My Husband's Childhood Sweetheart Was a Trafficker

My husband's first love came back after she had been missing for ten years.

With tears streaming down her face, she threw herself into his arms, and he gently comforted her with a pained expression.

She glanced at me and said, pretending to be pitiful, "Now that I'm back, will you divorce her and let her move out?"

She thought I was just a stand-in and took the life that rightfully belonged to her.

But she was unaware that our comfortable life was all because of me.

My husband, Ryland Howard, heard her words and instinctively pushed her away. My in-laws' faces darkened at the same time.

I stepped forward and slapped Ryland across the face. "Deal with your mess before coming to see me."

1

My husband's first love showed up.

As soon as I got home, I was greeted by a reunion scene, which seemed touching.

A delicate young woman was nestled in my husband's arms, crying bitterly.

My husband was softly comforting her, and Jade, Jade Howard, was wiping her tears.

She said, "It's good that you're back."

The four of them stood together, looking like a real family, while I seemed like the outsider.

I put down my limited edition Hermès handbag casually and asked, "Who is that?"

They saw me, and the reunion scene seemed to freeze.

My husband, Ryland Howard, instinctively tried to push the young woman away. He was eager to explain to me the situation.

But Jade said before he did, "Jemma, you're back. This is my friend's daughter, Lilliana Hewitt. She's been through a lot and finally made it back."

Jade was on the verge of tears again.

I had heard of Lilliana.

Before I got married to Ryland, I had investigated him. He had a childhood friend, a girl-next-door type, but they never actually dated.

Ryland had told me that he only saw Lilliana as his sister and that he had no feelings for her.

Ten years ago, Lilliana's parents died in an accident during a trip, and she was kidnapped by traffickers. From then on, she disappeared.

My in-laws felt guilty and had been searching for her ever since.

I looked at Lilliana and intended to comfort her, who had suffered so much, but I met a pair of hostile eyes.

In her eyes, I seemed to be the villain who had stolen her happy life.

I chuckled and swallowed my words and simply watched as Lilliana clung to my husband's arm. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and her voice sounded soft. "Ryland, who is she?"

Ryland replied, "She's my wife, Jemma. You should call her Mrs. Howard."

Lilliana's face changed dramatically, and she sharply asked, "How could you marry another woman? What about me?"

2

Lilliana's lips turned pale as she weakly wiped away her tears. "I guess I shouldn't come back to disrupt your happy life."

Jade quickly went over to comfort her, saying, "What are you talking about? Your parents are gone, but from now on, I'll be your family. Consider this place your home, and I'll treat you as my daughter."

Lilliana looked at Ryland, her eyes full of hope and uncertainty. She asked, "Really?"

Ryland nodded and said, "Yes. This is your home from now on. You're my sister, and we're all your family. Don't see yourself as an outsider."

Lilliana glanced at me, and her gaze carried smug defiance as if she had already won.

I was uninterested.

I sat on the sofa and snacked on fruit prepared by the servants. I seemed to be watching a drama that had nothing to do with me.

Lilliana thought I retreated in fear as I didn't say anything. She boldly said, "Ryland, now that I'm back, shouldn't you divorce her?"

As soon as her words fell, the living room fell into an awkward silence.

Liliana didn't receive immediate support and looked displeased. She added, "Ryland, you once said you'd marry me when we grew up."

Jade gave an awkward smile and said, "Lilliana, what nonsense are you talking about? What I said when we were kids doesn't count."

Ryland pushed her away, and his face was drained of color. "Don't talk nonsense. Jemma and I are very happy together. We impossibly have a divorce."

"Lilliana, Ryland is like a brother to you. You can't speak such nonsense," my father-in-law said sternly.

Ryland and his parents all looked at me anxiously and seemed to be afraid I'd be angry.

I chuckled softly and saw through Lilliana's petty tricks easily.

But I didn't mind it, but it didn't mean she could act as she liked.

I stood up, walked slowly over to Ryland, and slapped him across the face. "Deal with your mess before coming to see me."

With that, I left Ryland's house like a queen. My face didn't show sadness.

3

I walked straight into the neighboring three-story villa, where various exotic flowers were blooming in the garden.

Those flowers were planted there because I liked them, so the gardener took good care of them.

As soon as I entered the house, the servants greeted me respectfully, "Jemma, welcome home."

This mansion was my parents' home.

As the only daughter of the wealthiest family, I was pampered since I was born. Of course, I learned everything necessary as the only heir to the Wade Group.

Love had never been everything to me.

Ryland's sincerity and ambition moved me back then, so he won my parents' approval and got married to me.

The servants quickly brought me my favorite snacks and served them to me to enjoy.

Another servant stood behind me and massaged my shoulders.

That servant had specifically learned massage techniques and made me feel so comfortable that my eyes closed.

I always felt the most comfortable and relaxed to be back at my parents' house.

Lilliana appeared innocent but was full of hidden motives. She was not worth my time or energy.

I was planning to relax in the swimming pool in the backyard when Ryland and my in-laws came after me.

"Jemma, please don't be angry. Lilliana and I never had been in a relationship, and I've never thought about divorcing you," Ryland hurriedly explained the situation as soon as he saw me. "The doctor says that she has some mental problems, so don't take her nonsense to heart."

Jade took my hand and said, "Lilliana has a hard life. She was sold to a remote village by traffickers, where she was forced to get married to a man and give birth to two children. She was beaten and starved for nearly ten years before she finally found a chance to escape. So I want to compensate her with some money, but we absolutely won't let her ruin your marriage."

"Indeed, she's had a hard life," I thought.

If Lilliana was willing to behave and be a daughter to the Howard family, I didn't mind giving her protection, treating her like my own sister, and ensuring her a good life.

But clearly, Lilliana didn't want to be the Howard family's daughter. She wanted to be the daughter-in-law of the Howard family.

Her eyes couldn't hide her ambition.

Ryland and his parents looked sincere, so I smiled faintly and said, "But she doesn't seem to like me. How about I stay at my parents' house for a few days?"

"You cannot do that. You're part of the Howard family. You can't just stay at your parents' house all the time. Besides, your parents aren't home, and we will worry about you if you stay here alone," Jade said disapprovingly.

Ryland directly picked me up in a bridal carry and said, "Honey, if you're not home, I won't be able to go to sleep at night."

I was carried back to the Howards' house like a bride.

Just as we reached the living room door, I wasn't surprised to see Lilliana's eyes filled with intense jealousy.

Her hands clenched at her sides, and the veins bulged.

4

I didn't take Lilliana seriously, but she kept causing trouble in front of me.

I had a habit of having a specially made tuna cheese sandwich for breakfast. It was very expensive.

Lilliana's tears fell like rain. "I thought I'd never have a full meal in my life, let alone a tuna cheese sandwich."

Jade quickly went over to comfort her. "What are you talking about? You'll never go hungry again. If you want a tuna cheese sandwich, I'll buy some for you another day."

But Lilliana's gaze was fixed on my plate. She pitifully said, "Isn't Jemma having it now?"

My hand paused.

Was she really trying to take my breakfast?

Jade chuckled awkwardly and tried to soothe her. "Her breakfast is specially made under her father's instructions. It is a prized delicacy."

Lilliana asked innocently, "Doesn't she share such an expensive breakfast with you? After all, you are her mother-in-law."

Her clumsy attempt to sow discord caused the atmosphere in the dining room to freeze.

I stood up gracefully and pushed the unfinished sandwich towards Lilliana. "If you like it, why not try some?"

If she didn't mind sharing my leftovers, it was fine with me.

Lilliana thought she had succeeded in her scheme and looked smug. She pretended to be sweet and said, "Good things should naturally be given to the elders first."

She wanted to highlight her own filial piety, contrasting it with my supposed selfishness.

Unfortunately for her, her plan fell flat.

I went upstairs, hearing Ryland's displeased voice behind me. "My mom is allergic to it, so stop saying unpleasant things."

Not long after, I changed my clothes and went downstairs.

Ryland immediately came over and took my hand. "Jemma, you're all dressed up. Where are you going?"

"I'm going shopping," I replied coolly.

"Take this bank card. Buy whatever you want." Ryland handed me a gold bank card, and his eyes were full of affection.

Lilliana's eyes turned red with jealousy, but she tried to maintain a sweet demeanor. "It's been ages since I've gone shopping. I wonder what the city looks like now."

Jade softened again. "Why don't you go shopping with Jemma? I'll join you. Ryland, you drive us."

"Okay." Ryland whispered to me, "You can pick up the dress we ordered last time."

Lilliana walked over and forcibly linked arms with Ryland. She deliberately showed off how close she was to Ryland in front of me, and then she quickly took the front passenger seat before giving me a provocative smile.

I shook my head, turned around, and drove out in my pink luxury car.

I didn't think sitting in the front seat was something to be proud of.

When Lilliana saw the car I was driving, her face turned livid. "Is Jemma driving a luxury car? I've never seen one before."

"Do you want to take a closer look?" I replied nonchalantly, ignoring Lilliana's twisted face as I stepped on the gas and drove off.

5

Ryland wanted to go with me, but unfortunately, Jade was still in his car.

As soon as I got to the mall, I walked straight through the VIP entrance.

Lilliana tried to follow me through the VIP entrance but was stopped by security.

She pointed at me and said, "Why are you stopping me? Is she trying to ditch me?"

Jade took her inside and explained the situation to her, saying, "Jemma is a high-level member who spends over ten million annually at the mall, so she can use the VIP entrance. You were behind her, and the security doesn't know you, so naturally, they stopped you."

Hearing that I spent so much money per year, Lilliana was so jealous that her face twisted. She cried pitifully, "I didn't know she could spend so much. I hadn't even seen a hundred dollars back in the village."

She was implying that I spent too much money. I smiled.

Jade felt sorry for her hardships in the small village and quickly comforted her. "Alright. Don't mention the past. If you need money, just tell me, and I will give you some."

I looked at Lilliana with a faint smile. "Don't worry. That's all in the past. Now, your card balance should be more than you can spend."

As soon as she returned, Jade had Ryland give her a bank card with a balance of one million dollars to compensate her. Yet she was still saying that she was poor in front of me.

Lilliana's expression froze instantly. She then looked even more pitiful. "I'm afraid such a good life is too good to be true, and I'll wake up back in that hellish little village."

6

I couldn't be bothered to talk to Lilliana, so I went to the shoppe to pick up my custom-made dress. It was handcrafted by a top designer in three months with a price tag of over a million.

"Miss Wade, is there anything that doesn't fit you well?" The store clerk respectfully asked, holding the dress.

Lilliana's eyes showed obvious greed.

She hesitated until Jade asked her what she wanted.

She finally said hesitantly, "Jemma, you know what?"

"What do you want to say?" Jade asked, puzzled.

Lilliana twisted her hands and said with false compassion, "There are so many women and children suffering in some corner of the world. This dress could save so many of them. Could you return it and help them instead?"

The clerk couldn't help but say sarcastically, "This is a custom-made dress. Once completed, it can't be returned. Even if the dress is not wanted, the money can't be refunded. Besides, for Jemma, this is just an ordinary dress."

Lilliana's face turned pale, and she clutched her hem tightly. "I just pity those who are suffering."

I chuckled softly and signaled the clerk to wrap up the dress. I said to Lilliana, "You've been through tough times yourself, and even now, you still think of helping others in need."

Lilliana replied, "That's right. I just hope there are fewer people suffering in this world. I can't bring myself to enjoy these luxuries without any worries."

I nodded repeatedly. "Okay. Ryland, didn't you give Lilliana a bank card with a million dollars? We shouldn't let her good intentions go to waste. Why don't you donate that money in her name to help those in need?"

Ryland always listened to me, so he nodded immediately and said, "Okay, I'll have someone take care of it right away."

Lilliana's face turned pale. She wanted to stop him but feared ruining her image, so she gritted her teeth and said to me, "You could save so many people if you spent a little less. Haven't you thought about helping those in need?"

Was she trying to guilt-trip me?

I raised my eyebrows and leaned closer to her. "Of course. I forgot to tell you that I started a charity foundation when I was ten and donated at least a billion every year."

Lilliana forced a stiff smile and said, "You're so kind."

"I just prefer to keep my charitable acts private," I said, mocking her. Her face contorted.

I happily took my dress and left and then visited several luxury stores, where I bought whatever caught my eye without hesitation.

Lilliana was now penniless and couldn't buy anything. She had watched me shop with envy.

She must regret the one million dollars she had lost.

I thought she could settle down after she suffered such a big loss.

But clearly, I overestimated her.

7

Back at the Howard family's house, a servant told me Roger Howard had sent me gifts from abroad. They were two large packages.

Roger was Ryland's younger brother, but he and I were close.

Since I helped him succeed in his business, he always saw me as his elder sister and often sent me gifts.

The gift boxes on the table had been opened, and the jewelry Roger sent me was already on Lilliana.

My face changed, and I stepped forward to ask sharply, "Why did you take my gifts without asking?"

Lilliana guarded the jewelry defensively and said, "Roger sent these to me. How are they yours?"

I sneered and picked up the package boxes and showed them to Lilliana. "Look at the recipient's name. Whose is it?"

Lilliana's face changed, but she said stubbornly, "There are two packages. One of them must be mine."

"Why?" I asked.

"I'm Roger's childhood friend. He knew I was back, so he sent me a gift," Lilliana said, taking the gift a little far away from me.

I couldn't be bothered with her excuses, so I told a nearby servant, "Take my thing off and put it back into the box."

Unexpectedly, the servant refused me. "Miss Wade, Lilliana is quite pitiful. Maybe one of the gifts is really hers."

I didn't expect the servant to lie in front of me like that and side with Lilliana.

Lilliana looked complacent.

Just then, Ryland came back. Lilliana immediately burst into tears, threw herself into his arms, and said, "Ryland, doesn't Jemma like me? She even wants to take away the gift Roger gave me."