Chapter 216

The woman recalled, "That year, we had two women in labor at the same time. One was this lady right here; the other was the woman on his phone. Their due dates were almost the same."

"This lady arrived first. She had a tough labor and nearly fainted. We called her husband in to encourage her, but he just stared at the other woman in the next bed—the one from Jackson’s phone."

"Only when we reminded him did he look at his wife. Still, he secretly told us to save the other woman."

"His wife had a rough birth. It took ages to deliver. The other woman had an easier time and also had a girl. But since she arrived later, the two babies were born almost at the same time."

"We were short on staff. After the births, the babies were put together. We attended to the mothers. I checked on the babies. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the husband switch the babies secretly."

"The man looked influential. I didn’t dare say anything, so I pretended not to see. He even nodded to the other woman. By then, his wife was unconscious from the difficult labor."

"The family of three were back in the ward. The other woman had no husband. After resting, she regained her strength. She carried 'her own child' out. I saw her leave the hospital."

"I was uneasy. I secretly followed her. I saw her place her hand on the baby’s neck. The baby was crying loudly but suddenly fell silent. Then, she threw the baby in a trash bin."

"I was afraid of being caught. I didn’t dare get closer, so I kept my distance. After the mother left, I went to check on the baby, but it was already gone. I had no idea where it went."

The woman slowly recalled this past event. Over ten years ago, their village was poor. Abandoning babies was common.

She added in her heart, "The family whose baby was swapped seemed well-off. During the birth, the wife wished for a little princess. She must have loved her own child. If not for the swap, that child would have had a happy life."

This had weighed on her heart for over a decade. She felt bad, but now that she spoke out, she felt some relief.

The truth was clear: Zinnia was swapped out by Donald and Jenny’s plan to get Betty into the Shaw family.

But Donald’s attitude toward Zinnia was weird. On the surveillance, he actually called her a little bastard.

Betty wasn’t Donald’s daughter. Jackson found out Betty was Jenny’s baby from a one–night stand at a bar. Jenny’s health made abortion dangerous. It could end her chance for children and risk her life, so she had the child.

Jackson guessed that Donald didn’t know he got tricked. Donald had no clue Betty wasn’t his child. After Jenny got pregnant, she got involved with Donald. They had a fling during her pregnancy.

Donald likely never suspected Betty wasn’t his. For the early birth, Jenny faked a fall to make it look premature.

Donald was very macho. He didn’t worry about the details, so he never doubted Betty’s identity.

The story was complicated; Jackson’s team investigated for ages. If Jackson was correct, Donald believed Betty was his daughter, which was why he cared for her.

But Jackson didn’t know why Donald took such a big risk to swap the babies. No matter how much he loved his lover’s daughter, he shouldn’t harm his own child.

Besides, the Shaw family could support two daughters. As long as Donald kept Maelis in the dark, she would treat both the baby girls with love.

As scheming as Donald was, he definitely would raise Maelis’s daughter for a future alliance.

But Donald swapped the child anyway. From the woman’s story, Jackson thought it was more likely that Donald knew Jenny’s plan, or maybe Jenny commanded it.

The woman said Donald looked disgusted, not happy, after Zinnia was born. And on camera, Donald called Zinnia a “little bastard.”

It all showed that Donald deemed that Zinnia was not his daughter. But Jackson doubted it. Even if Maelis was being manipulated, he felt there was more to it. He needed to dig deeper.

Learning the truth, Maelis wept bitterly. Her eyes reddened, her gaze empty and lost. Her heart broke. This truth devastated her more than anything else.

Her husband cheated years ago. She raised his mistress’s child for over a decade. That woman said they became pregnant around the same time. That meant Donald slept with her and then with other women.

Thinking this, Maelis felt sick. She doubled over, pale-faced, vomiting violently.

But she hadn’t eaten all day, so she only vomited bile. A bad taste lingered in her mouth. The vomiting caused her chest to ache painfully; she clutched her chest, heartbroken beyond words—this was true, deep pain inside.

Stunned by the shock, Maelis didn’t grasp Jackson’s meaning. He was referring to the daughter of Donald’s mistress, not Donald’s daughter.

Lost in deep sorrow, Maelis didn’t notice the difference in his words. She suddenly felt drained. "How could he do this to me? How could he? That liar!

"Why? Why did you do this to me? What did I do wrong?"

Maelis babbled incoherently, tugging at her hair in a crazed state. "Why? Donald, Betty, how could you hide this so cruelly from me?" Remembering Donald’s disgust, shouting, insults, and that slap recently, she understood everything.

"Grandma, let’s leave. I asked the Shaw family to fetch her," Jackson said, turning to look at Henry and the group.

The Lynn family was stunned. Before the scandal, Donald fooled everyone. People said Maelis married a great man who always obeyed her, but shockingly, he’d been cheating for over ten years.

With all the truth out, the disgusting facts made everyone feel sick.

Donald was Maelis’s own pick. After she got back from the small town, she only wanted him. She had begged Sofia to send him to college. They had been inseparable since, but true feelings changed in an instant.

"Time to go," sighed Sofia, eyeing heartbroken Maelis on the floor. She pitied Maelis but couldn’t bring herself to help. Maelis’s life was no longer their problem. Sofia reminded Henry, "Slow down, Henry."

Sofia and the others walked around Maelis sitting on the ground. From that day on, they were no longer connected to Maelis.

Jackson helped Sofia walk. Charlie held Henry steady. Isaac walked beside them. Then—suddenly—trouble started.