My Husband Let Our Baby Die for His Mistress's Dog, So I Married His Rival

The day my husband chose to save his secretary's dog over our daughter in a firethe day my little girl burned alive with no one coming for herwas the day everything changed.

People in our circle noticed it almost immediately. I stopped obsessing over where Garry Sanchez was every hour of the day. Stopped showing up at his office with home-cooked meals to mark my territory. Stopped paying reporters to run puff pieces about our perfect marriage.

Even when his secretary came to our door for the tenth time to provoke me, I just sat there, eyes fixed on my daughter's portrait. "Do whatever you want."

Garry scoffed. "Should've learned your place a long time ago."

What he didn't know was that in three days, I'd be on a flight to start a new life abroad. I wasn't being obedient. I'd simply stopped loving him.

Kayla Coleman swept the dishes I'd just prepared off the table, her shrill voice cutting through the room. "Ida Swanson, if you know what's good for you, you'll get away from Garry. Otherwise you'll end up just like that worthless daughter of yoursdead before your time!"

My pupils contracted.

Ever since Lily Abbott died in the fire, every servant in the house had walked on eggshells. No one dared mention her, terrified of setting me off.

But Kayla planted her hands on her hips and kept going. "You don't know this, do you? I was standing right there at the door that day. I saw everything. Your little girlshe'd barely learned to talkwas screaming and crying, calling out for her daddy, begging someone to save her. The blood from her hands stained the window glass red. And Garry still chose to save my dog."

"Shut your mouth!" My expression went dark, and I slapped her so hard she hit the floor.

Kayla wasn't angry. If anything, she looked triumphant, casting a deliberate glance over her shoulder.

Right on cue, Garry stormed in, not bothering to ask what happened. "Ida, if you have a problem, take it up with me. Why do you always have to go after Kayla?"

A wave of revulsion rose inside me. This scene was so familiaran echo of every time Garry had taken her side over mine.

Garry and I had grown up together. Our families were equally wealthy, and our parents had arranged our marriage when we were children.

But life had other plans. My parents died in an accident, and the Swanson family declared bankruptcy overnight. The Sanchezes refused to honor the engagement. It took Garry kneeling outside their front door for three straight days and nightskneeling until his knees became so infected the doctors warned of amputationbefore his family finally relented.

After the wedding, I was happier than I'd ever been. Garry was attentive to every detail of my life. When doctors discovered I couldn't conceive due to a cold womb, he told his family he was impotenta man with that much pride, lying to protect me from their pressure.

When the Sanchezes pushed me to try IVF, Garry was so worried about what I'd have to endure that the very next day, he made a show of scheduling a vasectomy.

I was the one who dragged him out of the operating room. I'd been so moved I could barely speak. "Garry, I want to have a child with you. Willingly. Happily."

All of that happiness ended the moment a female secretary appeared at his side.

Garry offered little explanation. He said Kayla Coleman had once saved his life, and he owed her a debt. So he traveled the world with her. Strolled with her through candlelit evenings. Walked with her in the rain.

I lost my mind. I became hysterical, paranoid, suffocating. And all it earned me was Garry siding with her, again and again and again.

Then, last week, the fire broke out. Lily was trapped in her bedroom. Garry charged into the blaze and was about to wrench open her door when Kayla appeared out of nowhere.

"Garry, our puppy is still inside!" Tears streamed down her face like rain on white petals. "He's the only family I have left. I can't lose him. Please, forget about the baby for now!"

I wanted to wrap my hands around her throat. "A dog or a human lifewhich one matters more? Garry, save our Lily! She's your own flesh and blood!"

"Garry, you promised our puppy was the most precious thing in the world. You can't just abandon him!"

The fire raged, and Garry stood frozen between two doors, paralyzed by indecision.

I blacked out from sheer fury. When I came to, I saw him sitting beside my hospital bed, cradling that little dog in one arm while he murmured softly to Kayla, whose cheeks were flushed with color. "Lily dying in the fire was just bad luck. Don't blame yourself. Look how worried our little pup is about you!"

In that moment, something inside me turned to ash.

After I was discharged, I did three things.

I buried Lily.

I hired a lawyer and filed for divorce.

And I called back an old college friend. The job offer overseasI accepted it.

"Ida, I know you've been under a lot of stress lately, but there's no reason to take it out on Kayla." Garry's tone was weary, almost pleading. "She saved my life once. If nothing else, do it for me. Stop making things difficult for her, okay?"

I lifted my head. My voice came out flat and cold. "Your savior. What does that have to do with me?"

"Listen to yourself." A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "We're husband and wife. What's mine is yours, remember?"

"Garry, let's get a divorce."

The words left my mouth without preamble.

I'd always imagined I would feel grief when I finally said them. Regret, maybe. But now that the moment had arrived, all I felt was relief.

The smile vanished from his face. His hand shot out and locked around my wrist, his fingers trembling. Even his voice shook. "Ida, don't you dare talk nonsense."

"I'm serious."

I closed my eyes, too exhausted to keep them open. "Garry, this is over."

"Ida, is this still about Lily?" His voice cracked with urgency, guilt swimming in his eyes. "I'm heartbroken about Lily too, but you can't throw a tantrum over something like this."

"Kayla saved my life once. She has no family, no one. I treat her like a little sister. That dog is the only family she has. How could I let her down?"

"Ida, you understand, don't you?"

I pried his fingers off my wrist. "All I understand is that you let my daughter burn to death for the sake of an animal."

"But Garry chose to save that animal over your daughter." Kayla's gaze slid to me, sharp with provocation. One hand stroked the dog in her lap. "Doesn't that mean your daughter was worth less than an animal?" She smiled, pressing her cheek against the dog's fur. "My sweet baby is the lucky one. So many people love her."

"Shut your mouth!" Rage surged through me. I lunged toward her, but Garry caught me and held me back.

His brow furrowed into deep lines, his voice low and even. "Ida, the doctor said you need rest."

"Rest? How am I supposed to rest?" I threw myself against him, fists and feet striking wherever they could land, as if violence were the only language left for my pain. "My daughter burned alive, and you didn't lift a finger to save her. Now you stand there and let this woman spit on her memory!"

"Garry, I want a divorce. You don't deserve to be called Lily's father!"

Kayla shrank behind him, her expression crumpling into something pitiful and wounded. "Ida, I know you don't really want a divorce. You're only saying this to force Garry to push me away."

She dabbed at her reddened eyes and let out a bitter little laugh. "I know I need him. I really do. But if you're so heartless that you can't even tolerate me as a sister, then fine. I'll go."

"Kayla!" Garry's voice thundered through the room. He pulled her back to his side. "As long as I'm here, no one is making you leave."

He turned to me, jaw set. "Ida, let me make this perfectly clear. Divorce is not happening. And Kayla is not going anywhere."

Kayla gazed up at him, adoration and gratitude spilling from her eyes. "Garry..."

The two of them stood there, wrapped up in each other, when my voice cut through like a blade of ice.

"Garry, you don't get a say in this."

"I don't get a say?" Garry let out a cold laugh and planted himself right in front of me. "Ida, I think I've been too good to you. Without the title of Mrs. Sanchez, what do you even have?"

Even though hope had long since died inside me, his cutting words still sent a stab of pain through my chest.

"Garry, I have an idea." Kayla's smile dripped with malice as she laid out her little scheme. "The only reason she dares act this way is because she's been living comfortably with nothing to worry about, right? Just freeze her bank cards. Give it a few days and she'll come crawling back, begging to make nice."

"Fine. Freeze them."

Garry turned to me, his face dark as a storm. "You can still apologize. Do it now, and I might reconsider."

"Go ahead and freeze them." I lifted my chin, a bitter smile on my lips. I wanted to see him try.

"Unbelievable." This time Garry didn't hesitate. He dialed the bank immediately. "I have several cards under my name. Shut them all down."

The bank representative verified the information several times before responding in an odd tone. "Mr. Sanchez, are you sure you want to freeze these particular cards?"

"Yes!" Garry's voice was clipped with impatience. "How many times do I have to say it?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sanchez, but these cards have had a zero balance for quite some time. There hasn't been a single transaction in six months."

Garry froze. He stared at me, bewildered. "No living expenses? How have you been surviving these past six months? I transferred money to you every month..."

I laughed, hollow and self-mocking. "How generous of you to remember. Six months ago, you told me Kayla was frugal and responsible while I did nothing but blow money buying press coverage to flaunt our relationship. So you cut off my allowance yourself. Ring any bells?"

A tangle of emotions crossed his face. He stood there in silence for a long time, until the customer service representative's voice pulled him back. "Mr. Sanchez? Would you still like to proceed with freezing the cards?"

"No..."

"Of course he would." Kayla snatched the phone from his hand. "Garry, don't let her fool you. Even if her allowance was cut, she still has shares in the Sanchezes. The monthly dividends alone are a fortune."

"Right. You almost slipped that past me." Garry placed the phone firmly in Kayla's palm, a sharp glint in his eyes as he looked at me. "When did you get so calculating, Ida? From now on, Kayla decides how much you spend."

I met the contempt in his gaze without flinching. My expression gave away nothing.

Shares in the Sanchezes? The family had taken those back the day after our wedding, citing one excuse or another.

A message lit up my phone screen.

Ida, your flight in three days is confirmed. Will you be ready to leave on schedule?

I replied yes and started packing.

Before I left, I wanted to visit Lily's grave one last time. I didn't want to be overseas, aching with the regret of not having said goodbye.

I'd hired someone to find the perfect resting place for her. Rolling green hills, clear water, beautiful scenery. Lily would have loved it.

I set the fruit and flowers down in front of the headstone in silence, and only when I lifted my head did my eyes betray me, red and burning. "Lily, I promise you, Mommy will make them pay. Just wait for me a little longer, okay?"

Then I saw the photograph.

My pupils contracted.

That wasn't Lily. It was a stranger. A middle-aged man I had never seen before.

My blood ran cold. Who did this?

I tore through the cemetery in a frenzy, making trip after trip until I finally tracked down the manager. "Where is my daughter? What did you do with my daughter?"

The manager looked completely baffled. "Ms. Swanson, didn't you come in yesterday when the payment was due and say you wouldn't be renewing? You said you had your own arrangements for the ashes."

"What are you talking about? I never received a payment reminder. Who did you call?" My voice cracked, tears choking the words in my throat. Who had done this to my baby girl?

"Your husband's secretary took the call!"

Kayla. Coleman.

Rage ignited inside me like wildfire.

By the time I stormed into Sanchez Corp, the receptionist blocked my path.

"I'm sorry, but Mrs. Sanchez has instructed us not to allow unauthorized visitors inside."

I stared at her. Then I pulled out the photo of my marriage certificate. "Garry and I aren't divorced yet. So where exactly did this Mrs. Sanchez come from?"

The receptionist glanced at the photo and scoffed. "That's obviously photoshopped. Everyone knows Mr. Sanchez adores his wife. He can't even bear to be apart from her during work hours, so he created a secretary position just to keep her close."

Her gaze swept over me, head to toe, dripping with contempt. "Someone like you? You think you could be Mrs. Sanchez?"

I took a deep breath and pulled out my phone to call Garry directly. But the voice that answered wasn't his.

It was Kayla's. Lazy. Suggestive. Dripping with something she wanted me to hear.

"He's busy. What do you want now?"

"Kayla, what did you do with Lily's grave?"

"Why do you care?" She let out a light, mocking laugh. "Mr. Sanchez put me in charge of it. Stop making a fuss."

The line went dead.

Seconds later, security appeared and politely escorted me out.

My thoughts spiraled. I had no idea where that woman had put Lily's ashes. But I didn't dare push her too hard either. If I backed her into a corner, she might destroy them entirely. Panic was clawing at my chest when I noticed two shabbily dressed people walking toward the Sanchez Corp entrance. A man and a woman, clearly from the countryside.

Something made me look twice.

The woman was beaming. "That girl Kayla sure works fast. Found a prime burial spot in less than a day. Now your uncle can finally rest easy."

The man hesitated. "I heard the plot used to belong to some little girl who burned to death. Her father's the CEO of Sanchez Corp. Is it really okay that she just tossed those ashes out?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Mr. Sanchez is head over heels for Kayla. He won't care about something so small."

Every muscle in my body locked. Cold sweat crawled down my spine.

The next thing I knew, I was standing in the conference room. I didn't remember how I'd gotten there. Half a shard of broken glass was clenched in my fist.

Kayla scrambled behind Garry, her face a mask of terror.

Garry's expression twisted with fury. "Ida! What are you doing? There are senior executives in this room. Have you lost your mind?"

A ring of people surrounded the conference table, whispering, pointing.

I didn't see any of them.

"Kayla Coleman!" My voice cut through the room like a blade. "What did you do with my daughter's ashes? Answer me!"

Something in my expression must have shaken him, because beneath the anger, a flicker of doubt crept into Garry's eyes. He turned to Kayla. "Kayla... Lily's ashes. Did you touch them?"

"Of course not!" Kayla's lip trembled, her eyes wide and wounded. "Garry, she's your own daughter. I would've cherished her remains. How could you even ask me that?"

"You're lying!"

I shoved my phone in front of them, the cemetery photo filling the screen. "Then explain this. Who is this man buried in my daughter's plot?"

Garry's breath caught. "Kayla... who is this man?"

"Garry Sanchez, you useless piece of" Tears burned down my cheeks before I could stop them. "You couldn't protect Lily when she was alive. Now you can't even protect her ashes! Your own daughter's remains were thrown away by this woman, and you just stand there!"

"That's impossible!" Garry shot back reflexively. "Kayla is kindhearted. She would never do something like that. There has to be a misunderstanding."

Kayla nodded, satisfaction barely concealed behind her pitiful expression. "Thank you for believing me, Garry. I truly have no idea what this is about."

"Still denying it?" My voice went flat. Cold. Dead. "I already found your accomplices outside. Let's see how you talk your way out of this."

As the words left my mouth, the security guards dragged the two farmwomen over.

"Tell them everything you did with Kayla. Every last detail!"

Kayla didn't look the least bit flustered. She turned to me with a smile, then her lips curled into something taunting. "I don't even know these two people. How do we know you didn't put them up to this just to frame me?"

"That's right!" The farmwoman's face flushed crimson as she shouted, "This woman hired us to do it! She wanted to set up that girl Kayla!"

"Exactly! She told us she was jealous of Kayla and wanted us to teach her a lesson!"

My eyes went wide. Only then did I realize I'd been played. "You"

Slap!

Before I could finish, Garry's palm cracked across my face.

"Ida, how deranged do you have to be to use Lily's ashes to frame Kayla?"

"Are you even human?"

"I'll deal with you after I've handled Lily's grave."

My cheek went numb, but Lily's resting place mattered more than the sting. Garry moved with cold fury, mobilizing his bodyguards to set everything right. By the time Lily's grave was finally restored, the pain in my face caught up with me all at once.

He stared at the swelling blooming across my cheek, and his voice softened without him seeming to notice. "Come with me. Let me get some ice on that."

"Don't bother. I want to burn some offerings for Lily first."

I knelt down, my eyes burning red. She had been so small. How could she already be gone?

My thoughts tangled into knots, and then a sharp, acrid smell hit me. I looked up and saw Kayla's dog lifting its leg on Lily's headstone.

When it noticed me watching, the thing scurried behind Kayla, then turned and squatted again, as if mocking me.

"Get that filthy animal away from here!" I clenched my fists and shot to my feet, ready to kick it into the next life. "I will kill that dog today!"

Kayla furrowed her brows, her expression dripping with false concern. "Ida, why are you making such a fuss? It's just a dog. Why pick a fight with an animal?"

"Garry, are you blind?" I jabbed my finger at the wet patch on the stone. "That thing just urinated on our daughter's grave!"

"I saw." His voice was low, flat.

"And? It's a puppy. It doesn't know any better. Do you not know any better either?"

He looked at me the way someone looks at a child throwing a tantrum. "I'm exhausted. Can you just stop?"

From behind Garry's back, Kayla flashed me a grin. "You know, puppy urine is supposed to be great fertilizer. This whole patch is going to grow nice and lush. Your daughter should be grateful, really."

The two of them went back and forth, one echoing the other, and something inside me went cold. Garry was never going to be on my side. Not now. Not ever.

I borrowed a shovel without a word, face like stone, and scraped away every inch of contaminated soil myself. Then I tossed the contract I'd prepared at his feet.

"Garry. Sign it."

He seemed to notice for the first time just how hard he'd hit me. The swelling had turned my cheek into something grotesque. His hand reached toward my face on instinct, then froze midair. His gaze dropped. "This is... a divorce agreement?"

The moment the title registered, he folded the papers shut with one hand and tore them to shreds without reading a single line.

Tiny scraps of paper drifted onto my shoulders like confetti. I smiled, unbothered. "Guess I'll have to file in court, then."

"Ida." Garry's hands locked around my shoulders, his long fingers pressing into bone. His eyes burned with something unhinged. "I will never let you leave me. Not unless I'm dead."

"Oh?" I glanced past him at Kayla. Her face was twisted with jealousy she couldn't quite hide. "And what about her? Planning to keep us both, Mr. Sanchez?"

The moment she realized she'd been mentioned, Kayla's eyes welled with tears on cue. "Garry, maybe I should just go. She's too much. To get rid of me, she'd even use her own daughter's..." She trailed off, letting the silence do the work. Her gaze slid to Garry, and she heaved a deep, theatrical sigh. "I just feel so bad for you, Garry."

"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one will lay a finger on you." Garry patted Kayla's shoulder reassuringly, then turned and issued his command. "Ida, apologize to Kayla. Right now. If you can get her to forgive you, I'll let this whole thing go."

"But I don't want to forgive her!" Kayla stepped in front of Garry as if summoning every ounce of courage she had, her voice ringing with righteous indignation. "Garry, this woman hurt her own daughter just to get what she wanted. She doesn't deserve my forgiveness!"

Garry blinked, then reached over and ruffled her hair with an indulgent smile. "You're right, Kayla. You've got a good head on your shoulders. Not like some people, who are rotten straight down to the root."

He let his gaze drift toward me as he said it.

"Kayla, have you told so many lies that you've actually started believing them?"

"If you're not lying, then what is this?" My voice came out sharp, cutting through the room.

I pulled out the evidence I'd gathered. Videos. Chat logs. Hundreds of pages that stripped Kayla's mask clean off and exposed exactly who she was.

"This time, Kayla, you're finished."