Chapter 1Family dinner, my husband's stepsister stared at my son. Smirked.
"Leo's looking less and less like a Sterling."
Dead silence.
My mother-in-law slammed her fork. "Lila Morgan, did you CHEAT on my son?"
Bria shoved her phone in my face, livestreaming.
"Told you this slut's never home!"
Cameron, right next to me, didn't even blink.
"Lila. Explain. NOW. Is this little bastard even mine?"
Last life? I cried. Denied. Begged.
But they faked a DNA test.
Made me a whore to 20 million viewers.
I got kicked out with nothing. Depression. Killed myself.
This time? I leaned back.
Smiled. Ice cold.
"Dad, Mom's right."
"Leo ISN'T your grandson."
...
The room exploded.
Tonight was supposed to be my mother-in-law Claudia's birthday dinner.
After dinner, my father-in-law Victor was going to announce—
How to split the fortune from the old estate and the family businesses.
That's why Claudia picked tonight to pull this shit.
She didn't want an explanation.
She wanted me ruined, kicked out with Leo—without taking a single penny.
Sure enough, Claudia's eyes flashed with sick joy.
She slammed the table.
"You all heard that! She admitted it herself!"
Bria's hand was shaking, camera still rolling.
"She said it! I got it recorded!"
Cameron grabbed my wrist.
"Lila Morgan, you've got some nerve."
I yanked free.
"What's the rush? I admitted Leo has no blood relation to Victor."
"I never said I CHEATED."
Claudia's smile froze.
I pulled out my phone. Hit record. Dialed 911.
"Hello, I need to report something."
"Someone just publicly accused me of cheating at a family dinner, insulting a minor child."
"And tried to force me to sign divorce papers using fake documents."
"Multiple people are filming and spreading this."
"I need officers here to secure evidence."
Dead silence.
Cameron's face went dark.
"Lila Morgan, are you insane? You're calling the cops on family?"
I looked at his briefcase on the floor. Half-open.
Stack of papers inside.
First page said "Divorce Settlement" clear as day.
I smiled.
"Your mom accused me of sleeping around in front of thirty people."
"Your sister livestreamed me and my son to the family chat."
"You brought divorce papers."
"Now you're calling this a family matter?"
Victor slammed his hand down.
"ENOUGH!"
He stared at me. Voice low.
"What exactly did you mean by that?"
I kept my voice steady.
"I mean, if the Sterlings care so much about bloodlines, let's test them all."
"Dad. You, Cameron, Leo—all go to the forensic center for paternity tests."
"Grandfather-grandson. Father-son. Father-son."
"Three tests. No exceptions."
"Whoever's too scared to test has something to hide."
All color drained from Claudia's face.
When the cops showed up, the old Sterling estate still had party lights strung up outside.
The lead officer was a woman. Officer Jensen.
She walked in, scanned the room. Eyes landed on Bria's phone.
"Stop all non-essential recording."
"Register and preserve original video files."
"Don't touch any materials at the scene."
Bria tried to play innocent.
"Officer, we were just talking."
"My sister-in-law's making a huge deal out of nothing."
Officer Jensen looked at her.
"You can't publicly insult or defame someone, even in a family setting."
"And you definitely can't force someone to sign documents."
Cameron frowned.
"Nobody forced her. She's just guilty."
I ignored him.
Handed Officer Jensen the recording I'd just made.
Claudia's voice came through crystal clear: "You been spreading your legs for someone else?"
Then the relatives chiming in.
"That woman's a slut."
"The Sterlings raised some other man's bastard?"
"Make her sign tonight and kick her out."
Officer Jensen's frown deepened.
That's when Claudia clutched her chest and started sobbing.
"I only had some doubts and asked a few questions."
"She calls the police on me? She's trying to kill me!"
I looked at her.
"Mom, when you said Leo wasn't a Sterling, you didn't seem too worried about killing me and Leo."
Claudia's crying stopped cold.
Victor's face went dark.
"You said paternity testing. Tomorrow?"
Chapter 2
I nodded.
"Nine AM tomorrow. We'll go to the city forensic center."
"Samples collected on-site, ID verification, full video recording."
"I'm not accepting any private reports you pull out. No 'family friend' labs either."
Cameron snorted.
"Tomorrow? Why wait? Feeling guilty?"
"My mom's been suspicious for a while. I already got a test done."
He pulled a manila envelope from his briefcase.
Here we go.
Last life, this exact moment.
FAKE.
Report number doesn't exist in the system at all.
I watched Cameron slam the report on the table.
"See for yourself."
The conclusion was painfully clear.
Cameron Sterling and Leo: biological father-son relationship not supported.
The room exploded again.
Claudia grabbed onto it like a lifeline, crying and pointing at me.
"We didn't wrong you! The proof is right here!"
"Lila Morgan, how could you lie to Cameron for five years!"
Bria's camera went up again.
"Sister-in-law, what do you have to say now?"
I didn't touch the report.
I just asked Cameron: "Who collected the samples?"
He paused.
"I did."
"How?"
"Hair."
"Who verified it was Leo's hair? Did I sign as his legal guardian?"
"Did the testing facility verify your and Leo's identities in person?"
"Can the report number be traced in the legal system right now?"
Cameron's face froze.
"Stop looking for loopholes."
"I'm not looking for loopholes."
I turned to Officer Jensen.
"I suspect this document is forged. Please register it as evidence."
Officer Jensen photographed and sealed it.
Claudia panicked.
"What's there to register? The report's real!"
"She just admitted herself that Leo isn't a Sterling!"
I smiled.
"Exactly. So we should check everything thoroughly."
I looked at Victor.
"Dad, you're the one who cares most about Sterling bloodlines, right?"
"Tomorrow, three generations get tested."
"When the results come out, whoever should be embarrassed will be."
Victor stared me down.
Of course he suspected me.
But he cared more about the family's reputation and that estate money.
If Leo really wasn't a Sterling, he wouldn't let me see a single dollar.
He was silent for a few seconds. Then, voice cold:
"Test."
Claudia whipped around.
"Victor!"
Victor looked at her.
"What are you afraid of?"
"You're the one who said the kid doesn't look like a Sterling."
Claudia's lips trembled.
"I... I just thought we shouldn't air dirty laundry."
I cut in quietly.
"You weren't worried about dirty laundry when you were livestreaming."
She went completely silent.
That night, I didn't take Leo back to the Sterling house.
I went straight to a law office and found a lawyer who specialized in divorce cases.
Blake Hartley listened to everything, then said three things.
"Don't meet with them alone."
"Don't let the kid out of your sight."
"Give me backups of all your documents and evidence."
I did exactly that.
At the hotel check-in, I locked the door.
Then shoved my suitcase against it for extra security.
After his bath, Leo sat on the bed clutching his little dinosaur toy, eyes red.
"Mommy, why did Daddy call me a bastard?"
My throat tightened like it had been cut by a blade.
I crouched in front of him.
"Dad's the one who's wrong. Not Leo."
He nodded, but his fist stayed clenched around my shirt.
My phone kept buzzing.
Messages from Cameron.
"Come back now and apologize. It's not too late."
"Once tomorrow's results come out, don't blame the Sterlings for showing no mercy."
"Leaving with nothing is the last bit of dignity I'm offering you."
I screenshot everything.
Chapter 3
Claudia sent me a voice message too.
Her voice was low. Careful.
"Lila, don't make this bigger than it needs to be."
"A divorced woman with a kid? Life's hard."
"Sign now, be good, and I'll have Cameron give you two hundred thousand."
I laughed.
They thought two hundred grand could buy my six-year marriage?
Buy Leo's five years of public humiliation?
Buy my pride for the rest of my life?
I forwarded the voice message to Blake Hartley.
Blake's reply came fast:
"Perfect. Now we've got both threats and bribery."
Next morning, nine AM.
Cook County Forensic Center.
The whole Sterling crew showed up.
Victor, Claudia, Cameron, Bria, plus two uncles who handled family business.
Claudia wore sunglasses. Lips bloodless white.
Bria saw me, voice dripping fake sweetness.
"Sister-in-law stayed at a hotel last night? All alone?"
I hit record.
"Say that again."
Bria's face froze.
Cameron sneered.
"Lila Morgan, is recording and calling cops all you know how to do?"
I looked at him.
"Also know how to make you sign papers."
Staff verified IDs, took photos, entered information.
Three test procedures in progress:
Victor and Leo, grandfather-grandson relationship.
Victor and Cameron, father-son relationship.
Cameron and Leo, father-son relationship.
I turned to Bria.
"You were so harsh when you insulted Leo yesterday."
"How about you add a test too?"
Bria rolled her eyes.
"What's it got to do with me?"
I kept my voice light.
"What if you guys claim Victor's sample got mixed up?"
"Aren't you the one who wants to prove the Sterling bloodline's pure?"
Bria took the bait.
"Fine! Test me! Of course I'm my dad's daughter!"
Claudia shot up.
"Bria!"
Everyone turned to stare at her.
She forced a smile.
"It's not proper for a girl to get involved in this sort of thing."
Victor's voice was ice.
"Test."
Bria signed, smug as hell.
After samples were collected, Cameron shoved a document at me.
"Sign."
"If testing shows Leo is not Cameron Sterling's biological child—"
"I voluntarily forfeit all marital assets."
"Pay the Sterling family three million dollars in childcare costs and emotional damages."
"And give up any claim to Sterling family assets or interests."
After reading it, I placed the paper down.
Cameron raised an eyebrow.
"Scared?"
Blake pushed another document across the table.
"If testing shows Leo IS Cameron Sterling's biological child—"
"Cameron Sterling and the Sterling family must publicly admit to defamation."
"Pay damages for reputation harm and the child's psychological treatment costs."
"And may not fight for custody of Leo in divorce proceedings."
Cameron's face changed.
"You came prepared?"
I looked at him.
"You brought divorce papers. I brought an equal agreement."
"What's so strange about that?"
Victor's face darkened.
"Sign."
Cameron signed, jaw clenched.
Claudia sat to the side, hands shaking so bad she could barely hold her cup.
