Unmasking My Shunned Wife: She Hid A Thousand Identities

Beyond the city limits of Wrille, a thunderous splash erupted as something plunged into the river, breaking the spell of midnight quiet.

Kathryn Palmer lingered beside the bank, and a wave of cold water hit her without warning.

A subtle metallic scent crept through the night air.

Her instincts pricked up-she had come across this scent before.

That was the unmistakable scent of blood.

Someone had plunged into the river, and whoever it was, they were hurt.

Before long, muffled voices broke the darkness, drifting her way.

"Keep looking!"

"We can't afford to miss a single clue!"

"Don't let him make it out alive!"

A rush of hurried footsteps approached.

Kathryn shot upright, meaning to leave, but a hand clamped around her ankle in a plea for help.

"Please... anything you want, just help me..." The stranger's voice barely rose above a whisper.

His grip slackened as he slipped from consciousness.

In her mind, Kathryn decided that fate never placed a healer in someone's path by accident. If this stranger had landed at her feet, then saving him must be her task.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a small vial, tipped a pill into her palm, and carefully slipped it between his lips.

Every second, the footsteps thundered nearer. Glimmers of torchlight cut through the darkness.

Holding her breath, she let herself sink into the river's embrace, pulling the stranger along.

Not long after, men dressed in black prowled along the shore, eyes sharp and searching. But the surface rippled softly, betraying nothing.

Finding nothing, the men scattered, empty-handed.

Once the riverbank was quiet again, Kathryn dragged the stranger out of the water and back onto solid ground.

Ice-cold water numbed her skin as she fought the cold, shivering and sneezing but pushing onward.

A quick check told her the man's pulse was steady-he was still hanging on.

She didn't pause for even a breath before starting CPR.

Moments seemed to slip away until, with a sudden jolt, the man convulsed, coughing up great gulps of water.

A gentle hand hovered over his nose, and when Kathryn felt the faintest breath, relief rushed out of her lungs.

As the mist drifted off, silver moonlight poured over the scene.

The stranger's face became clear: strikingly handsome, almost too perfect.

Movement caught her attention. The stranger shifted again.

His eyelids fluttered open. He saw a girl crouching beside him.

The moonlight revealed a black crescent tattoo on her collarbone.

With what little strength remained, Evan Knight struggled to look up, wishing for a better view of the girl's face.

But fatigue overwhelmed him. Eyes slipping shut, he fell unconscious once more.

Kathryn showed no sign of panic. Another pill found its way between his lips.

Moonbeams slid across his drenched form as she checked for wounds. Blood pooled at his waist-a deep gash, but not one meant to kill. Fainting was simply his body's way of coping with the loss.

She ripped open the soaked shirt, cleaned the wound, and sprinkled powder to stem the bleeding.

A smirk tugged at her lips when she finished. She couldn't resist reaching out to pinch his impossibly handsome cheek.

"Two of my rarest pills, just for you. Hope you're worth the trouble."

Certain that he'd pull through, Kathryn gathered her things and turned to go.

But something stopped her-his earlier words echoed in her mind.

Her gaze wandered back to him, pausing on the pendant draped across his chest.

Moonlight set the crimson gemstone ablaze. The piece was unique-impossible to forget.

"You said anything I want. I couldn't care less about promises. But I do enjoy unusual little treasures."

Leaning in, she closed her hand around the pendant.

"You owe me your life. I'm just collecting what's fair. Now we're even."

In the morning, Kathryn was already stepping out of a cab in downtown Wrille. She made her way straight into the Summit Hotel and checked in without lingering.

Once inside the modern, fully furnished suite, she slipped out of her coat and flung it onto a nearby chair. She headed straight for the tall window that stretched from floor to ceiling.

The view beyond was everything she'd been away from-soaring buildings, packed lanes, the steady chaos of the city.

She hadn't seen any of it since the day her world shattered. She was only six when her mother was murdered, and she got thrown into the mountains.

Her own family had done that to her.

Had it not been for the kindhearted couple who stumbled across her, she wouldn't have lasted a week. The wilderness would've swallowed her whole, leaving nothing behind.

But she was still here. And she wasn't just back to visit. She'd returned to settle the score and take back what had always been hers.

A jolt of awareness pulled her back from her spiraling thoughts. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the pendant she'd taken from the injured man. She raised it, letting the sunlight catch its edges.

Now that it was clean, the gemstone sparkled with a kind of arrogant brilliance-cold, clear, and obviously worth a fortune.

There was something about the way it rested in her palm that made it magnetic. Kathryn's fingers refused to let it go.

She grabbed a thin black cord, slid the gem through, and looped it around her neck. Stepping in front of the mirror, she gave herself a quick once-over.

It didn't look half bad. In fact, it suited her. She decided to keep it on.

After tucking the pendant beneath her shirt, she picked up her phone. With practiced ease, she masked her IP address before opening her news app.

The homepage lit up with updates, but one headline practically jumped out at her.

"Palmer Heiress Anna Palmer in Critical Condition-Family Offering Massive Rewards for Blood Donors."

That got Kathryn's attention. She tapped the article without a second thought.

According to the report, Anna had been in a serious car crash. She'd lost a lot of blood, and the hospital was struggling to find Rh-negative blood donors to save her.

The Palmers had thrown money at the problem, but despite the massive reward, almost no one had shown up to donate.

Kathryn's lips curved into a smirk she didn't bother hiding.

Talk about the stars aligning.

She had braced herself for a long, uphill battle just to sneak her way back into the Palmer family's circle. Instead, the perfect opening had landed right at her feet.

With the article still fresh in her mind, she shut off the app, leaned against the couch cushions, and closed her eyes to collect her thoughts.

That blood type the doctors were scrambling for? It just happened to match hers.

If she wanted to secure her footing in Wrille, she needed a title-one that couldn't be erased or dismissed.

With her decision firmly in place, she slipped into her coat and stepped out without hesitation.

This wasn't just a return. She was going to make the Palmers crawl. They'd have no choice but to beg her to return-not in private, but in front of the entire world-as the rightful heiress to everything they tried to steal.

Outside Wrille General Hospital, Rhett Palmer had just gotten out of his car when a figure stepped into his path. He stopped cold. And there she was. The color drained from his face the moment their eyes met. His whole body stiffened like he'd just walked into a ghost.

"You..." he said, barely getting the word out.

Kathryn held his gaze with a quiet confidence, her smile soft but deliberate. "What should I call you? Mr. Palmer... or would 'Dad' be more fitting?"

The question hit Rhett like a punch to the gut.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came.

Kathryn didn't flinch. Didn't take a step back.

She let him take in every inch of her face. The longer he looked, the harder it was to deny what stood before him-a mirror of her mother.

If there was even a sliver of remorse buried inside him, now was the moment for it to surface.

Neither of them moved. The air between them stayed thick with the weight of recognition.

When Rhett finally found his voice, it came out in a whisper. "Is it really you... Kathryn?"

Not a flicker crossed Kathryn's face. "Do you want to run a DNA test, or are you going to trust your instincts, Dad?"

Rhett's hands trembled. "There's no need. You've got your mother's face... just like when she was your age."

That pulled a short, bitter laugh from Kathryn's throat.

He had the nerve to bring up her mother now? After all these years? Had he not abandoned them for wealth and status, her mother wouldn't have died the way she did.

And now he had the nerve to bring up the very woman he left behind without a second thought?

"I'm Rh-negative," she said, her voice clipped and cold.

Then she turned on her heel and strode into the hospital without waiting for a response.

Rhett hesitated for a moment, stunned by the emotional whiplash. Then he snapped into motion and followed her.

They stopped just outside the ICU.

Inside, surrounded by wires and machines, a girl lay motionless on the bed. Her skin was pale, her body limp. She was barely clinging to life.

Kathryn's voice cut through the quiet. "I'll donate. But only on one condition."

She didn't look at Rhett. Her eyes were locked on the girl inside the room. Then a slow, unreadable smile touched her lips. "You'll restore my status as part of the Palmer family. And you'll make it official. I want the entire world to know."

Rhett's jaw tightened, a shadow falling over his face. "Kathryn... if you're just looking for a home, I can buy you a place of your own. But coming back to be a member of the Palmer family... that's complicated."

He didn't have to spell it out. Kathryn already knew.

Even if he bent, the rest of the Palmer family never would.

"If your family refuses to meet my condition, then Anna Palmer can face death on her own," said Kathryn as she turned and walked away.

Panic overtook Rhett. He lunged forward and caught her by the arm. "Wait-please. Don't go, Kathryn. I'll speak to them. I swear I will."

Eventually, the Palmer family made the decision to let Kathryn come back.

Not long after, Kathryn caught wind of the backlash-the choice had sparked a serious confrontation between Rhett and his current wife, Rebecca Palmer.

Later that same day, Kathryn completed her initial blood donation for Anna.

Because Anna had lost a dangerous amount of blood, several more transfusions were scheduled for the upcoming days.

To ensure convenience and comfort, the hospital arranged for Kathryn to stay in one of their VIP suites.

Out of nowhere, her phone vibrated.

She reached for it and glanced at the screen. A message from her friend, Lindsay Simpson, had just arrived.

"The Knight family's heir, Evan Knight, is searching the entire city. He's looking for a woman, around twenty, with medical knowledge and a black crescent tattoo on her collarbone."

With a light-hearted tone, Kathryn replied, "That's odd. Sounds like me."

Lindsay's response came almost instantly. "I'm not kidding! What if he's actually looking for you?"

"That's impossible. I've never even met the guy."

"Are you absolutely certain you didn't tick him off somehow? Try to remember."

Kathryn rolled her eyes at the screen, amused and annoyed by Lindsay's imagination.

"I haven't even been back in Wrille for long. It's probably just some weird coincidence. Don't stress," Kathryn responded.

Lindsay didn't send anything after that.

Their exchange ended without further discussion.

Still feeling a strange sense of unease, Kathryn opened her internet browser and ran a quick search.

As soon as she typed in Evan's name, the screen showed a single, bold line: "Evan Knight, twenty-eight years old."

That was all the information provided.

Kathryn sat staring at the screen, her expression unreadable.

Why so much secrecy?

Driven by curiosity, she retrieved her tablet from her suitcase, inserted a USB stick, and began typing commands rapidly as lines of code streamed across the screen.

Before long, the cascading lines of code vanished, replaced by a stark, black-and-white messaging interface.

"Hey, help me look into someone."

"Who is it?"

Without delay, Kathryn replied, "Evan Knight."

"Understood. Give me three days."

Receiving that confirmation, Kathryn closed the window and powered off her tablet.

At the same moment, Lakeside Villa, nestled in one of Wrille's most elite neighborhoods, shone brightly from every corner.

"Any updates?"

Evan stood tall by the large bedroom window.

Despite the bandages and bruises, his commanding presence had not dulled in the slightest.

A cigarette rested loosely between his fingers, its tip flickering softly in the dim light.

Standing nearby, Kayce Wilson kept his gaze lowered. "Nothing so far, sir."

Evan's eyes narrowed, and he pressed the cigarette into the ashtray before speaking with quiet authority. "Keep looking."

"Understood."

Kayce reached into the inside pocket of his coat and produced a gold-stamped envelope, offering it with both hands.

"There's something else you should see."

Evan's gaze shifted to the envelope, and a shadow of confusion crossed his face. "Who sent it?"

"It's from the Palmer family. They're hosting a banquet to welcome Rhett's illegitimate daughter back home, and Mr. Andrew Palmer specifically asked for your presence."

"Asked, or demanded?" Evan asked, one corner of his mouth lifting in a cold, amused smile.

Kayce paused briefly before asking, "Would you like me to send a refusal?"

These sorts of invitations were usually tossed aside without a second thought.

If Andrew, the head of the Palmer family, hadn't personally insisted, Kayce wouldn't have gone to the trouble of handing over the invitation face-to-face.

Evan reached for the envelope, his gaze darkening with curiosity.

Whoever this illegitimate daughter was, she must have made quite the impression. For the Palmer family to pull this level of effort, she had to be something else.

He abruptly changed his mind. "No. Tell Andrew... I'll attend."

On the day of the banquet, the skies were clear, with sunlight stretching across the city.

Kathryn left the hospital and steered her car toward the mountainous outskirts.

The path was steep and twisted, yet she drove with the confidence of someone who knew every bend.

Eventually, she arrived at a secluded, unnamed grave-her mother's resting place. No marker stood there, only a lumpy patch of earth hidden beneath layers of untamed weeds.

Without the countless visits she'd made over the years, even she might have missed it.

Kathryn lowered herself onto the ground and began pulling the grass away with care.

Each motion was slow and deliberate, as though she feared disturbing the silence of the grave.

After some time, she bowed deeply and rested her forehead against the chilled soil. She remained completely motionless.

It wouldn't be long now. Her mother was finally close to receiving the justice she had been denied.

Eventually, Kathryn rose to her feet and turned away, not once glancing back.

The banquet was scheduled for later in the day. Once back at her hotel, she changed into a formal dress and called in a makeup artist to handle her appearance.

By the time the preparations were complete, the sky had already begun to darken.

She was slightly behind schedule. Her phone screen was filled with missed calls-over twenty from Rhett.

Still, Kathryn moved at her own pace. After heading downstairs to retrieve something, she made final arrangements and got ready to leave.

Meanwhile, at the Palmer family's estate, the guests waited expectantly for the mysterious "long-lost daughter" to finally show.

Minutes dragged by, yet the person of honor remained absent. The sound of hushed voices began to stir throughout the venue.

Rebecca, more displeased than anyone else, wore her frustration openly.

She never did bother concealing how she felt and said, "The second I saw the date, I knew she had bad intentions. Of all days, she went and picked her mother's death anniversary. She's doing this to stir the pot, no question about it!"

Her face twisted into a scowl, and her tone cut like glass. "Isn't it suspicious? Right after Anna's car crash, the whole city ran dry of Rh-negative blood. And just like that, she showed up? That girl's a curse. As long as she's here, peace won't stand a chance in this house."

Each word landed with biting precision.

Rhett sat silent, his head lowered. A vein throbbed visibly at his temple.

At that moment, a disturbance broke out at the entrance.