I Let My Husband Keep His Affair with My Sister in Law
I saw through his plan and begged him to come home. But Jacob protected the seductive Sadie and coldly pushed me away. He said to me, "Charlotte, the dead can't come back to life. Stop being crazy." Charlotte Gomez is my name.
Jacob, afraid I would expose his plan, pushed me into the icy river. I eventually froze to death. Our five-year-old daughter, Aria Price, was locked in a dog kennel and ultimately starved to death.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day he held the fake funeral.
This time, I didnt expose him.
Crying, I cooperated with them and said, "It's hot. Let's cremate the body quickly. We shouldn't waste time."
While Jacob went to destroy the evidence of the body, I went straight to the police station and completely canceled "Jacob's" identity.
I held the urn and smiled as I collected a large amount of death compensation.
*****
Jacob said, "Charlotte, please restrain your grief. The dead cannot come back to life."
His eyes were red, and he looked at me with a face full of sorrow, imitating Luca's tone of voice.
Looking at the man's body, I let out a coordinated scream. I threw myself onto the body, crying out with all my strength, "How could you leave me like this?"
His mother, Layla Price, came over and pulled me, repeatedly saying, "Charlotte, stop crying. Jacob is gone, but Luca is back. Our family has a pillar again."
I acted as if I had "suddenly understood," wiped my tears, and said in a choked voice, "Luca, from now on, our family will completely rely on you."
Jacob looked at me with a complicated expression and said, "Charlotte, don't worry. As long as I'm here, I won't let you and the child suffer."
As he spoke, his eyes unconsciously glanced toward the doorway of the inner room.
There, Sadie was leaning against the doorframe. She was wearing a stylish red dress, which made her skin look delicate, her face beautiful, and her curves, especially her chest, very pronounced.
She looked at Jacob with eyes full of temptation, a hint of a smug smile on her face.
In the 1980s, the wealthiest man in the village, Luca, was a legendary figure in all the nearby villages. His beautiful wife, Sadie, was even the object of many men's fantasies late at night.
Jacob had long desired her.
I cried for a while, then wiped away my tears.
I said to Jacob, "It's hot, and the body can't be left for too long. Quickly contact the crematorium so he can leave with dignity. Let's not waste time."
Hearing this, Jacob seemed as if he had been pardoned and immediately nodded, saying, "Charlotte, you're right. I'll take care of it right away."
Jacob couldn't wait to load the body into the car, more eager than anyone to destroy the evidence.
In the previous life, Jacob swapped bodies, using Luca's corpse to fake his death and be with Sadie.
Layla also cursed me, calling me a bringer of bad luck, saying I caused Jacob's death and told me to take care of the newly postpartum Sadie.
Their whole family conspired together, trying to make me work for them.
But I saw through that Jacob wasn't dead, cried, and begged him to come home, asking why he was pretending to be Luca.
Jacob protected the alluring Sadie, said I was crazy and talking nonsense, then pushed me, who couldn't swim, into the icy river.
Our five-year-old daughter Aria cried and asked her dad why he didn't want her anymore, but she was locked in the doghouse, starving for seven days and nights.
We, the helpless mother and daughter, one froze to death, and the other starved to death.
Living this life again, I'd rather be a widow than have this bastard of a man.
I thought coldly, "Jacob, since you want so much to be Luca and live with Sadie, I'll grant your wish. Be Luca for the rest of your life."
Jacob moved quickly and returned with an urn in less than half a day.
The house had already set up a simple mourning hall according to funeral customs. In the photo on the altar was Jacob's smiling face.
Jacob is truly impressive; he actually managed to bury "himself."
The villagers and neighbors came to pay their respects. Seeing someone who was fine just a few days ago turned into a box of ashes, everyone couldn't help but sigh.
My face was pale, my appearance haggard, and I had lost a lot of weight. To others, I truly looked like a grieving widow who had just lost her husband.
Jacob, no, I should call him "Luca" now.
He wrapped his arm around Sadie's slender waist and walked up to me.
Then, in Luca's tone, he said, "Charlotte, Sadie is frail and can't stand for too long."
He helped Sadie sit down on a nearby chair, his face full of feigned sorrow and undeniable tenderness.
I didn't want to look at their disgusting display, but Sadie spoke up. Her charming eyes glanced at me sideways, her tone carrying a sense of condescension.
She said, "Charlotte, Jacob is dead now. You're a woman with a sick child; you'll need Luca's help sooner or later. You can't just take advantage for free, can you?" Her greed was undisguised in her words.
"Luca" immediately followed her words, saying, "Yes, Charlotte. I remember Jacob mentioned you still have a thousand dollars in private savings. That was from your mom, right? Why not take it out and buy Sadie a VCD player to keep her entertained at home?"
"You're a widow with a child, what do you need so much money for? If Sadie feels better, she'll be able to take better care of you and your daughter in the future."
I suddenly lifted my head, my bloodshot eyes staring at him intently.
That thousand dollars was the last bit of personal savings my mom painstakingly left me before she passed away, and it was also the money I had set aside to take Aria to treat her asthma.
How dare he set his sights on that money?
"Luca" felt a bit guilty under my gaze but still held his head high.
He shouted, "Why are you staring at me? This is what Jacob promised me when he was alive. He said he'd save up to buy me a motorcycle. Now he's dead. You should hand over the money, right? Besides, Sadie suffered so much with Luca. Now that Luca's gone, can't I, as his brother, make it up to Sadie?"
In his panic, he even forgot his current identity, switching between being Luca and Jacob in his words.
The villagers around were confused but all felt that asking a newly widowed woman for money was highly immoral.
I stayed silent for a few seconds, then suddenly covered my face with my hands and burst into tears.
I shouted, "I have no money left. Not a single cent. Jacob spent all his money on eating, drinking, and gambling, and even secretly took mine. I don't even have money to buy medicine for Aria now."
"Luca" panicked and blurted out, "Impossible. You clearly still have a thousand dollars. That passbook is right in..."
He stopped halfway through his sentence, his face turning extremely grim.
Hearing his words, I cried even harder.
I pointed at him and said, "Luca, my husband just died, his body isn't even cold yet, and you're here pressuring a widow about her private savings. Are you trying to drive Aria and me to death?"
The things I cried about Jacob's drinking, gambling, and whoring were, of course, false. Jacob may be a jerk, but he's not that bad.
But now, he has no way to refute it.
The people around looked at me with sympathy and started persuading "Luca," telling him as a grown man to be more forgiving.
A woman said, "Luca, Charlotte has it tough."
A man said, "Yes. She'll need you to take care of her more in the future."
Another man asked, "You're the richest person in the village. What do you need that thousand dollars for?"
"Luca's" face looked terrible, too angry to speak.
I let out a cold laugh, then turned and rushed into the house, grabbing all of Jacob's belongings, including his work clothes and our wedding photo.
I said, "Jacob only left these useless things. I'll burn them right now in front of everyone, so some people stop thinking about them."
I brought out a fire pit, threw everything in, and lit it directly. Flames instantly leapt up.
"Charlotte, what are you doing?" "Luca" instinctively wanted to rush over to stop me, but he took one step and then stopped, his face extremely grim.
He's "Luca" now, what right does he have to stop me from burning my "dead husband's" belongings?
I picked up our wedding photo. In the picture, he was smiling brightly, and my eyes were full of happiness.
I stared at the photo for a few seconds, then resolutely threw it into the fire pit.
The glass of the photo frame shattered from the heat, making a crackling sound.
"Luca" finally couldn't hold back. He rushed over, his voice trembling. "Charlotte, these are Jacob's keepsakes for you. What do you mean by burning them all?"
I raised my tear-filled eyes and said, choking and fiercely, "He's already dead.
"What's the point of keeping these lifeless things?
"What's more, you're all pressuring me. My husband just died, and you're already asking for money. Are you so eager to exploit us, a helpless mother and daughter?"
I cried uncontrollably, overwhelmed with sorrow. Everyone around was moved, and the way they looked at "Luca" and Sadie changed.
"Luca's" face turned pale, his fists clenched, but he could only watch as I burned every trace of his existence in this world to ashes bit by bit.
Back in the house, Aria tugged at my clothes, looking up with her pale face.
She asked me in confusion, "Mom, that man outside is clearly Dad. Why does everyone call him Uncle?"
My heart ached sharply.
Yeah, even a five-year-old child can recognize him, yet he can harden his heart and ignore his own daughter.
I held Aria tightly in my arms, trying hard not to let my tears fall.
I said, "Aria, be good. Thats not your dad. Your dad has gone far away."
The next day, I entrusted Aria to a relatively trustworthy neighbor and got on the bus to the county town.
I went to the textile factory where Luca used to work and went straight to the director, Daniel Nelson.
Daniel, a kind-looking middle-aged man, sighed when he saw me and said, "Charlotte, we heard about Jacob. It's such a pity. He was the youngest workshop director in our factory."
I lowered my head, my shoulders trembling slightly, pretending to be deeply saddened.
Daniel comforted me, saying, "Jacob passed away on his way to fetch materials. If you have any difficulties, just let us know. The factory will do its best to help."
That's exactly what I was waiting for.
I immediately raised my head without hesitation and voiced the plan I had already prepared.
I said, "Daniel, I request to have Jacob's personal information removed from the factory records and to settle the compensation for his work-related death in a lump sum to me. As for the unallocated house, please convert it into cash and give it to me as well."
Daniel was a bit surprised. "Remove his personal information? Charlotte, according to the rules, you can take over Jacob's position and work at the factory. Also, the compensation can be received monthly. This way, you and Aria will have some security in life."
This is exactly what I want to avoid. Taking over the position would mean I remain entangled with this factory and the Price family.
I shook my head, tears streaming down again. "Daniel, I don't want to stay in this heartbreaking place anymore. Aria has asthma. I want to take her to the big city for treatment. Staying here, every time I see the factory, I think of Jacob. I just can't hold on any longer."
"So, I want to receive the compensation in one lump sum, then leave here with my child and start over."
My reasoning is perfectly valid. A grieving widow wanting to leave a place of sorrowno one can say anything against that.
Daniel thought for a moment, then nodded. "I understand how you feel. Alright. Rest assured, Jacob had his accident while sourcing materials for the factory, which definitely counts as a work-related death. The compensation will be given generously."
The paperwork was processed faster than I expected.
Three days later, I not only received Jacob's official death certificate and identity cancellation documents but also a $3,000 compensation and a $50,000 housing subsidy.
This was a huge amount of money in 1988.
I clutched the money and documents tightly and returned to that disgusting home.
As soon as I entered the yard, I saw Layla sitting there resting.
Seeing me come in, she said in a sarcastic tone, "The bringer of bad luck is back? Your man is dead, and youre still running around all day. Which wild man are you seducing out there? My son was so unlucky to marry someone as cursed as you."
In the corner of the yard, five-year-old Aria was squatting on the ground, struggling to scrub a big basin of clothes. Her little hands, red from the cold, were covered in soap suds.
My anger instantly boiled over, and I immediately rushed over to pick up Aria.
I roared, "Aria is only five years old. Can't you see her hands are swollen from soaking?"
Layla put her hands on her hips and started cursing.
She said, "You and Aria live in the Price House, eat the Price family's food. If you don't work, do you still expect to be treated like princesses?"
I let out a cold laugh and said, "Fine. Since you say so, we'll leave. After all, my husband is already dead. Staying here makes me an outsider. I won't take advantage of the Price family."
Saying that, I turned around with Aria in my arms, ready to leave.
Layla panicked and rushed over to stop me. "You want to leave? Not so easy. Sadie is about to have a baby. If you leave, who will take care of her? You've been living off my family for free all these years, and now you want to go? No way."
Under the window in the inner room, Sadie was touching her barely showing belly, looking at me smugly.
She said, "Charlotte, it's not my fault your womb failed you. I'm carrying Luca's only heir, the Price family's only grandson. You better serve me well."
Jacob walked out from behind her, one hand supporting her waist.
He said to me in a commanding tone, "Charlotte, my mom's getting old, and Sadie needs care right now. Stop throwing a tantrum."
I laughed out of anger.
Where was he, as a husband, when I was pregnant with Aria?
When my water broke, I went to the town hospital alone, in pain so severe I nearly died.
Because the ultrasound showed I was having a girl, Layla treated me horribly. After I gave birth, she didnt even give me a single bowl of hot soup.
Jacob, using work as an excuse, didnt come to the hospital even once.
Now, what right do they have to expect me to serve like a slave the woman who took my husband and my place?
I clenched my teeth and carried Aria back to our small, dark room. After closing the door, I carefully wiped her hands dry and applied my homemade hand cream.
Outside the door, I heard Luca and Sadie talking in hushed tones.
"Look at Charlotte like that. If it werent for your cleverness in taking Lucas identity, the kids and I wouldve been bullied to death by her," Sadie said in a sweet, coquettish voice.
Luca's voice was very gentle.
He said, "Don't worry, Sadie. For you and our child, I'm willing to do anything. I will protect you both for a lifetime."
"My mom is on your side too. Otherwise, why would she agree to me pretending to be Luca? She only cares about money and her grandson."
My palms ached sharply from my nails digging in, and my lips were almost bitten to the point of bleeding.
It turns out, the child in Sadie's belly is actually Jacob's.
It turns out, they had been together all along.
It turns out, Layla knew about the whole thing from the very beginning.
Their whole family teamed up to treat me like a fool, a tool they could sacrifice and manipulate at will.
Looking at Aria's peaceful sleeping face, I took a deep breath and kept telling myself in my heart, "Charlotte, soon. You'll soon be able to take the child and leave this hell."
Sure enough, two days later, Daniel sent me a message through someone, saying that the General Services Administration was short of an accountant. He had already arranged it for me, and I could report anytime.
I immediately packed the few belongings Aria and I had, grabbed all my possessions and documents, and got ready to leave at dawn.
But I didn't expect that as soon as I opened the door holding Aria, I saw Luca's grim face.
He stared intently at the bulging backpack in my hand, his tone icy cold.
He asked, "Charlotte, with that backpack, where are you planning to take Aria?"
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