In the hospital, the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant.

As the elevator doors slowly opened, I saw my husband, Michael Thomas, with his beloved, Evelyn Robinson.

They were intimately close, like a newlywed couple in love.

Evelyn's pregnancy was evident, as her baby bump clearly showed.

Without even raising his head, Michael carefully helped Evelyn out of the elevator. Like those expectant fathers who were expecting the birth of their children, his face was full of worry and love.

Looking at this scene in front of me, I felt it was extremely offending to my eyes.

I stood frozen, blocking the way, my body unable to move.

"Excuse me."

Michael's voice tinged with annoyance. I didn't move away, so he raised his head.

When he saw me, surprise and guilt flashed across his eyes, followed by disgust.

As he walked out of the elevator, still holding Evelyn's hands, he impatiently asked, "What are you doing here?"

Throughout, even when he saw me, his lawful wife, he didn't let go of Evelyn's hands.

He even subtly shielded her, as if afraid I would hurt her.

"Michael, is this the meeting you said you were attending?"

My voice was hoarse and my throat hurt as if I had swallowed a needle.

Today was my daughter Skylar's seventh birthday. While I was in the kitchen making a cake, she had snuck out.

I searched for her everywhere frantically, without even wearing my shoes.

During this period, I called Michael more than ten times, but he didn't answer any of them.

Until the hospital called me and said Skylar had been in a car accident.

When I rushed to the hospital, I saw my daughter covered in blood, barely alive.

The doctor told me her spleen, lungs, and liver were ruptured, and her legs crushed, needing immediate surgery.

I signed the consent form with trembling hands, overwhelmed by the doctor's words.

Before being taken to the emergency room, Skylar weakly asked, "Mommy, where's Daddy?"

"Skylar, Daddy is coming soon. You’ll be okay. Hold on for Daddy, promise me, will you?"

Outside the emergency room, I repeatedly dialed Michael's number until he finally answered.

"Michael, Skylar was in a car accident. She wants to see you. Please, please come to the hospital."

I thought, as a father, Michael would rush to the hospital upon hearing this.

However, he yelled angrily on the phone.

"To trick me into coming back, you’d curse our daughter? Clara, how could you be so vile?"

I cried and shook my head. "No, it's not that, Michael. Skylar really had an accident. Please, come to the hospital to see her, I beg you."

My desperate pleading was met with Michael's impatience.

He said, "Clara, I'm in a meeting. Don't call me again."

He hung up, and when I tried calling back, it was already unreachable.

I was enveloped in loneliness, helplessness, chillness and despair.

I didn't know how long I waited outside the emergency room. Doctors and nurses went in and out, and I signed two critical condition notices.

I cried, begging them to save my daughter.

But in the end, she didn't make it off the operating table.

Unable to accept it, I fainted on the spot.

Hearing my question, Michael paused, ready to say something, but Evelyn spoke first.

"Clara, don't misunderstand. I accidentally fell this morning and had terrible stomach pains. Michael was worried and brought me to the hospital."

Michael frowned, looking at me with eyes full of hatred.

"There's no need to explain to her."

But when he turned to Evelyn, his eyes softened with care.

"Evelyn, the doctor said you need to be observed. Let's go. Don't let anyone affect your mood. It's not good for the baby."

Well.

How laughable. How pathetic.

My lawful husband, indifferent to our daughter's car accident and death.

Yet, he cared so tenderly for another woman’s child.

Even if he didn’t believe the accident, he could see my pale face and bandaged head, but he didn’t ask.

It was as if he couldn’t see me at all.

Watching them leave, Evelyn turned back to give me a taunting smile.

All my strength drained away.

I felt a chilling coldness, my heart encased in ice, devoid of any warmth.

"Michael, let's get a divorce."

Hearing my cold, calm voice, Michael turned sharply.

He looked at me, shocked, then quickly angry.

"Aren’t you tired of using divorce as a ploy?

"If you really wanted a divorce, you wouldn’t have dragged this out for eight years.

"Clara, enough of this nonsense. Evelyn’s misfortune is your doing. I’m caring for her as an act of kindness for you.

"Stop using divorce as a threat. If you do it again, I'll drag you to the court myself."

Michael warned me, not even sparing an extra glance before guiding Evelyn to her room.

The Thomas and Moore families were old friends. Michael was five years older than me, and our marriage was arranged when I was a child.

I used to follow him everywhere as a child, and he would protect me, never letting anyone bully me.

But everything changed when he went to college and met Evelyn.

Eight years ago, the Thomas family faced bankruptcy.

I brought thirty percent of the Moore family’s shares into the marriage, ensuring our family would support theirs through the crisis.

I thought this would make Michael look at me differently.

Even if he only stayed with me out of gratitude, I would have been content.

But I was so wrong.

Childhood affection couldn’t compete with a new love.

In eight years of marriage, we barely slept together.

I got pregnant with Skylar because he was drunk and out of his senses. I was held under his body, enduring his madness and listening to him calling Evelyn's name over and over again.

A marriage in name only, no matter how hard I tried to hold it together, shattered irreparably.

I saw my daughter’s lifeless body in the morgue, her bloodstains cleaned.

I don’t know how long I stayed there, lost and numb.

My brother Aiden Moore arrived after hearing the news.

Despite our strained relationship over Michael, he couldn’t help but cry seeing my shattered self and Skylar's lifeless body.

"Where’s the hit-and-run driver? Where’s Michael?

"How could such a thing happen, and why isn’t he here?"

Aiden asked, but I was too exhausted to answer.

He called Michael, who answered quickly.

"Michael, where the hell are you? Skylar was in an accident, and you're not at the hospital. How could you leave my sister to face this alone? How could you be so heartless?"

Aiden had put the call on speaker.

After a pause, Michael's harsh voice came through.

"So, is she trying to fool me with her cheap tricks again? Even dragging you into her act?

"Tell her to stop these disgusting tactics. It only makes me hate her more."

The line went dead.

Aiden was furious and punched the wall hard.

"That bastard!"

My usually calm brother cursed.

He walked up to me with red eyes and patted my head like he did when we were kids.

He said, "Clara, don't be afraid. You still have me."

With Aiden’s comforting words, my tears that had just stopped burst out again.

Aiden hated seeing me cry. He awkwardly wiped my tears, his voice choked.

"Clara, I know you're hurting. I am too. Don't cry. Skylar wouldn’t want to see you cry.

"Remember, she said she loved seeing you smile."

Aiden then informed Michael's parents.

Hearing Skylar didn't survive, they couldn’t believe it.

"Do you think I, Aiden Moore, would lie about Skylar’s death?"

Five years ago, our parents died in a plane crash.

When I gave birth to Skylar, I hemorrhaged and had a hysterectomy. I was destined to have Skylar as my only child.

Michael's parents were unhappy that I couldn’t give them a grandson.

Before, they hid their dissatisfaction, but after my parents died, they showed their true colors.

Realizing Aiden wouldn’t lie about Skylar, they cried out in grief.

"How could this happen? Our poor granddaughter!

"Where's Clara? How could she let Skylar get into an accident?"

I had no right to defend myself.

If I hadn’t gone to the kitchen to make a cake, Skylar wouldn’t have snuck out.

And then...

It was my fault.

Suddenly, it felt like something was squeezing my heart and I could hardly breathe.

"How dare you blame my sister? From the accident until now, Michael hasn’t shown up. How can you accuse Clara?

"I'm calling you just to inform you that I will handle Skylar’s funeral."

After Aiden hung up the phone, he was determined to find Michael.

I told him there was no need to search.

Michael was still in the hospital’s inpatient department.

I couldn't stop Aiden, but he couldn't find Michael either.

Perhaps, after receiving Aiden’s call, Michael had anticipated that Aiden would come looking for him and had simply taken Evelyn away.

I sat in the hospital morgue all night, and Aiden also stayed with me the whole time.

Under his gentle persuasion, I agreed to have Skylar’s body cremated.

Because, my little Skylar hated the cold.

This morgue was so frigid. She would never want to stay here long.

I had to go home and retrieve Skylar’s favorite doll so it could accompany her.

She wouldn’t feel alone that way.

Returning to the villa, I found Michael and Evelyn happily sharing a nutritious breakfast at the dining table.

Seeing me return, Michael looked flustered for a moment.

I glanced at him indifferently and went straight upstairs.

Entering my daughter’s room, the scene before me made me furious beyond words.

I ran back downstairs and screamed at Michael, "Did you enter Skylar’s room? Michael, how dare you touch her things? Give them back to me, give them back!"

"Clara, what’s gotten into you this early in the morning?"

Michael frowned and looked at me with even more disgust.

"Clara, don’t blame Michael."

Evelyn stepped between us, looking as delicate as if a gust of wind could blow her over.

"I had nowhere else to go, so Michael arranged for me to stay in Skylar’s room for a while. If it bothers you, I can leave right now."

My anger reached its peak in an instant, and I raised my hand and slapped Evelyn hard.

"Clara, are you insane?"

Michael glared at me viciously, as if he wanted to eat me alive.

My daughter was gone, and yet, her father was here sharing a cozy breakfast with another woman.

It was just ridiculous and sad.

I slapped Michael too.

"Michael, you’re a monster!"

Michael had never been hit before. Infuriated, he raised his hand to strike me.

"Michael, if you dare touch my sister, I’ll make you regret it!"

Aiden stormed in!