1 After seven years of marriage, Henry Davies was finally recognized by the powerful Davies family—as their illegitimate heir. There was just one condition: to secure his inheritance, he had to father an heir with his late brother’s widow, Elara Sterling. Henry swore he’d never forget Elara’s past humiliations. Once I’ve made her suffer enough, he told me, I’ll cast her out of the estate. But lately, he came home later each night, growing distant from me and our daughter. Then, six months later, he announced his remarriage—without telling me first. Our little girl, Lily, pointed at the news photo. Why is Daddy holding Aunt Elara’s waist? I hugged her tight, forcing a smile. Because Daddy has a new home now. We have to leave. Will Daddy come with us? she asked No, sweetheart. He… likes someone else here. Lily’s eyes brimmed with hope. Can’t we give him one more chance? He promised to take me to preschool tomorrow. Okay, I whispered, blinking back tears. One last chance. That night, I stared at the photo again. Henry and Elara gazed at each other, their affection undeniable. The man who’d vowed forever to me had, in the end, chosen another. I opened a ticketing app, looking at the earliest flight back to Riverton. It was seven days from now. Coincidentally, that was also the day of Henry and Elara Sterling's wedding. Without hesitation, I bought two tickets home, then went into the bathroom to wash up. When I emerged, I ran directly into Henry, who had just returned home. The heavy scent of roses immediately hit me, and I couldn't help but frown. Even after six months, I still hadn't gotten used to the smell that clung to him every time he came back from Elara Sterling’s place. Henry's arm, initially reaching to embrace me, paused, then instead he pinched my cheek. "Still upset?" I stepped back, looking at the lingering tenderness in his eyes. "Can you please stop going to Elara Sterling’s place?" I pleaded, my voice barely a whisper. "I don't like sharing you with other women, and I certainly don't want her carrying your child." In the past six months, I had expressed my unwillingness countless times. But he always did as he pleased. Henry didn't get angry; he just sighed, exasperated. "Chloe, don't be childish. You know, only if Elara Sterling bears the firstborn son of the Davies family can I officially take over the legacy." "Then let's get a divorce," I managed, fighting back my tears. Henry paused, then asked, bewildered, "You agreed to the condition of representing both family lines back then. What are you making a fuss about now?" Henry was right. I had agreed to his inheriting both lines. But six months ago, the agreement was clearly to use in-vitro fertilization for Elara Sterling to conceive. Initially, Henry had strictly adhered to the rules, treating Elara, who had once humiliated him, with cold indifference. But as time went on, his visits to Elara became more frequent. From once a month, to twice a week, and now, almost every day. I had lost count of how many nights I had waited, how many times I had slept alone. Seeing my silence, Henry sighed, a weary sound. "You know, the Davies family was never happy about me marrying you. Now, I finally have a chance to be fully acknowledged by my birth family. How can you ask me to choose otherwise?" He paused, then softened his voice. "Besides, Elara truly needs a child to avoid being disinherited by the Davies family. We are both forced into this. You're the kindest, Chloe. Even if you don't like it, you just have to endure this for a while." Henry perfunctorily stroked my cheek, then turned and went into the bathroom to wash up. I stood there, and in a haze, remembered my first encounter with Henry. It was a night of heavy rain. He was bruised and battered, thrown out by the Davies family's bodyguards. Elara Sterling, holding an umbrella, looked down at the dying Henry on the ground, her face filled with disdain. "Does an outsider's mongrel truly think it can claim kinship with the Davies?" She stepped on Henry's hand, grinding it until blood appeared before she finally relented. I was so startled by the brutal sight that I dropped the groceries I was carrying. 2 Elara Sterling smirked at me. "Isn't this the Davies family's little maid? An illegitimate child like him should be paired with a pauper like you." After she said that, she had the half-dead Henry taken to a hotel. And I, having been drugged, was sent to the bed with him. That night, I dared not touch Henry. I stayed in the hotel, soaking in ice water all night. When I was finally somewhat sober, I still had to care for Henry, who was unconscious and ill. Elara hadn't expected me to resist the drug's effects. Enraged, she made me kneel on the ground. I begged Elara to let me go. After all, I was just a maid; I had no desire to get involved in their aristocratic struggles. But she simply drew the tip of a knife across my face, laughing and saying I deserved it. She called me an orphan, born with a low-class life. Elara locked Henry and me in the Davies family's cellar, humiliating us like dogs. In the freezing winter, Elara only allowed us a thin blanket. I couldn't bear the cold and trembled as I clung to Henry. I asked him, "Do you hate them?" Henry merely looked at the snow outside, saying flatly, "I will get my revenge someday." This pervasive humiliation only stopped when Elara Sterling married into the Davies family. That day, the Davies manor was adorned with festive decorations. The entire city celebrated the powerful alliance of this marriage. Henry and I, however, were completely driven out of the Davies mansion. But Henry didn't leave. He stood by the fence, staring at the exquisitely dressed Elara Sterling, his expression unreadable. I thought he resented Elara for the torment of his youth. But as I was adopted by the Hayes family, I gradually discerned Henry’s true intentions. He didn't hate Elara's humiliation at all; he coveted his elder brother's wife! What he truly hated was his illegitimate status, which prevented him from legitimately marrying Elara Sterling. I forced a bitter smile, shaking off my thoughts. Now that I had seen through the man beside me, it was time to leave him for good. The sound of water in the bathroom abruptly stopped. Henry emerged, holding his phone, his face filled with concern. "Don't be afraid, I'm coming right away." He didn't even have time to rinse the foam from his hair. He grabbed his car keys and rushed out. It wasn't until he was about to leave that he noticed I was still standing in the same spot. "Apologies, Elara's dog suddenly went mad and bit her." He paused, his gaze softening. "I have to go see her myself; she lives alone, and besides me, she has no one to rely on." He added, "As for the divorce, don't mention it again. If you talk about it too much, I'll grow tired of it." I nodded, saying, "Alright." Just as he was about to leave, I couldn't help but ask one last question. "Lily's preschool starts tomorrow. The teachers want both parents to attend. You'll go, won't you?" Henry chuckled softly. "I promised Lily. Of course, I'll go." As the door closed, silence filled the room. But he had also promised me many things, and he hadn't fulfilled a single one. I pulled out a tissue and knelt, wiping away the water Henry had dripped from the bathroom. I was a clean freak. I would no longer tolerate a man who soiled my life. But what about Lily? She was still so young. She still held a strange affection and expectation for her father. Thinking of my promise to my daughter before she fell asleep, I couldn't sleep at all. I decided to scroll through social media instead. The latest post was from Elara Sterling. She wrote that someone would always be willing to tolerate all her little quirks. The post was accompanied by a picture of a man's transfer record for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Seeing this, I suddenly felt a pang. Henry would transfer millions to Elara Sterling without hesitation. But in our seven years of marriage, the gifts I received were few and far between. After all, during that time, he was busy with his startup. I was busy taking care of him and our child, completely uninterested in these so-called gifts. Now, looking back, how could I have ever thought that life would be the same with anyone? Henry didn't remember my birthday, never attended Lily's parent-teacher conferences. Even our wedding anniversary was just met with promises to take me to see the world "when we had money." But after returning to the Davies family, he remembered Elara Sterling's birthday, would rent out an amusement park for her at her whim, and stay up late with her to watch the stars. All his affection, he gave without reservation to Elara Sterling. For me, he only had an impatient "Don't be childish." My heart suddenly felt heavy. I looked at the unfamiliar, cold villa. 3 It was nowhere near as comforting as our cramped sixty-square-meter rental apartment had been. Life had been hard then, but at least we had a home. After Lily was born, we had absolutely no money left. We couldn't even pay for heating or electricity. I had to mix Lily's formula with cold water. Henry handed me a steaming hot sweet potato, his eyes red-rimmed. "It's all my fault. I wasn't careful, and now Lily is suffering." He squeezed my hand. "Don't worry. Once I have money, I'll get a vasectomy." He was afraid I'd think him poor, afraid I'd leave him, so he made promises with bated breath. I cried that I was cold, and he would take my hands and press them to his heart. How could the man who stood by me in my darkest hours change so completely in the blink of an eye? I had just finished packing my and Lily's luggage when my phone rang. It was a voice message from Elara Sterling. Fearing I would wake Lily, I walked to the stairwell before answering. "If you marry me, what about Chloe Hayes? You know, I'm no mistress!" Her voice was as arrogant as ever. The other end of the line fell silent for a long time. Then I heard Henry's soft chuckle. "When I married Chloe, I chose to have the wedding abroad and got a fake certificate. The only person I ever truly wanted to marry was you." The call ended, and my heart turned completely cold. The marriage certificate was fake. His words of love were also fake. But perhaps this was for the best. I wouldn't have to personally seek Henry out for a divorce agreement. As for the marriage certificate I had intended to take with me, I found it in my suitcase and placed it on the bedside table. What didn't belong to me, I wouldn't take a single thing. Henry didn't return until the next day. He didn't even send a text to update me. I took Lily to her parent-teacher conference alone. During the games, it was always fathers carrying their children, rushing forward. Only I was the mother. There was a clear physical disparity between men and women, and I came in last. After the games ended, Lily didn't care about winning or losing. She simply tenderly wiped the sweat from my forehead. As we walked home, she couldn't help but ask, "Where's Daddy? Didn't he promise me he'd take me to preschool today?" "He probably forgot." Lily said nothing more, but the disappointment in her eyes deepened. I looked at the darkening sky and quickened my pace. When I returned home, Henry was sitting on the sofa, his face clouded with displeasure. "Why didn't you reply to my messages? Father wants to see Lily. I've been waiting for you for a long time." Before I could say anything, Henry picked up Lily and headed for the car. Lily hadn't seen him in so long, and her gaze towards Henry was timid. Moreover, Henry looked utterly furious at that moment. Even though Lily missed him, she couldn't help but cry out in fear. As I rushed to comfort her, the car had already arrived at the old Davies family estate. Mr. Davies Sr. merely glanced at Lily, then handed her back to me. But for Elara Sterling, he offered endless affectionate inquiries. As it was nearly dinnertime, Elara Sterling asked me to speak with her by the stairwell. Fearing she might try something, I moved our conversation to the hallway. "You should have understood Henry's meaning from last night's call, shouldn't you?" Her voice was laced with a chilling sweetness. "I certainly don't want you and that burdensome child flaunting yourselves in front of me every day. After all, you know my methods. Children are very fragile; they can die from a mere oversight." She looked at me with disdain, her voice menacing. I desperately wanted to tell her that I was no longer the servant she could order around. The Sterling family, no matter how powerful, couldn't control everything. But now, I had a greater weakness. Lily was my only family in the world. I could live without Henry, but I couldn't live without Lily. "I will leave," I said, my voice steady. "I won't appear before you again." Elara Sterling smiled, saying I was as sensible as ever, then walked away in her high heels. After composing myself and returning to the living room, I saw Elara Sterling talking to Lily. Elara Sterling smiled, pinching Lily's cheek. "Lily is the older sister. When your little brother is born, you must protect him well!" She feigned an air of gentle domesticity. But Lily suddenly pushed her away with both hands. Elara Sterling immediately fell to the floor, clutching her stomach and crying out in pain.
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