Raising the Heir: The Cuckold's Downfall

An accident left my husband permanently sterile. To protect his fragile masculinity, his parents begged me to keep the truth from Hayes. To the rest of the world, I took the fall.

I became the barren wife. That was, until his mistress marched right up to my front door, aggressively flaunting her swollen pregnant belly to force me out.

Hayes slammed the divorce papers onto the table, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "You can't conceive," he said. "I can't just let my family's bloodline end." Chapter 1 I watched the weeping woman blow through my entire box of expensive, aloeinfused tissues.

I quietly reached into the cabinet and swapped it out for a roll of cheap, sandpaperlike toilet paper my motherinlaw had bought from the dollar store.

One wipe, and her face was covered in a layer of white fuzz. Hayes sat in the living room, chainsmoking. After a long, suffocating silence, he finally spoke. "It is what it is.

Daphne is pregnant. I owe her a future." A cold laugh slipped past my lips. They hid it well. Five months along, and she was only just now showing up at my door. "So… Daphne, right?

Weren't you Hayes's assistant?" She gave a timid little nod, her voice practically trembling. "Genevieve, we met at the last company dinner." I racked my brain, but all I could remember from that corporate dinner was how ridiculously good the airfreighted Maine lobster was.

I had been too busy devouring buttersoaked claw meat to notice these two playing footsie under the table.

When I really thought about it, I could only blame the lobster for being too delicious.

She was a few years younger than me, and her tearstreaked face was the picture of tragic fragility. I almost felt bad for her.

I dragged over a cushioned dining chair and nudged it toward her. "Genevieve, I'm almost full term. I'm totally out of options. Please, just let us be together.

My baby can't grow up without a father, and I… I can't raise a child on my own." She stared at me with big, doelike eyes, clearly waiting for me to cave. "Whether your kid has a father or not is entirely up to Hayes.

I don't get a vote." Hayes lit another cigarette, tapping his foot against the hardwood floor. "I already had a lawyer draft the divorce papers.

When can we sit down and go over the terms? We need to wrap this up as fast as possible." We had bought the house together, so it was marital property.

He bought his car before the wedding, so that was his. Our savings account was the only real asset to split, but since he was the one cheating, I held all the cards.

I fully intended to take him to the cleaners. Just the thought of it made the corners of my mouth twitch upward. "Sure. Let's do it in the next couple of days.

I have a business trip next week, so I'd love to get this out of the way." "Fine," Hayes muttered.

He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "And… don't tell my parents about this yet. They're getting older. I don't think their hearts could take the shock." I mulled it over.

He was right. His parents definitely wouldn't survive the shock.

Five years ago, right after we tied the knot, Hayes went out to inspect a construction site and got caught in a freak accident.

When the ambulance rushed him to the ER, the attending doctor pulled me aside. The impact had crushed his groin. He was left permanently sterile.

My motherinlaw had practically collapsed into a heap of hysterics right outside his hospital room. "My boy has always been so exceptional!

He got straight As his whole life, and he has been named Employee of the Year for five years running!

How could this happen to him?" Honestly, I couldn't grasp the correlation between his stellar resume and a shattered pelvis.

But that didn't stop her from spending a solid five minutes reciting every single award he had ever won, down to his exact SAT scores.

The doctor just shook his head, leaning in to whisper, "Maybe you should suggest a psychiatric evaluation for your motherinlaw." My fatherinlaw sighed heavily from the corner before finally making his decree. "We absolutely cannot mention this at the family Thanksgiving dinner.

We can't tell anyone, and we definitely cannot tell Hayes.

It would completely destroy his confidence as a man." Chapter 2 My fatherinlaw spent his youth working on a Texas ranch, specializing in breeding and castrating purebred horses.

He always said that no matter how wild a stallion was, the moment it was gelded, that arrogant, fiery spirit vanished, leaving it fit only to obediently pull a cart for the rest of its life.

His proudest story was about a massive, feral mustang they had caught out in the hills. Half a dozen grown men couldn't pin the beast down.

But the moment he stepped in and castrated it, the horse became as docile as a lamb. Ever since then, my fatherinlaw firmly believed in one truth.

Men were exactly like horses—they were driven entirely by that primal, masculine pride. I thought about it and figured his twisted logic made a bit of sense.

But I never expected his next move. He looked me dead in the eye and delivered his absolute ruling. "From now on, we tell everyone that you are the one who can't conceive.

No matter what, we have to protect my son's pride." I slowly raised a finger and pointed at my own chest. "Me?" He nodded grimly. "You'll just have to take the hit." Taking the hit wasn't entirely without its perks.

From that day forward, my inlaws catered to my every whim. I lived like absolute royalty in the Hayes household, perfectly comfortable.

So, I didn't care about the nasty gossip circulating outside. Kids were a take it or leave it thing for me anyway; I wasn't exactly desperate to be a mother.

Not to mention, Hayes and I had five years of history holding us together.

But I never, in my wildest dreams, expected his mistress to show up at my door years later, heavily pregnant and crying for a divorce. It didn't take a genius to do the math.

The baby in Daphne's belly couldn't possibly belong to Hayes. My fatherinlaw was right. A gelded horse doesn't have the drive to go into heat.

But if that horse has no idea he's been stripped of his ability to reproduce, he'll act just like every other stud in the world.

Even if the wild grass outside is garbage, he still wants a taste. Seeing that I had backed down, Daphne instantly stopped her sobbing. "Hayes, the baby is kicking so much today.

I'm scared to be alone. Can you come with me?" Hayes's gaze softened instantly. "Yeah. I'll come with you." The look in his eyes caught me off guard.

Over the years, his resentment toward my infertility had been simmering just below the surface.

When the neighbors had a baby boy and brought over celebratory blue cigars, he snapped them in half and threw them straight into the trash.

Whenever coworkers invited him to their lavish gender reveal parties, he always found an excuse to bail.

Even seeing a stray cat nursing kittens in the alley was enough to make his expression darken. Hayes really, truly wanted a child.

So, over the years, his bitterness toward me had only grown more toxic. And today, all that resentment had finally found its perfect outlet. His mistress was pregnant.

He had the ultimate, justified excuse to dump me. My pulse remained perfectly steady. Only the cold, sharp thrill of knowing I was about to walk away with a massive payout.

After they left, I contacted the most ruthless divorce attorney in the city.

I forwarded the security footage of Daphne's little ambush, along with a mountain of evidence proving Hayes's infidelity. Honestly, the paper trail had been there all along.

The next day, I went to the company as usual and told my boss to prioritize me for the sixmonth executive assignment at the European branch.

My boss nodded in approval, praising me for putting my career first. He called it a perfect stepping stone for a major promotion. A slow smile spread across my face.

It really was the perfect opportunity. Because by the time my secondment was up, Daphne would be in labor. The timing for this ridiculous soap opera couldn't be more flawless.

Chapter 3 After work, my motherinlaw called.

She had gone to the local adoption agency again. "A new group of kids just came in," she chattered. "I saw a perfectly healthy baby boy.

Only three months old, so he won't remember his birth parents. If you and Hayes have time, go look at him. If he's a match, submit the application immediately.

You have no idea how high the demand is.

A healthy white baby boy at the local agency is snatched up faster than a discounted flatscreen at Walmart on Black Friday." I swiped through my phone, booking myself a fullbody spa treatment, and brushed her off. "Mom, stop stressing.

I have a plan." "What plan?" she scoffed. "You could wait another ten years and still not pop out a kid.

Better to adopt now while you're still young enough to raise one." I let out a dry chuckle. "And whose fault do you think it is that I can't have kids?" Her guilty silence hung heavy over the line. "That… that's not how you should look at it," she stammered. "You two are husband and wife.

Just… talk to Hayes about it." The line went dead. I stretched out on the plush table, letting out a long breath as the masseuse dug into my shoulders.

Back when I was playing the thrifty, dutiful wife, I wouldn't dare splurge on a fullbody treatment like this even once a year. But now?

Now I was going to milk every last drop of luxury. After the massage, I hit the boutiques and bought several new outfits. Every single swipe went straight to Hayes's credit card.

He probably thought I was just throwing a tantrum and blowing off steam because of the divorce talk. He didn't text or call to stop me.

So I headed straight downtown to the luxury boutiques. Without even blinking, I swiped his platinum card for that Hermes Birkin I had been eyeing for years.

Watching those transaction alerts pop up one by one sent a pure rush of dopamine straight to my brain. But shockingly, it wasn't Hayes who threw a fit over the spending.

It was Daphne. I had just gotten home, slapped on a hydrating sheet mask, and cued up a Netflix show when someone started laying on my doorbell.

I pulled open the front door to find Daphne standing on my porch, heavily pregnant and practically vibrating with rage. "Genevieve, have you lost your mind?

Did you seriously just drop twenty grand in one day?" I raised an eyebrow. I hadn't even bothered keeping a running tally. "And?

Is there a problem?" "You're spending my baby's money!" A harsh bark of laughter escaped my lips. "Newsflash, Daphne. Hayes and I are still legally married.

I'm spending joint marital assets." She gritted her teeth, glaring at me. "You're getting divorced anyway! His money is supposed to go to my kid.

You just blew through all that cash—do you have zero consideration for my baby?" That actually made me laugh out loud. "Sweetheart, did the pregnancy hormones rot your brain?

Why on earth would I give a single damn about your kid?" My gaze dropped to her swollen belly, my voice dripping with implication. "Besides… are you entirely sure that baby even belongs to Hayes?" All the color drained from Daphne's face.

Her eyes darted wildly for a fraction of a second before catching sight of Hayes rushing up the driveway behind her.

Instantly, she flipped the switch. "Genevieve, it's not easy for Hayes to earn that money!" she cried, her lower lip trembling as she squeezed out a few strategic tears. "I just feel so bad for him.

You have no idea how exhausting it is for him to work overtime every single night just to meet his quotas. He's passed out on the office sofa so many times.

Have you ever even cared about him?" The girl deserved an Oscar. Hayes's jaw tightened.

He practically sprinted up the steps, wrapping an arm around Daphne to support her swaying frame. "Genevieve, is this really necessary?" He shot me a dirty look. "She's pregnant, for God's sake." I widened my eyes, momentarily considering playing the innocent, misunderstood wife.

But before I could even get into character, Hayes stepped in front of her, shielding her from my view.

He pointed a rigid finger at me. "Don't you dare glare at her." I let out a slow breath. Once a marriage turns toxic, absolutely everything you do is a crime.

Chapter 4 Daphne buried her face in Hayes's chest, her voice a fragile whisper. "It's all my fault. I just hate seeing you work yourself to the bone.

Genevieve blew through so much of your money today on spas and designer clothes.

I can't even imagine how many late nights you'll have to pull to make that back." Hayes wrapped his arms tighter around her, kissing the top of her head. "Don't worry about it, babe.

I'm getting promoted to VP next quarter. My salary is going to double. I'll make it all back in no time." My ears instantly pricked up, locking onto that juicy little detail.

A corporate VP? That meant a massive yearend bonus and a base salary pushing seven figures. Daphne's gaze locked onto the diamond necklace resting against my collarbone.

Her jaw tightened for a fraction of a second before she forced a sweet smile. "Genevieve has such a blessed life." I deliberately ran a hand through my hair, flashing the diamondencrusted Rolex I had just bought on my wrist. "What can I say?

My life doesn't come cheap." Hayes shot me a warning glare. "I put a hard cap on your supplementary card. You're done playing the billionaire's wife.

I'm fasttracking the divorce, so you better just play nice and cooperate." "Relax," I drawled. "Make the payout big enough, and I'll be your biggest cheerleader." He guided Daphne toward his car.

Just before getting in, he shot a look over his shoulder. "We're having dinner at my parents' place next week. Don't blow our cover." Ah, right.

The mandatory monthly pilgrimage to the country.

I'd almost forgotten. "Sure thing," I replied. "But since you just froze my card, I guess I can't buy your parents those nice winter coats I was planning to get them.

What a shame." Hayes ground his teeth audibly.

A second later, my phone buzzed with a direct transfer of two thousand bucks. "Happy now?" he snapped. "Ecstatic." After a hot shower, I lounged on my bed and pulled up Amazon.

I spent exactly nineteen dollars and ninetynine cents on two of the cheapest, scratchiest polyester jackets I could find, complete with free prime shipping.

The remaining nineteen hundred and eighty dollars went straight into my premium medspa account.

When the day finally came to visit his parents, I deliberately stuffed those cheap jackets into two glossy Chanel shopping bags. Hayes picked me up in his sedan.

The silence in the car was thick and suffocating.

As we finally hit the rural highway, he cleared his throat, his tone dripping with fake casualty. "Daphne hasn't been feeling well lately. Her apartment is drafty and full of mold.

It's a terrible environment for a pregnant woman.

I want to move her into the house for a few days." This bastard was really pushing his luck. "Do you even hear the words coming out of your mouth?" I knew exactly what Daphne's little game was.

She had her eyes locked on my beautiful house, and she was using that pregnant belly as a battering ram to force her way in.

Hayes clearly didn't have the liquid cash to buy her a new place, so he was trying to politely evict me. "Genevieve, I've tolerated your infertility for five years!" he snapped, his hands gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. "I've swallowed that bitter pill, and now you won't even make one tiny compromise for me?" I took a slow, deliberate breath, forcing my heart rate to stay perfectly level. "I am not giving up my house.

Just go rent her a nicer apartment. It's not that complicated." Hayes let out a frustrated sigh. "Daphne feels bad about making me spend more money.

She absolutely refuses to let me rent a luxury place or put her up in a hotel." Look at that. That was the sheer brilliance of a toptier homewrecker.

High risk, high reward, and absolute Oscarworthy execution.

She was willing to suffer in a moldy apartment just to trigger his savior complex, paving a completely justified path straight into my master bedroom. "My name is on that deed.

There is zero chance I'm letting your mistress move into my home," I shot back, my tone icy. "Besides, if she moves in, what do you think the neighbors are going to say?

Once the gossip starts flying around the neighborhood, it's going to reach your parents. Are you ready for that?" That hit the brakes on his brilliant plan immediately.

Hayes gripped the steering wheel in silence. He was a textbook mama's boy. Whenever I needed to shut him down, bringing up his precious parents was the ultimate trump card.

Chapter 5 The car pulled up to the edge of a remote, rundown RV park. My inlaws were already waiting by the front door of their dilapidated wooden cabin.

The second my motherinlaw saw me, she gave me a pointed look. "Have you thought about what I told you? That little boy is perfect. His eyes are as big as grapes.

He smiled right at me, looked just like my own sweet grandson.

You need to talk to Hayes and lock this down before someone else grabs him." I stifled a yawn and pulled the two flimsy jackets out of the designer bags. "Mom, Dad.

These are the latest season's styles. Lightweight, noninsulated jackets.

A little gift for you both." My fatherinlaw sat huddled by the fireplace in a wornout flannel shirt, nursing a glass of cheap whiskey.

He bragged about how he had gone out to the ranches and helped geld dozens of horses this year. Not a single man within a tenmile radius could match his technique, he claimed.

I took a sip of my water to hide the smirk pulling at my lips. You really should save some of that good karma for your son.

My motherinlaw scowled at him. "You drink from dawn to dusk. Your hands shake like leaves.

Be careful you don't accidentally castrate yourself one of these days." She froze, immediately realizing her slip of the tongue, and shot a panicked glance at her son.

Hayes didn't notice. He was glued to his phone, his thumbs aggressively typing out messages. He was undoubtedly chatting with Daphne.

He didn't even put the phone down during dinner. My motherinlaw piled a massive scoop of food onto his plate. "Look at how skinny you've gotten. You need to eat more.

Son, what I'm trying to say is… you two really need to adopt a child while you can.

I went down to the agency the other day, and right now—" Hayes cut her off, slamming his fork down. "Mom, how could someone else's kid ever compare to my own flesh and blood?

Those kids at the agency are abandoned for a reason. They grow up with deeprooted psychological issues.

Why are you trying to force me to adopt?" I kept my head down and continued eating in silence.

Hayes shot me a dirty look. "Besides, I'm not the one with the problem." My motherinlaw choked on her words.

She let out a heavy sigh. "I just think it's past time for you two to have a baby in the house." Hayes leaned back in his chair, a smug smile creeping onto his face. "You'll get a baby.

I promise you, by this time next year, you'll be holding your grandson." The dinner ended in stifling silence.

Hayes pushed away from the table and stepped out onto the porch to smoke. I lounged on the faded sofa, scrolling through my phone.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught him through the window. His face was completely soft, his voice murmuring sweet nothings into his phone.

He was coaxing Daphne, promising her that he would rush right back to her side the second he was done here.

My motherinlaw crept toward the door, pressing her ear against the glass. "Who is he talking to?" she whispered. "He sounds so sweet." I smoothly ran cover for him. "It's just work stuff.

Don't worry about it.

He's up for a major promotion, so late nights are just part of the grind." Right now, the absolute last thing I needed was for Hayes to discover his permanent sterility.

If he found out, the divorce would stall, and a massive chunk of my payout would vanish into thin air. My motherinlaw beamed with pride. "Exactly. My boy is incredibly capable.

He's already an executive at such a young age. He has a limitless future ahead of him.

Any kid from that agency would be damn lucky to end up in our family." I cracked open a pistachio, chewing slowly. "Mhm.

Your son is the absolute best." As the sun dipped below the horizon, Hayes finally walked back inside and announced we were leaving.

My motherinlaw frowned. "Weren't you supposed to stay the night? It's completely dark out, and the roads are dangerous.

Just leave first thing in the morning." Hayes shifted his weight, refusing to meet her eyes. "I have a lot of work waiting for me back in the city.

We need to go now." He shot me a pointed look. I took the cue instantly, grabbing my purse and standing up. "Let's go.

Work comes first." His biggest project right now was the baby growing inside his mistress's belly. He was desperate to drive through the night just to get back to Daphne.

Later that exact same night, a new post popped up on my Instagram feed. [A photo of two hands with interlocked fingers.] I let out a low whistle. They really have zero patience.

Chapter 6 I scheduled a meeting with Hayes over the weekend to finalize the divorce.

My lawyer and I sat at a corner table in the coffee shop, waiting for what felt like an eternity before he finally showed up. We laid all the cards on the table. "Mr.

Hayes, I am representing Genevieve," my lawyer began, her tone crisp and professional. "We have made a few minor adjustments to the settlement agreement.

The title of the Manhattan apartment will be transferred entirely to my client.

As for the joint account, which currently holds nearly three hundred thousand dollars, we are proposing a 70/30 split in my client's favor." Hayes scowled, his brow furrowing deeply. "Genevieve, your appetite is way too big." I smiled sweetly, leaning forward to offer a bit of hollow praise. "Come on, Hayes.

You're getting promoted to VP next quarter, aren't you?

Why are you suddenly pennypinching?" At the mention of his promotion, his tone shifted, a hint of smugness bleeding back in. "It's not about the money.

But if you take the apartment, where are Daphne and the baby supposed to live? Postpartum care costs a fortune.

You have to consider my situation." I let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Did you consider my situation while you were sleeping with her?" Asking me for sympathy now?

The absolute audacity. Hayes slammed his hand against the table, the coffee cups rattling. "Are you trying to bleed me dry?

Don't forget, if you weren't completely barren, I wouldn't have had to go looking for another woman! I can't just let my bloodline end with me." Men were so predictable.

All the sweet nothings he had whispered five years ago had mutated into weapons designed to cut me down.

But his words couldn't even scratch the surface anymore. "Hayes, these are my bottomline terms.

Leaving you with anything at all is a massive act of charity," I said, my voice icecold. "If you don't sign this agreement today, tomorrow the split becomes 80/20.

The day after that, 90/10. And it will keep dropping until you cave. Or we can just take this to court and see who bleeds out first." His face flushed a deep, violent shade of red.

He snatched the pen off the table and furiously scribbled his signature across the bottom line. The moment the ink dried, I let out a long breath.

The asset division moved at lightning speed, completely finalized in under a week. A few days later, I was scrolling through Instagram and saw Daphne flaunting her new diamond ring.

A freshly issued marriage certificate from the city hall was visible in the background. I had to hand it to her—she really was a pro.

Securing a rich, desperate father for her baby in such a short amount of time took serious skill. She had hooked a gradeA sucker. But none of that was my problem anymore.

Because at that exact moment, I was already settling into my new life in Europe. When my exmotherinlaw called, I was fast asleep, still adjusting to the time zone.

I answered groggily, only to be met with her screeching voice. "What the hell is going on?! When did you two get divorced? How could you not tell me something this massive?

Do you have zero respect for me as your mother?" "None at all.

Now, what do you want, lady?" In the background, I could hear my exfatherinlaw screaming curses and smashing something against the wall. "Hayes said that Daphne girl is pregnant!

He said they got an ultrasound and it's a boy! How is this possible? Is that baby even his?" Obviously not. I stretched lazily in my plush hotel bed. "Look, both of you.

I'm out of the country. If you have questions, take it up with your son. Why are you screaming at me?" On the other end of the line, my exmotherinlaw completely lost it.

She started wailing that her precious son had been scammed, that he was being tricked into raising another man's bastard.

I lifted a glass of champagne, took a slow sip, and just listened to the frantic screaming on the other side of the world.

It was, without a doubt, the greatest symphony I had ever heard.

After thoroughly enjoying their panic attack, I offered a helpful little reminder. "Hey, they're already legally married.

Hayes is officially wearing those horns, and there's no taking them off now. Didn't you say we had to protect his fragile masculinity at all costs?

Well, I guess you two are just going to have to swallow this bitter pill." Chapter 7 My exinlaws were trapped in a hell of their own making.

On one hand, they couldn't tell their precious son he was permanently sterile. On the other hand, they were watching him raise another man's bastard.

I offered some helpful guidance. "Look at it this way. Hayes is never going to have a biological child anyway.

What's the difference between adopting a random kid from an agency and the situation he's in right now?" The more I counseled them, the more twisted it felt.

I couldn't hold back a laugh. My exmotherinlaw was wailing so loudly she sounded like a wounded donkey.

I hung up the phone, pulled the duvet back over my head, and fell back into the most peaceful sleep I had had in years.

Two months later, Hayes posted a photo on Facebook announcing the birth of his healthy baby boy. Clearly, his parents hadn't found the guts to tell him the truth. That was perfect.

The deeper he sank into the sunkcost fallacy, the more agonizing the eventual reveal would be. I casually tapped the like button on his post.

During the Christmas holidays, I flew back to the States. I ran into them strolling through my upscale neighborhood.

Daphne was pushing a luxury stroller, grinning from ear to ear. "Genevieve, long time no see." She had deliberately rented an apartment in my building just to shove her new life in my face. "Cute kid," I said. "He's our little lucky charm, Gen.

Right after he was born, his dad got promoted to VP at the corporate headquarters." "Oh? Is that so?

I thought you were still in the probationary review period." Hayes puffed out his chest, utterly smug. "It's a done deal.

The review is just a formality." I nodded, plastering on a fake smile. "Well then, congratulations." The second I walked into my apartment, I opened my laptop.

I pulled up a drafted email that had been sitting in my outbox for two months. I did one final sweep of the attachments.

The first was the medical report confirming his permanent sterility, and the second was a mountain of ironclad evidence proving his years of embezzling corporate assets and conducting insider trading.

He thought I was completely clueless. But ever since his little accident years ago, I had been meticulously gathering receipts. Men were inherently unreliable.

The only real power you had was the absolute leverage you held in your own hands. I had waited all this time for one simple reason: I wanted to obliterate his safety net entirely.

He had spent five grueling years clawing his way toward that VP title. It was his one and only shot at the big leagues.

Ripping that future right out of his hands was my ultimate endgame. I waited for the exact moment he was stepping into his crucial executive board meeting, and I hit send.

By nightfall, his entire professional life was in ashes. And I was already on a firstclass flight back to Europe