He Didn't Know His Wife's Identity until they Divorced

Five years ago, Bettina Rowe was wounded in her abdomen to save Asher Lambert, which caused her not to get pregnant.

Asher had told her that he would never want a baby. But he eventually entertained the idea of surrogacy. He chose Betsy Sugden, a college student who resembled Bettina, to give birth to his baby.

Asher didn't know that Bettina had already decided to divorce him when he brought up that idea.

"Bettina, Grandma has always dreamed of having a great-grandchild. Now she's in the ICU... Bettina is willing to help us."

After that, Betsy moved into their place.

The first time Bettina caught Asher and Betsy having sex was in the dead of night.

The guest room door was ajar. Bettina stood by it and clearly saw their entwined figures.

"Asher, I'm worried. Will you not like me? Am I not as good as Bettina?"

"Silly woman, you're pure. I like you very much." Asher sounded tender. "Bettina's too stiff in bed..."

Bettina watched him enjoying the sex and felt heartbroken.

So had he always thought she was stiff in bed?

But he used to tell her that he loved her shy demeanor the most.

Tears streamed down her face as he leaned against the wall. She cried until dawn.

Asher and Betsy had sex three times that night.

When Asher woke, he saw Bettina's red eyes.

He felt sorry for her and held her in his arms. He said apologetically, "Bettina, Grandma is pressuring me. I have no other choice. Please bear with it. Once she's pregnant, I won't touch her again."

But they had sex more frequently. Bettina caught them doing it in the study, on the living room sofa, and on the balcony...

Even late at night, Asher would quietly get up and tell Bettina that he needed to check on Betsy in the guest room.

He would be there for hours and return with hickey marks all over his neck.

Each time Bettina looked at him with teary eyes, he would start to defend himself. "Bettina, it's almost over. She's just helping us. I don't love her. I love you and the baby inside her."

When Betsy got pregnant, Asher spun her around with joy in the living room and exclaimed, "I'm going to be a father. Thank you, Betsy. You're truly an angel."

From that day on, Asher's world revolved solely around Betsy.

On Bettina's birthday, he said he needed to accompany Betsy for a prenatal check-up and couldn't come home.

Bettina had a high fever and hoped that he would stay with her. But he rushed out at midnight to buy Betsy her favorite ice cream.

He even forgot their wedding anniversary completely.

Emboldened by Asher's affection, Betsy started wearing Bettina's nightgowns and using her special cup.

Betsy even cooed to Asher in front of Bettina, "Asher, Bettina's things are really nice."

Bettina, suppressing her anger, confronted Asher. "Aren't you going to do something?"

"Betsy is pregnant, Bettina. Don't be so petty." With that, he gently ruffled Betsy's hair with a smile. "If you like, use them as you want."

At that moment, Bettina realized that she'd better leave.

On the day Asher took Betsy for a check-up, Bettina did two things.

First, she took the divorce papers Asher had signed five years ago to City Hall.

Second, she called Josh Rowe, her brother, who was in another country, Virelia.

"Josh, I've decided to divorce Asher. I'll go to Virelia and join you in a month."

"Why did you suddenly do that? Hasn't Asher always been nice to you these years? Are you just throwing a tantrum again? Bettina, you're not a child anymore. You'd better take marriage seriously."

"He cheated on me." Bettina interrupted Josh and said in a deep voice, "After the divorce, I want you to withdraw the five billion investment in the Lambert Group. Besides, stop all the businesses I had you invest in under other names. From now on, the Rowe family and the Lambert family will have nothing to do with each other."

"Asher indeed doesn't know how lucky he is. Don't worry. I will do as you wish. You're my beloved sister, and I won't let anyone bully you."

"Alright. Thank you, Josh. Send someone to pick me up one month later."

"Pick you up? Where are you going?" Just as Bettina finished speaking, Asher came home with Betsy.

Asher's face darkened as soon as he heard Bettina say she was leaving.

"I..." She was about to explain.

But Asher cut her off. "Betsy just got pregnant. You'd better not go anywhere and take good care of her at home."

"What did you say?"

Did Asher ask Bettina to take care of a surrogate mother?

"Asher, we have servants here. Why should I, Mrs. Lambert, look after her? What's in your head?"

Asher realized she was upset and quickly tried to placate her. "I didn't mean it like that. Betsy is carrying our child, after all."

Betsy lowered her head in grievance. "Asher!"

Seeing Betsy unhappy, Asher brushed Bettina off. "Alright. Bettina, I'll take Betsy to her room. I'll come back later to our room. Okay?"

Asher hadn't returned to the room for the whole night. Bettina couldn't be bothered to care.

As dawn broke, Bettina asked the servants to pack up her things in her room.

Her wardrobe was spacious, filled with the gifts Asher had given her over the years.

Now that she was leaving, she decided to give up those things and donate them all.

As Asher came back with Betsy, Bettina was picking up a diamond bracelet from a box.

Asher had handcrafted it for their first wedding anniversary, engraved with their names.

She hesitated about whether to take it with her when a hand snatched it away.

"Wow, this bracelet is so beautiful! Asher..."

"If you like it, keep it." Asher didn't ask Bettina and put the bracelet around Betsy's wrist.

Bettina frowned and said, "Asher, have you forgotten that bracelet is..."

Before she could remind Asher that it was an anniversary gift, he interrupted her. "It's just a bracelet. If Betsy wants it, she can have it. I'll buy you a new one."

So was it just a bracelet?

Bettina gave a bitter smile.

Anyway, Asher had forgotten about it, so it didn't matter that he gave it to Betsy.

Asher looked at the jewelry in the room and asked curiously, "Why have you suddenly started packing all these things?"

"Nothing. There's too much, so I thought I would donate it." As Bettina replied, she took out a jade pendant from a sandalwood box on the table.

It was the only thing her mother had left her before passing away. She intended to take it with her.

"Bettina, this pendant is so good-looking. Can I borrow it?"

Bettina instinctively tightened her grip on the pendant. "Sorry, but it is my mother's keepsake."

"Really? But I just really like it so much. People say jade brings good luck and protection, and I just want to ensure my and Asher's baby can be born safely."

"It is just an old thing. Why can't you lend it?" Asher's tone grew impatient, and he directly reached out to snatch the pendant from Bettina's hand. "Let Betsy wear it. It's no big deal."

His words shocked her.

"Asher, do you know what you're saying? This is the only keepsake my mother left me."

She refused to lend it, but Bettina insisted on wearing it. As they struggled, the pendant fell to the floor and shattered into pieces.

Asher frowned and attempted to explain. "Betty..."

Bettina looked at the broken pendant on the floor and crouched down while trembling. She picked up the pieces one by one.

The sharp fragments cut her fingers.

As the crimson blood flowed, tears welled up in Bettina's eyes.

"Mom..." She suppressed the pain in her heart, looked up, and glared fiercely at Asher. "Get out!"

"Bettina, don't be mad. It's all my fault. I won't wear it. Okay? I didn't recognize my position. I'm just a surrogate mother. I was not entitled to these things. Forgive me, please. Don't be angry with Asher. I'll compensate you with another one if you want."

Betsy walked up to Bettina and pitifully held Bettina's hand, only to be pushed away forcefully by Bettina.

"Can you compensate? How will you compensate? Didn't you understand my words? It was a keepsake. Don't you know what it means?

"Ah!" Betsy stepped back, and her lower back hit the cabinet. She cried out in pain. "It hurts. My belly..."

"Betsy!" Asher's face turned extremely grim.

He grabbed Bettina's arm and forcefully pushed her against the wall. "Bettina, are you insane? Betsy is pregnant, and how dare you push her?"

He glared at her and pointed at the jade pendant, which Bettina carefully held, and roared, "It's just a pendant. What's the big deal? Do you want me to send it to your mom in another world? So she can wear it there. Right?"

His words completely broke Bettina's heart.

Looking at the man before her, she felt for the first time that her marriage had been nothing but a joke, although they had been married for years.

"Asher! Get out!" In a fit of anger and desperation, she grabbed a vase from the table and hurled it at Asher with all her strength. "Get out! Both of you, get out!"

Before the vase hit Asher, Betsy quickly shielded him.

The vase struck her shoulder, and she cried out in pain, "Ah! Asher, are you okay?"

"Betsy!" Seeing her rush over, Asher hurriedly embraced her and examined her with concern. "Are you alright?"

Betsy whimpered, "My belly hurts! My whole body hurts!"

"Don't be afraid. I'll take you to the hospital." Asher held Betsy in his arms and rushed out. But before leaving, he glanced back at Bettina. "You're too reckless. You'd better hope the baby is unharmed, or..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Bettina knew if anything happened to his baby, he might kill her.

She never imagined that after they had been married for five years, it would be reduced to such a tragic end.

Tears fell onto the jade pendant in her palm, and Bettina sobbed. "Mom, I regret marrying Asher. I really regret it."

Betsy visited many jewelry stores, but none of them could mend the shattered jade pendant.

She recalled Asher vowed by her mother's sickbed. "Mrs. Rowe, don't worry. I swear to love Bettina forever and always be nice to her."

As he finished speaking, her mother passed away with a content expression.

Bettina had met Asher in college. She was the daughter of the Rowe family, but she hid her identity because she thought Asher would feel inferior.

Her mother had repeatedly remarked that although the Lambert family was wealthy and influential, it could not compare to the Rowe family.

Bettina could have chosen a better guy, but she decided to marry Asher despite others' objections.

Over the years, Asher had been nice to her.

In their five years of marriage, he did everything to please her.

When she was hungry, he cooked her a midnight snack. When she was ill, he stayed by her bedside all day.

But Asher had changed now.

After donating all those gifts, Bettina began packing her luggage.

Asher only returned in the evening.

Several bodyguards followed him. Each one carried many newly purchased pieces of jewelry.

The servants saw the scene and quickly remarked with envy, "Mrs. Lambert, Mr. Lambert loves you so much. You just donated the old ones, and he immediately bought you new ones!"

Bettina remained silent. No matter what Asher bought to make amends, she wouldn't accept it.

"Mr. Lambert, are these for Mrs. Lambert? I'll take them upstairs," one of the servants said with a smile. Then she was about to take the items to Bettina's room.

Asher said expressionlessly, "Take them to Betsy's room. These are for her."

The servants froze, and all of them instinctively turned to see Bettina.

Bettina felt a slight sting in her heart and held back her sarcastic smile. "You're really good to Betsy," she remarked.

"I'm making up for the wrong you've done to Betsy. Can't you see that?" Asher walked over and said with a long face, "Luckily, the baby is fine. Otherwise, I will never make up for Betsy no matter what I do."

His tone softened a bit as he continued, "Alright. Bettina, stop being unreasonable. We own Betsy. The baby in her womb will call you Mom and me Dad. It's our baby. Why do you have to target Betsy?"

Facing Asher's questioning, Bettina slowly raised her head to look at him. "Do you really think that after Betsy gives birth, she'll willingly give up the baby to us?"

Asher was silent for a moment. "Even if she refuses, you are still the baby's mother. That won't change. Don't worry. If you can't stand her, I'll buy her a house elsewhere."

Bettina understood instantly that he had no intention of severing ties with Betsy after the baby was born.

He wanted to keep his marriage to her and build another home with Betsy. He was daydreaming.

Feeling suffocated, Bettina nodded and said, "Do as you wish, Asher."

"I'm heading to the hospital to pick up Betsy. The driver will take you to the auction later. Dress up nicely."

"What auction?"

"Didn't Betsy accidentally break your mother's jade pendant? I heard there's one very similar to it at the auction this evening. I'm trying to get you a similar pendant so as to make it up to you." With that, Asher left without looking back.

The servants looked at those gifts and asked cautiously, "Mrs. Lambert, what about these things?"

"Take them all to Betsy's room."

"Mrs. Lambert, why has Mr. Lambert changed so much? He used to buy you these things."

The servant complained for Bettina, but she said with a smile, "Love changes over time. You've experienced it and should understand better than I do."

"But he used to love you so much in the past."

"You said it was in the past. Find me a gown. I need to get ready for the auction."

Although the jade pendant her mother gave her was broken, she wanted to buy a similar one as a keepsake if there was one similar.

She had already given up hope for Asher.