you insist on pursuing this, then we'll get a divorce!"
"Divorce?" I sneered, "Marcus Stafford, do you think I'm afraid? I've long since had enough of you!"
Marcus didn't expect me to say that. He froze for a moment, then snapped angrily, "Fine! You said it! Don't regret it!"
After saying that, he grabbed Amy Watson and left without looking back.
Watching their backs as they walked away, I felt both angry and wronged, but above all, determined.
I will fight for justice for my mother-in-law, even if it means paying the price of divorce.
Early the next morning, I took the lawyer to the hospital to arrange the autopsy.
The lawyer told me that once we had the injury assessment report, we could immediately report it to the police, who would lawfully investigate Amy Watson's brother.
I was filled with hope for justice, but to my surprise, Marcus Stafford interfered once again.
In the afternoon, I received a call from the hospital informing me that Marcus Stafford, along with several others, had forcibly taken my mother-in-law's body from the morgue.
When I arrived at the hospital, the morgue was already empty.
The nurse told me that Marcus Stafford presented a relative's certificate and said he wanted to have the body cremated as soon as possible, claiming it was my mother-in-law's last wish.
"Last wish? He's lying!" I trembled with anger. "Just yesterday I told him we needed to do an autopsy. How could he take the body without permission?"
I immediately called Marcus Stafford, but he didn't answer.
I called Marcus Stafford's friend again and just learned that he has already taken mother-in-law's body to the crematorium and is processing the cremation.
I hurried to the crematorium by taxi, my heart pounding with anxiety.
If mother-in-law's body is cremated, the injury assessment won't be possible, and Amy Watson's brother will escape legal punishment.
When I arrived at the crematorium, smoke was already billowing from the furnace chimney.
I rushed inside and saw Marcus standing outside, expressionless as he stared at the chimney.
"Marcus! Stop! You can't cremate Mom!" I ran up and grabbed his arm.
Marcus Stafford pulled his hand free. "It's already too late—Mom has already gone in."
"Why did you do this?" I looked at him, tears streaming down my face again.
"Are you really that afraid Amy Watson's brother will be punished? Are you really so unwilling to face the truth?"
"The truth? The truth is that Mom accidentally fell by herself!" Marcus shouted.
"Sabrina Lowell, stop lying to yourself! Even if you conducted an autopsy, what difference does it make? Amy Watson's family has connections—you can't beat them!"
"So you chose to destroy the evidence?" I looked at him with disappointment. "Marcus Stafford, you've really let me down. You're not only cold-blooded but also a coward!"
Marcus's face turned ashen. "Coward? I'm doing this for the family! If this gets out of hand, our family's reputation will be completely ruined!"
"Family? You don't even have this family in your heart!" I pointed at him.
"You only have Amy Watson in your heart! For her, you would abandon Mom, abandon me, abandon this family!"
Marcus didn't say another word, only looked at me coldly.
After a moment, a staff member came over and handed Marcus an ash urn. "Sir, these are your mother's ashes."
Marcus Stafford took the ash urn and turned to leave.
I watched his back, a cold emptiness settling in my heart.
I knew that my mother-in-law's innocence might never be restored.
But I won't let this go. Marcus destroyed the evidence, but I have other means.
That night, Marcus Stafford came home and threw a divorce agreement in front of me. "Sign it," he said.
I picked up the divorce agreement. It stated that I would walk away with nothing and our daughter would remain with Marcus.
"Marcus Stafford, this is too much!" I shouted, throwing the divorce agreement to the floor. "Our daughter is my life—I will never give her to you!"
"Also, I have a share in this family's property—I won't walk away empty-handed!"
"Don't be shameless!" Marcus Stafford crouched down and picked up the divorce agreement document. "Do you really think you have a choice left?"
"If you don't sign, I'll sue you in court. Then, you won't get a single penny—and you'll lose visitation rights to our daughter!"
I looked at Marcus Stafford's fierce face, feeling both fear and anger.
But I knew I couldn't back down.
I took a deep breath and said, "Marcus, don't even think about threatening me."
"Even if you take me to court, I'm not afraid of you. I will make the judge see how you treated your mother, how you cheated on Amy Watson!"
Marcus Stafford's expression shifted; he hadn't expected me to be this firm.
"Fine, just wait!" He set down the divorce agreement and walked into the study.
I stared at the divorce agreement on the floor and silently swore I would make Marcus Stafford pay for his actions.
I arranged a simple memorial hall for my mother-in-law at the funeral home near our neighborhood.
I didn't inform too many people; only a few close relatives and friends came.
The memorial hall was silent, with only mournful music playing softly.
I knelt before my mother-in-law's portrait, holding her photo, tears streaming down my face.
"Mom, I'm sorry I couldn't bring you justice." I choked out, "But rest assured, I will make Marcus Stafford and Amy Watson pay."
At that moment, the memorial hall door opened, and Marcus Stafford and Amy Watson walked in.
Amy held a bouquet of white chrysanthemums, her face wearing a fake sorrow.
"Auntie, I'm sorry. It's all my brother's fault. I'm apologizing to you on his behalf." Amy Watson walked up to the portrait of the deceased and bowed.
I lifted my head and looked at her coldly: "Stop pretending to be kind here. You, your brother, and Marcus Stafford are the ones who killed my mother-in-law!"
Amy's face turned pale, and she hid behind Marcus Stafford.
Marcus frowned. "Sabrina Lowell, stop talking nonsense! Today is our mother's seventh-day memorial. Can't you just let her rest in peace?"
"In peace?" I sneered, "How could Mom be in peace when she died under suspicious circumstances and her body was forcibly cremated by you?"
"Marcus Stafford, do you dare stand before Mom's portrait and deny that you cheated on Amy Watson? Do you dare say you didn't destroy Mom's autopsy evidence for Amy?"
Marcus's face darkened. "I didn't! Sabrina, don't slander me!"
"Slander you?" I stood up and took my mobile phone out of my bag. "I have the evidence here. Want to see it?"
I played the video on my phone. It showed Marcus and Amy in a hotel room; the footage was clear, and the audio was loud and unmistakable.
I discovered this video by chance earlier. At the time, I still held onto a sliver of hope that Marcus Stafford would change his mind, but I never expected him to be so heartless.
The relatives and friends in the memorial hall were all stunned, their gazes fixed on Marcus Stafford and Amy Watson.
Amy Watson's face turned bright red instantly, as if she wished she could disappear into a crack in the floor.
Marcus Stafford snatched my mobile phone, trying to delete the video.
I gripped the phone tightly. "Marcus Stafford, don't even think about destroying the evidence! Everyone here saw it today; what else do you have to deny?"
Marcus Stafford glared at the strange looks around him, humiliated and furious. "Sabrina Lowell, you crazy woman!"
"You forged that video to slander me just to get a bigger share in the divorce!"
"Slander you?" I was trembling with anger. "Isn't that you in the video? Do you dare say it's not?"
Marcus Stafford opened his mouth but couldn't bring himself to speak.
A relative stood up, pointed at Marcus, and said, "Marcus, you've gone too far!"
"Your mother just passed away, and you brought another woman to the memorial hall, doing something so disrespectful to Sabrina! How can you face your mother? How can you face Sabrina and your child?"
Other relatives also joined in, condemning Marcus Stafford's wrongdoing.
Marcus's face went from pale to flushed; he looked at me with eyes full of hatred: "Sabrina Lowell, just wait!"
With that, he grabbed Amy Watson and fled the memorial hall in a panic.
Watching them run away, I felt no relief—only overwhelming grief.
I approached my mother-in-law's portrait and bowed deeply. "Mom, can you see this? This is the son you loved so much."
"Rest assured, I will make him pay for what he has done."
After Marcus Stafford and Amy Watson left, relatives and friends at the memorial hall came over to comfort me.
They all said Marcus had gone too far and urged me to stay strong and fight for my rights.
With everyone's support, I became even more determined to get a divorce.
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