The Cruel Truth Behind My Daughter's Mother and My Wealthy Fiancée

The kitchen grew dead silent. Even the line cooks stopped prep work, sensing the impending explosion. Victoria’s smug expression faltered for a fraction of a second before she quickly recovered her composure, crossing her arms.

Unmasking the Monster

"Don't look at me like that, Matteo," Victoria scoffed, trying to maintain her upper-class dignity. "She's an employee. She’s dramatic. And quite frankly, she’s lucky to have a job here after your little history together."

"My history?" Matteo’s voice was dangerously quiet. "Elena is the mother of my daughter, Lily. You told me she wanted nothing to do with us. You told me she abandoned Lily for money!"

Elena shook her head vigorously, her voice rising in desperation.

"I never abandoned her, Matteo! Victoria threatened to use her family's lawyers to take Lily away from me forever if I didn't disappear. She forced me to work here in the shadows, paying me under the table, keeping me locked in this kitchen just so I could be near my daughter without you knowing!"

Matteo looked between the two women. The puzzle pieces of the last three years finally clicked into place. He had met Victoria shortly after Elena mysteriously vanished. Victoria had played the savior, helping him raise Lily, all while secretly keeping Elena trapped in a cycle of abuse and financial servitude right under his nose.

"Is this true?" Matteo asked Victoria, his voice shaking with a mixture of grief and rage.

Victoria didn't deny it. Instead, she sneered, her sophisticated facade completely shattering.

"She’s a nobody, Matteo! I did what was necessary to give Lily a proper family. You belong with me, not a pathetic line cook."

She stepped forward to grab Matteo's arm, but he violently flinched away from her touch. The betrayal was absolute, and the woman Matteo thought he was going to marry was a complete stranger.