CHAPTER 1: Daughter Gone, Husband's Betrayal

Eleanor pushed open the villa door as evening settled. Laughter and cheer spilled out.

Her husband, Sebastian, who had been unreachable all day, was in the living room playing with their son, Theodore, next to her stepsister, Claudia. They were so engrossed, they didn't even notice her arrival. They looked like a perfect family.

Eleanor clutched her daughter's death certificate, her blood turning to ice. Overwhelming grief threatened to shatter her.

Just yesterday, her daughter Ivy had been fighting for her life after a car accident, desperately needing a rare blood type. The hospital's supply was depleted. Only he possessed the blood type, but he wouldn't answer his phone.

In her final moments, Ivy had tearfully asked for her father. When Sebastian's phone finally connected, the call was instantly and mercilessly hung up. Her daughter died with that regret.

Sebastian's cold indifference was another savage stab to Eleanor's already wounded heart.

When the hospital pronounced Ivy's death, Claudia was busy posting a photo on Facebook: the three of them watching a meteor shower. Eleanor tried calling Sebastian again. His phone was off.

Now Eleanor stood utterly alone, while the three of them were perfectly happy.

She saw Theodore clinging to Claudia's arm. "Claudia, guess what I wished for yesterday?"

"What was it?"

"I wished Claudia could be my mommy."

Claudia giggled, glancing sideways to gauge Sebastian's reaction. Sebastian, who had been scrolling on his phone, looked up at Claudia with a tenderness Eleanor had never witnessed.

Claudia pursed her lips, clearly delighted. She deliberately raised her voice. "Teddy, why do you want me to be your mommy?"

Theodore showed his two canine teeth. "Because Teddy likes Claudia, and Daddy likes Claudia too!"

The words hit Eleanor like a lightning bolt. She stared in disbelief at the son she had risked her life for. Now, he was telling his father to marry another woman.

Eleanor's voice trembled. "Teddy, I am your mother. Have I been bad to you?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Theodore looked up at Eleanor by the door. He scoffed, remaining silent.

A wave of desolation washed over her. Eleanor never imagined she could fail so spectacularly as a mother.

She wanted to say more, but before she could, Sebastian stood up impatiently. "Kids say the darndest things. Why are you picking a fight with a child?"

Eleanor finally focused on Sebastian, recalling the dozens of desperate calls she'd made. She forced herself to stay calm. "I called you yesterday. Why didn't you answer?"

Sebastian swiped his phone a few times, frowning. "What call? Stop being dramatic." There really were no missed calls from Eleanor on his phone.

Claudia's eyes darted away. She quickly cut in, "Sis, you must be mistaken. We went to watch the meteor shower last night. The signal was probably bad up on the mountain, and your call didn't get through."

"Shut up! This isn't your business." Eleanor snapped. She was sick of Claudia's fake innocence!

Claudia froze, completely unprepared for Eleanor, who was usually so timid, to suddenly show such backbone.

Theodore rushed over and shoved Eleanor hard. "Wicked woman, why did you yell at Claudia?"

Eleanor staggered backward, her lower back slamming into the display cabinet. The pain contorted her face. Eleanor closed her eyes in despair.

Seeing the son she had raised for five years treat her like an enemy for Claudia's sake, Eleanor scoffed at herself. "Since you hate me so much, then starting today, I'm no longer your mother."

"What?" Theodore froze, looking at Eleanor, suddenly flustered.

Sebastian stood up, his face dark and menacing. "Eleanor, what is this drama? Are you tired of this life?"

"I am." Eleanor looked at him. "Divorce. Sebastian, we're getting a divorce. The son is yours. The daughter..." The rest of the words caught in her throat, her eyes burning.

"It was just a joke. Why are you being so dramatic?" Eleanor's reaction stunned Sebastian. Her sudden defiance made Sebastian deeply uncomfortable.

He softened his tone. "That's enough. Don't drag this on forever. I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Go cook, we're hungry."

Exhausted and heartbroken, Eleanor didn't have the energy to fight. "See you in court, two o'clock the day after tomorrow."

The anger Sebastian had just suppressed instantly flared. He hurled his phone at Eleanor. "You just won't stop, will you? Fine, divorce! Don't you dare regret it."

The phone shattered at Eleanor's feet, scattering pieces everywhere. "No regrets."

She went upstairs to pack, determined to move out.

When she came back down, Claudia and the nanny were cooking in the kitchen. Sebastian glanced up, scoffed disdainfully, and went back to his phone.

Theodore was swinging a chocolate bar. "Mmm, so good! I want to eat chocolate every day now."

"Too much will give you a fever." Eleanor swallowed her bitterness, offering one last warning.

"Mind your own business. You're not my mother anymore." Theodore stuck his tongue out, then defiantly stuffed another piece into his mouth.

Eleanor pretended not to notice, turned, and walked out the door.

Only when the door clicked shut did Claudia emerge from the kitchen. She feigned concern. "Sebastian, maybe I should apologize to Sis and beg her to come back."

"Beg her?" Sebastian sneered, gritting his teeth. "She's been living off me for years. How long can she survive out there? I'll count to ten, and I guarantee she'll crawl back and apologize."

Theodore, enjoying the drama, started the countdown. "10, 9, 8... 3, 2, 1." The countdown finished. Eleanor was nowhere to be seen.

Sebastian was humiliated. "Playing hard to get. She'll be back tomorrow, begging me on her knees." Claudia narrowed her eyes. I won't give her the chance to come back.

Sebastian hadn't thought Eleanor leaving would matter much. Unexpectedly, in the early hours, Theodore came down with a high fever.

Claudia didn't know how to care for a child. "It's fine, you'll be better after a nap." But Theodore's temperature was nearly 40 degrees Celsius (104 F). His face was flushed red, his eyes glazed over, and he was delirious on the bed.

Claudia told Sebastian, "Eleanor spoiled Teddy too much. He's a boy, but he falls over in a slight breeze." She simply ordered the nanny to fan Theodore to cool him down.

The family doctor was slow to arrive. Sebastian genuinely feared brain damage. He picked up his new phone, rationalizing that he was giving Eleanor a chance to apologize—for the sake of the child.

In a harsh tone, he sent Eleanor a voice message. "What kind of mother are you, fooling around outside in the middle of the night? The child has a fever, get back here now." The red exclamation mark that appeared next second felt like a needle stabbing his eye.

Sebastian was stunned. "Damn it, Eleanor actually blocked me!" Furious, he grabbed the nanny's phone and called Eleanor.

The call connected. Eleanor's soft voice came through. "Mary, what is it?"

"Get your ass back here! Your son has a fever."

Silence on the line for two seconds. Then Eleanor spoke. "Give him fever medicine first. Wipe him down with lukewarm water and make sure he avoids the draft. Use an ice pack on his forehead to bring the temperature down. Take him to the hospital for an IV drip tomorrow."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sebastian snapped. "You're his mother. This is your job."

"Then relay that to Claudia."

"You..." Sebastian choked on his words. "Don't call me for things like this anymore. I'm not his mother."

"Eleanor, you... hello?" The call ended. He tried calling back, but the phone was off.

Sebastian ground his teeth. "Eleanor... how dare you hang up on me! We'll see how long your high horse lasts."