1 Daniel, desperate to escape with me, had agreed to have children with his childhood sweetheart, Serena, to secure his family’s lineage. After their first son, Leo, was born, he claimed the boy was too young to be without a father and asked me to wait until Leo turned three. Three years passed. Then he announced his family wanted a daughter, to complete their legacy, and begged for a little more time. I waited and waited, through 1,460 sunrises and sunsets over Mount Cinderpeak. Just when I thought we could finally leave, I found myself unexpectedly pregnant with his child. I stood before Daniel, my hiking pack slung over my shoulder, the ultrasound report clutched in my hand. But he held Serena close, his voice strained with feigned reluctance. “Grandfather and Grandmother want a third grandchild, Elara. Can’t you just wait a little longer?” The very next day, a searing pain tore through my abdomen, and I tumbled down the stairs, miscarrying his child. In the fading moments of my consciousness, Daniel loomed over me, his gaze chillingly distant. “Elara,” he said, his voice flat, “you shouldn’t have gotten pregnant with my child.” Tears streamed down my face, my heart turning to stone. It was time to leave, and this time, alone. “Well, well, if it isn’t the Caldwell heir’s gold-digging mistress, the one who just wouldn’t leave,” a voice sneered. “Can you believe she actually dared to get pregnant? As if the Caldwells would ever let her carry a child.” “Look at her now, karma’s a bitch, isn’t it? The Caldwells specifically instructed the staff during the procedure—no pain relief. They wanted it to be unforgettable.” “Her womb’s been ravaged. Let’s see her try to carry any child after that. Just serves her right.” My eyes fluttered open. I tried to push myself up, but a searing, drilling pain shot through my abdomen. At my gasp of pain, the two nurses by the bed instantly fell silent, but the disdain in their eyes remained starkly visible. Thankfully, I’d grown accustomed to their stinging gazes. I turned my head, my voice raspy. “How long can I stay here?” The plumper nurse’s tone was thick with barely concealed mockery: “Miss Elara, you’re free to check out now. But of course, you can stay as long as you wish. We’ll be delighted to serve you.” With a dismissive sniff, she pulled the other nurse away, their snickering whispers echoing down the hall. “Oh, look at her, all red-eyed and playing the victim. Who’s she trying to impress? Daniel Caldwell? Please. He didn’t even show up when she was miscarrying. What makes her think he’d come now? She must be completely delusional.” I lowered my gaze, my hand drifting to my once again flat abdomen. A bitter smile touched my lips. They had it all wrong. I wasn’t waiting for Daniel. I was just trying to avoid these next few days. These were the days of Serena’s ovulation cycle. Every month, during this time, they became inseparable, flaunting their passion as if no one else existed. Each time, their unrestrained murmurs of affection felt like a thousand knives twisting in my gut, leaving me hollowed out and bleeding. Yet, I was forbidden from saying a word. Sure enough, ten days later, when I pushed open the front door, my face pale and my body weak, they were on the sofa, locked in a post-coital embrace. Daniel was still lingering, kissing her neck, his hand restlessly exploring. It was Serena who noticed me first. She feigned a coy retreat, nestling deeper into him with a playful whimper. “Wait, Daniel,” she purred, “the pregnancy test results should be ready, shouldn’t they?” She picked up the test stick from the table, her eyes widening, then she practically bounced with glee. “Two lines! I’m pregnant with our third!” Then she pouted, a delicate tap to Daniel’s chest. “Oh no, you were so rough just now! What if you hurt our little ‘Three’? You big meanie!” Daniel pulled her into a doting embrace, his hand tenderly caressing Serena’s still-flat stomach. “Never,” he murmured, his eyes full of affection. “Daddy will be gentle from now on. We wouldn’t want to scare little ‘Three,’ would we?” His gaze was brimming with the joy and tenderness of a man about to become a father once more. A stark contrast to the chilling indifference in his eyes when he’d learned I was pregnant. Even though I’d known what to expect, my heart still twisted with a sharp, familiar pang. Finally, Daniel noticed me standing frozen in the doorway. He stiffened, instinctively putting a subtle distance between himself and Serena. His voice softened, tinged with a carefully constructed apology and regret. “Elara, you heard? We... we had no choice. Grandfather says the Caldwell Group’s affairs are too vast, and two children simply aren’t enough to secure its future. A third heir is needed for stability.” “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have put Serena through this, especially right after her second postpartum period, to try for another.” He reached out, tenderly brushing a strand of sweat-dampened hair from Serena’s forehead, completely oblivious to my ashen face. Serena, her cheeks flushed, buried herself in his arms, playfully chiding, “It’s fine, Daniel. I quite enjoyed it, actually. I loved it.” Watching them ready to melt into another display of affection, a tidal wave of bitter resentment surged within me. I placed a hand on my still-empty belly, cutting through their moment. “Then why wasn’t my child enough?” Daniel’s gaze immediately clouded with a complex mix of emotions, his brow furrowing. “Elara, what are you talking about?” I offered a mirthless laugh, pushing the question again. “Daniel Caldwell, wasn’t my child, our child, a valid heir to the Caldwell family name?” Before he could answer, a toy car inexplicably flew from upstairs, striking me squarely on the forehead. An angry, childish voice immediately followed. “No! No! You vixen! Anything you have would be a mongrel! You’re not allowed to steal our family’s money!” I reeled back a few steps, stumbling. Just as I managed to regain my footing, a small boy, running at full speed, slammed directly into me, sending me sprawling. 2 It was Leo, Daniel and Serena’s three-year-old eldest son. “Bitch! Bitch! How dare you come back! I won’t let you set foot in my house again! Get out!” He started pummeling my midsection with his tiny fists. My womb, already ravaged by the brutal medical procedure, throbbed with agony at even the slightest touch. I clutched my stomach, trembling uncontrollably. Daniel, seeing the beads of cold sweat rolling down my forehead, quickly pulled his son away. “Leo, how dare you speak to Aunt Elara like that? Apologize!” But the hand he’d raised was caught by Serena. She stepped between us, her lips trembling in a wounded pout. “Daniel, why are you so harsh on the child? Have you forgotten what you promised me?” “Besides, how strong can a little child be...?” Serena trailed off, casting a glance of pure disgust at me. The tenderness in Daniel’s expression slowly faded, replaced by disappointment. He turned to me, his voice tinged with weary resignation. “Elara, you’re an adult. Why are you making such a fuss over a child, and putting on a show?” “And besides, you were the one who spoke out of turn. Don’t do it again.” I bit down on my trembling lip. Seeing that I had no intention of backing down, Daniel’s face hardened. He pushed me towards the nursery. “Alright, alright, Elara, go look after Lily.” “You’ve been her caregiver since birth. She’s closer to you than to Serena. When she cries, no one else can soothe her; it’s exhausting.” I met his gaze stubbornly, wrenching my arm free. “Daniel Caldwell, I told you I’m not doing this anymore. I am not your nanny.” As if on cue, Mrs. Jenkins, the Caldwell family’s elderly housekeeper, rushed out, a whirlwind of disapproval, and forcibly thrust Daniel’s newborn daughter, Lily, into my arms. “Elara? Oh, thank goodness you’re back! Just a little miscarriage, why did you have to stay in the hospital for so long? So delicate!” “Go on, go on, take her! My old bones have been worn to dust these past few days. Alright, she’s back with her rightful owner. You take care of her properly now, hear?” Then, she herded Daniel, Serena, and Leo towards the door. “Mr. Caldwell, Miss Montgomery, what are you dawdling for? Haven’t you forgotten you’re taking Leo to the family estate for dinner tonight? Look at the time! Come on, move it!” I made to hand the baby back, but Mrs. Jenkins, solid as a brick wall, blocked my path, ushering Daniel away. Her eyebrows shot up, forming sharp, menacing angles like twin blades. “What do you think you’re doing?! In my day, you’d be nothing but a common servant! Do you really think a few nights in bed with the master makes you the lady of the house? Know your place!” A disgusted “Pah!” escaped her lips, and the door slammed shut with a resounding thud, the sound echoing the finality of her contempt. Only the baby’s deafening cries remained, threatening to shatter my eardrums, my very heart. I stared blankly at the child in my arms, utterly bewildered by how my life had spiraled into this. My unfocused gaze suddenly settled on the expansive photo wall in the living room. Only then did I realize that, at some point I couldn’t pinpoint, the candid photos of Daniel and me hiking through snow-capped mountains, the scenic shots of our adventures, had slowly, systematically been replaced by family portraits of him, Serena, and their son. There was no trace of me left. Only a single, small photograph of a mountain remained. It was Mount Cinderpeak, the place where Daniel and I had fallen in love, and where our wedding was supposed to have been. The night before we were to leave, Daniel’s grandparents, disgusted by my common background, demanded he marry Miss Serena Montgomery instead. Daniel had stormed out of the house, already with me in Willow Creek, ready to venture into the mountains. But a frantic call from the hospital’s ICU unit pulled him back. When he reappeared before me, his face was shadowed by stubble, his eyes bloodshot. He collapsed to his knees, a raw sound escaping him. “Elara, I’m so sorry,” he choked out. “Grandfather and Grandmother raised me since childhood. I can’t let them... I can’t let them die, but I can’t lose you either!” “I... I made a deal. If I just have one grandchild with Serena, they’ll let me go. They’ll set me free.” “Elara, please, don’t be angry, don’t leave me. Serena is just... a means to an end. You’re the one I truly love! Please, just endure this for ten months, okay?” The first time, Daniel cried into my shoulder, then abruptly pulled away at the last moment, stumbling into Serena’s room. He was back in mine within a minute. The second time, he inexplicably stayed half an hour longer. The third time, he stayed the night. The fourth, the fifth... I withered, waiting in my room until dawn, but he never returned. I waited for their first child, then their second, waited through 1,460 sunrises and sunsets over Mount Cinderpeak. But Daniel and Serena only grew closer, more and more like a real couple. And I became their housekeeper and nanny. It wasn’t that I hadn’t cried, hadn’t argued, hadn’t pleaded. Daniel would always soothe me, only to drift back to Serena’s side moments later. Now, their third child was on the way. I should have seen it clearly by now. It was time to leave. I sat there, utterly lost, until late into the night. Finally, Daniel’s family returned, their laughter echoing through the hall. The moment they opened the door, they froze. 3 His daughter lay on the sofa where I’d left her, cried out, and utterly weak. The photographs from the wall lay shredded into a million pieces. “Elara Reynolds! Didn’t I tell you to look after my daughter? Why isn’t she making a sound?! Are you trying to kill her?!” Daniel lunged, his hand closing around my throat, his face twisted into a mask of fury. Serena anxiously scooped up the child and thrust her directly into my arms. “Elara Reynolds! Just because you lost your baby, you can’t take it out on my daughter!” “Now, go back and feed her and change her diaper!” I remained impassive, even managing a faint smile. “I’ve told you already. I’m not your nanny anymore. Don’t you understand?” Serena flinched, then stomped her foot in exasperation, tears welling in her eyes and trickling down her cheeks. “Daniel, look at her! I told you she resented me! Do you know how hard these past few years have been for me? Bearing three children without a title, just to fulfill your love story!” “And in the end, I’m the villain!” Daniel’s jaw tightened, and he instantly intensified his grip on my throat, his eyes blazing with savage rage. “Elara Reynolds, a woman giving birth is like stepping into the gates of hell! Serena has done it twice, and now she’s about to do it a third time—all for you!” But if he’d just open his eyes, he’d see that Serena, whom he claimed had walked through hell’s gates twice, was still slender and graceful, like a young girl. While I, on the other hand, resembled a candle flickering to its end, dark circles stretching from beneath my eyes to the corners of my mouth, all from three months of sleepless nights, tending to her daughter’s every need. And besides, I was never the one who demanded he have children. What right did he have?! My expression, like my heart, was a stagnant pool. But Daniel mistook it for defiance and grew even angrier. “Can’t you just be reasonable for once?! My grandparents’ opinion of you only improved because you took good care of Leo and Lily! Our plan was so close to success, and now this?! What are you trying to do?!” “Don’t you want to go to Mount Cinderpeak with me anymore?!” That same old threat. The last vestige of love in my heart finally dissolved, drifting away like smoke. I forced back the tears that my constricted throat was forcing out, and spoke, my voice calm, almost serene. “No, Daniel. I don’t want to go with you anymore.” Daniel’s body stiffened, and a flicker of panic crossed his face. Ignoring Serena’s furious shouts behind him, he scooped me up and carried me into the bedroom. He dropped me onto the bed, then paced the room, a frantic bundle of nervous energy. He fired off questions like a rapid-fire cannon. “Elara Reynolds, what do you mean you don’t want to go to Mount Cinderpeak anymore? Are you abandoning me?” His voice softened only after he saw the angry red marks of his fingers branding my neck. “Elara, what’s gotten into you lately? Is it because of the miscarriage?” “Is it... is it because taking care of Serena’s children has been too much?” “Or is it because I’ve been spending too much time with Serena? Are you angry?” I sat calmly on the bed, my heart overflowing with a bitter realization. Daniel, it seemed, had known everything all along. When I remained silent, Daniel reluctantly reined in his surging frustration. He knelt before me, his expression earnest. “Elara, please, let me explain. First, your baby being... gone, it really is for the best. If you had carried it to term, the Montgomerys would never have agreed. It would have caused so much trouble.” “And asking you to care for the children... it was because you already had experience with Leo, you were so good with him. Serena just isn’t comfortable with strangers in the house, and she only trusts you.” “Serena just had the baby, her body’s still weak. Of course, I need to look after her more.” I watched him speak, my heart chillingly aware of the pervasive sorrow blossoming within me. Perhaps Daniel himself didn’t realize that even as he tried to placate me, every word he uttered still prioritized Serena. My bitter smile, in Daniel’s eyes, was misinterpreted as a sign of capitulation. His eyes lit up. He raised three fingers, repeating the same tired promise. “Elara, just wait a little longer. I, Daniel Caldwell, swear to you, the moment this third child is born, we’ll run away together. No more delays!” Fearing I wouldn’t believe him, he pulled out his phone and immediately booked plane tickets for a year and a half from now. I glanced at the screen, a sardonic question on my lips. “Why a year and a half from now?” Daniel’s brow furrowed, his voice tinged with a hint of reproach. “Elara, I at least have to wait until Serena finishes her postpartum recovery, don’t I? Don’t be so heartless.” The air in the room grew heavy, thick with unspoken words. After a long silence, he sighed, as if conceding defeat, and reluctantly changed the tickets. “Fine, fine! I’ll change it to the day of the due date. The moment the third child is born, I’ll leave with you. Is that good enough?!” His phone buzzed then, a call from Grandfather Caldwell. Our eyes met, and Daniel’s flashed with an inexplicable guilt. I snatched the phone, my fingers swift as lightning, and answered. Grandfather Caldwell’s words, spoken without preamble, utterly blindsided me. “Daniel, I’ve discussed it with the Montgomerys. You and Serena are to register your marriage tomorrow. Don’t want that vixen charming you away again.” 4 “Hello? Did you hear me?!” Daniel frantically tried to cut in. “Grandfather, I’ll talk to you later.” Daniel and Serena were getting married?! The revelation struck me like a lightning bolt. My heart, already numb from countless stabs, still betrayed me, tears shamelessly spilling at the news. “Elara, listen to me,” Daniel stammered, fumbling to wipe away my tears. “Serena and I are just registering our marriage. It means nothing else, don’t overthink this!” I quietly turned my head, pulling away from his desperate attempts. He rushed to explain. “Think about it, Elara. Serena’s carried three of my children. I at least owe her some kind of recognition, don’t I? Even if it’s just for appearances, I can’t let my children be illegitimate, can I?” “Please, just be reasonable, Elara Reynolds.” Reasonable! Always reasonable! I couldn’t take it anymore. I seized a pillow and began pummeling Daniel, a furious onslaught of blows. “You’re marrying Serena, so what does that make me?! The persistent mistress? The gold-digging whore? Or the shameless vixen they all call me?!” “Daniel Caldwell, do you even know what people say about me?!” Before I could finish, the air around Daniel seemed to drop several degrees, thick with his simmering fury. He unleashed a vicious slap across my face. “Elara Reynolds, snap out of it! Do you have any idea what I’ve sacrificed to be with you?!” “My grandparents were almost driven to their graves by me! Can’t you stop being so selfish?!” “Know your place, Elara Reynolds!” I was knocked sideways onto the bed, my mouth instantly filling with the metallic tang of blood. It felt like a cruel jest, mocking my three years of foolish longing. “Daniel Caldwell,” I said, my voice eerily calm, “I know my place now. I’m going to Mount Cinderpeak tonight.” “Elara Reynolds! How can you go when you just miscarried?!” Daniel called after me, but I ignored him, storming into the study. The scene inside made me freeze. My hiking pack, carefully prepared just days ago, was shredded into tattered rags, its contents scattered across the floor. Daniel’s son was clearly the culprit, brandishing a half-broken trekking pole as he raced around the room. “Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! I’m a helicopter! I’m the strongest helicopter!” In his other hand, he clutched a small object. I let out a choked scream. “Give that back to me!” Daniel’s son grinned, a triumphant smirk on his face, and stomped his foot down, crushing the object to bits! “No!” I went berserk. I shoved Daniel’s son to the ground, then collapsed to my knees myself with a thud. With trembling hands, I gathered the shattered pieces, holding them up directly to Daniel’s face, a desperate, broken sob tearing through me. “Daniel Caldwell! This was my mother’s voice recorder! Her only possession she left for me!” “Why are you, your whole family, doing this to me?!” Daniel averted his gaze. He knew. He knew the reason I was so obsessed with trekking was because my mother had been a passionate hiker. Every time she summitted a snow-capped peak, every time she witnessed a breathtaking landscape, she would use that voice recorder to capture her thoughts in that moment, leaving them for me. In the years since her passing, I had endured by constantly visiting the places she’d trekked, listening to those fragments of her voice. But now, there was nothing. My very soul felt as though it had shattered along with it. A thousand emotions—grief, fury, despair—choked in my throat, unable to form words, dissolving into a numb, repeated whisper. “It’s all gone, all gone. I have nothing left, Daniel!” Daniel babbled incoherently, trying to soothe me. “Elara, what’s done is done. Please don’t cry, don’t cry. It breaks my heart to see you like this.”
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