She saw Danny and Sarah embracing each other and he seemed so worried.

Ella covered her mouth and staggered back in disbelief.

She was too anxious that the lunchbox slipped from her grasp and hit the floor with a thud.

Her heart clenched violently and she rushed out the door.

On the way back, her mind was filled with the image of the two of them embracing each other.

She did not dare to think how many times this had happened, or how far they had gone…

She bit her lips, trying desperately to hold back her tears, but she couldn’t stop the scenes replaying in her mind.

Ella recalled the dismissive tone that Danny had used when he spoke of her in front of the camera just now. It was completely different from the way he talked about Sarah. His voice brimmed with unrestained admiration and appreciation for Sarah, even though Ella was the one who had been supporting him over the years.

Suddenly, she collapsed to the ground with a thud. A sharp pain radiating from her palm instantly brought her back to her senses.

She wiped the tears, turned on her phone and saw that Danny had sent her messages.

[Did you come to the lab to find me?]

[Where are you now? Why didn't I see you? Where are you?]

[Message me back when you see them.]

He only sent three questions; she was not worth even a single call.

A flash of self-mockery flickered in Ella's eyes and she forced herself to stand.

But when she reached her front door, she suddenly didn't want to go inside or continue living with a cheater.

Should I file for divorce? She asked inwardly.

After struggling for a moment, she opened her social media apps and sent a post.

Within minutes, more than a dozen people replied to her, but most of them urged her not to divorce.

[At your age, why do you want to get divorced? Just bear with it?]

[Yeah. Your kid is still in her senior year of high school. A divorce during such a crucial time would definitely affect him.]

[Blogger, if you ask me, just turn a blind eye. For the kid's sake, we should endure it.]

…

As she read these comments, a complicated emotion flashed in her eyes. And eventually, she opened the door.

They are right. I have a child. I can't file for a divorce when John is in such a critical time for her.

With this thought, she deleted the lawyer's number that she had searched on Google.

At ten o'clock in the evening, Danny finally called her. Ella just listened to the non-stop ringing without any intention to answer it.

Originally, she wanted to answer the phone if Danny called the second time, but the phone was completely silent.

It meant from the very beginning, Danny only planned to call her once and would not call again if she did not answer.

Slowly, Ella closed her eyes, unable to bear the pain in her heart. Tears welled up in her eyes as sorrow and disappointment filled her heart.

She turned off the phone and climbed into bed.

As soon as the alarm clock rang at five o'clock the next day, she jumped up immediately.

After preparing breakfast, she promptly carried it to John's room and helped him pack his schoolbag.

But seeing John put on his coat, Ella could not help but ask, "Did your dad come to you last night and ask about me?"

John furrowed his brows. He seemed puzzled by her questions.

Concealing the disappointment in her eyes, Ella murmured, "It's nothing. I was just wondering."

After she packed his schoolbag and prepared to leave the room, John clicked his tongue impatiently. "Mom, haven't I told you to put less sugar in it? Are you deaf or what?"

Ella paused and apologized awkwardly, "I'm sorry. I zoned out a bit when making the milk this morning, so …."

"Ugh, so annoying. You have been doing this every day, but still can't do it properly! What good are you? You're nowhere as good as Aunt Sarah."

Ella’s fingers curled tightly into her palms as a sharp ache gripped her chest. Every word he said made her feel she was so foolish.

In the evening, she picked John as usual. Remembering how she had been too careless by putting so much sugar in his milk, she wanted to compensate him.

"John, do you have any questions about today's topic? I can help you."

But John simply waved his hand impatiently. "No need. Just do your chores. Aunt Sarah said she would tutor me. She is a postdoc, so she is way smarter than you."

Ella clenched her fists and sat stiffly back on the dinner table.

Her plate held the spaghetti she had just reheated. She had not even had time to eat in order to pick John up.

But today, somehow, tears fell down onto the food she ate.

When she stuffed the spaghetti into her mouth, she could feel the saltiness of her tears mixed in it.

Across the wall, John and Sarah's chatting and laughing drifted through the half-open door. The sound was like a blade that pierced her heart.

Halfway through the meal, she heard the sound of a door being unlocked. Ella hastily grabbed a tissue to wipe her face dry.

Danny sat down beside her and asked in a deep voice, "Why didn't you answer my messages yesterday?"

Ella stiffened for a moment and pretended to be calm before saying, “Oh, I forgot.”

But suddenly, Danny grabbed her hand, stared intently at her face and sneered, "You’re crying?"

Ella berated herself in her heart for crying earlier. When she was about to explain, Danny spoke first.

"Did you see anything yesterday? Sarah and I…."

“No! I didn't see anything. I had someone deliver that lunch box. I didn't go there personally.”

For a few seconds, Danny eyed her suspiciously, but in the end, he said nothing.

Just then, John and Sarah's voices drifted into the room again.

Danny froze for a moment before clearing his throat softly. "Don't overthink about Sarah tutoring John. Her physics has always been excellent and she got a perfect score on the college entrance examination. That's why I asked her to help with John's tutoring. Besides, based on academic qualifications, it's obvious that she's a better choice."

He then gently took Ella's hand and said softly, “Don’t overthink it. It’s enough for you to take good care of this home. You don’t need to do anything else.”

In the past, whenever he said this, Ella would reassure herself that taking care of the family was meaningful too and she was not worthless. But the word Danny had said during the interview that day still echoed in her mind and she could not forget them.

She pulled her hand away and said calmly, "Danny, I hope you always remember that the reason you got your PhD's spot was because I gave up mine for you.”

Danny was taken aback. He never expected that Ella would suddenly bring up the past. Only now did it dawn on him that her original abilities surpassed his own.

"Ella, I …."

But Ella had already gotten up and left the table. She walked straight into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

She dragged the box from under the bed and began pulling out its contents one by one. They were all her past award certificates. Yet the walls of this home seemed designed to hold for only one person’s honors.

It was just like Danny had said back then when he opposed her pursuing her doctorate. “One scientist in a family is enough. Someone must always stay home to take care of the family."

Back then, she thought love could conquer everything. So she gave up the opportunity to pursue her doctorate.

But she forgot that true feelings could change so easily. Danny had long moved on, while she remained blissfully unaware of it.

"Ella, I've washed the dishes. I won't be sleeping at home tonight—I need to head to the lab."

Hearing his words from outside the door, Ella let out a self-mocking chuckle.

What a flimsy lie and I had believed it for twenty years!

She kept wiping the trophy and certificates in her hands with tissues, for only seeing these awards could remind her of who she really was.

After twenty years of being a housewife, she had almost forgotten she was once a student whom all her teachers had high hopes for.

After rearranging the certificate, she called her former teacher.

"Is this … Ella?" the person on the other side asked in surprise.

"Yes, it’s me, Professor.  I'm calling to ask ... Is the laboratory still recruiting? I want to come back. If it's not possible, then …."

When the person on the opposite side heard this, he hurriedly agreed. "Of course! Come over. The laboratory desperately needs talents like you.”

Hearing her teacher's words, a warm glow entered her heart.

The next morning, she was woken by a commotion.

She rubbed her eyes and opened the door to find people from the moving company.

“What... are you doing here?”

At that moment, Danny appeared and pulled her into the house.

"What's going on, Danny?" she asked.

Danny hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly, "Ella, to make it easier for John to commute to school, I bought an apartment near his school."

Ella's expression eased a bit. “I never said you couldn't buy a house, but you should have told me about something this big.”

She tried to open the door to leave, but unexpectedly, Danny grabbed her wrist. "Where are you going?"

Ella looked at him in confusion. "I'm going to help pack. Aren't we moving there? I'll sort my things and move them over later.”

But Danny was still holding her hand tightly, without any intention to let go.

"Do you have something more to say, Danny?" She restrained the tremble in her voice with difficulty when she asked that.

He lowered his head and said through gritted teeth, "The new place doesn’t have enough rooms. And since we need to set aside a room for Sarah, you can't go there."

In that instant, Ella felt her heart being crushed violently. Cold spread from her fingertips all the way through her body.

Danny hurriedly pulled her into his embrace and whispered softly, "I'm sorry, Ella. But you know, all school district apartments have that layout. I really didn’t have a choice …”

" … You and John are going to live with …S …Sarah?" Ella managed to croak hoarsely.

She felt his grip tighten around her. His voice came from above her. “Having Sarah live with us will make it easier for her to tutor John, so... But don't worry, Ella, she won't be staying long. You can live here by yourself for now. It's only until John finishes his college entrance exams ....”

Suddenly, Ella pushed him away, pointed at the door with trembling fingers and forced a word from her throat, "Leave!"

Danny opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but before he could, Ella had already pushed him out.

Watching the door slam shut before him, a strange sense of panic washed over him.

He knocked on the door and said in a low voice, “Ella, I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you later, I promise.”

Inside, Ella slumped against the door and crumpled weakly on the floor. She had to bite her lips hard to stifle her cry of pain.

“Dad, what are you waiting for? Aunt Sarah has been waiting for us for a long time. Dinner is ready. Hurry up and leave."

As the sound of footsteps faded, silence fell over the house.

Ella closed her eyes and let her tears drop onto the floor.

She retrieved the lawyer's numbers she had deleted before. "Hello? I'd like to consult about divorce proceedings."

When she looked at the empty house, Ella lost all desire to stay there and decided to simply move to the research institute.

One day, when she went home to get her things, she found Danny waiting at the door.

For a moment, she froze. Then, pretending not to see him, she opened the door.

Danny's voice echoed behind her. “I’ve been looking for you these past few days, but you never seem to be home. Where have you been?”

After hesitating for a moment, Ella decided to tell the truth. "I went back to Professor Hamilton's laboratory. I …."

But Danny did not listen to her at all. Instead, he scanned the empty room and demanded, “Why are there some things missing from the house?"

Ella clenched her fists and her breathing quickened. Then she took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Danny, let's get a divorce."

“Knock knock.” The sudden knocking interrupted her words.

She followed his gaze and found that it was Sarah. She was holding a scarf in her hand.

"Danny, you forgot to put on your scarf. It's windy outside, you might have a headache."

For a second, Danny's face turned completely blank and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Sarah walked up to him and wrapped it around his neck on tiptoe.

From Ella's angle, the two of them seemed to be kissing.

Even though her fingers dug deep into her palms, she did not feel any pain at all.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, Sarah lost her balance and fell to the side. Danny immediately caught her waist.

She pressed her hands against his chest and lowered her head shyly. "I'm sorry. I just twisted my ankle."

They were so close. Only now did Danny realize how close they were. He frantically released his grip and glanced toward Ella. But she was nowhere to be seen.

Watching him search for her, a shadow flickered in Sarah’s eyes. So, she said, “Danny, I'll wait for you downstairs."

When she heard this, Ella stopped packing.

At this moment, Danny walked in. He said with a tense voice, "I brought her because we have to attend the seminar later. Nothing else. Ella, I …."

Ella zipped up her bag before lifting her head to meet his gaze. “Alright, I believe you.”

But her answer did not calm him down. She is way too calm. She should not react like this. He thought.

He grabbed Ella's wrist. His face was grim. "If you're angry, just let it out. Why do you talk like this?"

“You're hurting me.” Ella struggled desperately to pull her hand away, but he only tightened his grip.

Finally, she broke down and shouted, “I'm not angry! I know you're just colleagues! You're close to her because you share more common ground—you're fellow disciples and she can help you more with your research...”

Every word she said now was the same one Danny had once said to her and now she was throwing them back at him.

While he stood there frozen, she pushed him away and ran out.

Downstairs, she caught sight of Danny's car. Inside it, Sarah, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was applying lipstick.

This reminded her of the first time she'd found lipstick and confronted him. Back then, Danny had only responded impatiently, "Why are you making such a big deal over a lipstick? Sarah and I are just dedicated to researching. Why must you turn us into adulterers? You clearly haven't read enough books. Your head's filled with nothing but trash."

She tore her gaze away and climbed into her professor's car.

Today, she was attending an academic seminar with her mentor. Their lab’s recent research breakthrough had drawn a lot of attention and as one of the main project leaders, she couldn’t decline the invitation.

What she had not anticipated was that Danny and Sarah also appeared there.

The moment he appeared, he captured everyone's attention, drawing one person after another to have a conversation with him.

Sarah stood beside him and anyone watching would have to admit they made a perfect match.

Ella did not plan to get closer to eavesdrop, but the crowd pushed her forward.

“It seems that I have never seen Dr. Sinclair's wife. It seems only Professor Palmer has always been by your side. You can bring your wife over for us to meet next time."

Ella heard someone ask him.

Someone nearby chimed in, “Yes, Dr. Sinclair, you're so accomplished, your wife must be extraordinary too. What field does she research in?”

Danny paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. “My wife is rather uncultured and unsophisticated. She's not quite suited for occasions like this.”

Each of his words pierced her heart like needles, stirring up a dense, stinging pain. She swayed slightly, wanting to leave. After she walked away, someone asked why Danny had come that day.

He pondered for a moment and said, “I came today mainly to meet the person in charge of the Lily of the Valley project. I think she's very talented and should be a leader in our field.”

“Yes, but she’s a bit of a mystery,” someone said. “Her name hasn’t been made public yet. I bet she’s a big figure in the industry. Ordinary people couldn’t pull off research that advanced.”

***

Originally, Ella wanted to find a quieter place, but Sarah found her.

"Why are you here, Ella?"

Ella refused to talk and turned to leave.

“Did you beg someone to bring you here? Can you really understand the content of the presentation later?”

Sarah's mockery made Ella stop in her tracks. When she was about to throw the Lily of the Valley research book that she pulled from her bag at Sarah's face, gasps erupted from the surrounding crowd.

She followed their gaze, looked up and saw that the overhead light had fallen.

At that critical moment, Danny rushed over and pulled Sarah into his arms to protect her.

Ella was not so lucky. Though she darted aside the moment she noticed, shards of glass were still embedded in her leg.

A searing pain shot through her calf. Before she lost consciousness, all she saw was blood spreading across the floor.