​After Abandoning My Family, I Became Their True Love?​

In the fifth year of their marriage, Octavia Lavien had wrapped up her work early to rush home and celebrate her husband Ignatius Grimaldi's birthday. But instead, she overheard her son's wish.

"Daddy, can you be with Yvaine?"

The childish words pierced her heart like a sharp blade. She stood frozen on the staircase, watching Holden Grimaldi gaze up adoringly at the woman beside him, clutching her hand.

Ignatius stood nearby, watching them. His usually cold expression softened with a faint smile.

"Yvaine, can I call you Mommy from now on?" Holden asked, tilting his head up eagerly.

Octavia's gaze fell on the woman.

Yvaine Lavien. Ignatius's former fiancée. Years ago, they'd been a perfect match—wealthy families, promising futures. They'd been on the verge of marriage when Octavia came between them.

Yvaine had left the country in anger. But six months ago, she'd suddenly returned, forcing her way back into Octavia's life with aggressive confidence, quickly capturing the attention of both Ignatius and Holden.

Yvaine's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smirk before she feigned disapproval. "Holden, don't talk like that. Your mommy and daddy would be upset if they heard you."

Holden pouted. "I'm not lying! Daddy won't get mad! I saw the divorce papers in his study yesterday."

The words hit Octavia like a punch.

Her lips twisted into a bitter smile.

Holden wasn't lying. After all... she'd seen the divorce agreement herself half an hour ago.

The terms had been spelled out clearly. She had no claim to any Grimaldi family assets. Holden would remain with the Grimaldis. But as compensation for five years of marriage, she'd receive three million dollars.

How... generous.

Octavia descended the stairs. The sound drew the attention of the three people in the living room.

Yvaine reacted first, smiling at her. "Ms. Lavien, you're home?"

She waved Octavia over warmly. "Perfect timing. Today's Ignatius's birthday. Come have some cake with us."

She played hostess as if she belonged there. Meanwhile, the father and son beside her both frowned, as if deeply averse to Octavia's presence.

Octavia stopped in her tracks. Unbidden, she thought of how she'd worked day and night these past weeks just to make it home for Ignatius's birthday.

She'd compressed half a month's worth of work into ten days. Her coworkers had groaned and complained. She'd apologized endlessly, treated them to meals, barely managing to smooth things over.

Worse still, she'd been in a car accident on the way home. Nothing serious, but her arm had been badly scraped.

The driver had offered to take her to the hospital, but Octavia was afraid of missing Ignatius's birthday. She'd only stopped at a nearby clinic for a rushed bandaging before hurrying home.

When she'd arrived, she'd naively imagined how happy Ignatius and Holden would be to see her. Instead, she'd been blindsided by the divorce papers in his study.

She'd gone looking for Ignatius to demand an explanation. But as she'd come downstairs, she'd heard Holden's words.

Everything she'd done suddenly felt like a cruel joke.

Octavia walked to the table. Before she could do anything, Yvaine poured her a glass of water and cut her a slice of cake, placing it in front of her. "Holden and I made this cake ourselves. Try some."

The gesture only made Octavia feel more out of place.

She glanced at Yvaine, then smiled faintly. "When did we hire a new housekeeper? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

The smug satisfaction flickering in Yvaine's eyes froze instantly. She turned to Ignatius with a wounded look.

"Bad Mommy!" Holden immediately threw his arms out protectively in front of Yvaine. "Yvaine came to celebrate Daddy's birthday! You can't bully her!"

Octavia's heart clenched.

She looked down at the child she'd raised with her own hands. It felt like someone had carved a gaping hole in her chest.

"You're calling me a bad mommy?" she asked quietly.

"What else?" Holden's expression was impatient. "You're never home. Every time I'm sick, it's only Yvaine who stays with me. I hate you. Why did you even come back?"

Blood rushed through Octavia's veins like ice. Her whole body swayed.

How could she not want to be with Holden all the time?

After she'd given birth, she'd thought maybe—just maybe—it would improve her relationship with Ignatius.

But Ignatius's disgust toward her had exceeded her imagination. After Holden was born, not only did their relationship fail to improve—it grew even more distant.

"Octavia, don't think you can use the child to manipulate me," he'd said coldly.

After that, Ignatius had left for six months under the pretense of expanding overseas markets.

For those six months, all her calls and messages went unanswered. Gradually, she'd stopped hoping for anything from Ignatius and poured all her energy into Holden instead.

She'd thought maybe raising her son would be enough.

Octavia had started taking care of Holden herself—feeding him, bathing him, taking him to the doctor. Everything. All on her own.

Holden had gradually grown from a baby who only cried and laughed into a toddler taking his first steps. He'd even started running into her arms, saying, "Mommy's so pretty."

But as time passed, Holden started going to kindergarten.

One day after school, he'd suddenly asked her, "Mommy, why don't you work like the other kids' moms?"

"They said you married Daddy to leech off him. What does that mean?"

Holden attended a prestigious private school in Seaside City. The children there came from wealthy, powerful families.

Octavia had always been criticized for how she'd married into the Grimaldi family. She didn't want Holden to be ostracized because of her, so after hearing his question, she'd decided to go back to work.

Her major had been computer programming, and with AI booming, Octavia had quickly become swamped with work.

Even so, she'd made time to come home and be with Holden whenever possible—sometimes sacrificing her own rest just to wake up early and make him breakfast.

Octavia had thought Holden would understand.

Turned out, she'd been deluding herself.

"Octavia, apologize to Yvie." Ignatius's cold voice suddenly pulled her back to the present.

Octavia snapped out of her thoughts. She looked at his handsome, indifferent face. Her chest felt like someone had squeezed lemon juice into an open wound—sour and bitter. Heat prickled behind her eyes.

He was actually asking her to apologize to the other woman?

"You want me to apologize? Not happening." Octavia bit out each word.

Ignatius frowned, his tone icy. "Then leave. Don't ruin the mood."

Yvaine chimed in, seemingly kind. "Ignatius, don't talk like that."

But Holden backed him up. "That's right. If you won't apologize to Yvaine, then get out. Nobody wants you here anyway."

Father and son in perfect harmony, snuffing out the last ember of hope in Octavia's heart.

Her eyes trembled. Disbelief colored her voice. "You're asking me to leave... for her?"

Ignatius looked at her pale face, his tone disapproving. "If you can't learn to apologize for your behavior, then neither the Grimaldi family nor Holden needs a wife and mother like you."