Zia bit her lower lip hard.

Rachel put on a pitiful expression.

“Zia, I’m really scared to drive in the rain. If you won’t let me, I’ll leave….” Her eyes welled up, then she stood up resignedly, ready to go.

Brian held her hand. “You’re staying here. That’s my decision. There are plenty of guest rooms; I’ll take your things.”

After saying that, Brian glared at Zia. Without waiting for her approval, he pulled Rachel toward the guest room. His children followed behind, just like chicks following their mother.

“Aunt Rachel, please read us a story.”

“Yes, Aunt Rachel. Please!”

“Okay, sweethearts. Aunt Rachel is going to read you a bedtime story.” Rachel ruffled their hair, while Brian smiled gently at her and stroked her hair as if he’d done it a thousand times before.

To Zia, they looked like a real little family. She rubbed her face and looked up at the ceiling, holding back her tears.

She had promised her father’s urn that she wouldn’t cry over someone like Brian anymore.

In her room, Zia changed into her pajamas and was brushing her hair when Brian appeared behind her.

He looked at Zia in the mirror. “Zia, there’s something I want to talk to you about. I know Rachel was really mean to you in the past. That was decades ago, and you’re both adults now. Forget the past animosity; treat Rachel well from now on.”

Zia clenched her fists, but in front of Brian, she smiled. “Why bring up Rachel all of a sudden?”

“Rachel is pregnant.”

Zia blinked, trying to keep her expression neutral.

“Oh.”

“Don’t be mean to her; she needs to avoid stress and will be staying at our house. My mother asked me to take care of her from now on.”

“Where’s her husband? Shouldn’t her husband be the one taking care of her?”

Brian avoided her gaze. “Her husband cheated on her and left her.”

“Oh, really? I’ve always wondered who her husband was. Rachel’s always been part of the Ridge family. She almost never showed who her husband was.”

“Why are you so full of questions today? That’s Rachel’s personal life. Never bring it up in front of her. I’m tired; I’m going to sleep.”

Brian clicked his tongue, turned his back on her, climbed into bed, and turned off the light.

The lights were turned off, and Zia’s expression was hidden in the darkness. After a moment, she took a deep breath and climbed into bed.

Brian was sleeping with his back turned to her, showing a distant demeanor for the first time in their ten years of marriage. Zia closed her eyes, holding back the pain in her chest.

Half an hour later, she felt movement beside her as Brian woke up. Zia’s eyes remained closed as Brian walked out of their room.

Her hands were clenched tightly beneath the covers. Without needing to follow, she knew where Brian was going.

A few hours later, Brian returned to bed at four in the morning, carrying the scent of Rachel’s body and sex.

Zia’s eyes opened, staring blankly at the ceiling. The feeling in her chest had gone numb and cold.

The next day, Zia acted as usual and covered the dark circles under her eyelids. She woke up early and prepared breakfast for herself.

Zia stopped in the dining room and found Rachel preparing a breakfast of bread and milk for four people.

Zia’s attention was drawn to the ring on Rachel’s ring finger.

“What are you wearing on your hand?”

Rachel glanced at her, her lips curving into a mocking smile as she raised her ring finger.

The wedding ring that Zia had taken off last night at her vanity table—which she’d thought was lost—was actually slipped onto Rachel’s finger.

“You mean this ring? Brian gave it to me because I asked him for it last night. I was craving a wedding ring just for fun. Brian promised he’d buy me a new one.” Rachel rubbed her stomach with a provocative gesture. “Did Brian tell you I’m pregnant?”

Zia sneered coldly to herself. Rachel couldn’t provoke her with her fake pregnancy.

But she wouldn’t tolerate Rachel taking her wedding ring.

A wedding ring is sacred. She remembered Brian proposing to her with that ring ten years ago, when dandelions were floating around them.

Even if Zia wanted to throw the ring away, she wouldn’t let Rachel wear it.

Zia stepped forward quickly and grabbed her hand. “Take it off. It’s not yours.”

Rachel just smiled mockingly. “Okay.”

She slipped the ring off and tossed it into the trash. “Go ahead, pick up that trash, hahaha…”

Zia didn’t move to retrieve it. Her hands were clenched tightly, while Rachel continued her provocation.

“Besides, you’ll be kicked out of this house soon enough. You know, even though he knew I was pregnant, Brian didn’t hold back and made love to me. He was so gentle and attentive to our baby in my womb. Meanwhile, when you were pregnant, he wouldn’t even touch you and came to my bed because you were ugly and looked like a dead fish…”

Zia swung her hand, slapping Rachel’s face hard enough to send the woman staggering backward.

“Does being a whore make you proud? Don’t forget that I’m still Brian’s lawful wife. If I expose this to the media, everyone will point to you as the whore who seduced a married man, and all the reputation you’ve built will be destroyed.”

“You….” Rachel clenched her fists, wanting to strike back, but quickly lowered her hands when she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of Brian walking toward them.

Her eyes flashed with cunning. She suddenly dropped to the floor.

“Arrgggh… It hurts, Zia! I know you hate me, but I’m pregnant. Please don’t hurt my baby.” She clutched her stomach, moving away from Zia as if she were a monster.

“What kind of game are you playing….”

Before Zia could finish her sentence, Brian grabbed her by the shoulder and slapped her face hard. “Zia, you’ve gone too far!”

Zia rubbed her stinging cheek. Her eyes reddened as she glared at Brian. “You hit me without knowing the truth?”

Brian’s gaze was as cold as ice. There was no warmth or love in his eyes like there used to be.

“I’ve seen everything clearly! Zia, you’re so cruel. Even though you’ve been a mother yourself! How could you push Rachel, who’s pregnant?”

“I didn’t push her….”

Zia didn’t finish her sentence because Brian coldly ignored her, roughly shoving her aside to grab Rachel.

Zia’s body was roughly shoved backward, and her head slammed into the table.

Zia groaned in pain. She touched her head, feeling blood trickling down the side of her temple.

Brian paid her no mind and hurried away anxiously, carrying Rachel in his arms.

Rachel looked down at her from over Brian’s shoulder with a triumphant smile.

Zia clenched her teeth.

Brian, you don’t know that the woman you’re defending is faking her pregnancy.

She got up, enduring the pain in her head, and grabbed the first-aid kit to treat her wound, then began packing her belongings into a suitcase.

All the wedding photos and pictures of her little family were thrown into the trash.

She continued packing the remaining items, then contacted a moving company to dispose of them.

Suddenly, a commotion could be heard outside her room.

“Where is that slut!”

Her bedroom door was flung open roughly. Her mother-in-law, followed by her bodyguards, entered the room.

Zia stood facing her mother-in-law. “Mom, what are you doing here?”

Emily pointed at her face in anger.

“You’re still asking after what you did to Rachel? She had a miscarriage because of you! Grab this wretched woman! Ever since the day you married my son, you’ve always brought bad luck. Today I’ll teach you a lesson you deserve!”

The bodyguards rushed to grab Zia’s hands and dragged her out of the room.

They forced her to kneel in the living room.

Zia struggled, but Emily’s bodyguards were strong enough to hold her down, so she remained on her knees.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brian standing at the door with Rachel and their children. He wanted to step inside, but stopped when Rachel clung tightly to his arm. The children just stared at Zia but made no move to protect their mother.

Emily swung the whip mercilessly at Zia’s body.

Zia flinched as a sharp pain tore through her skin.

She felt blood running down her back.

On the fifth lash, Brian finally moved and snatched the whip from his mother’s hand.

“Mom, that’s enough.”

“Brian, it’s not over yet! She killed the child in Rachel’s womb, a descendant of the Ridge family! Your child….”

“Mom, that’s enough!” Brian’s voice was loud, cutting off Emily’s words.

Emily glared at him, clearly dissatisfied. “You’ve been too soft on her all this time. She even apologized after what she did to Rachel.”

Brian shifted his gaze to Zia and whispered in a low voice.

“Zia, you have to apologize to Rachel. Only with an apology will she forgive you and this punishment will stop.”

Zia shook her head stubbornly. Her lips trembled with pain. “I don’t believe that woman was pregnant, let alone that I caused her miscarriage. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Rachel approached her and said in a hurt voice. “Zia, I’ve lost my baby. Why are you hurting me with that painful slander?”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She covered her face and began to cry.

Hendry shouted. “Mom, apologize to Aunt Rachel. Don’t make Aunt Rachel sad.”

Alec nodded. “If Mom doesn’t apologize to Aunt Rachel, we won’t acknowledge you as our mother.”

Zia’s eyes reddened as she stared at the children. When she was punished by Emily, they just stayed silent. But when Rachel started crying, they forced her to apologize and even threatened not to acknowledge her as their mother.

Zia kept her mouth shut and shook her head, refusing to apologize.

Brian’s expression hardened.

“Zia, apologize to Rachel!”

Zia pressed her lips together stubbornly.

“You’ve really made me so angry!” Brian’s gaze turned icy.

He gave an order to the maid.

“Bring that urn of ashes here.”

Zia’s eyes widened; she tried to stand, but the bodyguard behind her held her down, forcing her to remain on her knees.

“What are you doing to my father’s urn!”

Brian didn’t answer. Shortly after, the maid arrived with the urn and handed it to Brian.

“Brian, what on earth are you doing! Give my father’s urn back!” Zia screamed.

The bodyguards held her down so she remained on her knees.

Brian’s expression was cold as he held the urn in his hands.

“If you don’t apologize, I’ll smash your father’s urn right in front of you.”

Zia’s eyes turned red with rage and pain.

“Why are you doing this to me? What did my father ever do to you! Have you forgotten that my father saved the Ridge Group from bankruptcy! You ungrateful bastard,” Zia screamed like a child, thrashing to break free from the bodyguards behind her.

“Zia!” Brian’s face hardened as he heard his wife call him an ungrateful bastard in front of everyone and the maids who were watching.

“Apologize to Rachel! Now! I won’t repeat myself!” Brian was about to drop the urn.

“Fine! Fine! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Zia cupped her hands in supplication before Brian and Rachel. Tears streamed down her face.

“Please give me back that urn, I beg you... it’s the only thing left of my father.”

Brian exhaled. “You should have said that earlier.”

He then turned his gaze to Rachel. “Zia has apologized to you, can you forgive her?”

Rachel nodded with a feigned, weak smile. A cold gleam flashed in her eyes as she stared at the urn of ashes in Brian’s hands. She clutched her head, and her body swayed.

“Brian, my head is spinning....”

“Rachel!”

As Brian embraced her, Rachel pretended to accidentally knock the urn out of Brian’s hands. It shattered into a thousand pieces, the sound echoing loudly through the room. Ash flew everywhere.

Everyone fell silent.

“No!”

Zia’s eyes turned red, her body trembling. She crawled to gather the ashes from the shattered urn, heedless of the shards cutting her hands. She pressed them to her chest. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision.

“No, Dad... no…”

“Zia, I’m sorry.... I didn’t mean to....” Rachel’s eyes widened, looking remorseful as she clung tightly to Brian’s arm. “Brian, I really didn’t mean to....”

Zia glared at Rachel until the woman hid behind Brian, terrified.

She stood up and lunged at the woman. Brian shielded Rachel and held Zia back. “Zia… I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I’m the one who dropped the vase… blame me. I’ll replace your father’s vase with a new one.”

Zia paid him no mind, raging and striking Brian until Emily’s bodyguards pulled her away.

Zia began to tire; her chest felt tight until she couldn’t breathe. Her consciousness slowly faded.

Before she lost consciousness, she faintly saw Brian shouting with a panicked expression.

“Zia!”

Zia opened her eyes. The sunlight was blinding. The smell of disinfectant made her realize she was back in a hospital ward. This time, it was a larger and cleaner room.

Zia raised her hand to block the sunlight. Something heavy held her hand down. She turned her head, looking at Brian, who was lying face down beside the bed, clutching her hand.

Her two sons were sleeping on the sofa.

Zia stared blankly, feeling a sense of déjà vu.

Every time she got sick and had to be hospitalized, Alec and Hendry insisted on skipping school to stay by her side.

Brian even canceled a multi-million-dollar business deal to be by her side, staying awake all night and sleeping while holding her hand tightly.

After Zia recovered, he went for a checkup on his back pain, but never complained in front of Zia.

If it weren’t for the memories flooding back, Zia would have thought things were back to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.

Brian woke up feeling Zia move. His eyes fluttered open, filled with relief.

“Zia, you're awake!” He held her hand and kissed the back of it tenderly.

The children woke up, too, then ran to her bed.

“Mommy!” they called out in sweet, childlike voices, their eyes brimming with tears.

“Mommy’s awake! We were so scared we wouldn’t see Mommy again.”

‘I bet you were hoping you’d never see me again, weren’t you?’ Zia whispered to herself.

She looked at them indifferently. The worry and fear in their eyes seemed like a joke to her.

Zia pulled her hand away from Brian’s grip and looked up at the ceiling, pretending her husband and children weren’t there.

Brian was startled for a moment when Zia pulled her hand away, then tried to smile, “Zia, about yesterday… I’m truly sorry. I’ve moved your father’s ashes to a new urn.”

But Zia ignored him.

Zia pulled her hand away and turned her back on them. “I’m tired; I want to rest.”

The three men fell silent, staring at her back.

Hendry said sadly, “Dad, is Mom starting to ignore us? Does she not love us anymore?”

“Mom is still sick. Once she gets better, she’ll be back to normal.” Brian reassured his children, even though he was far from certain himself.

“Okay.”

Zia closed her eyes, ignoring the three of them, letting silence fill the room.

Brian and his children stayed in her room until she recovered and was allowed to go home. Zia knew Brian was doing this to atone for his guilt.

After the final checkup, the doctor allowed her to go home.

“Honey, are you ready to go home?” Brian entered her hospital room with a smile on his face, carrying a large gift box in his hands.

“Yes,” Zia replied indifferently, glancing at the large gift box without any interest.

Brian followed her gaze and handed her the gift box.

“Tomorrow is the company’s anniversary, which coincides with our wedding anniversary. We can celebrate it together. This is our wedding anniversary gift for you. You’ll come with me and look your best to show off Brian Ridge’s wife.”

Zia fell silent for a moment, staring at the gift box. When she opened it, she saw a stunning red dress.

“Why are you inviting me to your family party? You never usually invite me.”

“My mother has given her permission. We have to attend. Besides, since our relationship hasn’t been harmonious lately, I want to mend it so the children feel comfortable.”

Zia pretended to accept the gift.

“I understand. I’ll wear it….” She paused for a moment. “By the way, I have something that needs your signature.”

Zia pulled out a prepared buyback agreement for her shares. She intended to collect every penny her father had lent her 10 years ago, plus interest.

“This is the report on my father’s accident. It’s been five years; the police want to close the case because they can’t find any evidence or the culprit. Since you’re my husband, help me sign it.”

Brian seemed to tense up for a moment, then a flash of relief crossed his eyes, which he quickly hid.

However, everything was crystal clear to Zia.

“Yes, it should be closed. I know you’re deeply grieving over it. Don’t dwell on the past; let’s look to the future. You need to focus on taking care of our children.”

Then, without reading the contents, he signed it quickly as if he wanted the case closed immediately, then returned the document to Zia.

He smiled, unaware that he had signed a 50% share buyback agreement.

The Ridge family business that Brian had loved his whole life would go bankrupt.

What expression would he show if he knew this?

Zia tried to keep her expression calm.

Brian’s phone rang. He answered it in front of Zia for a few moments, then ended the call and looked at Zia regretfully. “Sorry, I have some work I need to take care of. How… about taking a taxi home?”

“It’s okay, I’ll take a taxi.”

“Thanks for understanding,” Brian tried to kiss her forehead, but Zia quickly turned away.

Brian awkwardly pulled back, then turned and left the hospital room, leaving Zia alone.

Zia didn’t pay him any mind and checked her phone for incoming messages.

Zia received a notification from her broker that her shares had been sold.

“Ms. Storm, your shares have been sold. Someone bought them for 10 billion. We’ll begin the transfer process.”

10 billion dollars?!

With that amount of money, Zia could live comfortably for decades and buy back her father’s orange grove, which had been sold ten years ago. She could live comfortably, far away from the children and Brian.

Zia sent a quick message. [Yes. Please process the transfer quickly.]

[Yes, Miss Storm.]

A smile appeared on Zia’s lips; relief filled her chest.

Today, she would leave everything behind and start a new life far away.

Feeling lighthearted, she walked out of the hospital and booked a flight to leave that very night.

Just then, her phone rang again.

A video call from Hendry. Zia hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Mom! Save us!”

Hendry and Alec’s faces filled her phone screen. Both were crying out to her.

Zia froze.

A stranger’s face replaced her children’s.

“Mrs. Ridge, we’re demanding a ransom of five million dollars for your children’s lives. Come here in ten minutes. If you bring Mr. Ridge or the police, we’ll kill your children.”