A Deadly Secret of My Husband’s Secretary

On the day of my threemonth prenatal checkup, I received a devastating diagnosis—midtolate stage liver cancer.

Heartbroken and overwhelmed, I rushed to my husband’s company, desperate to find solace in his arms. But what I saw shattered me even more.

Through the glass of his office door, I watched him in a passionate embrace with his secretary. She was visibly pregnant. The image struck me like a bolt of lightning.

Feigning concern, she whispered breathlessly, “In three months, I’ll give birth. The doctor said we shouldn’t have sex anymore…”

Then she added, “Mr. Howard, our child will be born before your legitimate one. If your wife finds out, she’ll kill me and the baby!”

But my husband didn’t stop. He only gripped her tighter.

“If anyone’s the mistress here, it’s her. If she dares make trouble, I’ll arrange a divorce and make sure she walks away with nothing!”

I clutched my medical report, shoved it into my bag and wiped away my tears.

He was the one who betrayed me first. So don’t blame me for keeping this child… and leaving him behind.

That same morning, I had stood at the hospital with trembling hands, reading the results that confirmed I had advanced liver cancer. I had wanted to lean on him—to cry, to be comforted. Instead, I was met with betrayal.

After witnessing the affair with my own eyes, I stepped into the corridor and made a phone call.

“Big brother… I regret everything. Give me a week to sort things out. I’ll come to Europe, I promise. I’ll leave the baby with you. Once it’s born… it’ll take our surname for him.”

My brother’s voice was firm but warm.

“It’s good you’ve come to your senses. Our parents may be gone, but you’ll always be the only princess of the Griffin Family. Come back to us. We’ll never let anyone hurt you again.”

Tears blurred my vision. “I’m sorry, Brother. I was selfish all those years…”

As I ended the call, I glanced through the glass once more. Their naked bodies were tangled on the office sofa. I doubled over, suddenly nauseous.

I had been feeling ill for days. I’d begged Bruce Howard to accompany me to the hospital, but he claimed he was busy—too swamped with work to even come home. Now I understood what he’d really been busy with… entertaining his secretary in the company’s pleasure palace.

A tear slipped down my cheek. I wiped it away with the back of my hand. It was cold. Just like my heart at that moment.

Inside, I could hear her again.

“In three months, I’ll give birth. The doctor said we can’t anymore…” Tessa’s voice was filled with worry.

“Mr. Howard, our baby will arrive before your wife’s. She’ll kill me if she finds out!”

She shyly tried to push him away, but I saw clearly how her body twisted seductively beneath his.

Bruce didn’t stop. He only kissed her deeper, moved faster.

“What are you afraid of? Elise won’t find out. We’ve kept this up for so long and she still has no idea. In fact, she recently praised you to me—said you were ambitious, responsible, that even while pregnant, you didn’t let it affect your work.”

He chuckled.

“Even if she does find out, I’ll protect you. In this country, the eldest son inherits everything. The baby in your womb is the Howard Family’s firstborn. Everything I have will go to him one day. Elise wouldn’t dare touch you.”

Tessa bit her lip nervously.

“But she’s the only daughter of the Griffin Family… That family lineage has existed for a hundred years. If her brothers find out, they won’t take this lightly.”

Bruce scoffed.

“The Griffin Family? They’re finished. She’s no longer the highandmighty Miss Griffin. At best, she’s just a stray dog now.”

He sneered as he ran a finger along her lips.

“The one who isn’t loved is the real mistress. If she keeps acting out, I’ll push for a divorce and kick her out with nothing.”

His cruel words chilled me to the bone.

A year ago, Bruce’s former secretary resigned and Tessa took her place. That was when he suddenly became “busy.” Every night, he worked late. I visited him more than once and each time, she was there too. They looked close, but nothing inappropriate ever happened in front of me—so I chose to trust him.

Then she got pregnant. Bruce came home even less.

Three months ago, he collapsed from exhaustion and had to be hospitalized. His mother forced him to come home and rest.

During that week, the man I had always believed was selfdisciplined and restrained transformed into someone ravenous. We made love day and night.

I soon became pregnant.

I thought that with our child on the way, he would finally put his family first. That he’d spend time with me, be there for me. But I was wrong.

The moment his mother’s watchful eye was gone, he dove back into work—late nights, excuses, absence. He didn’t even attend a single prenatal visit with me.

I had no idea the child in Tessa’s womb was his—and was four months older than mine.

“If it weren’t for the unexpected pregnancy, I wouldn’t have dared interfere with your marriage…” Tessa whispered sweetly.

“Thank you, Mr. Howard. Thank you for letting me keep the baby and for taking care of me.”

She kissed him deeply.

Bruce rolled her beneath him and growled,

“Tessa, I should be the one thanking you. Everything I have now—this success, this position—it’s all thanks to you.”

He spoke shamelessly.

“A man like me, with power and status, it’s only natural to have children in different places. Elise grew up in a wealthy family. She should understand—she should learn to be magnanimous and know when to look the other way.”

Then he laughed.

“I only have two children—yours and hers. That’s not excessive. She should be content.”

Just then, footsteps echoed in the hallway. I ducked into the shadows.

Two employees passed by, chatting quietly as they peeked into the office.

“Secretary Holmes is so lucky. She’s only been here a short time and already landed a rich husband.”

“Mr. Howard really dotes on her. I heard he personally arranged everything for her after she got pregnant.”

My stomach twisted violently and pain shot through my abdomen.

Bruce gently helped Tessa get dressed.

“I’ll head back first,” he said softly. “You should get some rest too.”

Tessa kissed him lightly on the lips and, with graceful elegance, picked up her purse and turned to leave. But just as she passed the corner where I was hiding, she suddenly paused.

“Miss Griffin,” she said smugly, “snooping around like this isn’t exactly classy.”

Knowing I’d been caught, I stepped out of the shadows with my head held high. Tessa folded her arms and gave me a slow, shameless onceover.

“Mr. Howard really knows how to please a woman,” she said with a sly smile. “I’m guessing you’ve never experienced that side of him, Miss Griffin. Poor thing. Allow me to give you a little peek into what you’ve been missing.”

I was stunned by her audacity.

“You’re nothing but a mistress,” I snapped. “And yet you act like you own the place. Is this what your parents taught you?”

She scoffed, eyes flashing.

“And you still think you’re worthy of being Mr. Howard’s wife? Don’t forget, you killed your own parents and brought ruin to the entire Griffin Family. If it weren’t for Mr. Howard’s kindness, you’d be begging on the streets by now.”

Her words cut deep, but she wasn’t finished.

“Elise, you—born without a mother’s love—dare to talk to me about dignity? The child I’m carrying is the rightful heir, the eldest son of the Howard Family. You think Mr. Howard wanted a child with you? He only gave in because his mother forced him!”

She leaned closer, voice dripping with venom.

“The latecomer overtakes the early bird, sweetheart. Soon, you’ll be out on the streets—and I’ll be the one he calls ‘Mrs. Howard.’”

Her sugary voice, sharp as razors, buzzed in my ears. After over twenty years of being with Bruce, my childhood sweetheart, I had been completely replaced by a woman he hadn’t even known for a year.

My eyes burned with tears. I turned to walk away—but suddenly, my bag strap was yanked backward. I turned and gasped. Tessa had pulled out my medical file.

“Midtolate stage liver cancer?” she read aloud, her eyes lighting up with malicious glee. She began circling me like a predator.

“So… you don’t have long left? The baby’s fine, but what’s the point? His mother’s going to die anyway! Honestly, this is too good. You and that bastard child of yours—both destined for early graves.”

Her grin was vicious.

“This is karma, Elise. You brought this on yourself.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I lunged for her, grabbing a fistful of her long hair, desperate to get the report back.

“Give it back to me!”

But instead of fighting, she let out a wail, tossed the papers in the air dramatically and collapsed to the floor in exaggerated sobs.

“I’m sorry, Madam!” she cried. “I never meant to seduce Mr. Howard—we just fell in love! Please don’t hit me!”

She tore at her blouse and curled up on the floor like a helpless victim.

“I’ll do what you say! I’ll abort the baby, I’ll quit the company—I’ll disappear, I promise!”

I stood frozen, unable to process how quickly she’d twisted the entire scene.

Before I could speak, I felt someone grab my collar—and the next second, a harsh slap stung my cheek.

“Elise, have you lost your mind?” Bruce roared. “You’re pregnant and yet you’re running around my company causing drama?”

He rushed to Tessa’s side, helping her up and gently patting her back like she were made of glass.

“Mr. Howard, please… don’t be angry with her,” Tessa whimpered through tears. “She’s right—I’m of low birth. I’m not worthy of loving you, let alone having your child.”

“She’s just upset because she’s ill. I understand. Don’t blame her. If it makes her feel better, she can hit me. I won’t fight back. Just… don’t take it out on the baby.”

Bruce wrapped his arms around her waist and wiped her tears with painstaking care.

“Illness?” he scoffed. “Let’s see what kind of story she’s made up this time.”

He bent down to pick up the medical documents from the floor.

“You’re pregnant too, Elise. Can’t you at least think about others? Tessa is already seven months along. Are you trying to make her miscarry? How selfish can you be?”

I stared blankly at the papers in his hand, my voice barely a whisper.

“Bruce… I have cancer.”

His face faltered. He glanced down at the report, reading the words slowly.

“Liver cancer… terminal?”

A flicker of guilt passed through his eyes. He reached out to touch my face—but before his hand could land, Tessa spoke sweetly, ever so innocently.

“Doesn’t liver cancer cause ascites? The symptoms must look an awful lot like pregnancy…”

His hand froze midair. The guilt vanished instantly.

With one swift motion, he ripped the report in half and slapped the torn pieces against my face.

“I knew it! You forged this to get my attention. You’re pathetic, Elise! Always scheming!”

His eyes blazed with fury.

“Cancer? Really? You’re dying, huh? Then do it—go ahead and die! Take that bastard in your belly and die together! It’d save me the trouble of divorcing you!”

The sharp edges of the paper cut into my cheek, but they were nothing compared to the pain in my heart—the hatred in his eyes, the cruelty of his words.

Tessa’s smug grin shimmered in the corner of my vision.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms.

Then, slowly, I knelt, picked up the torn medical report and prenatal documents and walked away—one heavy step at a time.

“Elise, stop right there!”

Bruce’s voice thundered through the corridor, his face darkened with fury.

But I didn’t stop. I quickened my pace and disappeared around the corner without looking back.

The moment I was out of sight, a wave of confusion and helplessness washed over him.

He was just about to run after me when Tessa clutched the hem of his shirt with trembling fingers.

“Mr. Howard…” she whimpered, her voice weak and pitiful. “I… I’m bleeding…”

Bruce looked down and froze—blood was trickling down from between her legs. Panic overtook him in an instant.

“II’m fine. It’s nothing…” Tessa stammered, her face pale as a sheet. “You should go after the lady first. What if she does something reckless…”

Her frail voice and selfless concern tore at his heart.

“You’re still thinking about Elise in this state?” Bruce said, cradling her in his arms.

“You’re too kind for your own good.” He looked down at her with tenderness.

“Elise is obsessed with me. She’ll come back and apologize in a few days—I know her. But you—your health comes first now. You’re carrying my child, my firstborn. I’ve placed all my hopes on this baby. Nothing can go wrong!”

Meanwhile, I entered the house and quietly keyed in the code to unlock the door. The room inside was cold, dark and hollow.

This was once the wedding suite for Bruce and me—a space that held countless memories of our life together.

Now, those memories felt like ghosts. Ever since Tessa came into the picture, Bruce barely returned home. Piece by piece, he took his things away, until only traces of him remained.

It was over.

Everything was over.

I no longer wanted any part of the past.

Not the memories, not the emotions.

And certainly not Bruce.

As I pushed open the door to leave again, a strange metallic taste rose in my mouth. My vision blurred, the room spun and I doubled over, coughing up a mouthful of blood before collapsing.

A kind neighbor found me and rushed me to the hospital.

When I finally regained consciousness, the hospital room was dark and silent. I glanced at the clock—it had been two full days. I checked my phone. No messages. No missed calls.

Bruce never came home. Not even once.

I forced myself out of bed, still weak and stumbled into the hallway—just in time to see Bruce carefully supporting Tessa as they walked toward me.

The moment he saw me, confusion flickered in his eyes. Then his expression hardened and suspicion crept into his voice.

“What are you doing here? Following me and Tessa—what are you planning?”

The cold caution in his tone made me laugh bitterly.

“Is this hospital your family’s property now? I can’t be here?”

I stared at him with weary eyes.

“You’re unbelievable, Bruce. Tessa ends up in the hospital and she’s a poor, delicate victim. I end up here and I’m suddenly a schemer? You really know how to break someone’s heart.”

Before he could answer, a nurse appeared beside me.

“Miss Griffin, you’re awake. The test results are back. You—”

She stopped midsentence.

Bruce reached out and snatched the report from her hands. His eyes scanned the paper, pausing at the blood type listed in bold.

Then, without a word, he grabbed my wrist and began dragging me down the hall.

“Let go of me, Bruce!” I shouted, stumbling behind him. “What are you doing? Where are you taking me?!”

He said nothing until we reached the blood transfusion room.

He shoved me in front of the attending doctor, yanked up my sleeve and shoved my arm forward.

“She and Tessa have the same blood type,” he barked. “There’s none in the blood bank—take hers.”

I looked up in disbelief, meeting the doctor’s stunned gaze.

“We’ve already requested an emergency supply from a nearby hospital. It should be here any moment,” the doctor replied cautiously.

“I can’t wait,” Bruce snapped. “Do it now. Take hers!”

The doctor hesitated.

“But she’s pregnant. Drawing blood at this stage could be dangerous for her and the fetus.”

Bruce gave an indifferent shrug.

“She’s still in the early stages. It won’t matter.”

His voice was calm—cold.

“No need to convince me. What matters right now is Tessa. Everything else can wait.”

Unable to argue with him further, the doctor gave in.

As the blood drained from my arm, my lips grew pale, then turned an eerie shade of purple. Pain stabbed through my veins, but I clenched my jaw and said nothing.

I stared at the tube, watching my blood flow out slowly, steadily.

I closed my eyes.

Take it.

Take all of it.

Take my blood… take my love for Bruce…

Take everything—and never give it back.

When I woke up again, I was lying in the guest room of our house.

From outside, I heard Tessa’s silver belllike laughter echoing through the halls, grating on my nerves like fingernails on glass. A wave of inexplicable anger surged within me.

I got up and walked out.

There she was—Tessa—sitting crosslegged in the living room, giggling as she toyed with something in her hands. My eyes widened in disbelief.

It was the rag doll I had made for my unborn child… torn to shreds.

I rushed toward her and yanked the mutilated doll from her hands. The once soft, fragrant little figure was now filthy, with missing limbs and its seams ripped open. My heart clenched.

Tears slipped from my eyes before I could stop them.

That doll had been my gift—my promise—to the life growing inside me. I had stitched it by hand, clumsily but lovingly, over countless late nights. I wasn’t good at sewing, but I had poured my heart into every single thread, dreaming of the day I would place it in my baby’s arms.

When it was done, I had carefully locked it away in a safe.

Only Bruce and I knew the password.

And yet… he had the audacity to take it—and let her ruin it?

Cradling the ruined doll, I glared at Tessa with fury burning in my chest. I opened my mouth to speak—but before I could utter a single word, a sharp slap cracked across my cheek.

Bruce stood there, face cold, eyes full of scorn.

“Elise, can you stop already?” he barked. “Tessa is pregnant and about to give birth. Can’t you be a little more considerate and let things go?”

My throat tightened. I lifted the torn doll for him to see, my voice trembling.

“Have you forgotten? You and I agreed this was for our child…”

But Bruce cut me off, waving my words away like they were nothing.

“Enough. I don’t want to hear your nonsense. Apologize to Tessa for your behavior—right now.”

He took a step closer, his voice low but filled with warning.

“If you refuse, then we’ll divorce. The Howard Family can’t be tied to an uncultured woman like you.

But Elise, think it through. Your Griffin Family collapsed a decade ago. I’m all you have left. Do you really want your child to be born fatherless? To live in hunger and poverty with you, begging to survive?”

His words struck like knives, each syllable colder than the last.

My heart, once warm with hope, froze completely.

I thought back to the beginning—how excited he’d been about having a baby.

He had read books on prenatal care, researched baby products for hours, dreamed of becoming a father.

But back then, when we were deeply in love, the baby never came. Now, when we were nothing but strangers in the same house… I was pregnant.

He had truly forgotten everything.

Forgotten our vows.

Forgotten the love.

Forgotten me.

Numb, I walked into the kitchen.

I would make one final meal.

A farewell meal.

After that, I would have nothing more to do with Bruce.

He had no idea what was going through my mind.

All he noticed was the dull, lifeless way I moved and for some reason, it made his chest tighten with an emotion he couldn’t name.

I placed the freshly cooked dishes on the table, steam rising gently from the plates. Tessa waddled over, holding her belly and smiling like the queen of the house.

“Oh my goodness, Mr. Howard! You’re spoiling me! These are all my favorite dishes!”

Bruce reached out and stroked her hair gently.

“As long as you like them,” he said with a soft smile. “You’re pregnant. Eat more. You need to take care of yourself.”

I stood nearby, silent, watching their intimate exchange.

At that moment, I no longer felt like a wife—I felt like a maid.

I used to be a pampered young lady who never touched a frying pan.

And now I was serving meals to the woman who had replaced me in my own home.

I remembered how, six months ago, Bruce had insisted I learn how to cook.

How he encouraged me to bring dinner to his office every night. I thought he wanted to show his love to his colleagues—boast about our marriage.

But the truth was, every dish I learned to make… was one of Tessa’s favorites.

Every lovefilled lunchbox I had carried in the rain, in the heat, in the cold… had probably gone straight into Tessa’s hands.

Now, right in front of me, Bruce was feeding her like it was the most natural thing in the world. No shame. No guilt.

My body trembled.

But it’s okay.

I’ll be free soon.

This hell I’ve been living in—where I swallow tears instead of food—will come to an end.

I gently caressed my belly.

Before this child is born, I will take him away.

Far from this house.

Far from Bruce.

Far from this cold, unworthy man who calls himself a father.

The day after tomorrow marks the Howard Family’s ancestral worship ceremony—an event held once every ten years and personally overseen by the matriarch.

This would be my first time organizing it and I had poured months of work into every detail.

Even though resentment toward Bruce still burned quietly in my heart, I had no intention of abandoning my responsibilities and disgracing the entire Howard Family.

No—this ceremony mattered far more than my personal pain.

The night before the ceremony, Bruce called for me.

It was the first time he had summoned me on his own since Tessa came into our lives a year ago.

“Tomorrow is the ancestral worship ceremony,” he said plainly, without any preamble. “You should let Tessa take the matriarch’s seat.”

My mind went blank. My face froze.

Seeing my reaction, Bruce cleared his throat and continued in a patronizing tone.

“After all, the child in Tessa ’s womb is my firstborn son. Besides, she’s just a young girl—playful, maybe a little vain. She only wants to sit in that seat for a moment. She’s not trying to challenge you or anything. Don’t worry, the title of Mrs. Howard will always belong to you. No one can replace you.”

He rambled on, but I had already stopped listening.

The ancestral worship ceremony was solemn and sacred—an event watched closely by the entire family group.

And he wanted her to sit in my place, in my seat.

What did that make me?

“Elise, don’t be so quick to refuse,” he coaxed, his voice softening as though he were doing me a favor.

“Just agree to Tessa ’s request this time. Consider it a favor I owe you.

In return, I’ll grant you any wish you want in the future. Sound fair?”

He looked so sure of himself, so confident that I would say yes.

I forced a tight smile and swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat.

“Then I’ll use that wish right now—while you’re still offering it—so there won’t be any misunderstandings later.”

Bruce paused. Then, a slow, knowing smile curled across his lips.

“Alright.”

He reached out to pull me into an embrace, but I stepped aside.

“Wait here. I need to get something.”

I returned holding a document folder—neatly organized, every contract and agreement in place.

Right at the front was a love agreement Bruce had once coaxed me into signing during our passionate courtship.

He hesitated when he saw it.

But I didn’t stop to gauge his thoughts.

I flipped to the last document, opened to the signature page and handed it to him.

“Sign it.”

Bruce chuckled lightly.

“You’re still the same, Elise. No matter how old you get, you’ve always had the heart of a child.”

He picked up the pen and, without even reading the document, signed his name—neatly, decisively, just like he always had.

My hands trembled as I reached for the paper.

It was the divorce agreement.

I had braced myself for a fight—for begging, for resistance—but he signed it so easily, without hesitation.

“Elise, you didn’t need to waste your one wish on something so trivial,” he said warmly. “I’ve signed it. Go home and think of a better wish, something that will truly benefit you.”

He was always like this—always speaking from above, never seeing me as an equal.

I sneered inwardly.

‘The agreement you just signed is the only benefit I’ll ever need from you.’

“No need,” I said flatly, turning away.

With the signed divorce papers in my hand, there was no reason left to keep up appearances.

“I’ll pretend to be ill tomorrow. Let Tessa conduct the ceremony.”

My compliance caught him off guard. For the first time, I saw panic flicker in his eyes.

“Just this once, Elise,” he said quickly. “Don’t worry. The next tenyear memorial service will still be yours.”

I looked back at him, my voice calm and firm.

“The next one? It won’t be me. If she wants it, she can have that one too.”

His expression wavered.

“I’ve also prepared a gift for Tessa. I’m sure she’ll love it.”

He tried to catch up to me, wrapping his arms around me from behind. His voice trembled slightly with emotion.

“You’ve grown up, Elise. If you and Tessa can get along, I’ll finally be at peace.”

But the master bedroom was no longer mine. Tessa had taken that too.

So I returned to the guest room where I’d been temporarily staying.

I stood before the floortoceiling windows, staring out at the glittering skyline.

Tomorrow, it will all be over.

After tomorrow, I will never return to this house again.

I’m going home—home to my brothers, who love me unconditionally.