Chapter 1

1

I left the Sterling mansion in a torrential downpour on my son's birthday.

My little boy pushed me toward the door with all his might.

"I hate you! I want Aunt Rosalie to be my mommy!"

My husband, Quentin, didn't stop him.

He shared a smile with his childhood sweetheart, Rosalie, before looking at me coldly.

"Look at how he treats you. You don't deserve to be a mother. Don't stay here and ruin the party tonight."

Half my body was already soaked by the rain.

I looked at him and made a decision that would change my life.

"Fine. Not just tonight. You'll never see me in this house again."

I turned and walked into the storm, cutting every tie with the Sterling family.

I never expected that three years later, they would appear before me again.

And this time, they claimed they were sorry...

It was late October, and the rain in the city was bone-chilling.

By the time I ran a few yards from the mansion, I was drenched.

A sharp pain in my foot finally made me stop.

My expensive heels were ruined from the running.

My designer gown clung to me like a piece of wet trash.

I stood on the empty winding road and screamed in agony, sobbing my heart out.

I had ordered this outfit six months ago for my son Hudson's birthday.

He told me he wanted his mommy to look like a beautiful princess.

But then he told me Rosalie was ten thousand times better than me.

Thinking about that, my heart, which felt heavy as stone, finally cracked.

I didn't want to cry anymore.

I looked at the leaves washed clean by the rain and felt a strange sense of relief.

If I could throw away a faithless man, I could give up a cold-hearted son too.

My pace lightened.

I walked down the road and called for an Uber on my phone.

As the car sped away, I watched the familiar scenery fade.

I realized that since the moment I married Quentin, my soul had been trapped in that suburban mansion.

Every time I drove his luxury cars, it was to attend galas for his business.

I would spend the ride back taking care of his drunken self.

It got even worse after Hudson was born.

I thought my sacrifice would earn me a scrap of love.

But all I got were daggers to the heart.

Letting go made everything look beautiful again.

I checked into a hotel and looked at my bank balance.

It wasn't a fortune, but it was enough to start over.

This was my pre-marital savings. It was my ticket to freedom.

In the end, I was the only one who could save myself.

I took a shower and fell onto the soft, dry bed.

When I opened my phone, I saw Rosalie's latest post.

To anyone else, she, Quentin, and Hudson looked like a perfect family of three.

The comments were full of people wishing them happiness.

I shut the screen.

They couldn't hurt me anymore.

I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep...