Chapter 1
My husband's first love has returned.
The moment I stepped into the house, I was met with what looked like a deeply moving reunion scene.
A delicate-looking girl was nestled in my husband's arms, her face streaked with tears.
My husband was speaking softly to comfort her.
And my mother-in-law stood nearby, dabbing at her eyes with great emotion, repeating, "It's good to have you back. It's good to have you back."
The three of them stood together, looking as harmonious as a real family. In contrast, I felt like an outsider.
I casually set down my limited-edition Hermès handbag and asked, "Who is this?"
At the sight of me, the warm reunion seemed to freeze for a moment.
My husband, Evander, instinctively moved to gently push the girl away, eager to explain himself to me.
But my mother-in-law spoke first.
"Isolde, you're home. This is the daughter of my closest friend, Fiora. She has been through so much hardship, and it is such a relief that she has finally found her way back." As she spoke, my mother-in-law's eyes began to fill with tears again.
'Fiora... I had heard of her before.'
Before marrying Evander, I had looked into his background. He had a childhood friend who lived next door, someone he had grown up alongside.
Though they had shared an innocent, close bond as children, they had never actually been in a romantic relationship.
Evander had told me many times that he only thought of Fiora as a younger sister and held no other feelings for her.
Ten years ago, Fiora's parents had died together in an accident while traveling.
Soon after, Fiora was abducted by traffickers, and no one had heard from her since.
My in-laws had felt deep guilt over what happened and had spent years sending people out to search for her whereabouts.
I turned my gaze toward Fiora, ready to offer some comfort to a girl who had suffered such misfortune.
But when our eyes met, I was met with a look full of hostility.
Her expression made it seem as though I was the intruder who had stolen her rightful place and happiness.
I let out a quiet, dry laugh, and the words of sympathy I had been about to say died in my throat.
I simply watched calmly as Fiora tightened her grip on Evander's arm, her eyes glistening with tears, as she said in a soft, trembling voice, "Evander, who is she?"
Evander replied, "This is my wife, Isolde. You should call her sister-in-law."
Fiora's face instantly paled and twisted with shock.
She raised her voice sharply, demanding, "How could you get married to someone else? What about me?"
