My Adoptive Daughter Hooked Up With My Husband

My daughter was Katie Garza, and her sudden act of kindness brought me and my husband a foster daughter, Nora Sanderson.

I thought I had a sweet and caring companion, but I never expected to invite a snake into my home.

It wasn't until my daughter's tragic death that I discovered she had been colluding with my husband a long time ago.

And now, I was the next one to be killed.

1

In the darkness, I silently listened to the laughter coming from inside the room. I clenched my fists tightly.

"Do you think that old woman, Melody Ward, has any idea about us being together?" The breathless voice belonged to my foster daughter, Nora.

The man's muffled grunt followed. "You sly thing, why bring her up now? It's such a buzzkill!"

He was my husband, Hector Garza, and we had been married for nearly twenty years.

Nora said, "I have to bring her up. Didn't you say we'd get married after Katie was dead? She's been gone for almost a year now. When are you planning to deal with Melody?"

Were they mentioning dealing with me?

Did she mean what I thought she meant?

Were they planning to kill me?

My mind froze and was unable to process the words. My body stiffened as I stood outside the door.

Hector's indifferent voice was heard again. "What's the rush? I bought her a massive accidental death insurance policy just a few months ago. The insurance company won't suspect a thing only after she dies at least half a year."

His words shocked me and gave me a heavy blow.

Then Nora said, "What a shame you didn't buy Katie any insurance. Otherwise, we could have gotten even more money out of her death."

I clamped my hand tightly over my mouth and barely suppressed the scream of anguish rising in my throat.

So my daughter was brutally murdered a year ago by Nora?

And Hector knew about it all along?

Hector said, "Forget it. She was my daughter, after all. I won't be peaceful if I spend money earned from her death."

"So do you remember she was your daughter and carried your blood?" I shouted in my mind.

Tears streamed down my face silently.

At that moment, I couldn't tell which pain was worse, the fact that my husband betrayed me and plotted against me or that he was involved in my daughter's death!

Hector seemed uninterested in continuing the conversation. He pulled Nora back into their sordid sex.

I felt a chill seep through my entire body. After a long time, I quietly stepped out of the darkness of the villa.

2

If I hadn't gone home early from my business trip in the hope that I could give Hector and Nora a surprise, I might never have uncovered the truth that turned my world upside down.

I sat before Katie's grave and stared at her youthful smile etched on the tombstone. Tears streamed down my face profusely.

A year ago, Katie attended university in another city and was robbed when she was shopping.

The deranged assailant stabbed her over twenty times just for being greedy for her designer purse.

She died before being sent to the hospital. The killer was caught but showed no remorse.

He even shouted in court, "I work myself to the bone every day hauling goods and barely make a hundred bucks. Why should that little brat carry a purse worth tens of thousands? I hate all rich people! They deserve death!"

The police investigated the killer's background thoroughly. He had no connection to Katie, as she was a college student.

So she seemed to have been unlucky to meet with the killer consumed by hatred for the wealthy.

When I first heard the news, my world collapsed. For a long time, I couldn't pull myself out of the grief of losing my daughter.

Nora rushed back from her university in another city as soon as she learned the news. She applied for a leave of absence and stayed with me.

Without Nora's companionship, I might not have recovered as quickly as I did.

But I never had imagined that Nora, this seemingly shy and thoughtful foster daughter, would not only conspire with my husband but also cause Katie's death. She was now plotting to kill me.

Hatred rose in my chest.

Nora was such an ungrateful snake. If it weren't for Katie, Nora would never have escaped the remote and impoverished village where she was born.

When Katie was in fourth grade, her school organized a trip to a remote, impoverished village in the southwest.

Then Katie met Nora, who was two years older than Katie.

Nora was nice to Katie during the trip. In just two weeks, the two became close friends.

Even after Katie returned home, she kept mentioning Nora.

She said Nora was pitiful, as her mother had passed away and her father was bedridden. Her whole family survived on charity.

Katie wished she could bring Nora home to stay with her.

Katie was our only child and had always wanted a sister.

After hearing Katie mention Nora repeatedly, I began to consider the idea. Then Hector and I discussed it and decided to adopt Nora.

Hector and I had achieved financial independence a long time ago through our business ventures, so it was no burden for us to support another daughter.

Soon Nora was brought out of the remote mountains and into our home.

She was exactly as Katie described: quiet, diligent, and sensible.

At first, she was cautious and always trying to please Hector and me. Her behavior made me feel sorry for her.

I thought she must have suffered so much hardship that she had become so considerate and mature at such a young age.

But now I wished I could slap myself a dozen times while sitting before Katie's grave.

I was so blind that I invited a snake into my home. How foolish I was to cost my daughter her life!

I sat at Katie's grave through the night, overwhelmed by a storm of grief and regret. I finally left the next morning.

Before leaving, I silently vowed to Katie's photo that I would make the one who had really caused her death pay the price.

3

I pretended to have just gotten off the plane and returned to the villa exhaustedly.

Nora was busying herself in the kitchen in an apron.

Hector sat on the sofa with a laptop. His gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose and made him exude an air of sophistication as he worked on some documents.

The scene looked peaceful and idyllic.

But how pitiful Katie was! She had been cruelly killed by her father and the woman she trusted most.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms to force myself to suppress the seething hatred within me.

When Nora saw me, she called out in surprise and delight, "Mom, you're back! It's just the right time. Dinner is almost ready. You can rest for a bit, and then we can start dinner together."

Her face lit up with a warm smile, and her otherwise unremarkable features seemed lively at that moment.

I looked at her honest and cheerful demeanor and could hardly believe that she said those venomous and cruel words last night.

Hector closed his laptop and walked over to me. His refined face wore a gentle smile. "Melody, welcome back."

He was right. I came back.

But this vile pair of adulterers wouldn't continue to trample over the death of me and Katie to live a happy life.

That evening, I was in my bedroom applying a face mask when Nora knocked on the door and came in.

She said, "Mom, you didn't eat much at dinner, so I made you a late-night snack."

Through the reflection in the mirror, I saw Nora standing behind me, holding an elegant crystal bowl. She looked as guileless and trustworthy as ever.

My hand paused mid-motion as I pressed the mask onto my face.

I replied flatly, "I'm too tired from the trip, and don't have much of an appetite. I'll pass on that."

Nora had always been very meek in front of me.

Normally, if I declined, she would immediately back off without pushing further.

But she was unusually persistent that evening. "Mom, I went to the market today to buy fresh materials and made this dessert just for you. It's low in calories and good for your skin if you drink it before going to bed."

Our gazes met in the mirror, locked in a silent standoff for a few seconds.

"Just leave it on the table," I finally relented.

A flicker of satisfaction crossed Nora's eyes as she gently put the bowl down.

Before leaving, she didn't forget to remind me, saying, "Mom, make sure to drink it while it's still warm."

4

The crystal bowl sparkled and was filled with the good-looking dessert.

Nora's unusual insistence that I had it was a clear red flag.

I picked up the bowl and had the soup soon.

Then, I grabbed the bowl and walked out of the bedroom. Sure enough, I saw Nora coming up the stairs.

"Oh, Mom, I was just about to collect the bowl," she said. She was as diligent as ever.

What a coincidence! She knew I had finished it and came to take the bowl right away.

She must have been waiting outside my room and spying on me to make sure I actually had the dessert.

So it must have been laced with something only she knew.

I didn't expose her.

Instead, I smiled and said, "Nora, you're working too hard."

Her eyes flickered and avoided my piercing gaze. "Mom, I just want to take care of you in Katie's place."

I feigned a touched expression, but inwardly, I sneered, "Are you taking care of me? After seducing my husband and killing my daughter, are you plotting to kill me?"

I said, "Nora, I'm doing fine, and it's all thanks to you that I've been able to recover so quickly. Alright, I just got back from my trip and I'm feeling tired. Let's talk tomorrow."

I closed the door in her face.

I was truly tired.

As soon as I lay down, exhaustion and sleepiness consumed me like a beast.

Within half a minute, I slipped into unconsciousness.

5

"Why did you give her sleeping pills? Didn't I tell you her insurance policy hasn't been valid for the full six months yet? You acted so rashly and will leave too many loose ends."

I stirred awake amidst the jostling and faintly heard Hector's furious voice.

My hands and feet were tightly bound, and I was stuffed into the trunk of a car.

"She was standing outside the bedroom last night," Nora replied coldly.

The car came to a sudden stop, and my body slammed against the interior.

I swallowed the cry of pain that rose in my throat.

Hector sounded incredulous, and his voice trembled slightly.

He said, "You... mean..."

Nora cut him off impatiently. "Melody was already back last night. When we were talking, she was outside the door and listening to us."

"But, but how could she... How could she act so calm?" Hector stammered.

He couldn't believe that I remained composed after learning the truth.

Nora interrupted him again, saying sharply, "So she came back pretending everything was fine. She's planning to take revenge on us. Stop dithering and drive. We have to shut her mouth today, or we will end up dead!"

The car started moving forward again.

Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere grew heavy with tension.

I closed my eyes once more and guessed how they might stage my death.

After all, they wanted my hefty insurance payout.

So my death would have to look like an accident.

Would I have a car crash? Would I fall off a cliff? Or would I just be missing?

The car drove for a long time, and the road became increasingly rough.

I could tell from the bumpiness that we were heading somewhere remote.

Eventually, the car came to a stop.

Hector and Nora got out of the car, and I immediately shut my eyes and feigned unconsciousness.

Nora opened the trunk and grabbed two shovels out of it. She tossed one to Hector.

She said, "Find a secluded spot and start digging."

The trunk remained open, and I cracked my eyes open just enough to see them walking away with the shovels. So I understood what they were doing.

They must be planning to bury me alive.