The grand living room of the Wilson mansion felt heavy and uncomfortable, even with the Christmas lights sparkling everywhere.
Pine garlands and red ribbons decorated the mantel, and the smell of cinnamon and cloves drifted from the untouched mugs of mulled wine on the table.
A Christmas tree in the corner, decorated with gold and silver ornaments, cast soft shadows on the guests' faces.
But no one seemed to notice the festive atmosphere.
All eyes were on Chantelle as she stood quietly, facing Daniel's dark expression.
The warmth from the crackling fire didn't ease the tension, and it seemed darker than it should have been on Christmas Eve.
"Chantelle Bently, you're a murderer! Why are you still alive? You should have been the one to die!"
Daniel shoved her away with anger, his face as dark and empty as the black suit he wore.
Chantelle was caught off guard and lost her balance, falling hard onto her pregnant belly.
The pain was unbearable, and she cried out as her body trembled.
Blood began to drip onto the ground.
Despite the pain, she fought to stay strong, looking up with tear-filled eyes.
In a trembling voice, she pleaded, "Daniel, how many times do I have to say this before you believe me? I didn't betray your family or the Wilson Group Of Companies, and I didn't cause your grandfather's death."
"You have the nerve to say that to me?! Have we ever treated you badly? Wasn't it enough that you married into our family and became the beloved daughter-in-law? Instead, you betrayed us by selling confidential business secrets, putting the family in danger! When Grandpa found out what you did, you coldly got rid of him!"
Chantelle shook her head desperately. "I told you, it wasn't me! It was Kate!"
Daniel's anger flared. He glared at her with disgust and snapped, "How dare you drag your sister into this mess! Haven't you already done enough to hurt her? What more do you want?!"
Over and over, she had done several schemes and caused harm without any remorse, yet like a fool, he always forgave her.
Anger and resentment appeared in Daniel's eyes as he threw the divorce settlement in Chantelle's face. "Sign this now! From this day forward, I'll make you pay a thousand times for everything you've done!"
The sight of the document struck Chantelle like a dagger to her heart.
Her whole body froze as if she had been cast into the icy wastelands of Hell.
She shook her head desperately. "No... I won't sign the divorce papers. Our child hasn't even been born yet…"
She couldn't go through with a divorce, not now.
She didn't want her child to suffer because of the mess they were in.
Daniel grabbed her wrist and slammed her against the wall. "Don't even think about using that child to threaten me! If it weren't for your pregnancy, do you think I'd even let you live?"
More than anything, he hated being intimidated. Yet, time and time again, this woman had managed to do that to him.
"Call the police and send this woman to prison!"
Daniel spun around and stormed out of the house, filled with fury. He didn't even glance back at Chantelle.
Chantelle refused to lose hope. She couldn't believe he could be so cruel to her, so she tried to chase after him.
But when she came into the main entrance, he was already in his car, and sitting beside him in the passenger seat was her sister, Kate, who looked smug and acting as though she were the mistress of the Wilson household.
Her twin sister, Kate, had been the one behind all the chaos.
Chantelle's rage boiled over, and for a moment, she wanted nothing more than to drag her treacherous sister out of the car and choke her to death.
But before she could act, the sound of a police siren pierced the air, and a police car screeched to a stop in front of the house.
"Ms. Bently, Mr. Wilson has filed a report against you, accusing you of deliberate murder and selling corporate secrets. We now have solid evidence; you're under arrest!"
The officers grabbed her arms and began dragging her toward the car.
She stumbled and fell to the ground, overwhelmed with hatred and pain.
Lying there, she could only watch with fury as Daniel and Kate drove away.
As the police pulled her back to her feet, Chantelle fought with all her strength.
Her eyes stared into the car that sped away, and she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Daniel Wilson, you always believe whatever that bitch says, never me! You'll regret this! If you've hurt my unborn child in any way, I'll never forgive you!"
Rain began to pour, blending with the bloodstained path where the police had dragged Chantelle to the car. Her sorrowful cries pierced through the storm, like the wailing of a banshee.
As Daniel drove away, he caught a brief glimpse of Chantelle's broken, desperate figure in the distance.
Her sobs echoed in his mind, and her accusations seemed to burn into his heart.
He knew Chantelle was the one responsible, so why did he feel his strength suddenly fading away?
Five years had passed.
A cold, harsh wind swept through the quiet, empty landscape of the Brittin Memorial Garden in Easthan.
Chantelle stood in front of the Wilson family's grave plot, dressed in black, holding a small bouquet of lilies.
She bent down and gently placed the flowers on Wesley Wilson's grave. "I'm sorry it took me so long to visit you, Wesley," she whispered.
She removed her sunglasses, revealing a face with no makeup. She looked stunning, with a straight nose and naturally rosy lips. Her long hair was simply draped over one shoulder.
Even in the solemn setting of the cemetery, her elegance and cool beauty still stood out.
She had finally kept her promise and returned after a long time.
Chantelle believed that Wesley had been her guardian angel all along, guiding her through the events of the past five years.
Five years ago, when she was framed for selling confidential information about the Wilson Group Of Companies and causing Wesley's death, her life had fallen apart.
She had been labeled a criminal, hated by everyone in Easthan.
On the night of her arrest, she had bled heavily and given birth to triplets prematurely.
Her firstborn son had been taken from her by Daniel's orders.
But fate had intervened when a mysterious person helped her hide the existence of her other two sons.
This same person had also helped her fake her own death, allowing her to disappear and survive.
Now, as she stood before Wesley's weathered photograph on his grave, his kind and compassionate expression seemed to smile at her, just like it had when he was alive.
"I've heard they're getting married soon!"
Chantelle's eyes instantly turned cold, like a sharp blade ready to devour the enemy.
"Don't worry, Wesley. As long as I'm alive, I'll make sure that Kate, the one who killed you, will never be part of the Wilson family!"