After Raising Her Husband’s Illegitimate Daughter to Glory, Her Dead Husband Returned

My husband secretly took his mistress on a trip, but fate had other plans. They both fell off a cliff and vanished, their bodies never found.

Without hesitation, I took in the child they left behind and raised her as my own. For eighteen years, I poured my heart and soul into her and molded her into a worldclass swimming champion.

However, just when I thought the past was behind me, my husband and his childhood sweetheart who had been "dead" for twenty years suddenly reappeared. They demanded me to acknowledge that they were my daughter's biological parents.

"You fool," he sneered and his voice dripped with arrogance. "Thanks to you, our biological daughter has become a world champion."

I simply laughed while hiding my true thoughts.

Then he had the audacity to propose divorce so that he and his "family" could be reunited.

Without missing a beat, I flashed him a bright, unwavering smile and answered, "Oh, sure. Take her."

——

On the days nearing the swimming competition, I was completely immersed in training and pushed my body to its limits in preparation every day.

Meanwhile, my husband, Jacob Hamilton, decided to take a little vacation with his beloved childhood sweetheart without my knowledge. However, fate played its hand that very night, news arrived that they had both plunged off a cliff and were presumed dead.

I was stunned, my mind went blank. Then, without warning, tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

A sudden knock at the door pulled me back to reality. When I opened it, my motherinlaw stood before me. She was cradling a wailing infant. It was no older than a few months.

Without a preamble, she shoved the baby into my arms, her voice cold and emotionless when she said, "This is Jacob's child."

I froze, my arms stiff around the tiny bundle. I didn't need to ask. This was obviously the illegitimate child of my husband and his mistress.

My motherinlaw looked at me expectantly, her voice carried the weight of entitlement as she said, "You're Jacob's wife. It’s your responsibility to raise his child."

I was dumbfounded by the absurdity of it all. Was she so audacious that she was expecting me to raise my husband’s love child and act as if it was my duty?

It is so unbelievable!

When she saw my hesitation, she pressed even further and practically shoved the child into my grasp as she ordered, "You will raise this child! Or I’ll make sure to show up at your workplace every single day and cause a scene!"

For years, I knew my motherinlaw well, that her shamelessness knew no bounds and at that moment, an idea took root in my mind. I smirked. Well, since she forced me to take this child, I would take her, but the way I raised her would be entirely up to me.

With a serene expression, I looked my motherinlaw in the eye and said with a smile on my face, "Of course, Motherinlaw. I’ll take good care of this child. I won’t let you or Jacob down."

A flicker of surprise crossed her face. It was clear, she hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. However, just as quickly, her usual cold demeanor returned.

From that day forward, under her watchful gaze, I juggled grueling training sessions and the exhausting demands of motherhood. Every day felt like a battle, but I endured.

Finally, the competition arrived. Against all odds, I secured my sixth gold medal in swimming. This accomplishment cemented my place as the undisputed queen of the swimming world.

The crowd roared and in the middle of celebrating my triumph, I made a shocking announcement that I was retiring.

Ignoring the protests of fans and the outcry from the media I made up my mind to leave swimming and embarked on my new mission, dedicating myself entirely to raising this child.

I named her Natalie Stevens. I poured all my hopes and dreams into her and was determined to shape her into the next swimming legend.

She had the best education at the best primary school, got the best food and the best training program for swimming. I held nothing back and passed down every skill and technique I had mastered to her.

I gave her everything because I believed that my devotion would finally silence my motherinlaw’s relentless criticisms. However, it wasn’t enough.

With a look of disdain, she scoffed, "Stop making her swim! Just look at yourself. You had spent all your time in the water and ruined your body. No wonder you can’t have children."

She sneered, her voice sharp as a blade. "If you could bear children, do you really think my son would’ve needed someone else?"

I burst into laughter at its sheer absurdity. Who said I could not have a child?

The truth was, it was Jacob who convinced me not to have children for a few years. He said we were still young and that we should focus on our careers before thinking about starting a family and like a fool, I believed him.

How did my motherinlaw twist things to make it seem like I was the one who couldn’t conceive? This accusation was beyond ridiculous!

I immediately refuted her, “Swimming has nothing to do with what you’re saying. Stop making things up!”

However, she just sneered and scoffed, “What do you know, you’re still young! Anyway, no more swimming!”

Then, she remarked, “A woman who can’t have children is incomplete. You’re a complete failure!”

I couldn’t believe my ears. I had eight swimming gold medals and was a recognized queen in the sports world. Yet, in her eyes, I was nothing but a failure simply because I hadn’t given birth. It was absurd that all my global achievements meant less to her than a baby!

I took a deep breath and enunciated each word clearly, “If you want me to continue raising this child, Natalie must swim. “Otherwise, take her away right now. I won’t stop you.”

I pretended to hand over the child to her. My motherinlaw opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing. Her face turned red with frustration as she stomped her foot in anger.

Time passed quickly and each single day, Natalie grew and without missing a single day, I took her to the swimming pool for training. Eventually, our routine caught the attention of netizens.

Like the imaginary wellknown detective, Sherlock Holmes, they pieced together the timeline of her birth and quickly realized that she was born while I was competing overseas and suddenly rumors exploded online.

“The world champion promotes surrogacy? Boycott her!” Many criticized my actions.

The hashtag #SwimmingChampionWandaStevensSurrogacy soared to the top of trending searches.

Countless netizens flooded my comment section and launched vicious personal attacks.

As I read the slanderous comments, my grip on my phone tightened and my body trembled slightly. I was so upset. It was clear that I had not done anything wrong, so why was I the one being attacked?

In truth, I had never wanted to reveal Natalie’s real identity, because, for me, she was already my real daughter. All I wanted was to shield her from life's difficulties.

If her classmates and friends found out she wasn’t my biological child, how would they see her? How would they treat her?

However now, with the surrogacy scandal spiraling out of control, I had no choice but to go public with the truth. I revealed that Natalie was my husband and his childhood sweetheart’s illegitimate child. Years ago, they had fallen off a cliff and died and I was merely the fool who had raised their child in their absence.

So, to prove my claim, I released a paternity test showing that Natalie and I had no biological relation.

The accusations of surrogacy in the comment section gradually died down. However, unexpectedly, a new wave of harsh criticism arose.

“Why would you raise your husband’s mistress’s child? Wanda, are you crazy? I can’t stand this doormat behavior!”

“There’s no way someone would willingly raise a mistress’s child. She must be putting on a show, desperate for attention!”

As I read all the condescending comments, I merely smiled and did not write anything.

Soon after that, I posted a new update. [I will raise this child as my own and train her to become a swimming champion. Time will prove everything.]

The uproar online finally settled, at least for now. However, my fans were growing more anxious and posting their concern.

[Wanda, did you retire early just to raise this child? It wasn’t worth it!]

[Wanda, quick! Wake up! Don’t foolishly raise a mistress’s child. There must be more to this story!]

I scanned the comments, my fingers poised over the keyboard before typing a simple response, [Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.] Then, without hesitation, I shut my laptop.

Beside me, my motherinlaw watched with wary eyes, her expression tense.

"You can rest assured, Mother," I said, meeting her gaze with unwavering resolve. "I will raise Natalie as my own daughter."

"You’ve seen how I’ve treated her all these years," I added with a firm resolution.

She nodded repeatedly as relief washed over her face while kept saying her gratitude, "Good, good! Since you’re willing to do this, Jacob can finally rest in peace. On behalf of him and his wife, thank you."

I curved my lips into a faint smile and said, "We’re family, so there is no need to thank you. It was also my promise to Talie at that time."

The moment the words slipped from my mouth, I bit my tongue.

"What did you just say? Who's Talie?" My motherinlaw had sharp ears so she immediately caught the name and suspicion flashed in her eyes.

I quickly shook my head. Without changing my expression, I said calmly, "You must’ve misheard, Mother."

Years passed in the blink of an eye and Natalie, who was now eighteen years old, stood at the edge of the Olympic pool.

As soon as the starting gun fired, she sliced through the water like a fish and glided with effortless grace. She reached the wall first in the end. She even broke the world record and secured the world championship title in freestyle swimming.

The internet exploded with excitement as comments crashed like a tidal wave.

[I can’t believe it! Wanda had really raised her late husband's illegitimate child with his mistress for so many years and managed to turn her into a world champion!]

"Wanda is an incredible woman! Natalie wouldn’t be able to break the world record at eighteen years old like she did today without Wanda’s dedication!]

The same netizens who once scorned me now changed their tune and praised me endlessly.

Yet, at that moment, my motherinlaw decided to give an interview.

Lifting her chin with pride, she declared, "Natalie's talent comes from her biological parents' superior genes. It has nothing to do with Wanda."

I scoffed at the absurdity of it all. After all, I had poured my heart and soul into training Natalie. I taught her every technique I knew for years. Without me, she would never have won the world championship at such a young age.

Then my motherinlaw added, "Just wait, in the next few days, I will give everyone an explanation."

As I watched the smug satisfaction on her face, a sense of unease crept into my heart. What was she up to now?

That night, she announced she was heading out. I nodded. I discreetly slipped a tiny listening device into the bottom of her handbag before sending her off with a smile on my face.

Lately, she had been sneaking out at night and for a while, my gut told me something was off and something was brewing in the air.

The house was quiet, the night deep and still. I sat by the receiver my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

Then, a voice crackled through the speaker. It was a voice I hadn't heard in eighteen years, Jacob.

Even though I had mentally prepared myself, I was flabbergasted when I heard the voice that I had not heard for so long.

Eighteen years ago, when they fell off that cliff but their bodies were never found, I had suspected something was amiss, so I kept my vigilance. Now, my worst fears were confirmed. The old fox had survived the fall.

Another voice followed his voice. It was the voice of a woman with an unrefined accent that was strangely familiar to my ears but I could not pinpoint who she was.

"Husband, our two children are incredible!" Hearing this, a chill shot through my spine.

Two children? These shameless people had managed to have another child without my knowledge! So, why did they only leave Natalie in my care in the first place? Many questions jumbled in my mind.

Before I could untangle the confusion in my mind, my motherinlaw’s voice rang out, full of admiration, "That’s my son and daughterinlaw for you! Such excellent genes! Both of their children are extraordinary!

“Just wait a few days …”

Suddenly, the voice cut off. The signal had failed.

Rage surged through me like a tidal wave that crashed into me. So this was their plan all along. It was such a wellcalculated scheme.

Fortunately, I had already suspected as much and prepared accordingly! I let out a cold chuckle and a new plan quietly formed in my mind.

The next day, my motherinlaw excitedly announced that she would throw a grand celebration banquet for Natalie to honor her world championship victory.

She wasted no time spreading the news in our family and friends group chats. She even posted a new post online.

[We’ll be livestreaming Natalie’s celebration banquet for winning the world swimming competition! A major surprise will also be announced at the event.]

As soon as the news broke, the internet erupted. Netizens were busy commenting and talking about their speculation.

As I gripped the tiny recording device in my hand, I smirked and a thought flashed in my mind.

Well, let's see who surprises who when the time comes.

The celebration banquet arrived and the entire event was being livestreamed.

Amid thunderous applause, Natalie held my hand tightly and led me to the center of the stage. Her eyes sparkled with excitement and her voice was filled with emotion as she said, “I wouldn’t be here today, standing on this stage at eighteen years old, if not for my mother, Wanda Stevens.”

She added, "For all these years, she raised me without a single complaint and personally taught me every swimming technique I know. This gold medal belongs just as much to her as it does to me.”

After she said this, Natalie raised the gold medal and was about to place it around my neck, but before she could do that, my motherinlaw suddenly rushed forward,

She yelled, " My dear granddaughter, I have a surprise for you.”

She grabbed Natalie’s wrist, her voice sharp and piercing as she said, “The truth is … your biological parents are still alive. What happened all those years ago was a mistake. For eighteen years, they’ve been searching for you and today, they’re here.”

Natalie froze on the spot and her eyes widened in disbelief.

Meanwhile, the live chat exploded with netizen's comments. They came like a tidal wave.

[Whoa! This is some major drama!]

[Wow … Now that the kid’s a champion, the biological parents suddenly appear? What a joke!]

[Wanda basically wasted all these years raising someone else’s child! We had told her these before, but she wouldn’t listen. Now look at her. I bet she regrets it now!]

I curled my lips into a cold smile. So, these shameless scumbags finally couldn’t hold back anymore and came to claim her.

My motherinlaw snatched the microphone and dramatically announced. She raised her voice as loud as she could, "Let’s welcome the world champion’s real parents onto the stage!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Jacob strode onto the stage. His hand was pulling a woman along with him.

The live chat went insane with the flooding comments from the netizens.

“Oh, goodness! Natalie’s birth mother is none other than Cassie Clements. She is from the Second Swimming Team! This is a huge news!”

[Wanda and Cassie are rivals. How can Cassie have the nerve to do this?]

I stared at Cassie and a memory clicked into place. So, the woman’s voice in my secret recording with that unrefined accent … was her all along!

Jacob, with a smug and arrogant look on his face, pulled Cassie along. Then, he stopped in front of me. His nostrils practically flared with pride as he said, "Wanda, it’s been eighteen years. It’s time for you to return my daughter to me.”

I was shaking with fury and my fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. Through gritted teeth, I spat, "Jacob, you're so brazen!"

The internet exploded with outrage. Many netizens cursed him.

[This guy is unbelievable! He dumped his kid on Wanda, let her groom a champion and now he wants to get her back! What a disgusting father.]

Cassie's expression flickered with unease, but Jacob remained shamelessly unfazed. With a straight face, he spewed his lies, “Eighteen years ago, we broke up on good terms. I saw how desperate you were for a child and how much you begged me. Out of pity, I let you raise my daughter.”

“Now, it’s time for you to return her to me. Let her go back to her real parents.”

His words were so absurd that I actually laughed. When had I ever agreed to such a thing?

However, since Jacob spoke so convincingly many netizens actually believed him and chimed in.

[If there was already an agreement, then the child should indeed be returned.]

I smiled and nodded, my tone casual but firm when I answered him, "Alright. Since she’s your biological daughter, of course, I’ll return her to you.”

Just as my words fell, a figure appeared at the entrance of the banquet hall. She was wobbling unsteadily toward the stage.