Chapter 9
“You used my love to make me shoulder the blame for your infertility, keeping the family stable.
“At the same time, you searched outside for a surrogate, planning to bring back a son under my name, so no one would suspect, and still meet the conditions of inheritance.”
My gaze shifted to Caleb, who stood frozen in fear.
“Mr. Watson, Gregory promised to invest in your company.
“The condition, of course, was that your daughter would bear him a child, an heir to inherit the Lopez family fortune, correct?
“When that happened, your company’s crisis would be solved, and the Lopez family’s heir secured. Two birds with one stone. Such a clever scheme.”
Caleb’s face turned red, then white, then bluish, and in the end, ashen gray.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Because every word I said was true.
A dirty transaction-using a woman’s body and a child’s life, traded for profit.
Emily broke down crying.
She finally realized she had always been nothing more than a tool for childbirth, a pawn for profit.
And the child in her belly was just a bargaining chip.
“Gregory! You lied to me! You and your whole family lied to me!”
She screamed, charging at Gregory like a madwoman, scratching and hitting him with all her strength.
Gregory let her vent, his eyes empty, filled only with despair.
The birthday banquet ended in chaos.
The next day, the Lopez family scandal spread across the entire city.
“The Lopez heir is infertile and had staged an outrageous surrogacy scam to seize the family fortune!”
Different versions of gossip became the favorite topic at every dinner table.
Because of the inheritance scandal, the family’s company fell into a deep crisis. With the future uncertain, the stock price plummeted the second the market opened.
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Countless partners sent termination notices, and banks arrived demanding repayment.
The business empire that had stood for decades now wavered overnight.
Caleb’s company, having never received the Lopez investment, declared bankruptcy on the spot.
He himself was arrested, investigated for commercial fraud.
Emily went to the hospital and had an abortion.
Then, with all the evidence in hand, she took Gregory to court, suing him for fraud and intentional harm.
My mother-in-law never woke up after fainting at the banquet.
Doctors said it was a sudden cerebral hemorrhage, and she might spend the rest of her life bedridden.
Gregory’s father was also sent to the hospital because his carefully planned scam was exposed and the company was on the verge of bankruptcy.
The once-glorious Lopez family was utterly finished.
Gregory called me countless times, sent countless messages.
At first, curses. Then threats. Later, desperate pleas.
“Catherine, I was wrong, I really was wrong.
“Would you please come back? As long as you come back, I’ll give you everything.”
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“We can start over. I swear I’ll never lie to you again.
“Please, save me, save our family.”
I didn’t reply to a single message.
I just blocked him everywhere.
Our divorce went through unusually smoothly.
