The Ultimate Betrayal: A Lover's Revenge Unleashed

The next day, I followed Nolan back to his family home.

Amanda and a few friends were chatting and sipping coffee in the yard.

Upon seeing me, she rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "Some people, born lowly and still dreaming of becoming a phoenix. If it weren't for my grandson's sake, she wouldn't even be worthy to carry Nolan's shoes."

The crowd burst into laughter.

She publicly humiliated me again. I bit my lower lip to suppress the urge to react.

Nolan spoke up, a hint of displeasure in his voice. "Mom, please watch what you say."

Amanda just snorted and fell silent.

Nolan returned to his room while I went to the backyard to look for Aiden.

Aiden and Aria were playing by the lake.

All the bitterness and grievances seemed worthwhile when I met Aiden.

I rushed forward excitedly to hug him.

But he dodged me with a look of unfamiliar fear and ran into Aria's arms.

My heart shattered at that moment, and tears moistened my eyes.

My child was close to someone else but a stranger to me.

What else could I do but feel helpless?

"Baby, I'm your mommy," I said.

Aiden hugged Aria; he said in his childish voice, "Aunt Aria is my mommy."

Aria rubbed his head proudly and asked, "You're so smart! What should we do when we meet a bad person?"

"Kick them out!" Aiden said and swung a broom at me.

The force wasn't strong, but it felt like a sharp blade slicing through my heart, making it hard to breathe.

Aria clapped her hands gleefully. "Aiden is truly a man."

Aiden's youthful face showed a proud smile following the praise. At four years old, he couldn't discern right from wrong; Aria was deliberately leading him astray.

New and old grievances flooded my mind. I lunged at her in anger, and we wrestled.

We both ended up falling into the lake.

Aiden started crying loudly, and Nolan came running at the sound.

In the lake, Aria and I struggled.

His girlfriend and his stepsister fell into the water at the same time. Who would he choose to save first?

I didn't hold onto any illusions that he would save me first.

As expected, almost without thinking, Nolan jumped into the lake with a splash and swam towards Aria.

Suddenly, I didn't want to struggle anymore. The cold lake water choked my lungs, and my eyes welled up with moisture. I didn't know if it was tears or water.

He swam towards the shore, holding Aria, while my body sank deeper and deeper.

Past events surfaced in my mind, painful and sad. A life without hope seemed meaningless.

The lake water submerged my eyes, tears mixing with the water. I closed my eyes.

If I were to die like this, perhaps it would be for the best.

Suddenly, a large hand grasped mine.