Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was my daughter's birthday gala.

I was supposed to give the keynote speech, but she handed the microphone to her live-in tutor instead.

I sat in the audience, watching them look like a perfect, happy family.

"The person I want to thank the most is my tutor," she announced. "She takes care of me like a mother. I love her so much!"

The guests whispered and looked at me like I was a joke. My husband's eyes, however, were fixed entirely on the other woman.

In everyone's eyes, they were the real family of three. I was just an intruder.

I left behind a divorce agreement, waived all my assets, and walked away.

I immediately joined a top-secret national defense project. I stayed there for twelve years.

After all, compared to them, my country needed me more.

...

When my daughter begged to live with Elena, I gripped the folder in my hand tightly.

It was a classified document. No one outside our research team was allowed to see it.

A day ago, I was still hesitating. My child was still young, and my husband was always busy with work.

I was terrified that if I left for over a decade, I would miss my daughter's entire childhood.

But it turned out she didn't care about me at all.

At her birthday party, she publicly held Elena's hand. She claimed this tutor was the person she was most grateful for in her life.

With a few simple words, she erased every sacrifice I had ever made. I couldn't understand how it had come to this.

"Adeline, are you listening?"

My friend's voice came through the phone. I hummed in response. "Tell the director I'm in. I'll join the project."

I pulled out the document and signed my name with a sharp flick of my wrist.

"Adeline, didn't you say the kid was too young? You said you couldn't leave her," my friend Jocelyn asked.

Jocelyn was my colleague. She was also on the list for this mission.

She was worried about how she would manage without me. Now that I had changed my mind, she was shocked.

Everyone in the lab knew I was a family-oriented person. If I had a spare hour, I'd spend it at home.

"It's fine, Jocelyn. I've thought it over. Since Aria has already found a 'mom' she likes, and Silas is happy with it, there's no need for me to interfere. Duty comes before love. This is what I'm supposed to do."

My voice was incredibly calm. Jocelyn stayed silent for a long time before offering a few hollow words of comfort.

She knew better than anyone how empty words were right now. My heart was shattered.

I had nearly died giving birth to Aria. Because of my health, doctors issued multiple critical condition notices.

They wanted me to end the pregnancy, but I refused. I didn't know how great a mother's love was supposed to be.

But she was inside me. She chose me to be her mother, and I had a duty to bring her safely into this world.

Who knew that years later, that tiny baby would grow up and aim her first knife right at her mother's heart?

The call ended. I stared at my phone screen for a long time, unable to find peace.

On the other side of the wall, Aria was having the time of her life. She was taking a bath, humming a poem she had just learned.

I could imagine her bobbing her head. She must have looked adorable.

Unfortunately, that side of her was never for me.

"Miss Elena, is that old witch asleep yet? She won't try to force me to sleep in her room, will she? I hate her. She's not gentle like you, and she smells weird. Daddy said she's just a washed-up hag."

The sound of splashing water stopped. Aria lowered her voice.

She was naive enough to think I couldn't hear her. Elena quickly covered the girl's mouth.

"Aria, she's your mother. Don't call her a witch or a hag. Don't ever say that again. If you don't listen, I won't see you anymore."

I had used that same threat before. Do you know how Aria reacted to me?

She spat on my clothes, made a gross face, and sneered, "Who cares if I ever see you?"