When I opened my eyes, I found I had returned to fifty years in the past.

In my last life, I had died in a hospital bed. Only before my death did I learn that my husband, Julian Blackwood, and his one true love, Isabelle Reed, had been entangled for a full fifty years.

His twenty days of business trips a month were all just excuses to travel with her.

The entire family knew. I was the only one kept in the dark.

And the reason he never married Isabelle? He couldn't bear to see his true love trapped in household trivialities.

He wanted her to be a princess, cherished and adored, while I was only fit to be a frumpy housewife, worn down by the daily grind of household chores.

On the day I died, everyone said I was petty and deserved to die of anger.

...

The first thing I did after my rebirth was rush to the airport.

The airport was swarming with people. I, breathless, wove through the crowd and finally spotted the three familiar figures at the boarding gate.

Julian, in a well-tailored suit, his cool, noble air making him stand out in the crowd. Five-year-old Leo Blackwood wore a small suit, looking like a miniature version of his father. And Isabelle, in a white dress, stood gracefully beside them. They looked like a happy family.

"Julian!"

My voice echoed through the airport.

The three of them turned around at the same time.

"Eleanor?"

Julian's brow furrowed slightly. "What are you doing here?"

My gaze fell on Isabelle. "Who is she? And where are you going?"

Isabelle quickly stepped forward to explain, "Miss Vance, you've misunderstood. Julian and I are just friends, we're just going on a family trip together. Julian's parents, David and Helen are here too."

Julian frowned, shielding Isabelle behind him and glaring at me. "How on earth did you find out? Did you really rush over here just to kick up a fuss?"

My son, Leo, pushed me away directly. "Mom, don't interfere with our family trip! You don't understand anything. You're only good for staying home!"

A chill ran through me. "If it's a family trip, why don't you take me together? I'm your mother, your father's wife. If I don't deserve it, does she?!"

The people around them cast strange glances, and Isabelle's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Julian and Leo were immediately filled with pity for her, glaring at me. "Making a scene like this in public, have you no shame?"

"This is exactly why we didn't want to bring you! You're not presentable!"

Leo looked at me with disgust. "Aunt Isabelle is gentler than you, prettier than you, better than you in every way... I feel sorry for having a mother like you!"

Every word was like a knife, stabbing viciously into my heart.

In my last life, I was like a tireless spinning top in the Blackwood family—working myself ragged for them.

I would wake before dawn to prepare Julian's suit and tie, and stay up late into the night checking Leo's homework. If Julian's parents had so much as a headache, I would be at their bedside, personally serving water and medicine.

For fifty years, I had worked myself to the bone for this family. But in everyone's eyes, I was nothing more than an on-call maid, even my existence disgusting.

Seeing the scene spiraling out of control, Isabelle quickly bought an extra plane ticket on the spot. "Miss Vance, please come with us. I'm sorry, we failed to take your feelings into account..."

Her apology only made Julian and Leo feel that I was being even more unreasonable.

On the plane, Julian and Leo fussed over Isabelle the entire time, so much so that even the flight attendant mistook them for a family.

I sat in the back row, gazing at the clouds outside the window, remembering what Julian had said before I died in my last life.

"I couldn't bear to see her trapped in household trivialities, so I'm going to make her my princess."

How ridiculous. I had worn myself down into a frumpy housewife for this family, while Isabelle could always be a princess.

When we arrived at our destination, David and Helen's faces fell the moment they saw me. "Why are you here?"

For the three-day trip, I was completely ignored.

They gathered around Isabelle, praising her for being elegant and graceful, calling her gentle and considerate.

Meanwhile, I was like an invisible person, standing in a corner, watching their happy gathering.

When it was time for a group photo, I, afraid of making things awkward, tried to join them.

But Leo shoved the camera into my hands. "Mom, you don't fit in with us. You should be the one to take the picture."

Numbly, I raised the camera. In the viewfinder, I saw Julian with his arm around Isabelle's shoulder, Leo leaning affectionately against her, and David and Helen smiling with loving expressions.

This scene was identical to the photograph that had enraged me to death in my last life.

The moment the shutter clicked, my hands trembled so much I could barely hold the camera steady.

I bit my lip hard, just barely stopping the tears from falling.

On the way down the mountain, the three cars were just full.

"Find your own way back."

Julian got into the car without looking back, not even sparing me a single glance.

I walked alone on the rugged mountain path, the scorching sun making me dizzy.

My legs were so swollen I could barely move. In the end, I had to drag my exhausted body onto the latest flight home.

And from them, there wasn't a single word of concern, not a shred of guilt. The moment they opened their mouths, it was to give orders.

"Iron the clothes."

Julian tossed his suit jacket in front of me.

"Clean up the toys."

Leo kicked the scattered toys at my feet.

In that moment, the grievance and anger that had built up over two lifetimes finally erupted.

"Julian, let's get a divorce!"

My voice wasn't loud, but it struck the living room like a clap of thunder.

Julian and Leo froze simultaneously, disbelief written all over their uncannily similar handsome faces.

"Do you have any idea what you're saying?"

Julian's voice was as cold as ice.

"I know perfectly well."

I lifted my head, looking him straight in the eye. "I. Want. A. Divorce!"

They thought I was playing hard to get and, with a cold laugh, called their lawyer.

"Regretting it now, aren't you?"

Leo looked at me with disgust, his young face filled with a coldness that didn't match his age. "It's not too late to regret it. Apologize to us right now, and Dad and I will pretend we never heard a thing."

But I just smiled, picked up the pen, and without a moment's hesitation, signed my name on the divorce agreement.

This time, in this life, I was done with them.

"You—"

Julian and Leo's pupils contracted sharply, clearly stunned that I had actually signed.

"What's the waiting period for divorce?"

I asked the lawyer directly.

"One month."

The lawyer pushed up his glasses. "If you have regrets during that time, you can withdraw the divorce application at any point."

Hearing this, Julian and Leo simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

The father and son exchanged a look, their faces resuming that same condescending expression.

"Hah, so you were just bluffing."

Leo crossed his arms, his childish voice dripping with malice. "Mom, you'd better really move out in thirty days. Don't come crawling back pathetically, begging Dad to withdraw the application. How embarrassing!"

My heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.

This was the child I had carried for 9 months—now staring at me with eyes full of contempt.

"Don't worry," I heard my own voice, surprisingly calm, "as soon as the period is over and I have the divorce certificate, I will leave immediately. I won't stay a second longer."

Julian sneered, "You're putting on quite a show."

He took a step closer, the faint scent of cedar that had once captivated me wafting from him. "Let's see if you can keep up this act in thirty days."

I took a deep breath and was about to speak when the crisp ring of a cell phone interrupted them.

Julian glanced at the caller ID, and a subtle smile touched his lips. It was Isabelle.

"Isabelle, what's for?"

"Julian, I'm not feeling well..." Isabelle's voice came through, weak and frail.

"What's wrong? I'll be right there!"

Leo had already jumped to his feet, his earlier indifference replaced with visible anxiety.

"No, it's fine, you two carry on with your business..."

"We're on our way."

Julian had already grabbed his coat without a single glance at me. "Wait for me."

The call ended. Julian and Leo rushed out the door.

At the doorway, Leo turned back and made a face at me. "Ha! I'm going to see Aunt Isabelle. Aunt Isabelle is ten thousand times better than you!"

The door was slammed shut, and I stood frozen, feeling the blood slowly turn to ice in my veins.

I mechanically folded the divorce agreement, turned, and went upstairs to start packing.

In the closet hung the shirts and suits I had bought for Julian, each one meticulously chosen by me.

On the bookshelf were the literacy picture books and educational toys I had prepared for Leo, every single one hand-picked by me.

In my last life, my world had revolved entirely around them, and I had forgotten myself.

In this life, I was going to change completely.

The next day, I went to the most expensive salon in the city.

When the stylist asked what kind of hairstyle I wanted, I looked at the reflection in the mirror—at my bare face and split ends—and said softly, "Cut it all off. I'm starting over."

Three hours later, I walked out with a chic, collarbone-length haircut, the ends dyed a soft tea-brown.

Next was the mall. I tried on all the clothes I had never dared to wear because they were 'unsuitable for a housewife,' finally buying a red dress and a pair of stiletto heels.

When I stood before the mirror, I could hardly recognize myself.

Elegant, poised, with a subtle smile gracing my lips—gone was any trace of 'a frumpy housewife'.

In the evening, I walked into a Michelin-starred restaurant.

As the waiter was leading me inside, I suddenly froze in place.

There, by the window, sat Julian, Leo, and Isabelle, chatting and laughing together.

"They look like the perfect family, don't they?"

The waiter followed my gaze and said with a smile, "That gentleman brings his wife and child here every so often. The way father and son dote on the Ma'am is quite enviable."

A sharp pain shot through my heart.

I was about to request a table far from theirs when Isabelle's sharp eyes caught me.

Her eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting to see me dressed like that.

Julian and Leo were stunned as well. It was the first time they had seen this side of me—with my exquisite makeup and a stunning red dress, I radiated confidence.

"What are you doing here?"

After his initial shock, Leo's small face hardened. "Aren't you divorcing Dad? Why are you following us?"

I clutched my handbag, my nails digging into my palm. "Divorce and dinner don't conflict. I'm not following you; this is purely a coincidence."

With that, I turned to leave.

"Wait."

Isabelle grabbed me by the wrist. "Since we've run into each other, why don't you join us? But these are all my favorites..."

She gave Julian a troubled look. "Julian, why don't you order something Eleanor likes?"

Julian frowned, flipping through the menu, then suddenly paused.

He looked up at me, his brow furrowed. "What... do you like to eat?"

I suddenly felt the urge to laugh.

To make them nutritious meals, I had learned to cook from scratch;to accommodate Leo's picky eating, I had pored over cookbooks to create new dishes;for Julian's stomach condition, I made Butternut Squash Soup daily;yet after five years of marriage, they didn't even know what food I liked!

"Just ignore her."

Leo interjected, "Aunt Isabelle, your steak is getting cold."

"I'll order for myself."

I picked up the menu and ordered the foie gras and beef bourguignon—'extravagant' dishes I loved but had never allowed myself.

The father and son stared at me in astonishment. Leo couldn't help but ask, "Mom, where did you get the money for this?"

"Don't forget, I am also the lady of the Blackwood family, and half of its billion-dollar fortune is mine."

I said calmly, "My focus used to be entirely on you and your father, and all the money was spent on you. Now, I want to treat myself a little better."

Julian's frown deepened. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

"Eating dinner."

I met his gaze directly. "And then, once the divorce is finalized, I'll be out of your lives completely."

Just as the words were spoken, a waiter happened to be bringing their food.

But as he reached the table, his foot slipped, and the entire tureen of scalding soup spilled towards them.

In a flash, I could only watch as Julian turned without hesitation, shielding Isabelle securely in his arms.

But I, with no one to protect me, was splashed directly on my arm and chest by the scalding liquid, my skin instantly searing with pain.

"Ah—"

I cried out in pain instinctively, but before I could recover, Leo rushed over crying and shoved me to the ground.

"Get out of the way! Don't block the path!"

I fell heavily, my elbow hitting the hard floor, breaking the blisters from the burn and drawing blood, but Leo didn't even glance at me, rushing straight to Isabelle.

"Aunt Isabelle! How are you? Does it hurt?"

He was sobbing his heart out, his small hands trembling, wanting to touch her but not daring to.

Julian held Isabelle tightly, his voice impossibly gentle: "Did you get burned? Let me see."

They crowded around her, fussing over her, dabbing gently with tissues as if she were a fragile treasure.

Meanwhile, I lay on the floor, the skin on my arm and chest already red, swollen, and blistering, yet no one turned to look at me.

"This is all your fault!"

Leo suddenly turned to glare at me, his little face filled with hatred, "You're a jinx. If you hadn't insisted on following us, Aunt Isabelle wouldn't have moved to make room for you, and if she hadn't moved, she wouldn't have gotten hurt!"

Julian also shot me a cold glance, looking at me as if I were a criminal: "Are you satisfied now?"

As they helped Isabelle leave, Leo turned back and yelled at me: "You'd better disappear forever!"

The people in the restaurant pointed and stared; someone offered me a tissue, while others whispered: "That poor woman…"

I used the table to pull myself up. The blisters on my arm were swollen and shiny, but I couldn't feel the pain anymore.

I took a taxi to the hospital alone.

After an examination, the doctor frowned: "The wound is a bit infected. You'll need to be hospitalized for a few days for observation."

I nodded and calmly completed the admission procedures.

During my days in the hospital, it was as if Julian and Leo had vanished from the face of the earth.

No phone calls, no text messages, not even a single perfunctory inquiry.

The nurses at the nurses' station, however, often gossiped together: "The family in the VIP ward really dote on the patient. The mother just got a small red patch from a burn, and the two of them are acting like it's the end of the world."

"I know, right? He even feeds her water himself and specially bought the best burn cream from abroad, terrified she might be left with a scar."

I didn't pay it much mind at first, until one day, on my way to a check-up, I passed the VIP room and saw the scene inside through the half-open door.

Julian sat by the bed, his long fingers carefully applying ointment for Isabelle, while Leo held a cup of warm water, waiting eagerly to give her a drink.

Isabelle said with a playful pout: "I'm almost healed. You two should go check on Ms. Vance. Isn't she still trying to get a divorce?"

Julian didn't even look up, his tone cold: "She's just using the divorce as a threat. In reality, she can't bear to leave."

Leo also sneered: "Exactly. She loves Dad and me so much, her whole life revolves around us. She couldn't survive without us."

Isabelle sighed: "Maybe she's really hurt this time? Aren't you going to comfort her?"

"No need," Julian's tone was chillingly certain. "A few days of indifference will settle it. It's always been like this—she always comes crawling back with an apology."

I stood outside the door, my nails digging hard into my palm.

So that was it. Every compromise I had made, every time I had given in, every humble plea for peace, was nothing more than a ridiculous power play in their eyes.

But not this time.

And never again.

On my way back from my check-up, I ran into Isabelle in the hallway.

Isabelle paused for a beat upon seeing me, then offered a gentle smile. "Ms. Vance, Julian and Leo are out fetching my lunch. Do you have a moment? We should talk."

I studied her, a sudden, cold curiosity stirring within. I wanted to hear what this woman had to say.

In the garden, the sunlight was perfect.

Isabelle gently brushed back her long hair, her tone nostalgic. "Julian and I were university classmates. Back then, he searched all over the city just to buy me a limited-edition art book. When I had a fever, he stayed by my side for three days and nights. I once casually mentioned wanting to eat at a French restaurant on the west side of town but complained it was too far. He bought the restaurant outright and had the chef provide private service for me whenever I wanted, cooking only for me from then on."

I listened quietly, my heart feeling as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.

So, it wasn't that Julian didn't know how to love someone; he just didn't love me.

In my last life, I had lived with him for fifty years, and he couldn't even remember my birthday.

Yet, for a small patch of reddened skin from a burn, Isabelle had him acting as if the sky were falling.

"Later, I went abroad, and we lost touch. It's only recently that we've reconnected."

Isabelle noticed the change in my expression, a flicker of triumph in her eyes. "But don't worry, we're just old acquaintances. We only grab a meal together occasionally. You shouldn't misunderstand."

I controlled my emotions, slowly lifting my gaze to meet Isabelle's, my voice calm. "There's nothing to misunderstand. I've already filed for divorce. Whether you two eat together, travel, or get married and start a family, it has nothing to do with me."

With that, I turned to leave.

But Isabelle suddenly reached out and grabbed me. "Ms. Vance, you've really misunderstood. Please, listen to me..."

Before she could finish, her foot slipped, and she fell backward, dragging me down with her into the garden's pond!

"Splash!"

The icy water instantly submerged me. I couldn't swim. I struggled desperately as water flooded my nose, choking me to the point of suffocation.

Through my blurry vision, I saw Julian sprinting over. He jumped into the water without hesitation and swept Isabelle into his arms.

Leo, holding a tissue, dabbed tenderly at Isabelle's face, not sparing a single glance for me, who was still struggling in the water. "Aunt Isabelle, are you okay?"

"Help... save me..."

I cried out hoarsely, my fingers clawing desperately at the edge of the pond.

But Julian only shot me a cold glance, his tone filled with disgust. "Did you push Isabelle into the water on purpose?"

I trembled all over, my lips quivering as I tried to explain, but Leo had already cut in impatiently. "Dad, I saw it! It was her! Just leave her! She's getting what she deserves!"

When a kind-hearted bystander tried to help, Leo even put out a hand to stop them. "Don't save her! That's my mom. She deserves it!"

My heart turned completely cold.

The water washed over my head, a sense of suffocation swept over me, and my consciousness began to fade...

When I woke up again, the ward was empty. I was alone.

I slowly sat up, picked up my phone, and booked a flight out of the city.

The airline called to confirm my itinerary. I answered calmly, "Yes, leaving in seven days."

Before I could finish speaking, the door to my room was pushed open.

Julian and Leo stood in the doorway, staring at me.

"Where are you going again?"

I calmly watched Julian and Leo standing at the door of the hospital ward, saying with a composed expression: "Since we're divorced, of course I'll be leaving to start a new life."

Julian and Leo exchanged a glance, their faces etched with patent disbelief.

"Mom, stop this drama," Leo frowned impatiently, "Everything you're doing is just a pathetic cry for attention."

Julian also looked at me coldly: "That's enough."

I couldn't be bothered to explain further, saying lightly: "Believe what you want."

They clearly didn't take my words seriously. Julian commanded directly: "Go apologize to Isabelle."

I looked up at him: "I didn't do anything wrong, why should I apologize?"

Julian's gaze turned icy: "You caused her to fall into the water, and you're still not repentant?"

I suddenly laughed, my eyes turning red: "In your hearts, will you always side with Isabelle? Don't you care about my feelings at all?"

"Of course!"

Leo said without hesitation, "Aunt Isabelle is cultured, gentle, and kind. How can a housewife like you, who just revolves around the kitchen, possibly compare to her?"

His childish face was full of disgust: "No matter what happens, it's always your fault!"

Julian added in a cold voice: "You're always paranoid, you disrespect Isabelle, you do wrong and refuse to admit it, and you have no manners."

He shot me a look of disgust: "A mother like you will only be a bad influence on our child."

With that, he took Leo's hand and turned to leave.

Before leaving, Leo turned back to glare at me: "You'd better go apologize right now!"

The ward's door was slammed shut. I sat on the bed, my chest so tight I could barely breathe.

But this time, I didn't cry.

I looked at the bright sunlight outside the window and suddenly smiled.

Since they liked Isabelle so much, then let her be Julian's wife, let her be Leo's mother.

As for me, I would never give them another ounce of my effort.

I stayed in the hospital for a few days. My wound gradually healed, but no one came to visit me.

I no longer cared.

The day I was discharged happened to be my birthday.

I stood at the hospital entrance, the sunlight spilling onto my face, warm but not harsh.

I suddenly remembered that in my last life, I had waited with anticipation for fifty long years, but Julian and Leo never once remembered my birthday. Sometimes I would excitedly prepare a whole table of food, but they would either come home late or not at all. Even when I called them back, they would just perfunctorily take a few bites, too lazy to even say a single "Happy Birthday."

Reborn into this life, I no longer held any expectations.

I went to a bakery, bought myself a small cream cake, put a candle in it, and in the empty villa, I gently closed my eyes.

"In this life, I will live for myself."

The moment the candle went out, the villa's main door was suddenly pushed open.

"Ma'am, Mr. Blackwood sent me to pick you up."

I looked up and saw Julian's secretary standing at the door, a professional smile on her face.

"Pick me up?"

I frowned. "What for?"

The secretary's smile didn't waver: "Today is your birthday. Mr. Blackwood and Leo have prepared a surprise for you."

I was stunned for a moment, then sneered: "You're mistaken."

"There's no mistake."

The secretary said with certainty, "Today is Valentine's Day, your birthday. Mr. Blackwood gave specific instructions."

I stared at her for a few seconds, suddenly finding it absurd.

Julian would remember my birthday?

But the secretary was too insistent, even reaching for my arm. "Mrs. Blackwood, the car is already waiting. Don't keep Mr. Blackwood waiting."

With that, claiming they were short on time, she pulled me directly into the car.

The car stopped in front of the banquet hall of a high-end hotel.

The moment I pushed the door open, I froze.

The entire hall was decorated with a beautiful, romantic flair. Crystal chandeliers cast a brilliant glow, and projected on the wall was a family portrait of three, hand-drawn by Leo.

On the cake table, a delicate two-tiered cake was adorned with candles shaped like the number "28".

The moment the guests saw me enter, they immediately gathered around, offering their congratulations with beaming smiles.

"Mrs. Blackwood, happy birthday!"

"Mr. Blackwood and Leo are so thoughtful! You're so lucky!"

I stood frozen, feeling as if I were in a daze, like it was all a dream.

I looked blankly at the secretary. "Where are Julian and Leo?"

The secretary replied with a smile, "Mr. Blackwood and Leo will be here shortly. Why don't you take a look at your gift first, madam?"

With that, she handed over an exquisite gift box.

The people around me playfully urged me to open it. I hesitated for a second before lifting the lid.

A diamond necklace lay quietly in the velvet box, its main stone refracting a dazzling light.

"Oh my god! Isn't that the 'Tears of the Stars' necklace from last month's auction? I heard it sold for eight figures!"

"Mr. Blackwood spoils his wife so much!"

"No wonder Mrs. Blackwood was willing to give up her career to be the ideal homemaker. If it were me, I'd do it too!"

Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, the secretary smiled and helped put the necklace on for me. "Mrs. Blackwood, why don't you try it on?"

I stood there in a daze. The next second, the cold diamonds touched my skin.

Was any of this real?

I was almost ready to believe it.

But in the next instant, the doors to the banquet hall were thrown open.

"Who gave you permission to wear that necklace?!"

Julian's icy voice cut through the false warmth like a knife.

I turned to see Julian, Leo, and... Isabelle.

The three of them stood at the entrance, their faces dark.

Leo rushed forward and ripped the necklace from my neck!

"Hiss—"

The sharp clasp scraped across my skin, leaving a bloody line.

I clutched my neck, the pain jolting me back to reality.

"What... what kind of game are you playing?"

My voice trembled.

Leo glared at me with disgust. "I should be the one asking you that. This is the birthday party Dad and I prepared for Aunt Isabelle. Who told you to come?!"

I froze.

The guests fell silent in an instant, exchanging uncertain glances.

Julian spoke coldly, "Today is Isabelle's birthday. This party was for her."

Suddenly, I laughed.

So that was it.

The secretary had made a mistake. This party was never for me at all.

Of course. After all, what outsider would ever guess that, on the very same birthday, they would choose to celebrate Isabelle's instead of mine?

The guests' gazes shifted from envy to pity. Someone whispered, "This is just too awkward..."

I took a deep breath and turned to leave.

"Ms. Vance!"

Isabelle suddenly called out to me, her voice soft. "Since it's such a coincidence, why don't we celebrate together?"

Without turning back, I said, "Not necessary."

Isabelle's eyes instantly reddened. She looked at Julian, aggrieved. "Did I offend Ms. Vance? She seems... not to like me very much."

Julian's gaze turned cold. He strode forward to block my path. "Isabelle was kind enough to invite you. What's with the attitude?"

Leo rushed over too, grabbing my wrist. "Exactly! Weren't you the one always nagging about having a birthday party? What kind of tantrum are you throwing now?!"

I looked at them, suddenly finding the situation utterly absurd.

"I was making a fuss about my birthday?"

I chuckled softly, "When did I ever make a fuss?"

Julian frowned: "Stop being dramatic. Stay."

It wasn't a request, it was a command.

I closed my eyes. In the end, I was forced to stay under the pitying gazes of the crowd.

I sat in a corner, watching Julian and Leo gather around Isabelle, cutting her cake and giving her gifts, their gentle smiles painfully bright.

As for me, I was completely ignored.

When it was time to cut the cake, Isabelle suddenly walked over and warmly took my hand: "Miss Vance, shall we cut it together?"

I tried to pull my hand back, but Isabelle's grip was tight.

The next second...

"Crash!"

The nearby champagne tower was knocked over, the glasses smashing down!

Julian's first reaction was to dive toward Isabelle, shielding her securely in his arms.

But I, cut all over by the flying shards of glass, fell heavily to the ground.

Blood trickled from my temple, blurring my vision.

In my last moments of consciousness, I saw Julian and Leo anxiously checking if Isabelle was hurt, while I myself lay in a pool of my own blood, ignored.

When I woke, the wound on my forehead throbbed with a dull ache.

In the ward, Julian and Leo stood by the bed, watching me coldly.

Julian's voice was low. "That day, did you do it on purpose?"

I froze for a moment, then realized they thought I had intentionally ruined Isabelle's birthday party.

I pulled at the corner of my mouth, my voice hoarse. "How long have I even known Isabelle? How could I have known her birthday in advance to sabotage it?"

Julian frowned, clearly unconvinced.

The secretary beside them quickly stepped forward to explain, "Mr. Blackwood, it's my fault. I got the date wrong and mistakenly picked up Mrs. Vance..."

Julian and Leo reluctantly accepted the explanation, but Leo still glared at me with disgust. "Be smarter next time. Don't ruin the surprise we have for Aunt Isabelle again!"

With that, they turned and left without a single word of concern.

I watched their retreating backs and gently closed my eyes.

There won't be a next time.

After being discharged, I returned home but no longer involved myself in the father and son's affairs.

When Julian couldn't find a file or Leo threw a tantrum for cake, I left it all to the nanny, not even bothering to spare them a glance.

It was the first time Julian and Leo had been completely ignored by me, and they found it unsettling.

Julian frowned at me, seeming to want to say something, but in the end, he just left with a cold expression.

Leo, holding in his anger, deliberately threw things and complained loudly in front of me, but I didn't even furrow my brow.

The atmosphere at home dropped to a freezing point, but I couldn't care less.

I just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Until one night, Leo started clamoring to see the meteors.

"Mom! Take me to see the meteors!"

Leo tugged on my sleeve, his tone as bossy as a little tyrant. "I want to go now!"

I gently pulled my hand back, my gaze still fixed on the book in my hands. "No."

"If you don't take me, I'll get Aunt Isabelle to take me!"

Leo threatened, his cheeks puffed out in anger.

I turned a page, my voice terrifyingly calm. "Suit yourself."

A few hours later, my phone suddenly rang.

The name "Julian" on the screen was glaringly bright in the darkness.

"Get to the hospital. Now."

His voice was as cold as if it had been quenched in ice.

I glanced at the time—2:15 AM. "I'm not going."

"If you don't come, you'll face the consequences."

The call was abruptly disconnected.

I was silent for a moment, but in the end, I went to the hospital.

I didn't want any more complications before the divorce.

The light in the hospital corridor was a harsh, sickly white. When I pushed open the door to the room, Leo was lying on the bed, his lower leg in a cast, with several scrapes on his face.

"Bad mommy! It's all your fault!"

The moment he saw me, Leo started wailing, his small face filled with resentment.

I stood frozen to the spot.

Julian grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight it felt like it would shatter my bones. "What kind of mother are you? Taking him to see meteors in the middle of the night, then running off on your own when you saw a snake, leaving him on the mountain!"

His voice was thick with suppressed rage. "Do you have any idea he almost fell to his death?!"

My pupils contracted sharply. I looked at Leo in disbelief. "You told him I was the one who took you?"

Leo's eyes darted away as he cried even harder. "Who else could it have been if not you! It was you! What happened to me is all your fault!"

My fingertips grew cold.

"Leo, don't you dare lie! It was clearly Isabelle who took you!"

Rage surged within me, and I tried to explain what really happened, but Julian cut me off with a sharp voice:

"Enough! You made a mistake, and now you're trying to frame Isabelle?"

His eyes were filled with disgust. "She is gentle and kind. She would never be as vicious as you!"

He raised his hand, summoning the bodyguards, and commanded coldly: "Lock her in the dark room to reflect. No food for three days."

As I was dragged from the ward by the bodyguards, I glanced back one last time.

A smile played on my lips, but tears welled in my eyes.

The smile was so complex, a mix of relief and despair, that it sent an inexplicable tremor through Julian's heart.

Leo also stood frozen, his small hand unconsciously tightening its grip on his father's sleeve.

But in the end, no one spoke.

I was locked in a pitch-black room. Following Leo's orders, the bodyguards threw in snakes, rats, and insects, and cranked the heating to its highest temperature.

I curled up in a corner, sweat soaking through my thin clothes.

In the darkness, I could hear the hissing of snakes' tongues and the scurrying of rats.

Fear washed over me like a tide, but I no longer had the strength to even scream.

This was the "punishment" from the man I had loved for so many years, and the son I had carried for ten months.

Three days later, when I was let out, I was so haggard I was barely recognizable. My face was pale, completely drained of color, and my chapped lips were cracked and bleeding.

The melodious sound of a piano drifted from the living room.

Isabelle was teaching Leo to play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." The little boy sat obediently on the piano bench, his small face full of concentration, showing none of the malice he had shown me.

Julian stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, the sunlight gilding his silhouette. He gazed at the pair at the piano, a gentle smile on his lips that I had never seen before.

I leaned against the wall, suddenly finding the scene laughable.

I had once tried desperately to fit into this family, yet I had always remained an outsider.

And now, I was willing to withdraw, to leave the father and son to themselves completely.

...

On the last day of the waiting period before divorce, I woke up very early.

I made myself a lavish breakfast: a fried egg cooked to a golden brown, crispy toast, and a glass of steaming milk.

Leo ran into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. His little nose twitched. "It smells so good! I want some too!"

I slowly put down my chopsticks. "There's none left."

"Then make some for me tomorrow!"

Leo pouted, ordering me as if it were his right.

"There won't be any from now on."

My voice was soft, yet it cut like a knife, severing all possibilities.

Leo froze, then began to throw a tantrum. "Why won't you cook for me?! Bad mommy!"

Julian rushed over at the sound, his brow furrowed. "Must you argue with a child?"

He looked down at me condescendingly. "As his mother, don't you think you're going too far, bullying him like this?"

I lifted my gaze, meeting his calmly. "I'm just stating a fact. Is that considered bullying?"

Julian was taken aback by the resolution in my eyes. Just as he was about to question me further, Leo was already tugging his hand, dragging him away. "Daddy! Let's go find Aunt Isabelle! She can make anything! She's so much better than Mommy!"

I watched them grab the keys, ready to leave, and finally spoke up. "Wait. Today is the last day of the waiting period. Aren't you coming with me to get the divorce certificate...?"

Leo clamored, cutting me off. "Daddy, let's go!"

At the same time, Isabelle's call came through, right on cue.

"Julian, Leo mentioned before that he wanted tiramisu. I learned how to make it. Do you two want to come try some?"

Julian's expression softened instantly. "Okay, we'll be right there."

He didn't even spare me a glance as he took Leo's hand and strode away.

The moment the villa door closed, I gave a self-deprecating laugh.

It seemed I would have to go get the divorce certificate by myself this time.

...

At City Hall, the clerk handed me two divorce certificates. "The husband didn't come?"

"He's busy."

I smiled and placed one of them in my bag.

Back home, I placed the other divorce certificate on the living room coffee table.

Then I picked up my already-packed suitcase and left the home I had lived in for ten years without a backward glance.

On the way to the airport, I gazed at the scenery flashing past the window and suddenly recalled the moments before my death in my last life.

I was lying on my deathbed, while Julian and Leo gathered around Isabelle, not even sparing me a final glance.

But in this life, I was going to start over.

No longer anyone's wife, no longer anyone's mother, only my own princess.