“Mom, are you okay? Sabrina didn’t bully you, did she?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect Demi.”

“Dad, you’re the best. Everything’s set for the wedding. Just one more day…”

On Demi’s phone, their voices were filled with joy, sounding like a perfect little family.

I let out a cold laugh, finding it all painfully ironic. The promises Gaten once made to my mother had now been tossed aside like garbage.

After we left the house, a thought suddenly struck me. I suggested we go to the Armitage home.

When we arrived, it was empty. Looking around at the cozy space Cooper and I had once designed together, I felt nothing but distance. Everything had changed beyond recognition.

I sighed and walked into the room to retrieve my things.

Inside the cabinet was an iron box, heavy with the weight of memories, every piece a fragment of my love with Cooper. I had met him by chance, through an accident. Back then, I was young and reckless, infatuated with racing. My parents had strictly forbidden it, so I could only practice in secret.

I had always loved the thrill of speed, though no one around me ever understood; only Ava supported me.

During the annual racing competition, I secretly signed up without telling my parents. I believed that with my skills, I could at least place third. Everything had gone smoothly until the final stretch.

Out of nowhere, my car malfunctioned and slammed into the guardrail, sparks bursting in every direction. Lacking experience, I panicked.

Just then, the driver ahead slowed down and blocked me in time, preventing what could’ve been a far worse disaster.

When the car caught fire, it was that driver who rushed back to pull me out. He had been heading straight for the championship, yet he chose to stop, risking injury just to save me.

As my consciousness faded, I heard voices in the chaos around me murmuring about his nickname: “Kevy”.

When I woke up, I was covered in injuries, lying in a hospital bed. The first person I saw was Cooper, standing quietly at my side.

My family and I thanked him sincerely. Over time, I found my feelings for him slowly growing. Two years later, we got married.

After being with him, I never raced again. He always said it was too dangerous, that he didn’t want me getting hurt ever again. So I stayed home, cooking, cleaning, taking care of everything for him.

I picked up that familiar set of car keys; the keychain still bore faint stains of blood from that day. Since I was leaving now, it felt like time to start over—a new beginning.

Just then, my eyes landed on a music score lying on the table. I paused.

It had been a gift from Cooper. I remembered how surprised I’d been when I first discovered it. I never expected him to be so talented.

I picked up the score, only to discover several additional pages tucked behind it. When I laid them out, they formed a complete piece. But the small handwriting on the back sent a chill through my chest; it was composed to commemorate Cooper’s ten-year bond with Dixie. It had nothing to do with me.

I had heard the name before, Dixie, his childhood friend. Years ago, her family had arranged for her to marry abroad. And now, I realized it all, I had merely been her stand-in from the very beginning.

I stood frozen, a bitter laugh escaping my lips, just as Ava’s call came through.

“I looked into it. Dixie returned to the country half a year ago. She divorced her husband… and Cooper rushed to her side. I heard they’re probably getting married.”

I wasn’t surprised. Ava, clearly disgusted with Cooper, quickly changed the subject.

“Stop crying over that jerk. Kevin’s back in town. Don’t be sad, come out with me.”

The Kevin she mentioned was Kevin Timberlake, the one who grew up with us, always like a gentle older brother in our eyes. I nodded, ready to walk away from this place.

But just as I turned, I crashed straight into Cooper, and behind him stood Dixie, her arms filled with large bags of gifts.

“Where are you going?” Cooper asked, his tone cold. “Dixie hasn’t eaten yet. Cook for her before you leave.”

He knelt, removing Dixie’s heels with care, and wrapped a bandage gently around her heel, a gesture that once belonged to me.

I stayed silent. Soon, Dixie took out her phone and held it up.

“This is from my mom. Isn’t it beautiful?”

On her screen was a photo, not just of my mother’s pearl necklace, but the rest of her jewelry too.

“At the wedding in a couple of days, I’ll look stunning wearing them. They’ll surely bring fortune to my baby,” Dixie said smugly, gently stroking her pregnant belly.

I didn’t even want to acknowledge her. My hand tightened around the car keys, ready to leave.

“I told you to stay. What more do you want?” Cooper snapped, grabbing my wrist in frustration.

“Since you had me sign the divorce papers half a year ago, where I go has nothing to do with you.”

From the side, Dixie added fuel to the fire with a mocking tone. “If you’re leaving, then don’t bother coming back.”

I shook off Cooper’s hand, yanked the door open, and walked out without a word. As I left, I deleted my fingerprints from the passcode lock, one final gesture of severance.

With that, I left and did not look back.

After meeting with Ava, I found Kevin waiting for me. Even after all these years, his charm hadn’t faded in the slightest. But I wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it.

Ava had already told him everything about my situation. He remained silent for a moment, then simply said, “That guy Cooper had the nerve to betray you. Don’t worry, I won’t just sit back and do nothing. You have my word.”

Kevin promised me.

He invited both Ava and me to his home, mentioning that his father had prepared a welcome dinner. When I stepped inside, I was stunned to see my mother sitting on the sofa.

“Mom? Why are you here?”

“I was the one who invited her,” came a voice from the kitchen. Tanner stepped out, drying his hands.

Only then did I realize Tanner and Kevin were father and son. Kevin had never once mentioned anything about his family before.

In the center of the living room hung their family portrait. Kevin’s mother had a gentle face, but she had passed away during childbirth when giving birth to him. The family had always been just Tanner and Kevin, and three years ago, Kevin had gone abroad with his father.

So this was how closely the Timberlake family had been tied to ours all along.

At the dinner table, I momentarily forgot the bitterness of recent days and found myself chatting comfortably with everyone.

Tanner reminded me to rest well and mentioned that my mother’s asthma needed proper care. He was aware of what we had been through recently, but said little, only urging us to take care of our health.

Later that evening, my mother and I drove back to the house she had bought before she married. The night was cold and silent. On the way home, a car suddenly slammed into us.

The accident struck in a desolate area, leaving the scene in utter chaos. The violent impact knocked us unconscious within moments. Someone stepped out of the other car and carried my mother and me away.

Blood poured from my head, the searing pain too much to bear, and I blacked out again. The next time I opened my eyes, a bucket of freezing water slammed into me.

"Finally awake. Good, you're not dead," Demi said with a sneer.

My head throbbed so badly I could barely think. I hadn’t even grasped where I was until my father appeared with a group of men. That’s when it hit me, we were locked in the basement of our own home.

"Dad, what the hell is going on?"

"Tomorrow is Cooper and Dixie’s wedding. I can’t have random people ruining it," he replied coldly.

Dixie jumped out from behind him, her face glowing with joy.

"Thanks, Dad. With you here, nothing will go wrong tomorrow," she said, throwing her arms around Gaten.

My face went cold; this old man no longer saw me as his daughter. Right now, Dixie was his real family.

A sharp throb pulsed through my head as blood streamed down my face. The blow from the crash had left my stomach in unbearable pain.

Beside me, my mother finally stirred. Her injuries were far worse than mine. During the collision, she had shielded me with her body, and her back was now torn up from broken glass.

When she opened her eyes and caught sight of my expression twisted in pain, she pulled me into her arms without hesitation. Her eyes locked on Gaten with fury. "What do you want from us? To kill us?"

"We’re already divorced, and you still send people to harm us? Sabrina is pregnant!" she shouted, her voice filled with rage.

But the three of them stood there, completely unfazed. My mother’s flushed and furious face seemed to entertain them rather than alarm them.

Cooper gently draped a coat over Dixie’s shoulders and said softly, “Go inside, don’t catch a cold.”

The four of them looked warm and harmonious, like a picture-perfect family of four. Gaten left us with a cold threat. “Until Cooper and Dixie’s wedding is over, you’re not leaving.”

The late autumn wind cut through the skin like blades. Soaked to the bone, I trembled as I leaned into my mother for warmth. Then, without warning, blood began to trickle down between my legs.

“Mother, what should we do?” I asked with grievance, my heart aching. I still couldn’t wrap my head around how the father who once cherished me could now throw us aside for that woman and her daughter.

This wasn’t an accident; it had to be planned. We only survived by pure luck. My mother pulled me close and whispered gently, “Just hold on, Sabrina. Soon, we’ll be free of them completely.”

As night sank deeper, the butler watching over us had already nodded off, unaware we had slipped away without a sound.

“Are you sure about this?”

I gave no reply.

The next day, just as Cooper and Dixie’s wedding began, a fire erupted, right on cue. My mother and I stood from afar, watching in silence, then turned and walked away without looking back.