The Mistress Called Me Mom

I found the gilded cage where my husband kept his mistress. I wanted to see what kind of woman could outdo me, what kind of woman could train a man of such discipline and restraint to heel like a lapdog. It wasn’t jealousy. It was pure curiosity. After all, Brian Croft and I had built our empire from nothing. From a cramped studio apartment to a mansion, we’d worked so hard the stress had turned my hair grey overnight. Even after having our son, I didn’t become one of those pampered wives who spent their days at spas and salons. I was still at the factory, juggling my career and my marriage, a master of both. I believed I was in complete control of my life. I rang the doorbell. The door opened. The young woman who answered had a smile that could bloom flowers, her eyes curving into sweet crescents. “You must be Brian’s mother,” she chirped. “It’s so nice to meet you, ma’am.”

1 Even when negotiating contracts worth hundreds of millions, I never let my face betray a single emotion. But hearing her call me ma’am, I couldn’t help but frown. The divorce wasn’t even final, and she was already this eager to meet her future mother-in-law? Some strange impulse made me play along. “Hello.” “Please, come in. My name is Maya.” The first thing I saw upon entering was a massive world map. A thin red string connected photos of them kissing, marking all the places they had traveled together. The pins were dense, covering nearly the entire globe. She noticed my gaze and explained with a smile, “It’s our travel map. He takes me somewhere new every month.” So, Brian’s affair had started much earlier than I thought. She reached out, gently helping me off with my coat and hanging it in a nearby closet. The tea she handed me was the perfect temperature. I surveyed the apartment. A 200-square-meter place in the city center, with renovations of this quality, had to be worth at least five million. “Did he buy this for you?” A blush crept up Maya’s cheeks. “Yes.” “Brian said it was my gift for getting into my PhD program.” In ten years of marriage, he had never celebrated a single holiday with me. Even after we’d made our fortune, he never bought me any expensive gifts. My birthday was marked by a simple cake and a perfunctory “Happy Birthday.” I had always thought it was love evolving into family, that quiet companionship was the truest form of affection. It turns out love doesn’t evolve. It just relocates. Seeing my silence, she fidgeted, then finally worked up the courage to ask, “Ma’am, Brian and I are truly in love. Will you give me your blessing to marry him?” I thought I would feel nothing. But a sharp pang shot through my heart. I heard myself ask, “How did you two get together?” Maya’s face lit up as she told their story. And I finally understood. That year I had a raging fever, and even though we were already millionaires, he had rushed off to meet a client for a paltry ten-thousand-dollar order. It was all because she had said, “I miss you.” “You have no idea, ma’am,” she gushed, “the moment Brian saw me, he said his whole world lit up.” “And he’s so brilliant! He solved a huge technical problem for my father’s company. He said it was an issue that had plagued their industry for years, but he fixed it with just one look.” “So, ma’am? Do you approve?” she asked, her eyes wide with hope. A wry curiosity colored my tone. “And do you know he has a wife?” Maya’s face faltered for a second. She bit her lip. “Brian told me. He said he doesn’t love her at all. She’s just a business partner. There are no feelings involved.” “He said that woman is older than his own aunt, with zero charm. She lives like a man, and her skin is rough and disgusting.” I rubbed the calluses on my palm, formed from hauling sacks of soybeans in the early days of our business. Every night, he used to rub thick hand cream into them, massaging them gently. He used to call me the heroine of our family. “But I guess no man would like a woman like that,” Maya continued. “They’re going to get divorced anyway. I don’t mind, as long as he truly loves me.” The teacup in my hand froze mid-air, trembling slightly. We had met through friends, a case of love at first sight. Brian had told everyone I was the girl of his dreams. He swore he wouldn’t marry me until he’d made enough money for us. We started a tofu business together, never getting a full night’s sleep. The exhaustion turned my hair prematurely grey and etched lines on my face, making me look like I was in my late forties. Once, drunk, he had knelt before me, crying and holding me, apologizing over and over. To keep him from feeling guilty, even when I had no time for beauty treatments, I always made sure to dye my hair. The turmoil in my heart rose and fell, then settled into a calm sea. I had seen her. I had compared. It was never about how much better she was. It was that he had changed. And since he said there were no feelings, then it was time to make that a reality.

2 I was about to answer her. Maya’s phone rang, and she put it on speaker. Brian’s voice, low and tender in a way I’d never heard, came through. “Baby, are you hungry? I got you your favorite chicken noodle soup. I’ll be there in fifteen.” I knew that noodle shop. It had a three-hour line and was clear across the city. I’d mentioned it once when I was home with a sprained ankle, craving something light. He had been sitting by my bed peeling an apple, and hadn’t even looked up. Maya poured on the affection, blowing kisses into the phone. “I love you most, honey!” While they were cooing at each other, I went to the bathroom. The countertop was crowded with more of his toiletries than we had at home. I sent a message to my assistant, telling her to run a complete check on Brian’s financials. He would pay the price for squandering my blood, sweat, and tears on another woman. As I was about to leave the bathroom, I heard Brian’s eager voice at the door. “Look what else I brought you.” Maya gasped. “The sapphire necklace from yesterday!” “I saw you look at it for just a second, so I went back and bought it.” “Well, I have a surprise for you, too!” Maya, playing mysterious, ran to the bathroom door and knocked. “Ma’am, are you done?” I turned off the faucet and opened the door. Maya bounced between us, throwing her arms wide in celebration. “Perfect timing, ma’am is here too! We can all share the wonderful news together.” “My husband got me a sapphire! And I’m giving my husband a baby!” A jolt went through me. I snapped my head up to look at her. After our son, Leo, was born, I had always dreamed of having a daughter. Brian always found an excuse. It turned out he just didn’t want one with me. Brian’s smile was wide, but his eyes traveled over Maya’s head and met mine. His pupils constricted. The smile vanished, as if I were the intruder, the one who had trespassed on their private world. “What are you doing here?” I walked back to my seat, my gaze drifting between them. My silence seemed to provoke him. He pulled Maya behind him protectively. “If you have a problem, take it up with me. Don’t you dare touch her.” Maya looked confused, tugging on his sleeve. “Isn’t she your mother?” Brian froze, then let out a sneer. “My sweet, gullible girl. You’ve got good eyes. She certainly looks old enough.” “Unfortunately, she’s my wife.” Maya’s expression shifted as realization dawned. Her face flushed red and white, her hands flying to her mouth. “Ma’am… no, I mean… Victoria, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” “It’s just… I…” She couldn’t find an excuse, her face turning crimson with panic. Brian wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into an embrace, and barked at me, “Don’t apologize to her.” “Victoria Quinn, get out.” Huddled in his arms, Maya shot me a sly, triumphant look. I finished the last of my tea, grabbed my coat, and walked over to her. “Your request from earlier,” I said calmly. “I approve.” The elevator doors were just about to close when Brian appeared, his hand shooting out to block them. Seeing that I wasn’t screaming or questioning him like I usually would, his expression was complicated, tinged with a panic I couldn’t quite decipher. “Victoria, this is an accident.” “You know this. A pregnant woman can’t be stressed.” “A divorce would be a financial disaster for us. She won’t affect your position.” He knew I treated the factory like my own child. A divorce would split our assets in half. He was threatening me. I knew he wouldn’t let go without a response. I gave a slight nod and waved him away. Brian relaxed. Suddenly, a bag of trash appeared at my feet. “Take this down with you,” he ordered. In the instant before the elevator doors closed, I kicked it out. Did he really think I came here today unprepared?

3 I returned to the office and took out the divorce agreement I’d had prepared long ago. The truth was, the first time I’d caught him in a gray area with another woman, I’d already had a lawyer draft it. Back then, Brian had resorted to self-harm to convince me it would never happen again. Looking at the blood on the floor, my own swelling belly, and our fledgling business, I had made the rational choice to let it go. “Ms. Quinn, they’re here,” my assistant said, knocking on the door. After a round of negotiations, I sold all of my shares in the company. The factory was my baby, but I have no use for something rotten and spoiled. Besides my son, I wanted nothing. My phone alarm went off. It was time to pick up Leo from kindergarten. But when I got there, I saw Brian. Maya was squatting next to my son, holding up a cool superhero lollipop. I had never seen such a joyful expression on Leo’s face. “Leo, who do you like more, Auntie Maya or Mommy?” Maya’s voice was impossibly sweet. Leo giggled and poked her dimple. “Then how about I become your new mommy, and I’ll even give you a little brother to play with, okay?” My son nodded vigorously and stood on his tiptoes to kiss her cheek. Brian scooped Leo up with one arm and took Maya’s hand with the other, leading them across the street. He saw my car and his eyes flicked to the driver’s seat. His gaze rested on my face for only a moment. Then he got them into his car and drove away. I sat there, my mind a complete blank, the air conditioning blasting my face until it was flushed. It took a long time for me to come back to myself. Brian had wanted me to see that. Ever since Leo started kindergarten, he had resisted my affection. I thought it was because I was too strict. Now I knew the real reason. It was clear now that the happy family I thought I controlled was just a phantom I’d created in my own mind. Unfortunately for Brian, he had miscalculated. He thought I would continue to tolerate his behavior for our son’s sake. But nothing, and no one, would stop me from leaving now. When I got home, Leo was playing with a remote-control car Maya had given him. Brian acted as if nothing had happened, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. “Didn’t you want another daughter?” “I’ll give you one tonight.” His guilty attempt at compensation only disgusted me more. I broke free from his grasp. “You should save it for Maya.” He thought I was still angry and grew more insistent, his hands roaming over me, trying to get a reaction. Usually, after a fight, sex was his way of declaring a truce. This time, there would be no truce. Brian grabbed the back of my neck and pushed me forward. Perhaps it was the proximity, but the familiar, earthy scent of soybeans that always clung to me made him instinctively turn his head away. The more I struggled, the harder he pushed. Thump. My head hit the wall. The world swam. He reflexively cupped the back of my head. His phone rang. A few seconds later, he released me, his face grim. “I’ll respect your wishes,” he sneered. “Saves me from having to take a pill just to get interested in you.” I didn’t have to guess who was calling. Brian changed his clothes, doused himself in cologne, and threw a final command at me as he rushed out the door. “Get over it. And make sure everything is ready for the annual gala next week.” Every year, he loved to make a grand show of handing out employee bonuses in cash. More than once, he’d miscounted, causing disputes. One year, I was robbed on my way back from the bank and ended up in the hospital. Now, he’d drained the company accounts to fund Maya’s lavish lifestyle. There was no money left to prop up his ego.

4 Leo stood by the door, watching me pack my suitcase. I could be ruthless with a man. But facing the son I had carried for nine months, I hesitated. I didn’t have much to pack, but I kept taking things out and putting them back in. It took me over an hour. I knelt in front of him and gently touched his soft cheek. For the first time, he didn’t swat my hand away. “Do you want to come with Mommy?” I asked softly. Leo’s eyes lit up, but then he asked, “Are you leaving? Are you never coming back?” A lump formed in my throat. “Yes, sweetie. Mommy’s not coming back.” “Come with me, okay?” I pulled him into a hug. Leo’s small voice whispered in my ear, “Great! If you leave, I’ll get a pretty mommy!” A tremor ran through me. I slowly released him and stood up. I had planned, even after leaving, to take care of Maya’s illegitimate child, to protect Leo’s inheritance from any future claims. But if this was his choice, why should I bother planning for his future? I stepped past him and walked out without looking back. The moment I landed in the Maldives, my phone started buzzing incessantly. “Ma’am, even if I gave Brian back to you now, he wouldn’t want to go.” “I’ll take good care of him and Leo.” “By the way, I’m having a boy. Brian promised him everything.” The next message was a video. It was Brian at her prenatal check-up. “Honey, put your ear to my belly and listen. The baby can hear us now~” I turned off my phone, my face a blank mask. Brian, this won’t end with a simple divorce. I have a special gift waiting for you at the annual gala. For an entire week, we had no contact. His social media, however, was flooded with at least twenty new photos of him and Maya. At the gala, Brian formally introduced Maya to everyone. His hand rested on the small of her back, his intentions clear. A few senior executives started sucking up. “Well, well, Mr. Croft, you’ve finally come to your senses.” “We never understood what you were doing with that bossy old hag.” “That’s right, Mr. Croft. When’s the wedding?” These were all people I had personally promoted. Brian smiled, his gaze dropping to Maya’s belly. “You’ll all be invited for the baby’s celebration.” They stood there like newlyweds, basking in the congratulations. When someone mentioned me, Brian’s lip curled. “She’ll be here shortly.” It was time for the cash bonus presentation. Brian finally noticed I was gone. He called my phone over and over. “Where is Victoria Quinn?!” The general manager stammered, “Ms. Quinn… we haven’t been able to reach her for a week. And this afternoon, we discovered the company accounts are completely empty.” “We tried calling you so many times, but you didn’t answer.” His voice grew smaller and smaller. Brian’s face darkened with every passing second. Suddenly, the large screen behind the stage flickered to life. A collective gasp went through the crowd. The entire hall fell silent. Brian turned to look, his face a terrifying mask of fury. His phone slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor.

5 On the screen was a video I had pre-recorded. “To all my colleagues, I apologize for addressing you in this manner. Due to Mr. Brian Croft’s unauthorized mortgaging of company shares and his embezzlement of large sums of public funds to purchase real estate, cars, and other luxury items for Ms. Maya, the company’s finances have been depleted. We are unable to pay out your annual bonuses.” The room erupted. Many people were counting on those bonuses to have a good holiday season. The same executives who had been fawning over him just moments before now swarmed him. “Mr. Croft, is what Ms. Quinn said true?” “You spent our bonuses on your mistress?!” Brian’s lips were pressed into a thin, hard line. He said nothing. Beside him, Maya clutched his arm, her smile frozen on her face. The video continued. “As one of the heads of this company, I am deeply ashamed and regretful of this situation.” “Therefore, I have decided to sell all of my shares at a reduced price to ensure you all receive the compensation you have earned.” As I finished speaking, a collective sigh of relief swept through the hall. People were clapping each other on the back. “Thank God for Ms. Quinn!” Brian’s chest heaved, the air around him growing colder, so much so that even Maya shivered beside him. Just as the video ended, a loud, confident voice boomed from the main entrance. “Brian. Long time no see.” “Although tonight, I suppose I should be calling you kid.” Brian looked up and saw our company’s main competitor, Ethan Vance. He was striking in a dark red suit. He strode onto the stage in a few quick steps and playfully took the microphone. “Victoria gave me a great price, all so you fine people could get your bonuses.” “As the new director of this company, I will be restructuring all positions, and that includes yours, Mr. Croft.” Brian’s fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked. He could feel the blood pounding in his temples. But hearing Ethan call her Victoria… A strange, suffocating feeling tightened in his chest. Ethan was in his element on stage, his words met with thunderous applause from the audience. He was completely upstaging Brian. The man’s body was rigid, coiled like a spring, ready to leap on stage and punch him. Just then, my assistant ran up and handed him a document. He glanced at it, and his face changed dramatically. He spun on his heel and strode out of the hall, not even sparing a thought for Maya, who was left standing there. “Brian, honey, wait for me!” Maya hurried after him. I put down my wine glass, having watched the entire gala live-streamed. I was very pleased with Ethan’s performance. This was only the first step. I would make sure Brian and Maya ended up with nothing. That night, I slept more soundly than I had in years. I was just blinking myself awake when a face, stubbled and haggard, appeared above me. “Ah!” I clutched the covers to my chest. “How did you get in here?” The man’s eyes were bloodshot, his suit rumpled as if he’d slept in it. He sneered. “How do you think I got in?” He tossed our faded marriage certificate onto the bed. I had expected him to confront me, just not this quickly. He threw a folder in front of me and slammed his fist on the nightstand. “Victoria Quinn, are you serious about this?”