My Husband Cheated with Our Adopted Daughter

My husband cheated on me with our adopted daughter. I never expected it because we were a happy couple—even if our marriage was just one of convenience. At least, that’s what I thought…

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PRESENT

I glanced at Darwin and Lillia on the other side of the room, their faces glowing under the chandelier’s warm light as they entertained the guests. Their laughter blended seamlessly with the hum of conversation, but beneath it, something sharper slithered through the air—whispers, knowing glances, and barely concealed smirks.

“Look at her,” a woman murmured, just loud enough for me to catch. “Walking around like nothing’s happened. Some people have no shame.”

“She never did,” another scoffed. “Imagine keeping up a lie for years, pretending to be the woman who saved Mr. Richards. Did she really think no one would ever find out?”

“And let’s not forget poor Lillia,” someone else added, her tone dripping with feigned sympathy. “Bullied by the very woman who snatched the position that was supposed to be hers. How thick-skinned.” She eyed me up and down with open disdain.

“Pathetic,” another sighed. “She tricked her way into this life, but karma always catches up.”

Then, a lighter, almost amused voice chimed in. “But don’t you think it’s a little too much of a coincidence?” A dramatic pause. “I mean, out of all the orphans in the world, they just happened to adopt his long-lost first love?”

A slow, creeping silence settled over the group. Then, a dreamy sigh escaped someone’s lips as she clasped her hands to her face, blushing. “It must be fate.”

The whole group squealed like love-struck maidens.

I didn’t bother listening anymore. My gaze drifted back to the glowing couple across the room.

That person was quite observant…

She's right to question the coincidence. Because none of this was ever a coincidence at all.

---

One Month Ago

The orphanage smelled of old wood and freshly baked bread, mingling together in an odd way that made me uneasy. Darwin squeezed my hand, offering a reassuring smile. We were there to adopt Lillia—his mother’s friend’s daughter. Darwin’s parents had insisted on taking her in, and since I couldn’t get pregnant, it seemed like the perfect solution.

“It’ll be good for us,” Darwin had said. “And Lillia is a good child, I knew you two will get a long.”

I wasn’t entirely convinced.

Lillia was quiet, her big, dark eyes wary as they flickered between us. Still, I trusted Darwin’s instincts. He was always the optimistic one, and I couldn’t deny the thought of building a family made my heart ache with longing. But work pulled me away almost immediately. Meetings, presentations, travel—it all blurred together, and before I knew it, days and nights slipped through my fingers like sand.

It wasn’t until one evening, returning home earlier than planned, that my world shattered. As I stepped through the doorway, I heard muffled laughter from the living room. I didn’t think much of it—Darwin and Lillia had grown close, after all. But as I rounded the corner, the sight before me made my blood run cold.

Darwin and Lillia sat on the couch, their faces closed, lips barely touching—like she had just happened to fall into him. The sight made my stomach twist.

Time seemed to freeze. My grip tightened.

“What the hell is going on here?”

My voice cut through the silence like a blade.

They sprang apart instantly, as if shocked back to reality. Darwin was the first to react.

“Iris, it’s not what it looks like,” he said quickly. “Lillia just tripped, and I was trying to catch her. It was all a mistake—nothing happened!”

A mistake. My mind raced to process his words. I wanted to believe him, to accept that it was just a misunderstanding. But the way they had looked at each other… the hesitation before they moved apart… something about it gnawed at me.

“Even if it was just a mistake,” I said, my voice sharper now, “if you both were in your right minds, you would have pushed each other away immediately.”

Darwin’s eyes widened, his hands lifting in desperation. “Iris, please, listen to me. I swear, it was nothing. You know I wouldn’t—”

I turned away from him and headed to the bedroom, my hands shaking as I grabbed my suitcase and began pulling clothes from the wardrobe. I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to be anywhere but here.

“Iris, what are you doing?” Darwin’s voice followed me. He stepped into the room, watching in disbelief as I threw a dress into the suitcase.

“Leaving,” I said flatly.

Darwin rushed forward, gripping my wrists. “No, don’t do this! Please! I swear to you, there’s nothing going on between us. Don’t let one stupid moment ruin everything we’ve built.”

I swallowed hard, refusing to meet his gaze. My emotions were a tangled mess. Anger, doubt, fear. But underneath it all was a part of me that still wanted to believe him. This was the man I had married, the man I had promised to trust. Could I throw it all away over a moment I didn’t fully understand? Maybe, I was just over thinking things, and it was just really an accident.

His grip softened, his voice barely above a whisper. “I love you, Iris.”

I closed my eyes. I wanted to scream at him, to ask why this had happened in the first place. But instead, I let out a shaky breath as he pulled me into a desperate embrace. My body tensed at first, but then I found myself relaxing in his warmth, the familiarity of him soothing my frayed nerves.

He tilted my chin up, his lips brushing mine hesitantly, seeking reassurance. I should have pushed him away. I should have demanded answers. But I didn’t. Instead, I let him kiss me, let the heat of the moment wash away my doubts—just for a little while.

Somehow, we ended up on the bed, tangled together in emotions too raw to name.

---

If I think about it now, this should have already been a warning to me that something was really amiss.

But back then, I convinced myself it was nothing. A simple mistake. A misunderstanding I had blown out of proportion. I let my love for Darwin cloud my judgment, let his reassurances smooth over the unease gnawing at my chest.