I Asked For Divorce When His Mistress Returned

She’d spotted me. Her sharp eyes swept over me with something close to amused contempt.

“I’m Leilani. We met at the hospital last night.”

“Uh-huh,” I replied coolly, fixing my makeup and hair in the mirror.

Leilani had started the conversation, but I couldn’t get a read on her angle. Still, I’d heard enough warnings from other people to know she was no innocent.

After Carlos married me, he’d sent Leilani abroad to study. She’d supposedly accepted that the man she loved had chosen someone else—yet here she was, happily playing the other woman. I almost had to admire the audacity.

I gave her a dismissive once-over and turned to leave.

“I’m pregnant with Carlos’s child,” she announced proudly from behind me.

I whipped around. The innocence vanished from her face, replaced by a sinister smile. “Adele, you’ve been Mrs. Richards for three years. Now I’ve come back to claim what’s mine.”

For a second, the irony in her words knocked me off balance—and almost amused me.

Leilani had only returned last night. If she really was carrying Carlos’s child, then they’d never cut ties these past three years. Carlos’s last overseas trip had been two months ago. Somehow—absurdly—we were both pregnant by the same man at the same time.

A laugh slipped out before I could stop it. “From the sound of your voice, Miss Olson, you still haven’t grasped your position as the other woman. The child you’re carrying has a name—illegitimate.”

“Who are you calling the other woman?” Leilani’s cool façade cracked, and she jabbed a finger at me. “Adele, if you hadn’t interfered, Carlos would have married me! I’m the one who should have been Mrs. Richards. You took it all from me!”

“Do you honestly believe that if I hadn’t been in the picture, Carlos would have married you?” I asked calmly, aiming straight for the soft spot. “Do you think his grandfather would let a maid’s daughter into the family—especially when that maid is serving time for theft?”

Because I loved Carlos, I’d dug up every detail of Leilani’s past.

Leilani’s mother, Jenna Olson, had been the housekeeper for Carlos’s family for twenty years. Carlos’s mother had died young, and he’d been deeply attached to Jenna—and, by extension, to Leilani, who’d grown up alongside him. Five years ago, Jenna was caught stealing a family heirloom and sentenced to ten years in prison.

Leilani clearly hadn’t expected me to drag her family’s disgrace into the open. Her eyes blazed with fury.

“You witch!” she shrieked, her hands clawing at me.

I wasn’t about to stand there and take it. Instinct kicked in, and I sidestepped. But Leilani was relentless. She pivoted and lunged straight at my stomach.

There was no time to dodge. Every instinct in me screamed to protect the life inside me. Without thinking, I threw all my strength into shoving her away.

She hit the floor with a scream, clutching her stomach and wailing, “The baby... my baby...”

Her screams cut through the room. Panic spread as a red stain bloomed beneath her. Two female coworkers rushed in, screaming.

It didn’t take long for Carlos to burst in, his face dark and terrifying. He scooped Leilani up and cradled her against his chest.

“Carlos, save our baby...” Leilani pleaded. Her face was pale, sweat beading on her forehead, her voice pitiful.

“Don’t worry. The ambulance is on its way,” Carlos said, but I could hear the fear underneath.

Then Carlos turned his fury on me. His glare pinned me in place like a rabbit frozen under a predator’s stare.

I stood frozen, not sure how to explain myself. What could I possibly say that he would believe?

The ambulance arrived quickly, and Carlos left with Leilani.

In an instant, I became the office pariah, exposed to everyone’s stares. To escape the whispers, I left work early and went home.

When I got home, my father called me into his study.

“Adele, the company’s in trouble. Could you lend us three million?” he pleaded.

“I don’t have that kind of money,” I said with a bitter smile. Every cent of the marriage settlement from the Richards family had already gone to my family.

“Could you ask Carlos?” My father paced nervously, explaining there’d been an accident at a construction site and they urgently needed money for compensation. “Please, Adele. Help the family get through this.”

Faced with his desperation, I couldn’t say no.

But I didn’t dare ask Carlos. I knew he wouldn’t lend me a penny. After going back and forth, I decided to visit his grandfather at the family estate instead.

Mr. Richards Sr. was kind. As his grandson’s wife, maybe I could get the money if I was persistent enough.

The butler led me into the grand living room. Carlos, in a crisp white shirt, stood out against the black leather sofa.

I hadn’t expected him to be here—I assumed he’d be at the hospital with Leilani.

“Adele, why are you so late?” Grandpa greeted me warmly, his eyes bright with hope. “Carlos told me you two are planning for a child. Wonderful! But you’re too thin. You need to eat more and get healthy.”

Carlos had told him we were planning a child? And how did he know I’d come to see his grandfather?

Stunned, I looked to Carlos for answers. His gaze met mine, unreadable, giving nothing away. I had no idea what he was really playing at.

“Let’s start dinner,” Carlos told the staff, his tone indifferent.

Dinner was extravagant. Grandpa insisted I finish two bowls of chicken soup for my health. Afterward, he kept me in friendly conversation.

I wanted to bring up the loan, but I couldn’t find the right moment.

“Grandpa, it’s getting late. We should go,” Carlos said as eight o’clock approached, signaling it was time to leave.

In the car, I sat in silence. The air between us was cold and suffocating.

I couldn’t help myself. “How is Leilani?”

I meant no harm. It had been self-defense, after all.

Carlos slammed on the brakes. The car lurched to a stop in the middle of the road, and my body jolted forward.

Startled, I instinctively wrapped my arms around my belly.

At the same time, Carlos grabbed my collar and roughly pinned me against the seat. His face was a storm—eyes dark and turbulent, voice cold and dangerous. “You have no right to speak her name!”

My heart shuddered, my ears ringing. After the sting of heartbreak, self-mockery almost felt comical.

I looked at him, a faint, humorless smile on my lips. “If she’s so important, shouldn’t you be at her side in the hospital? Coming back to the estate—were you afraid I’d report to your grandfather? Seems Leilani’s place in your heart isn’t as secure as she thought.”

My taunt didn’t provoke him. Whether I’d hit a nerve or he was simply coldhearted, I couldn’t tell.

He ignored me, straightened, and resumed driving.

Soon we arrived at the estate. Carlos got out without another glance.

After a beat of hesitation, I followed him inside.

The familiar scent of our shared home filled the air. Everything looked untouched, with no sign of Leilani. Foolishly, I hoped Carlos hadn’t brought her here.

While I was distracted, Carlos came out of the bathroom, water droplets clinging to his hair. He wore a loosely tied white robe, his muscles taut beneath the fabric—sculpted and distracting.

Maybe he felt my gaze, because his brows drew together slightly. “Need help with the shower?”