My Husband Gave My Children to Another Woman

Chapter 5

The head servant wore the smug expression of a petty person who had just gained the upper hand. "Ms. Cooper claims she's just lost a bracelet, which is her mother's heirloom, no less. In this estate, you're the only newcomer today. So you'll cooperate with our inspection."

A sneering voice cut in.

Jane looked up to see Serena leaning against the second-floor railing, arms crossed, watching her like a spectator enjoying a show.

She tried to push past them. "I didn't take it!"

But her arms were roughly pinned by multiple hands.

"You deny it? We'll be the judges of that. You're getting searched today."

Jane struggled, screaming hoarsely, "Let me go!"

Yet the servants were already tearing at her clothes when Owen arrived, a spark of anger flashing in his eyes.

"What's going on here?"

Jane met his gaze. Even if he no longer loved her, at least he knew her character. Even if only for the sake of the relationship they'd once shared, he surely wouldn't let them slander her like this.

Predictably, Owen took in her disheveled state before addressing the housekeeper.

"She wouldn't do something like this."

The servants reluctantly loosened their grip at his words.

Then Serena came tripping down the stairs, her demeanor shifting to feigned vulnerability.

"Owen, that bracelet is priceless to me. Since she's the only stranger here today, I just wanted her checked..."

She paused, her voice dripping with affected hurt. "I know she has... mental instability. Even if we find it on her, I won't blame her. Please, let us search her, all right?"

Under her honeyed words, Owen's resolve visibly wavered.

"Jane, I believe you didn't take it. But..." He paused. "Serena's bracelet is indeed missing. Cooperate and let them search you to prove your innocence. Let's put this matter to rest."

His tone was calm, as if this were the most reasonable request.

"It's just a routine check. After it's done, I'll have the housekeeper apologize to you."

Jane stared at him, her throat tightening as if stuffed with cotton, unable to utter a word.

So this was what his trust looked like.

He said he believed her, yet he would still let her be strip-searched.

He said he didn't want to make things difficult for her, yet he trampled her dignity in the most humiliating way possible.

In the past, no matter what she did, Owen always stood by her side.

Back in school, her brilliance made her a target of envy.

Someone deliberately hid an expensive pen belonging to a classmate, and then everyone unanimously pointed the finger at her, accusing her of being jealous of others' privileged backgrounds, claiming that beneath her polished exterior lurked filthy intentions.

The whispered gossip of the entire class pierced her like needles. Eyes red, she defended herself over and over, but no one was willing to believe her.

Just as she was about to collapse under the weight of their malice, Owen stepped forward from the crowd.

Shielding her, his voice firm and unwavering.

"I believe her. She would never do such a thing. She doesn't need to prove her innocence."

And now, the scene before her overlapped with that past moment. Yet he had chosen a different path now.

Her arms were seized again, held so tightly she couldn't move.

A few children chimed in, their voices dripping with naive cruelty.

"Mom, Dad, can we help search? We're little detectives. We'll get to the bottom of this!"

Owen remained silent, his silence serving as consent.

Her own children began roughly tugging at her clothes.

Each piece was torn away, then her pants. Not a single layer left.

The maids' fingers dug into her arms, leaving angry red marks.

Soon, only her undergarments remained.

Laid bare before the crowd, she stood utterly humiliated like a vulnerable, shamed creature.

Finally, the children reported back sulkily. "Daddy, Mommy, we didn't find anything on her."

Owen immediately shrugged off his coat and rushed forward.

"Here," he said. "I told them you were innocent."

Jane didn't even glance at the offered garment.

Moving mechanically, she gathered her scattered clothes from the floor and spat out two icy words:

"Spare me!"

She wanted none of Owen's pretentious kindness.

Never had she imagined her own children would orchestrate such public degradation.

She staggered toward the exit, each step in agony.

Her shoes had been viciously removed earlier.

She didn't know why there were shards of broken glass on the floor.

With every step, shards pierced her bare feet, smearing the floor with crimson trails.

Right on schedule, Serena hurried over, eyes swimming with crocodile tears.

"Please forgive me," she simpered. "Name your price. I'll make amends. Where are you going? Let me help you!"

Jane snarled and flung her off. "Get your hands off me!"

The force sent Serena stumbling backward.

Yet her hand clung stubbornly, dragging Jane down in her fall, their bodies colliding.

Jane's pupils contracted sharply. "What game are you playing? Release me!"

Serena leaned in until their breaths mingled, her gaze blazing with silent challenge.

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm apologizing, of course." She pressed close to Jane's ear, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you earlier. The children you gave birth to before—it wasn't five, you know."

Jane's body went rigid.

"It was six, actually. During your fourth pregnancy, you had twins. But one of them was so naughty, always fussing. So I neglected to feed him. I let him starve."

White-hot agony tore through Jane's chest. She had never imagined that this woman who appeared so delicate, so harmless, could be this utterly vicious.

With a guttural cry, Jane surged forward, slamming Serena onto the floor.

She surged upright and straddled her, hands clamping fiercely around her throat. She was going to avenge her dead child.

"Why?" The word ripped from her throat, raw and bleeding. "You destroyed my family! You murdered my baby!"

Serena didn't resist. She lay perfectly still beneath the choking hands, even the corner of her mouth curving faintly upward.

Until a violent blow crashed against the back of Jane's skull.

Blood streamed down her scalp, smearing across her entire face.

She slowly turned her head.

Her own children stood there. One still gripped the baseball bat, its surface smeared with her blood.

"Get off our mom, you psycho!"

"She's insane! She should've stayed locked up!"

The voices swirled around her as the world tilted. She could no longer hold on, and she blacked out completely.