My name is Valerie. I was a dutiful wife to Franco. For ten years of marriage, we were never blessed with a child. This became the constant accusation thrown at me by my mother-in-law, Doña Matilda, and by Franco himself.

“You’re barren! You’re a useless woman!” Franco would shout every time he got drunk.

Then one day, Franco came home with another woman. Her name was Jessica—young, beautiful, and pregnant.

“Valerie,” Franco said bluntly, without any shame. “Jessica is pregnant. She will give me the heir you could never give me. She will live here from now on.”

My heart shattered. But the pain became even worse when Franco gave me an order.

“I want you to prepare a party for us,” he commanded. “A grand welcome party and a gender reveal for my child. I want all my business partners to see that I finally have an heir. Do it—if you still want to stay in this house.”

With no family to run to and with Franco controlling all my money, I agreed. I looked like a fool—the legal wife decorating balloons and preparing food for my husband’s mistress.

The day of the party arrived.

The mansion was filled with guests—Franco’s relatives, friends, and business associates. All of them looked at me with either pity or judgment.

Jessica wore a tight gown, caressing her swollen belly while clinging to Franco’s arm. Doña Matilda was smiling from ear to ear.

“At last!” Doña Matilda shouted into the microphone. “The Mondragon family will finally have a real grandchild! Thank goodness Jessica came along. If we had relied on Valerie, we would have died without a bloodline!”

The guests burst into laughter. I stood in a corner, head bowed, holding a tray of juice—like a servant in my own home.

“Valerie!” Franco called out. “Come up to the stage!”

I had no choice but to step forward.

“I want to thank my wife,” Franco said mockingly, “for accepting her shortcomings and even organizing this event herself. Valerie, do you have a gift for our ‘child’?”

I smiled. This was the moment I had been waiting for.

I took the microphone and looked straight into the eyes of Franco, Jessica, and Doña Matilda.

“Yes, Franco,” I said calmly. “I do have a gift. I worked very hard to find it and paid a lot for it—just for this special day.”

I signaled the waiter to hand me a large red envelope.

“Jessica,” I turned to the mistress. “You said you’re three months pregnant, correct?”

“Yes,” she snapped. “And it’s a boy. The future CEO.”

“Good,” I replied. “Franco, open my gift.”

Excited, Franco tore open the envelope, clearly expecting a land title or a bank account for the baby.

But when he pulled out the contents, it was a medical report.

His smile vanished. His brow furrowed as he read. His face turned pale. His hands began to tremble.

“W-What is this…?” Franco whispered.

“Read it out loud, Franco,” I said into the microphone.

He couldn’t speak—so I did.

“For everyone’s information,” I began, walking to the center of the stage, “for ten years, you blamed me for not having a child. You called me barren. You called me worthless.”

I turned to Doña Matilda.

“But last month, I visited a fertility doctor. And the doctor said I am perfectly healthy. There is nothing wrong with my womb.”

The crowd began whispering.

“So I wondered,” I continued, “if I’m healthy, why couldn’t I get pregnant? That’s why I took a strand of Franco’s hair while he was asleep and sent it to a laboratory for comprehensive DNA and fertility testing.”

I pointed at the paper in Franco’s hands.

“Franco, that document proves you have a condition called azoospermia. That means you have ZERO sperm count. You were born infertile. You will never be able to have a child.”

The entire mansion fell silent.

Franco dropped the paper and turned to Jessica.

“If… if I’m infertile…” he said, shaking, “then who is the father of the child you’re carrying?!”

Jessica turned pale, as if about to faint.

“H-Honey… that test is fake! Valerie is lying! She’s just jealous!” she cried.

“Fake?” I laughed. “I also hired a private investigator. Do you know who Jessica chats with every night? Her gym instructor.”

I pulled photos from my bag and threw them into the air. Pictures of Jessica and the gym instructor embracing fluttered down around us.

“No!” Doña Matilda screamed. “Impossible! My grandchild!”

Franco lunged at Jessica, furious.

“You lied to me?! I fed you! I bought you a condo! And you’re pregnant with another man’s child?!”

“I’m sorry, Franco! I thought you’d never find out!” Jessica sobbed.

Doña Matilda slapped her hard. “Get out of our lives, you trash!”

Chaos erupted on stage. Franco screamed. Doña Matilda cried. Jessica ran as the guards chased her out.

Amid the chaos, I walked down from the stage—smiling.

Franco rushed to me, full of regret.

“Valerie… my wife…” he said, kneeling. “Forgive me. I didn’t know I was the problem…”

I shoved his hand away.

“Don’t touch me,” I said coldly. “We’re done, Franco. I’ve already called my lawyer. Because of your infidelity and abuse, I’m filing for annulment. And per our prenuptial agreement—since you cheated—I get half of your assets. Prepare yourself.”

“Valerie, please! I love you!”

“You don’t love me,” I replied. “You only loved the idea of having a child. Now that you know you can never have one, you are useless to me. Goodbye, Franco. Enjoy your empty life.”

I turned my back on them. I left the mansion, the party, and my judgmental husband behind.

As I walked away, I heard things breaking and people crying inside. The party that was supposed to mark their ‘new beginning’ became the end of their family.

And me?

I was finally free.
And at last, I proved that I was never the one who was lacking.