Chapter 109

Sarah's POV

I lounged in the warm afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows,lazily tapping at my phone screen to compose a message to Howard: "Did my mother-in-law make a scene at Howard Technologies today?"

While waiting for his response, I gently caressed my slightly protruding belly, feeling the subtle movements within. This child represented my future security, regardless of who the biological father might actually be. A smile played across my lips at the thought-men were so easily manipulated by the prospect of fatherhood.

The screen remnained dark. Howard appeared to be busy, not responding immediately. This didn't concern me; men of his caliber were always occupied with important matters. I continued sending messages at a measured pace:

"I'm so sorry."

"I tried to convince her not to go."

"But she insisted."

"Nothing I said could stop her."

Of course, these were complete fabrications. In reality, I had deliberately incited Betty to cause a commotion. That old woman was painfully easy to manipulate, especially when I mentioned "fighting for the Baker family grandson's rights." But Howard didn't need to know any of that.

Finally, a reply appeared: "Is that so? She's older and you're young. If you really wanted to stop her, you probably could have."

My heart skipped a beat at such direct criticism. Howard's attitude toward me was typically cool, but he had never questioned my statements before.Could he be starting to see through me? I quickly typed out a defense:

"But I'm pregnant."

"I was worried it might affect the baby."

Silence fell again. I bit my lower lip, deciding to change tactics.Perhaps I should try to extract more information about his feelings toward Annie:

"I don't understand why people around me seem to prefer me."

"While they don't seem to like Annie."

"Like my mother-in-law."

"Since Philip and I got together, she's treated me like her own daughter..."

"She never lets me do heavy work, always saves the best food for me."

"But when Annie was still married to Philip, she wasn't treated nearly as well."

"I heard my mother-in-law often set rules for Annie, making her life miserable."

"Why do you think that is?"

"Am I better in some way?"

As I sent these messages, I inwardly laughed. Each question was carefully crafted to lead Howard into admitting I was more appealing than Annie.However,his response caught me completely off guard:

"Maybe it's because Annie doesn't talk behind people's backs like you do."

I stared at these words, momentarily speechless. This was nothing like Howard's usual manner of speaking. Even when cool toward me, he had never criticized me so bluntly. To maintain the image I'd worked so hard to cultivate, I chose to remain silent, pretending to be offended.

However, today's events were too important, and my curiosity about the outcome was unbearable. Breaking my usual pattern. I took the initiative:

"Anyway, Annie must have been so embarrassed, right?"

A smug smile played on my lips. The mere thought of Annie being publicly humiliated by Betty at her workplace was positively delightful.

"If I were in the same situation, I would have handled it mnuch better."

"I certainly wouldn't lose control of my emotions like Annie and embarrass you."

I deliberately framed it this way, hoping to draw closer to Howard. To show him how different-how elegant and composed-I was compared to Annie.

But his answer was unexpected: "She handled it very well."

This wasn't right. Not only did he fail to agree with my assessment, but he was actually praising Annie?

"The incident today has become quite significant. You can check online."

I immediately opened my browser, my heart racing with anticipation.What I found nearly made me drop my phone.

"Showdown at Howard Technologies! Former Mother-in-Law Confronts

Annie,Gets Publicly Humiliated!"

"Betty Baker's Embarrassing Moment: She Was Supporting Her Son's Mistress All Along!"

"Annie Baker Presents Irrefutable Evidence: Former Mother-in-Law and Mistress Sarah Conspired Against Her!"

I quickly scanned the comments below, each one piercing my heart like a needle:

"Now I understand. why Annie divorced. Who could tolerate such a mother-in-law?"

"Wait, so Sarah was involved with Annie's husband before the divorce?Disgusting!"

"That video is shocking-mother-in-law and mistress plotting to break up her son's marriage. These wealthy families are truly corrupt!"

"Sarah using pregnancy to gain sympathy is despicable!"

"Annie was so composed-if I were her, I would have lost it! Calling the police was exactly the right move for dealing with such people!"

My eyes fell on a news headline: "...Annie Baker then presented multiple video evidences, including footage of Betty Baker and Sarah Johnson conspiring to destroy her marriage..."

Nothing but criticism of me! More people now knew I was the other woman! What had that stupid Betty done? I had only intended for her to provoke Annie, make her lose control and embarrass herself...

I continued scrolling, but the situation only grewworse:

"Truth Revealed: Sarah Johnson and Betty Baker Collaborated to Destroy Philip Baker's Marriage, Now Playing Victim?"

"Annie's Counter-Attack: Wall Street Elite's Ex-Wife Uses Security Footage to Expose Former Mother-in-Law"

"#TeamAnnie is trending, with hundreds of thousands of netizens supporting this brave single mother"

I felt nauseated-this was completely contrary to what I had envisioned!

The outcome was the exact opposite of my plan! Betty's actions had only made things worse! Was that old woman deliberately sabotaging me? Or was she simply too stupid to understand appropriate public behavior?

I took several deep breaths, forcing myself to remain calm. Since things had already reached this point, I might as well continue playing the role of the innocent victim:

"About her former mother-in-law going to her company..."

"Instead of directly addressing her former mother-in-law, she shifted the focus to me."

"Does she hate me that much?"

I feigned naivety: "Why does she harbor such hostility toward me?"

"That's not a question you should be asking me, but yourself," Howard replied almost immediately. "Think about what you've done to her, and I believe you'll understand."

I stared at the screen, momentarily speechless. My fingers hovered over the keyboard,typing several lines of defense, only to delete them one by one.

My heart raced, and fine beads of sweat formed on my forehead.

Howard's words cut like a sharp sword,striking the most vulnerable part of my heart. His tone was so direct,merciless,completely different from his usual style.

A sudden fear gripped my heart. Had he seen through all my pretenses?Or even more terrifying, had he never been genuinely interested in me at all? My plans, my future, the perfect path I had laid out for myself-everything could collapse at this moment.

I abruptly tossed my phone aside and began pacing back and forth in my house, my nails digging deep into my palms. Betty's foolish behavior,the online abuse, Howard's cold response, and Annie-the woman who should have been beneath my feet but was now winning everyone's sympathy and support.

"Damn it!" I slammed my fist into the soft couch; but this did nothing to alleviate my anger. My plans, my perfect image, were disintegrating bit by bit.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. Perhaps Howard had a point? No,impossible! I quaickly dismissed the thought and reorganized my thinking. Why should I reflect on my actions? I was only fighting for the life I deserved. This world never treats the weak kindly; everything I did was merely for survival.

Determined to salvage what I could, I picked up my phone again.I needed to reach out to Caroline immediately-she always had useful advice for damage control. But before I could dial her number, another message from Howard appeared on my screen:

"I hope you're learning something valuable from all this,Sarah.Sometimes

the truth has a way of revealing itself, no matter how carefully we try to hide it."

My hands trembled as I read his words. For a moment, I almost felt like I was looking at a completely different person-someone who had been watching me, studying me, perhaps even testing me all along.

I closed my eyes, gathering my scattered thoughts. This wasn't over. A temporary setback didn't mean defeat. I still had Philip,his child growing inside me, and the influence that came with the Baker name.

After all, I'd faced worse challenges before. This was just another obstacle to overcome,another game to play-and I never lost for long.