The Billionaire’s Twins: A Wife’s Reckoning

My husband, Brandon, wanted us to be child-free for life.

Ten years later, he brought home a pair of children he'd adopted, expecting me to raise them into successful adults.

I agreed.

When the kids turned eighteen, they both got into Ivy League universities.

At their coming-of-age celebration, Brandon handed me a property transfer deed, demanding I sign over all my assets to the children.

I agreed again.

Just as I reached for the pen to sign, my mother pulled me aside, her face etched with worry.

"Eleanor, these children's background is shady. You absolutely cannot give them all your fortune."

I replied calmly,

"Mom, I trust my instincts."

After I signed, Brandon burst into a satisfied laugh. Then, he embraced a woman and shoved a divorce agreement into my hands.

"Eleanor, thank you for looking after *our* children all this time. It's time to give them back to Veronica."

I smiled.

"Alright!"

Eighteen years ago, Brandon, who swore he wanted a child-free life with me forever, suddenly brought home a pair of children.

The boy and girl were tiny and thin, but undeniably cute.

Brandon said they were adopted from an orphanage and asked me to raise them.

From that day on, I became a mom, changing their diapers, feeding them, and watching them grow. Eighteen years later, they had both gotten into Ivy League schools.

At their coming-of-age celebration, when I was about to transfer my assets to the children, it became the talk of the town.

My parents and all our friends and relatives tried to dissuade me.

But I ignored all their pleas and transferred the property to the two kids.

The moment he got the transfer documents, Brandon couldn't hold back his excitement, laughing out loud.

Then, he pulled a woman from the crowd and walked towards me. They handed me a divorce agreement, demanding I leave empty-handed.

My mind reeled. I stared at him in disbelief.

Back then, to be child-free with him, I had even undergone a hysterectomy.

For years, I was known as the perfect wife in this city.

Now, looking at that divorce agreement, I shouted at them.

"Brandon, so you and Veronica have been secretly involved all this time!"

Veronica was an employee at my company, manipulative and utterly despicable. She had risen to director.

Veronica smiled calmly.

"Eleanor, there's no need to be angry. If you truly love Brandon, you should be willing to sacrifice for his happiness."

Brandon snapped impatiently.

"Just sign it already, what are you waiting for?"

Brandon and I were college sweethearts. He came from a dirt-poor rural family, barely had money for food, often hiding in his dorm room just munching on stale bread.

Due to a lack of nutrition, he was pale, gaunt, with lifeless hair, and a perpetually hunched posture back then.

The day he fainted on the track, I rushed him to the campus clinic and learned about his predicament.

I generously paid for all his living expenses, and soon after, we fell for each other and started dating.

Veronica was Brandon's high school classmate. They grew up together as childhood sweethearts but had long drifted apart. I never expected them to secretly get together again.

"Poor Ms. Davis, isn't she? The moment she transfers her assets to the kids, he drops the act and demands a divorce."

"I heard they agreed to be child-free for life, but then Mr. Davis adopted two kids. They got into Ivy League, which is what this celebration is for."

"I bet those kids are his illegitimate children with that woman."

"Do you even need to doubt it? It's obvious! Otherwise, why would he make Ms. Davis transfer her property to them?"

"Ms. Davis is so unlucky, she was completely played."

The guests at the celebration murmured amongst themselves, stunned by the sudden turn of events.

My mom cried, tears streaming down her face.

"Eleanor, see? You fell right into their trap. Your father and I warned you long ago that this man had dark intentions, a real schemer. He only befriended you and treated you well for your money. We even mentioned that those two children's background was shady and advised you to be careful, but you just wouldn't listen!"

My dad said angrily.

"How could a Davis be so foolish? For a man, you just hand over your entire fortune!"

Amidst the commotion, I looked down at the divorce agreement. No one noticed the faint, knowing smile playing on my lips.

"Eleanor, you don't need to blame me. I'm a normal man. You don't have a uterus, you can't have children, so I had to find someone else to have them with."

Brandon tried to explain, seeking some justification for his infidelity.

I smiled.

"It was *your* idea for me to have a hysterectomy and be child-free with you forever, saying we'd never regret it! I made such a huge sacrifice for you."

"That was then. The reality is you can't have children, and I want my own kids, so I had no choice but to find Veronica..."

Veronica nodded.

"That's right. If a woman can't have children, and she earns such a huge fortune, who will she leave it to in the future?"

In the banquet hall, everyone silently nodded.

My mom remembered the past and sobbed to Brandon.

"You came from a poor rural village, dirt poor, couldn't even pay tuition, and constantly hid in your dorm eating bread. Your mother was critically ill and couldn't afford medical care. If we hadn't supported you, you and your mom would have died long ago!"

"When you two got married, you had no money. Your brother-in-law was unemployed for years, and Eleanor's dad gave him a manager position with an annual salary of over a million."

At that moment, the three of us were lost in our memories.

Mom murmured.

"Our family has been good to you. I can't believe you'd repay our kindness with betrayal and try to take the Davis family's fortune."

After a moment of silence, Brandon chuckled.

"What's the point of bringing that up now?"

He looked at me.

"Alright, Eleanor, how much longer are you going to stare at this agreement?"

"Even if you don't sign, it's useless. After all, you've already transferred the property to the children's names. Our joint assets only amount to a few tens of thousands left. I'll leave that for your retirement."

Hearing this, a smug grin stretched across Brandon's face, almost reaching his ears.

*Slap!* Suddenly, my dad rushed forward and slapped him across the face!

"You monster!"

"Someone, grab that old man! Beat him up!"

Brandon couldn't afford to lose face. With a wave of his hand, several security guards rushed forward, menacingly surrounding my dad.

The security guards were intimidated by my dad's presence and hesitated to advance.

But Veronica charged forward and slapped my dad across the face.

My dad froze on the spot.

He was a man of great prestige, a former president of the Business Guild, socializing only with influential figures.

Now, to be treated with such contempt by Veronica was a grave insult!

My dad was about to explode in anger, but I pulled him back.

The surrounding crowd immediately erupted.

"This is going too far, isn't it? Hitting even old Mr. Davis!"

"Mr. Davis is a renowned philanthropist, often donating to underprivileged students, struggling families, and building schools for the elderly. Now he's being bullied like this!"

"You can only blame his daughter for being a total letdown!"

"If I had a daughter like Eleanor, I'd disown her on the spot!"

"Shut up!"

Brandon yelled at the crowd.

Then he looked at me.

"Eleanor, are you going to sign or not?"

"I'll sign."

I picked up the pen and swiftly signed my name.

Brandon took it, glanced at it, and with his heart finally at ease, sneered.

"Good, Eleanor, thank you for delivering billions in assets to our family!"

Veronica triumphantly raised a glass. "Cheers!"

I smiled, thinking, *Is that so? I hope you can keep smiling until the end!*

My dad looked at them, then suddenly collapsed to the floor.

"Dad!"

"Mr. Davis!"

My mom and I, along with many relatives, rushed over.

Brandon looked at a man busily helping out and exclaimed in surprise.

"Marcus, what are you doing here? Don't tell me you're interested in this failure, Eleanor?"

The two of them were childhood friends, both from rural backgrounds. Brandon often mocked Marcus for being a fool.

Marcus smiled faintly, but didn't reply.

Just then, my dad woke up. He asked.

"Where are those two kids of theirs?"

"They went to pick up their university acceptance letters."

Marcus replied.

Soon, two high school students in school uniforms appeared at the entrance.

Both were a little chubby, walking in with cheerful faces.

When they saw me, they turned away in disgust and went straight to Brandon. Chloe, the daughter, whined.

"Dad, Aunt Veronica, we got our acceptance letters!"

Brandon pulled the two children to sit beside him, smiling.

"From now on, you should call Aunt Veronica, 'Mom'."

My heart ached, hearing the children I had raised call someone else "Mom."

Veronica smiled.

"Good children. Now I won't have to secretly go to your school to see you anymore."

My mom was furious. She pointed at them and yelled.

"Chloe, Daniel, your mother meticulously cared for you for eighteen years, and this is how you treat her?"

"Daniel, you were always frail and often caught colds and fevers. Once, in the middle of the night, you had a 104-degree fever, and your mom braved the pouring rain to take you to the doctor."

"Chloe, when you were in high school, you fell in with the wrong crowd. That day, you went out with them and were drugged by some hoodlums. If your mother hadn't arrived with people in time, you would have been ruined. But she protected you and even got stabbed herself!"

The two children fell silent.

Indeed, I had taken excellent care of them.

After a moment, Chloe pouted.

"Alright, don't bring that up. No matter how well she did, she's not my biological mom."

Daniel chimed in.

"Exactly. And she should take a look in the mirror. Eleanor, you're just not fit to be my mother."

Then, he shoved a paternity test report at me.

Everyone expected me to make a scene, but instead, I pulled out a sever-ties agreement.

"Chloe, Daniel, then let's cut all ties."

Chloe giggled.

"Ms. Davis, I couldn't be more thrilled."

They signed without hesitation, then sat next to Brandon and Veronica. The four of them exchanged knowing smiles.

"Excellent." I smiled.

I gave them a chance. If they had even a shred of conscience, I might have considered leaving them a way out. Unfortunately, some people's true colors are truly ugly.

Everyone probably couldn't fathom why I, a shrewd and capable businesswoman managing billions, would willingly step into this trap, raising someone else's kids.

"Ms. Davis, this coming-of-age celebration has nothing to do with you. You can leave. Also, please make sure you and your parents move out today, because the villa is already in my children's names."

Brandon started to kick me out.

"No rush."

I gave a knowing smile and addressed everyone.

"Today is my children's coming-of-age celebration. The party hasn't even started yet, how can the guest of honor leave? Children, come in."

To everyone's stunned gazes, two figures walked in from outside.