The Stand–in CEO’s Wife Abandoned Her Husband and
Daughter
Chapter 1
My stepdaughter, Grace, presented me with a bowl of abortion pills at my own coming–of-
age ceremony.
Everyone around knew about her “prank,” but nobody stopped her. Even my husband just
watched coldly.
I gave a wry smile, took the bowl, and drank it
down.
A sharp pain immediately shot through my
lower abdomen.
My consciousness faded, and I heard Grace’s
cruel voice.
“Ha, did you think having a baby would replace my mother?”
“Let me tell you, Dad only married you
because I was young and needed a free
<
“If you dare try to take my mother’s place,
get out of the house!”
I clutched my stomach and took a deep
breath.
“No need to bother, you’re an adult now, and
I’ve fulfilled my responsibility.”
“I’ll leave tomorrow.”
Grace’s expression faltered for a moment,
but then she sneered.
“Ha, what are you pretending now?”
“You schemed your way into marrying my
dad, I don’t believe you’ll leave!”
“Using a face just like my mother’s, you
seduced him less than a hundred days after
her death. Shameless!”
Her words were like daggers, her eyes full of
contempt and malice.
I didn’t want to argue, and I turned to leave,
my face ashen.
The abortion pills burned their way down to
L
my stomach, and intense pain exploded
through me.
I felt the warm blood flowing between my
legs.
Shaking, I pulled out my phone to call 911.
But the next second, Grace slapped it out of
my hand.
“You want to go to the hospital? Dream on!”
“I won’t let someone as low as you taint my
family’s bloodline! You’ll never have a child!”
I was drenched in cold sweat from the pain. A
maid who was friendly with me spoke up.
“Miss, Ma’am is bleeding, if she doesn’t go
to the hospital, she might die.”
“Shut up!”
Grace slapped the maid.
“Who allowed you to call her ‘Ma’am‘?! The
only Mrs. Thompson in this house is my
mother!”
She was the only Thompson child, spoiled
rotten. As she grew older, she became
increasingly arrogant.
Looking at the child I raised, I felt my heart
break.
Seeing my trembling, she raised her voice. “Don’t look at me with that disgusting look!”
“If you do it again, I’ll gouge your eyes out!”
She was a wild, angry child, a little beast
ready to pounce.
I lowered my head, hiding the disappointment
and tears in my eyes, and turned away
without a word.
The bleeding continued. The most important
thing was to get to the hospital.
But the blood loss weakened me, and after a
few steps, I collapsed.
Grace watched my helpless form, a
triumphant smile curving her lips.
She laughed, then walked upstairs.
Seeing her heartless back, I remembered
holding her as a baby.
She was a tiny infant, curled up in her crib,
her cries barely audible. Her mother died in
childbirth.
I felt an inexplicable pang of sympathy for
her.
Mr. Thompson’s mother, seeing my
resemblance to her daughter, offered a large
sum of money for me to marry Mr. Thompson
and care for Grace.
I agreed, truly treating the little girl as my
own.
But in the end, over a decade of care and
love, didn’t create any affection for me. It
only fueled her deep–seated malice.
I laughed to myself, and with the maid’s help,
I got to the hospital.
In the sterile smell of antiseptic, I was told I’d
lost the baby, and would likely be infertile.
I cried at first, then felt relief.
It’s good, it’s good that no one else will
suffer.
On the way home from the hospital, I ran into
Mr. Thompson.
Seeing him, I remembered his cold
indifference at the ceremony.
He had witnessed everything, yet said
nothing. He even turned away and went to his
study after I fell.
He was calmly reading the newspaper, not
even looking up when he saw me.
“It’s not Grace’s fault.”
“You agreed to marry me and take care of
Grace for the money.”
“Her spoiled and tyrannical behavior is your
doing.”
He spoke calmly, downplaying Grace’s
attempt to kill me.
He even blamed me.
I lowered my gaze, saying nothing.
After a long silence, he finally looked at me.
“Are you feeling better?”
“I lost the baby.”
Mr. Thompson looked at me, stood up,
loosened his tie, and walked towards me.
“It’s for the best, things will be easier.
وو
I understood his meaning and stared at him in
shock.
Although his mother made the initial proposal,
he was the one who made the decision.
It was all because of my resemblance to his
late wife.
He loved that face.
He loved it enough to stay with me every
night, even without affection.
He never used protection.
That’s how I got pregnant.
As an orphan, I couldn’t bring myself to abort
the baby, so I stayed until today.
But I didn’t expect that on the day I
miscarried, he would want to be intimate with
- me.
It was clear Grace’s cruelty came from him.
I suppressed my disgust and pushed him
away.
Seeing his surprise and anger, I said calmly, “My agreement with your mother is over.
Grace… is grown.
وو
“I’m leaving tomorrow.”
I’d been with them for over a decade, but he
never proposed.
They treated me like a disposable babysitter.
But it was good. Leaving would be easier
without complications.
His face darkened.
“Eleanor, are you still angry at Grace?”
I wouldn’t speak. He thought he understood.
“Your heart is too small.”
“Grace is still a child. Don’t be angry with
her.”
<
“Besides, you’re an orphan. Where else can
you go?”
He thought he had me. His words were
condescending and patronizing.
I took off my necklace and put it on the table.
“I’ll go back to the orphanage.
99
The day I married Mr. Thompson, I knew he
didn’t love me.
He and his wife were a perfect match,
wealthy, beautiful, deeply in love.
He married me only because I resembled his
wife and could care for Grace.
So, I always had a backup plan.
Once I received the agreed–upon payment, I
would leave and return to the orphanage.
That was my home.
But I didn’t understand why he wouldn’t let
me go, even though I’d fulfilled my
agreement.
“Mr. Thompson, I’ve done what I promised
your mother. Grace… is grown.”
وو
“I’ve stayed at the Thompson household long
