Chapter 1

Eliza and Connor had been the absolute dream couple, from high school sweethearts to walking down the aisle. Everyone envied what they had.

Then came the fifth year of their marriage, and Connor cheated. Eliza did not scream or throw a scene. She simply placed the stack of unmistakable photos on his home office desk and said calmly, “Either she leaves, or I leave with the kids.”

It was the very first real hardship their marriage had ever faced. In the end, Connor chose his family.

On the surface, life seemed to return to normal. Connor started going home on time every single night, took an active interest in the kids, and treated Eliza with respect. Yet, a rift now stood between them, and they could never go back to the way things used to be.

One afternoon, Eliza wrapped up an interview early and decided to drop by the preschool to surprise her children.

As she arrived at the front gates, she spotted her five-year-old twins, Leo and Maya. They were laughing happily as they threw themselves into the arms of a slender woman in a beige dress. The woman bent down, opening her arms to wrap the twins in a tight hug, her face beaming with affection.

Eliza froze in her tracks. Her heart skipped a beat.

Sofia? What was Sofia—the very woman Connor had cheated on her with—doing there?

Before Eliza could even process the sight, the scene unfolding right before her eyes made her blood run cold.

Chapter 1

Her daughter, Maya Hall, nuzzled her cheek against Sofia Reyes’s and called out sweetly, “Mommy!”

Her son, Leo Hall, chimed in right after, “Mommy! You promised you’d take us out for ice cream today!”

Eliza was stunned, and she felt her world spin before her blood ran cold.

Mommy? Did that mean Connor Hall never actually sent Sofia away?

Not only had he kept her around, but he also allowed her to insert herself into their children’s lives. He had even… allowed the children to call her “Mommy”?

Overcome by shock and rage, Eliza lost all reason. She rushed forward and yanked both children out of Sofia’s arms!

“What did you just call her?”

Eliza’s voice trembled, and her face was terrifyingly pale.

Both children were startled by her sudden outburst. When they recognized who she was, a flicker of panic crossed their faces, but it was quickly replaced by resentment.

Leo furrowed his little brows, stepping right in front of Sofia. “What are you doing? You scared Sofia!”

Maya pouted as well. “Yeah! Why did you push Sofia?”

“I said, what did you just call her?” Eliza demanded, her eyes locked onto both children.

Leo raised his head and said with an innocent cruelty, “We called her Mommy! Sofia is kind and beautiful. She plays with us, reads us stories, and buys us tons of yummy snacks and toys! What about you? You’re always busy with work, and when you’re home, you just lock yourself in the study or lose your patience with us!”

Maya added in a quiet voice, “Sofia never yells at us…”

Every word stabbed Eliza’s heart.

Sofia quickly scrambled to her feet, her face wearing a perfectly measured expression of panic and apology. She reached out, attempting to take Eliza’s hand.

“Eliza, please don’t be angry. The kids are still young. They just say whatever comes to mind. Don’t take it to heart–”

“Don’t touch me!” Eliza flung Sofia’s arm away hard.

Sofia gasped dramatically and stumbled backward several steps before falling onto the concrete ground. Her knees scraped against the rough pavement, tearing the skin, and blood instantly oozed out.

“Sofia!”

“You’re mean! You pushed Sofia!”

Both children started screaming at once.

Leo rushed forward like a furious lion cub, throwing punches and kicking at Eliza’s shins. “Get away! You’re not allowed to bully Sofia!”

Meanwhile, Maya quickly pulled out a smartwatch from her little backpack. She deftly pressed a few buttons and cried into the watch, “Hello, 911? A bad lady hurt my mommy! She’s bleeding! Help!”

Eliza stood frozen in place. She watched her own son kicking and punching her, heard her daughter reporting her to the police as a “bad woman,” and looked at Sofia sitting on the ground with tears welling up in her eyes while wearing a subtly provocative smile.

Her body went numb, and she could not move an inch. She felt as though she was in a surreal, cruel nightmare.

The police arrived shortly after, and the entire group was taken to the station.

The two children snuggled close to Sofia, eagerly chattering away as they recounted Eliza’s “evil crimes” to the officers. Meanwhile, Sofia, with reddened eyes, was quietly sobbing. She looked as if she had suffered a tremendous injustice but was struggling to hold it in.

Eliza sat numbly on the opposite side. As she watched this absurd scene unfold, she felt the hollow void in her heart grow.

Before long, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the police station. Connor stepped inside with hurried strides, flanked by two bodyguards. He was dressed in a tailored suit, his handsome face showing the weariness of a long workday, but mostly impatience and displeasure.

His gaze swept over the room, pausing briefly on Eliza’s pale face before settling on the crying Sofia and the two children. Immediately, his brows knitted into a tight frown.

He spoke in hushed tones to the officer on duty and presented a few documents. The officer’s attitude instantly shifted to one of deference as he nodded repeatedly.

“Of course, Mr. Hall. We understand completely. It’s all a misunderstanding. You are free to take everyone home.”

“Daddy!”

“Daddy! She pushed Sofia! She even brought Sofia to the police station!”

Both children threw themselves into Connor’s arms, competing to tell on Eliza first. Sofia stood up as well, looking timidly at Connor. Her eyes grew even redder, but she bit her lip, staying silent as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Connor patted the two children reassuringly and cast a complex look toward Sofia. Then, he walked over to Eliza, leaning down as he lowered his voice. His tone carried no effort to hide his irritation and accusation.

“Eliza, what are you up to this time? I just wrapped up an exhausting international video conference, only to get a call saying you beat someone up and got dragged to the police station? And you did this right in front of the kids?”

Eliza lifted her head, staring at the face that was both so familiar and yet so foreign.

Once, he would look at her with love and affection. Now, he looked at her with impatience and blame.

“What was I up to?” The corner of Eliza’s lips twitched into a smile that looked far worse than crying. “Connor, shouldn’t you explain yourself to me first? Didn’t you swear to me that you’d sent Sofia Reyes away? Why is she here? And why are the kids calling her Mommy?”

Chapter 2

Connor’s eyes flickered, and his voice stiffened slightly. “I did send her out of town, but her mother fell critically ill recently and was on the brink of death. As a daughter, is she not supposed to come back and take care of her? That’s her mother, for goodness sake.”

Eliza found it completely absurd. “So you tacitly allowed her to come back, allowed her to get close to our children, and even… allowed them to call her Mommy? Connor, do you take me for a fool?”

“Don’t make it sound so bad!” Connor’s brow furrowed even more. “I was the one at fault. I failed you, I was unfaithful to our marriage, and I caught feelings for Sofia. Sofia didn’t do anything wrong. The kids have a great relationship with her because she’s working as a piano teacher right now.

“When we were picking a piano teacher for Leo and Maya last time, they picked Sofia themselves from a stack of teacher profiles. After I promised you I’d return to the family, I cut off that kind of relationship with her. We haven’t done anything out of line. We’re just ordinary friends now.

“You’re the one being overly sensitive and paranoid. Why do you have to target her like this?”

Looking at how eager he was to clear his name while subtly defending her, Eliza felt her heart break.

She recalled being sixteen and standing by the basketball court. Connor, a boy in a white shirt, had walked toward her under the bright sunlight.

With flushed ears but gleaming eyes, he had told her, “Eliza, I have feelings for you. Let’s be together.”

She recalled university, when he had skipped a major lab class, climbed over the campus wall to get her a warm drink, and stood waiting below her dorm for an hour just to make sure she was okay.

She recalled the night he proposed. On the campus track where they first met, he had laid out the candles in a massive heart shape.

Down on one knee, he said, his voice choked with emotion, “Eliza, marry me. You’re the only one I love, and that will never change.”

She recalled when she had just given birth to the twins. Holding the babies with red eyes, he had whispered to the frail her, “Honey, thank you for everything. From now on, we will be a family of four, and I’ll protect you all with my life.”

Those sweet promises made the betrayal feel more agonizing.

He had admitted right to her face that he had caught feelings for another woman, and now, he was even blaming her for being paranoid and targeting the very woman who had broken up her family!

“So,” Eliza said, her voice raspy and broken, filled with a sense of calm bordering on despair, “in your eyes, all you see is me targeting her. But have you ever thought about my heart breaking when I heard my own children call another woman their mommy? Have you ever, even for a single second, tried to see things from my perspective?”

Looking at her bloodshot eyes and her trembling figure on the verge of collapse, Connor hesitated and said, “I…”

Eliza closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, there was nothing left in her eyes but a cold resolve.

“Connor Hall, I’m giving you two choices. One, fire Sofia right here, right now, and make her disappear from my life and my children’s lives forever.

“Two.” She paused, every word sounding as if it took all the strength left in her body, “We get a divorce.”

She had finally brought up divorce again. Yet, unlike the panic from last time, Connor’s expression was terrifyingly calm.

“No! The kids have gotten used to Sofia, and she’s a great teacher. Since I’ve promised you, I won’t cross any lines with her again. I have no reason to fire her for no cause.”

He looked at her with a subtle trace of contempt as he continued firmly, “Eliza, you don’t have to use divorce to threaten me all the time. I know you won’t actually go through with a divorce for the sake of the kids.”

For the sake of the kids…

Those words crushed Eliza’s heart.

That was right. Last time, it was precisely for the sake of the children that she gave him another chance and that she chose to be patient. She never thought that that very weakness would become the bargaining chip he used to manipulate and walk all over her.

Seeing the devastation in her eyes as she stared at him, he pressed his fingers to his temples in frustration. Then, he softened his tone, speaking dismissively, as if trying to sweep things under the rug.

“Alright, I know the kids crossed a line today too. I’ll have them apologize to you. Let’s just drop this matter. Stop dwelling on it, okay?”

He turned around and waved at the two children standing not far away. “Leo, Maya, come over here and apologize to your mother.”

The two children dragged their feet over, looking reluctant.

Leo pouted. “We did nothing wrong–”

“Leo!” Connor’s tone hardened.

Only then did Leo reluctantly murmur, “I’m sorry.”

Maya, too, mumbled softly, “I’m sorry.”

Eliza found their insincere apologies ironic, and it filled her with nothing but sadness.

Stepping out of the station, Connor’s car was already waiting at the curb. He had Sofia take the two children into the car first before walking over to Eliza.

“Get in.” His tone returned to its usual indifference, as though the intense argument earlier never happened.

Eliza said nothing and quietly sat in the backseat.

In the car, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense. The two children clung to Sofia on either side, chattering happily away. Sofia responded gently, occasionally wiping the sweat off Maya’s forehead with a tissue.

Connor sat in the passenger seat, turning back now and then to join their conversation. He asked the twins what they learned at preschool today and Sofia about her mother’s condition. The four of them laughed and chatted happily, as if they were a real family.

Meanwhile, Eliza sat like an out-of-place bystander cut off from their world. She watched the streets go by outside the window as the void inside her grew larger and colder.

Was this the family she had sacrificed herself and worked so tirelessly to maintain? How absurd.

Just as the car was at an intersection, a sedan across the street suddenly lost control, ran a red light, and slammed straight toward their vehicle.

As the crash echoed with a bang, Eliza felt her body being thrown into the air and then crashing back down. Intense pain radiated from her forehead and all over her body as a warm liquid blurred her vision.

After some time, the sharp wail of an ambulance siren approached, and she heard the paramedics' voices.

“Over here! The injured need to be rushed to the hospital immediately!”

It was the sound of a gurney approaching, but in the very next second, it was blocked by two small figures.

“Save Sofia first!” It was Leo’s voice, crying yet fiercely insistent. “She’s bleeding so much! She passed out!”

Chapter 3

“Kids, your mother is in much worse shape. She might have a brain bleed and requires emergency care immediately!”

“I don’t care! Save Sofia first!” Maya screamed as well. “Save Sofia first!”

The paramedic was put in a difficult position. That was when Connor’s deep, hoarse voice broke in, carrying unquestionable authority.

“Take Miss Reyes first.”

“But Mr. Hall, your wife–”

“Do as I say! The next ambulance will be here any second.” Connor raised his voice, his tone impatient and commanding.

Hurried footsteps echoed as the gurney was rushed away.

It took everything in Eliza to force her blood-stained eyes open. Through her blurred vision, she saw Connor holding the unconscious Sofia in his arms, flanked by their two children as they all boarded that ambulance right behind the gurney and left her alone at the crash site.

Before her consciousness faded away, her mind suddenly drifted back to a long-ago time.

There was an occasion when she had accidentally cut her finger while peeling an apple. It was just a tiny nick, yet Connor had been so worried that he dropped a tens-of-millions-dollar deal right then and there to drive her to the hospital.

The entire drive over, his brows furrowed, and he repeatedly asked her, “Does it hurt?”

Then, there was a time when the kids were still tiny. Connor held them close and pointed toward her, saying, “Leo, Maya, this is your mother. When you grow up, you have to take care of her, okay?”

The two children had nodded innocently back then, throwing themselves into her arms and piping up in their sweet little voices, “Take care of Mommy!”

Yet, what about now? They had stopped the paramedics to save Sofia first, and their father, the very man who had once sworn to protect her with his life, had chosen to save another woman first, leaving her right there to bleed out.

As it turned out, people really do change, and love really does fade away.

When she woke up again, she was in a hospital room. Eliza opened her eyes to see Connor and the two children by her bedside.

Seeing her wake up, Connor seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “Eliza, you’re awake? How are you feeling?”

To Eliza, his concern sounded ironic and sickening.

“You… didn’t choose to save me back then. Why bother pretending to care about me now?”

The expression on Connor’s face froze. “Sofia’s weaker, and she had fainted. It was an emergency. I just… After weighing everything, I made the safest choice. Eliza, I hope you’ll understand.”

Understand? What was she supposed to understand? Understand that he abandoned her at the crash site to die, all to save a woman who merely had “minor injuries” and had “fainted”?

Just then, a nurse knocked on the door and walked in. “Mr. Hall, Miss Reyes has woken up. She’s emotionally unstable and has been asking for you…”

Connor stood up immediately. “Eliza, get some rest. I’ll… check on her first. Leo, Maya, you both stay here and keep your mother company.”

With that, he hurried out of the hospital room.

Although the two children stayed behind, they were obviously checked out. Leo kept staring at the door while Maya fiddled with her smartwatch, whispering under her breath, “I wonder how Sofia is doing…”

Seeing them like this hurt Eliza, and she could no longer hold back from saying, “If… If your father and I get a divorce, who would you choose to go with?”

Both children raised their heads at the same time, momentarily stunned.

Leo’s eyes lit up first. “Divorce? Does that mean you and Daddy will split up and live separately?”

Maya also chimed in excitedly, “Then does that mean Daddy can be with Sofia?”

Before Eliza could answer, Leo quickly cut in, “Then of course we’re going with Daddy! Because if we’re with Daddy, we get to see Sofia every day!”

Maya nodded eagerly. “Yeah! I want to be with Daddy and Sofia!”

Every word stabbed Eliza’s already shattered heart.

She stared in disbelief at these two tiny lives she had brought into this world, her voice trembling as she asked, “So… compared to me, you like Sofia better, is that it?”

“Of course!” Leo blurted out. “Sofia plays with us and takes us to amusement parks! What about you? You’re always telling us to wait until you’re done with work, but you’re never finished!”

Maya added softly as well, “Sofia also dresses me up in pretty dresses, gives me snacks, and lets me watch TV. But you always tell me to bundle up, and you never allow me any junk food…”

They listed off every good thing about Sofia, alongside every bad thing about her, their biological mother.

As Eliza listened, her heart sank. It turned out that while she was exhausting herself running around for the sake of her family and her so-called work-life balance, her children had long since been won over by another woman’s calculated kindness.

Right at that moment, Maya tugged on her brother’s sleeve and whispered, “Leo, Daddy’s over there by himself, and I don’t know if he can take proper care of Sofia… I’m a little worried. Should we check on Sofia? Anyway… Mommy is fine now.”

Leo nodded right away. “I’m worried about Sofia too! Come on, let’s go!”

The two children made to run outside as they spoke.

On the way out, Leo accidentally bumped into the hot water kettle on the bedside table. The kettle tipped over, and the scalding hot water inside spilled, drenching Eliza’s legs beneath the thin blanket.

“Ah!” The searing, excruciating pain made Eliza scream out, and her face instantly drained of color.

Startled by the sudden accident, the children looked back at Eliza’s agonized state.

Maya asked in a quiet voice, “Leo… what do we do? Mommy got burned…”

Leo glanced back, took his sister’s hand, and said, “It’s just a little burn. She’ll be fine. Let’s go. Sofia needs us more!”

With that, he dragged Maya, who looked back every three steps, out of the hospital room without turning back again.

Eliza shook from the pain, and cold sweat instantly broke out across her forehead. All she could do was reach out with great effort to press the call button beside the bed.

Soon, a nurse rushed in. Seeing the state she was in, the nurse gasped and quickly called the doctor over to treat it.

Throughout the process of cleaning and bandaging the wound, Eliza gritted her teeth without making a single sound as tears streamed down her face.

As the nurse treated her, she could not help but sigh. “Ms. Lowry, why is no one taking care of you? These burns are no joke. If it gets infected, things can get serious.”

Eliza kept her eyes closed, saying nothing.

The nurse chattered on again, “Miss Reyes in the VIP room next door was brought in from a car accident too, with only minor injuries. Yet, her husband and kids have been by her side the entire time, so worried about her. It really goes to show how different people’s lives can be…”

Eliza didn’t reply. She simply let out a low, raspy laugh, yet her tears flowed intensely.

After the nurse left, silence filled the room again. Lying on the hospital bed, Eliza stared up at the white ceiling, her gaze turning cold as she made her decision.

She pulled out her phone and dialed her boss’s number.

“Mr. Fox, it’s Eliza.”

“Eliza? Are you feeling any better? I heard you were in a car crash. Get some good rest and set work aside for now–”

“Mr. Fox,” Eliza interrupted him, her voice flat. “I’d like to request a transfer to be a war correspondent.”

Chapter 4

The voice on the other end of the line faltered noticeably. “A war correspondent? Eliza, why so suddenly? It’s risky out there! Active combat, bullets flying everywhere, and not to mention the brutal living conditions. You’re a young woman–”

“It was my dream back in college,” Eliza said softly. “It’s just that… because of my family, I put it on hold. Now, I want to fulfill it.”

“But you have a husband, two kids, and a happy family. Why take such a risk? Even if you want to go, your family would never agree to it!”

Eliza smiled bleakly.

“Mr. Fox, I’m preparing for a divorce. The children… will go with their father. My mind is made up.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Mr. Fox was clearly stunned by the news.

Eventually, Mr. Fox sighed. “Well, that is your personal affairs, so it’s not my place to pry. Since you’ve decided… Alright. I’ll submit your application to upper management. Rest up and recover over the next few days, get everything in order, and prepare to head out on schedule by the end of the month.”

“Thank you, Mr. Fox.”

After hanging up, Eliza dialed her lawyer’s number.

“Ms. Summers, I’d like you to draft divorce papers for me, please. The father will have sole custody of the children, and I am surrendering my rights. As for asset division, we will go with standard legal guidelines. I only want what I’m legally entitled to. The sooner, the better. Ideally… I’d like the divorce to be finalized before the end of the month.”

After taking care of all of that, she closed her eyes, exhausted. Finally, though her heart still felt empty and cold, she was starting to feel something again.

Over the next few days, Connor and the two children never showed up once. It wasn’t until Eliza’s birthday came that Connor—perhaps out of a desire to make amends or just to maintain a peaceful facade—arranged a rather grand birthday party for her.

At the party, Sofia arrived uninvited. Dressed in a soft pink gown and sporting exquisite makeup, she walked gracefully up to Eliza and handed her an elegantly wrapped gift box.

“Happy birthday, Eliza. What a coincidence. It happens to be my birthday today too.”

The same birthday?

The two children immediately turned to Sofia in surprise. “Sofia, today is your birthday too? Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

Leo turned to Connor right away. “Daddy! Today is Sofia’s birthday too! Why don’t we… make this a joint birthday party for Mommy and Sofia? Can we?”

Maya tugged at Connor’s hand, swaying it back and forth. “Daddy, please? Spending a birthday all alone must be so lonely for Sofia!”

Connor looked at the expectant eyes of his two children, then glanced at Eliza, who stood quietly aside, not saying a word. A flicker of hesitation crossed his face.

He walked over to Eliza’s side and whispered in a negotiating tone, “Eliza, look how much the kids want this… Sofia really is all by herself today, so… why don’t we celebrate her too? I know this feels unfair to you, but–”

“Sure.” Before he could finish his sentence, Eliza cut him off coldly.

Connor froze. All the arguments he had prepared to persuade her with were stuck in his throat.

“That’s it?” He couldn’t quite believe it. “You don’t mind?”

He had assumed she would throw a fit, that she would tearfully interrogate him and accuse him of being partial, just like she used to. He had even planned out how to soothe her and reason with her. Yet, she had agreed so easily.

Eliza flashed him a nonchalant smile. “You explained your reasons. You said she’s just the kids’ piano teacher, that there’s nothing between you two, and that you only interact because of the children. Why would I mind?”

She paused and looked up at him. Her gaze was flat and unbothered.

“Rest assured, Connor. From now on, I won’t make a scene ever again.”

For reasons he couldn’t explain, even though she had become reasonable and generous, Connor’s heart suddenly sank, and he was filled with anxiety and panic.

She was far too calm, so calm that it felt like she didn’t care about anything anymore; she didn’t care that they were good to Sofia, and she didn’t care… about them anymore either.

Chapter 5

“Daddy!” Leo tugged at his sleeve, interrupting his thoughts. “Look, Sofia is rubbing her arms. Is she cold? Can we go get a shawl for Sofia?”

Connor snapped back to reality and glanced at Sofia mingling with guests not far away. She was indeed hugging her arms.

He was probably overthinking it. Eliza loved him, the kids, and their family so much; there was no way she did not care. She was just… throwing a temporary fit, or perhaps she had truly come to terms with it.

Pushing aside the inexplicable restlessness he felt, he took the children to fetch a shawl for Sofia.

Once Connor and the kids walked away, the gentle smile on Sofia’s face faded slightly. With a wine glass in hand, she glided over gracefully to Eliza.

“Eliza, do you see this? Your husband’s and your children’s lives revolve around me now. You’re like a pathetic joke, forced to share your birthday with me. How does it feel?”

Eliza had no desire to pay Sofia any mind, so she walked away. However, Sofia grabbed her by the wrist, her fingernails digging deep into her skin.

“What’s the rush? I’m not done yet!” Sofia leaned in close, her expression sweet, but her voice dark. “Eliza, I heard your mother killed herself by suicide back then because her husband cheated on her.

“Who would’ve thought that after all these years, you’d turn out just like her, a total loser who can’t keep her man? At least your mother gave birth to you. You, on the other hand, gave birth to two ingrates. Hahaha–”

A loud slap landed squarely across Sofia’s face.

Eliza flung Sofia’s hand away, her eyes cold. “Sofia, I’ve put up with you for a long time. If you utter another word about my mother, I’ll rip your mouth apart!”

Sofia’s head snapped to the side from the blow, her cheek rapidly swelling and turning red. She held her face in her hands, tears immediately welling up in her eyes.

Yet, instead of screaming like she usually would, a faint, triumphant smile stretched across her face. It was because Connor and the children were walking over right now, holding the shawl.

“What happened?” Connor’s brow instantly furrowed when he saw Sofia’s red, swollen cheek and Eliza’s cold expression.

Sofia’s tears spilled over instantly as she threw herself into Connor’s arms.

Through choked sobs, she made herself the victim, saying, “Connor, it’s not Eliza’s fault… It was my mistake. I accidentally spilled champagne on her… She had every right to hit me…”

The two children erupted at once.

Leo pointed at Eliza, shouting in accusation, “It was just a glass of champagne! How could you hit Sofia?”

Maya’s little face turned red with rage as well. “You evil woman! We hate you!”

Looking at the weeping Sofia in his arms and then at the expressionless Eliza, Connor was filled with rage!

“Eliza! Here I was, wondering why you were so generous and reasonable today. It turns out you were just waiting for this moment to vent all your anger on Sofia! I was the one who decided to host the birthday party together. If you’re upset, take it out on me! Why lash out at someone else?”

Eliza looked at the furious man standing in front of her. His words felt like a knife plunging deep into her chest, hurting her so badly that she could hardly breathe.

She parted her lips, wanting to say something, but Sofia rushed forward right on cue, clutching Connor with tears streaming down her face.

Sofia cried, “Connor! Please don’t fight! It’s all my fault! I shouldn’t have come… I’m the one who ruined Eliza’s birthday party… I-I’ll leave right now!”

With that, she covered her face and ran out of the ballroom in tears.

“Sofia!”

“Sofia, don’t go!”

The children immediately shouted and chased after her.

Connor glared at Eliza and spat, “Look at what you’ve done!”

With that, he ran out after them.

Eliza was left standing alone, enduring the various looks cast upon her by the surrounding guests. Exhausted, she ignored everyone’s whispers, picked up her bag, and quietly left the so-called birthday party.

Back home, she washed away her exhaustion and the scent of alcohol with a shower before getting into bed early. She did not know when Connor and the kids returned, nor did she care. It was not until the middle of the night that a faint rustling noise woke her.

Opening her eyes, she caught the faint moonlight filtering through the window and discovered that Leo and Maya had snuck into her room at some point. They had ropes in their hands and were tying up her hands and feet!

“What are you doing?” Eliza sat up abruptly.

The children were startled by her, but almost immediately, a hateful expression appeared on Leo’s face—one far too mature for his age.

“What are we doing? You slapped Sofia today and made her run out crying for so long! Daddy had to comfort her for a really long time before she felt better! We’ve never seen Sofia so heartbroken! You evil woman! We’re going to get revenge for Sofia and teach you a lesson!”

Maya pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. Under the moonlight, fine powder could be seen clinging to the fabric.

“Mommy, you’re severely allergic to pollen, aren’t you? I’ve put so much pollen on this handkerchief… You’re going to feel like you’re dying. I hope you learn your lesson this time and stop picking on Sofia!”

Eliza’s eyes widened in shock.

She had a severe pollen allergy. Any contact would trigger respiratory spasms, suffocation, and could even be life-threatening—a fact known only to her closest family members. Yet, they were using that to teach her a lesson.

She was trembling all over and had not even had time to react when, in the next instant, Leo and Maya joined forces to press the pollen-covered handkerchief firmly over her nose and mouth.

“Mmph!”

As pollen invaded her airway, Eliza struggled desperately, but the two children seemed determined, pressing the handkerchief down on her with all their might!

Suffocation took hold rapidly. It felt as if countless hands were clutching her throat, her lungs burned like fire, and her vision began to go dark.

Chapter 6

Seeing Eliza’s face rapidly turn purple and her breathing become ragged and labored, the children finally seemed frightened. They let go, dropped the handkerchief, and fled the room in sheer panic.

“Cough, cough… Cough, cough, cough!”

Eliza began to cough violently as she desperately gasped for air. However, her airway was already swollen, and every breath was accompanied by a terrifying wheezing sound!

Medicine… Her allergy medicine!

She stumbled out of bed, fumbling blindly as she tried to open her nightstand drawer, where she usually kept an emergency allergy inhaler.

As soon as she found it, she pulled out the inhaler with trembling hands, only for the bedroom door to slam open again with a bang.

Leo and Maya had turned back!

Seeing the inhaler in Eliza’s hands, Leo’s eyes went wide, and he rushed forward to snatch it.

“You think you can use her inhaler? No way! You have to suffer to learn your lesson! That way, you won’t bully Sofia ever again!”

“Give it back to me… Cough, cough…”

Eliza clutched the inhaler tightly. Her life depended on it.

In the middle of the struggle, Maya joined in, and both children gave a hard yank. The tiny inhaler flew out of her hands and into the air before dropping squarely into the open toilet bowl with a plop.

“No!” Eliza let out a desperate, piercing cry!

She lunged toward the toilet, but the asphyxiation was causing her vision to go dark, and her limbs were weak. Before her last sliver of consciousness faded, she saw her two children standing at the door, looking at her coldly before turning around and running away without once looking back.

When she woke up again, her throat and chest were still burning with intense pain, but breathing was much easier now.

Standing beside the bed with concern was their servant, Hazel.

“Ma’am! You’re finally awake! You scared me half to death!” Hazel’s eyes were red as she said, “There aren’t even any flowers in the house, so how did you get a pollen allergy? Thank goodness Mr. Hall came back early in the middle of the night and realized something was wrong…”

Eliza closed her eyes and remained silent.

Connor found her? In that case, did he know who had caused her allergic reaction?

“Hazel,” she spoke up, her voice incredibly hoarse, “get Leo and Maya here.”

Hazel hesitated for a moment but went anyway.

Soon enough, the two children dragged their feet into the room and stood a few steps away from the bed with their heads bowed, afraid to look at her.

Eliza looked at them. They were her flesh and blood, the tiny lives she had poured all her love and painstaking care into protecting. At that moment, however, she felt a chill run down her spine.

“Look at me.” Her voice was not loud, but it carried authority.

The children slowly raised their heads, their eyes shifting nervously.

“Do you have anything to say about what happened last night?” Eliza asked.

Leo bit his lip and remained silent, while Maya began to sob softly.

“Why?” Eliza’s voice started to tremble. “I’m your mother! I brought you into this world! I fed you your first sip of milk, taught you to say your first words, and helped you take your first steps! I worked so hard just to give you the best life possible! What on earth did I do wrong to make you hate me so much… that you would use pollen to try to kill me?”

The more she spoke, the more emotional she grew, and tears started pouring out in a mix of heartbreak and despair.

“It was an accident…” Leo murmured defensively.

“An accident?” Eliza suddenly raised her voice, and the surge of emotion triggered another fit of violent coughing. “Holding a handkerchief covered in pollen over my face was an accident? Snatching my inhaler and throwing it into the toilet was an accident? Leo, Maya, you’re only five years old! Who taught you to do this? Was it Sofia?”

“It wasn’t Sofia!” Leo immediately retorted. “We wanted to do it ourselves because you bullied Sofia!”

“Yeah!” Maya cried out loudly as well. “We hate you! You’re always mean to Sofia!”

Seeing them protect that woman and even going so far as to try to kill their own mother, Eliza’s very last shred of hope shattered. She propped herself up into a sitting position on the bed, her body trembling slightly from weakness and fury.

“Fine… Fine! Since you both think I’m so terrible, then today, I’m going to give you a good spanking and teach you a lesson! Hazel, bring me the wooden spoon.”

Hazel was startled. “Ma’am, this–”

“Go!”

Left with no choice, Hazel nervously fetched the wooden spoon.

Eliza held the wooden spoon, looking at the two children whose faces had turned pale with fright. Seeing them like that tore her apart, but she forced herself to stay tough.

“Hold out your hands.”

Leo held his head high and didn’t move, while Maya was so terrified that she hid directly behind her brother.

Just as Eliza raised the wooden spoon, preparing to bring it down…

“Stop!”

Sofia’s voice suddenly rang out. She rushed in, opening her arms wide to shield the two children behind her.

“Eliza! If you want to punish someone, punish me! The children told me everything… They only did it because of me! It’s all my fault. If you’re angry, take it out on me, but don’t frighten the kids!”

Looking at her hypocritical act, Eliza felt disgusted.

“Get out of the way.”

“I won’t!” Sofia shielded the children tightly. “The kids are young and don’t know any better. You can’t treat them like this!”

“I said get out of the way!” Eliza’s patience ran out, and she swatted Sofia’s blocking arm away.

Sofia let out a sharp gasp and took the opportunity to fall backward. Her back hit the corner of the table just as she fell, and the pain made her face turn pale.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Connor’s furious roar exploded at the doorway.

He strode inside, his eyes immediately landing on Sofia clutching her red, swollen arm while crying tears of pain. Behind her stood the two trembling, tear-streaked children. Then, he looked at Eliza holding a wooden spoon, her face ashen and her gaze cold.

“Eliza Lowry!” Connor said her name through his gritted teeth, a terrifying rage burning in his eyes. “Just when are you going to stop these fits?”

Sofia immediately threw herself into Connor’s arms, crying. “Connor, don’t blame this on Eliza… The children did something wrong last night, and Eliza just wanted to discipline them. It was me… I failed to stop them…”

Connor wrapped his arms around her, his gaze turning even colder as he glared at Eliza. “The kids told me everything! They only wanted to teach you a lesson because you hit Sofia yesterday! This was your fault to begin with! If you weren’t so narrow-minded, how could the kids ever do something like this?”

He pointed at the wooden spoon in Eliza’s hand, his tone dangerously cold. “Now, look at you, holding the wooden spoon, wanting to lay hands on the kids? You even beat Sofia up! Eliza, you’ve become completely out of control!

“Fine. You like using punishment, don’t you? In that case, you shall go to the basement and reflect on what you did! Men! Take Mrs. Hall to the basement! No one is allowed to let her out without my permission!”

Chapter 7

Two bodyguards stepped in at the command, their faces expressionless as they moved toward Eliza.

Eliza struggled with everything she had, but her resistance was useless. She could do nothing as the bodyguards dragged her out of the room.

The basement was tiny, windowless, and lit by a dim lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. She had been terrified of the dark and enclosed spaces ever since she was a little girl. Connor knew this, yet he had ordered her locked in there.

Time lost all meaning. Just as she was drifting in and out of consciousness, driven almost mad by the darkness and silence, the door to the basement cracked open slightly. Two small figures quietly slipped inside.

It was Leo and Maya. They were clutching a black cloth bag, their faces displaying a twisted mix of fear and mischievous excitement.

“Mommy, Daddy locked you in here so you’d think about what you did. But I don’t think… this is enough. Sofia said you’re scared of the dark and of these little things too… So, we brought you some friends…”

With that, they hurled the black cloth bag straight at Eliza, snapping the opening of the bag loose. Dozens of writhing garter snakes and squeaking rats rushed out from the bag, instantly swarming toward Eliza.

“Aagh!” A sharp, agonized scream tore from Eliza’s throat.

Terrified, she jumped up and dodged frantically, but the basement was simply too small. Those creatures kept brushing against her ankles and crawling over her arms.

The darkness, the tight space, and those horrifying live creatures were pure torture!

Eliza curled up in the corner, trembling from head to toe. Tears streamed down her face, but she could no longer make a sound. She was too gripped by terror to speak.

At the doorway, Leo and Maya watched their mother, who was consumed by horror. They exchanged a glance, and a chilling look of satisfaction lit up their faces, as if revenge had finally been served.

Then, they quietly shut the door. They locked her in with the snakes and rats, leaving her trapped in endless darkness and fear.

By the time the door was unlocked again, Eliza was deathly pale. Her eyes were hollow, and she barely looked human.

Once they brought her out, she locked herself in her bedroom, refusing to see anyone. Even her meals had to be pushed through the crack of the door by Hazel, who did so nervously.

That was until one day, Leo and Maya suddenly came knocking on her door. They stood at the door with their heads bowed, holding crookedly drawn apology cards in their hands.

“Mommy… we were wrong,” Leo whispered.

“Can you please forgive us?” Maya’s eyes were red. “We promise to be good from now on.”

“Will you come play a puzzle with us? We just bought a new box, and it’s really hard...”

Their sudden change in attitude did not warm Eliza’s heart. On the contrary, it made her weary.

She did not open the door. Instead, she returned to her bed, picked up her phone, and tapped open Instagram.

Sure enough. Sofia had posted a new update just ten minutes ago.

It was a meticulously edited short video. The setting was a romantic Italian restaurant with flickering candlelight and a violinist playing at the side.

In the video, Connor sat across from Sofia, gently slicing a steak for her. Sofia rested her chin on her hand, gazing at him with a sweet smile.

The caption read, “Happy Valentine’s Day. Thank you for being by my side and making this day so special.”

So that was it.

The corners of Eliza’s mouth twitched into a cold, bitter smile.

The two kids’ sudden attempts to act sweet and apologize were just a distraction. They wanted to keep her busy so she would not have the time or energy to ruin their Daddy and Sofia’s Valentine’s Day date.

Those were the children she had carried for nine months and nearly died during labor. This was the husband she had loved for over a decade, the man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with.

She opened her text messages with Connor and forwarded Sofia’s video right to him.

[I wish you both happiness.]

Connor’s call came in almost the next second, but Eliza did not answer.

Soon after, a text from Connor popped up.

[Eliza, what are you up to now? What do you mean wishing us happiness? You put your hands on Sofia last time, so I’m just taking her out for dinner to apologize on your behalf. It just happened to fall on Valentine’s Day. Stop making a scene over nothing. Fine, I’ll bring you a gift when I come home tonight.]

Apologize on her behalf? Take her out to dinner? It just happened to fall on Valentine’s Day?

She let out a self-deprecating laugh and turned her phone off. She kept her bedroom door locked, shutting out the anxious shouts and banging from the two children outside.

It was not until evening that the bedroom door was kicked open with a bang. Connor burst in, furious. His face was livid, and his eyes burned with rage.

“Eliza Lowry! I’ve explained everything to you! You beat Sofia up so badly last time that I felt guilty, and I just wanted to make it up to her with a meal! It just happened to be Valentine’s Day! Why do you have to be so vicious? Why did you sell that video to the paparazzi? Now the internet is flooded with reports calling Sofia a homewrecker! Do you have any idea that Sofia suffered a complete breakdown and attempted suicide because she couldn’t handle the backlash?”

Chapter 8

Suicide?

Eliza slowly lifted her head and looked at the furious man in front of her. She found the entire situation absurd and ironic.

The corners of her mouth twitched, her voice flat and completely devoid of emotion. “First, I didn’t sell anything to the paparazzi. Second, she posted that video on her own public social media. If she was brave enough to post it, why is she scared of people talking?”

“You–” Connor was so enraged by her unyielding attitude that the veins on his forehead bulged. “Eliza! Will you only be satisfied once you’ve backed her into a corner? Sofia is sweet and too naive to play any manipulative games! All she did was share a post on her own account. It was you! You’re so wicked that you leaked that video! Now the whole world is calling her a homewrecker! How is she supposed to show her face ever again?”

Eliza looked at him coldly. “Is she a homewrecker or not? Don’t you know the answer to that better than anyone?”

“She and I are innocent!” Connor roared in a low voice. “I told you. Ever since that one time, I haven’t touched her! Eliza, just how long are you going to keep harping on this?

“This whole scandal has gotten way out of hand, and it’s destroying Sofia’s reputation. I’ve set up a press conference. You’re coming with me right now to apologize to her in front of the entire country! Otherwise, you can forget about ever getting this back!”

He pulled out his phone, brought up a photo, and held it right in front of her face.

It was an emerald brooch left to her by her late mother—a family heirloom passed down from her grandmother and her mother’s most cherished possession in life. It had always been kept inside a safe deposit box.

Connor’s voice was cold. “If you don’t go to the press conference and clear her name using the script I give you, then you will never see this brooch again. I mean what I say.”

Eliza stared at the familiar brooch in the photo, and a chill ran through her body.

Was he actually using her late mother’s heirloom to blackmail her? All for another woman?

“Connor…” Her voice cracked from the pain and shock she was feeling. “Are you for real?”

Connor looked away, though his tone remained unyielding. “The choice is yours. Apologize, and I’ll give the brooch back. Refuse, and you’ll suffer the consequences.”

Eliza looked at his cold profile. Staring at the man she had loved for half her life, the very last flicker of hope in her heart died, leaving behind nothing but a cold, empty void.

“Fine,” she heard herself say, her voice terrifyingly calm. “I’ll go.”

The press conference took place in the grand hall of the Hall Corporation headquarters. The room was packed with reporters, their camera lenses all aimed squarely at Eliza on stage.

She was dressed plainly, her face pale and her eyes hollow. Reading line by line from the script Connor’s assistant had handed her, she spoke into the microphone.

“Regarding the recent rumors circulating online about Miss Sofia Reyes, I would like to make a formal clarification here today. Miss Reyes is not a home-wrecker. She and my husband, Mr. Connor Hall, are merely ordinary friends.

“All of the rumors were caused by my own jealousy. I misunderstood their relationship and spread false rumors, which caused severe damage to Miss Reyes’s reputation.

“I am truly guilty for that, and I extend my most sincere apologies to Miss Reyes and her family. I hope everyone will stop spreading these untrue rumors and give her some peace…”

Her voice was mechanical and flat. It sounded like she was reading a court verdict that had nothing to do with her.

Flashes went off continuously below the stage, and the reporters shouted sharp, biting questions.

“Ms. Lowry, are you admitting that you framed Miss Reyes purely out of jealousy?”

“Is your marriage to Mr. Hall already dead in all but name?”

“Is this apology sincere, or are you doing this under pressure?”

Eliza kept her eyes down and gave no response to any of the questions, simply repeating the lines from the statement.

The press conference finally came to an end. Escorted by security guards, Eliza kept her head down and walked quickly toward the parking lot. However, the moment she stepped out of the building, the crowd waiting outside erupted into a frenzy.

“That’s her, the vicious wife!”

“She framed someone else as a homewrecker just because she’s jealous!”

“Disgusting! You have no shame!”

Rotten vegetables, spoiled eggs, and even small stones came hurling at her head.

Eliza stumbled backward under the barrage, her hair and clothes instantly covered in filth. She lifted her head and, amid the chaotic crowd, caught sight of two terrifyingly familiar little faces.

It was Leo and Maya. They were blended right into the mob, clutching objects in their little hands and throwing them at her with all their strength.

At that moment, Leo threw a sharp stone that struck Eliza dead in the center of her forehead with a thwack. A sharp pain hit her, and blood instantly oozed out, blurring her vision.

She stood frozen in place, staring at her two children not far away. Seeing their faces flushed with excitement as they hurled things at their own mother, the last piece of her heart finally died. They had severed even their last bond as a family with their own hands.

After that, her vision went black, and she collapsed limp onto the ground. When she woke up again, she was lying on the bed in her own bedroom. Gauze was wrapped around her forehead, which was throbbing with a dull pain.

Connor stood by the bedside, watching her wake up.

His face carried no expression as he said indifferently, “I hope you’ve truly learned your lesson this time. I won’t be home for the next few days. Sofia is mentally unstable, so I need to be at the hospital to take care of her.”

He paused before adding, “You owe her this. My going over to make it up to her is only fair.”

Then, without looking at her again, he turned on his heel and left.

Only Eliza remained in the bedroom, surrounded by total silence. She lay there quietly, shedding no tears and showing no anger.

Suddenly, her phone screen lit up. It was a text message from her lawyer.

[Ms. Lowry, the divorce proceedings have been finalized. The divorce certificate has been sent via express courier to the address you provided. You can expect it to arrive this afternoon.]

The heavy weight that had been crushing her chest for so long finally lifted. She slowly sat up, walked over to the window, and looked out at the bright, beautiful sunshine.

In the afternoon, the courier package arrived right on schedule. She opened the envelope to find the divorce papers. She picked up her copy and stared at the contents printed above her name alongside Connor’s, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Then, she gently placed Connor’s copy on the nightstand beside the bed. Right next to it stood her suitcase, already fully packed.

Today happened to be the last day of the month. It was the day she was scheduled to deploy to the war zone as a correspondent.

With no farewells or second thoughts, she picked up her suitcase and took one final look at the place that had held all her love and hatred. She turned around, stepped outside, and shut the door, putting her entire past behind her for good.