Naomi watched as Celeste entered the kindergarten. Then, she turned and headed to the law firm.

She took out the divorce settlement agreement James had drafted and asked if it was legally valid. When James married her back then, it was under the condition that he could ask for a divorce at any time, and she wasn't allowed to refuse.

The agreement had been prepared before the marriage. It was undated, with only James' signature.

Once its validity was confirmed, Naomi signed it and asked the lawyer, Arthur Langford, to handle the divorce procedures.

"Please mail the divorce decree here," Naomi said, leaving the address of the villa before getting up to leave.

Her nose stung as she tilted her head back. She tried not to let the tears fall.

She had loved James. After they got married, she had tried her best to make it work. She had dreamed of a life with him. But after she was ignored and neglected again and again, her once-passionate heart had grown cold.

Now that Sophia was back, it was time for her to go.

Unfortunately, Naomi ran into James and Sophia again on the first floor of the mall right after her trip to the law firm.

Sophia was a gorgeous woman. Her beauty was strikingly bold and arresting.

At the moment, her arm was linked with James', and she was smiling radiantly. James held Liam with his other arm, his eyes full of affection.

Naomi's breath hitched. Once, she had also dreamed of James walking through the streets with her and Celeste.

She couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks as she stared at them, her heart breaking into pieces. She forced herself to turn and leave.

Back at the villa, she prepared a résumé with her portfolio and sent it to several companies in Aberford that she admired. Then, she printed her resignation letter and brought it to the office.

After Naomi married James, he immediately switched her to another department so that she wouldn't be by his side. Now, she was just an ordinary secretary.

Hence, resigning was a relatively simple process for her. Once she had handed over her duties, she could leave at any time.

Soon after tendering her resignation at the HR department, Naomi returned to her office and began packing her things.

Barely a few minutes had passed before she heard footsteps and flattering words coming from the doorway. Upon looking up, she saw several top executives walking in with James and Sophia.

Sophia had changed into another outfit. Gone was her bold, hot look. She now wore a sharp, professional suit, which immediately drew everyone's attention.

James kept his arm protectively around her waist. His eyes were glued to her. Obviously, he was unwilling to look away for even a second.

Naomi's heart throbbed painfully. She looked at James, but he remained stoic, showing no sign of acknowledging her. So, she lowered her gaze.

The next moment, they were standing in front of her.

"Ms. Sloane, this is Ms. Hadley. She is Mr. Hudson's girlfriend. She'll be taking over your position, and you'll be transferred to the marketing department. Please finish the handover as soon as possible."

Naomi raised an eyebrow slightly at the mention of "Mr. Hudson's girlfriend".

However, James didn't deny it, causing Naomi's eyes to sting as tears welled up. She clenched her fists tightly.

Without a thought for either her or Celeste's feelings, James was impatient to restore Sophia to her position.

Naomi looked at him and called out, "James…"

But before she could finish speaking, the piercing and cold gaze James directed at her made her clam up.

"Ms. Sloane, if you're unhappy with the reassignment, talk to your immediate supervisor," he said, frowning. He clearly did not want her to bring up their relationship.

Then, he quickly added, "Sophia's more suited to this role than you are."

Naomi understood that he wasn't just talking about the job.

She could feel her heart shattering painfully, but she kept her expression detached and professional. As she had expected, James didn't care about her at all.

"Alright," she said, nodding as she turned to shake Sophia's hand politely.

James looked pleased and turned back to Sophia. The coldness in his eyes was instantly replaced by warmth and tenderness.

He had never looked at Naomi or Celeste with such an affectionate gaze.

Naomi thought, "So this is the difference between love and indifference. Fortunately, I'd stopped expecting anything long ago."

The company hastily arranged a dinner to celebrate Sophia's first day that evening. Although Naomi had resigned and was reluctant to attend, Sophia just wouldn't let her go and kept pestering her.

Sophia asked, "Ms. Sloane, are you mad that I took your job? Is that why you don't want to come to my welcome dinner? I didn't mean to take anything from you. James made the arrangements.

"I just joined today and would love to get to know you better. I don't know many people here. Can't you attend the dinner with me?"

Naomi caught the subtle glint in her eyes. In response, she plastered a slight smile on her face and rejected Sophia's invitation by explaining, "You're overthinking it. I need to pick up my daughter. Sorry."

"What about your husband? Can't he pick her up?" Sophia asked, not giving up.

Her husband?

"I don't have one," Naomi replied lightly, even though her heart ached deeply at that moment.

James had never acknowledged their marriage; their lives were completely separate, making his presence as a husband irrelevant.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," Sophia apologized, but still wouldn't let it go. "Why not bring your daughter along? My son's coming too. They're the same age. They can play together."

"No, thank you. My daughter doesn't like socializing."

But as they spoke, a small figure came running toward Naomi.

"Mom! Mr. James picked me up from kindergarten today!" Celeste ran into her arms cheerfully. "And he brought me here to you!"

Naomi's heart skipped a beat. James didn't even know which kindergarten Celeste attended. Why would he suddenly pick her up?

She looked up and saw James strolling over from a distance, smiling as he gazed at Sophia but not sparing even a glance at her.

"James, do you know Ms. Sloane's daughter?" Sophia asked in confusion.

"I ran into her while picking up Liam, so I brought her along. She's Ms. Sloane's daughter. She's been to the company a few times," James explained, afraid that Sophia would misunderstand.

His tone was distant as he talked about Celeste and Naomi. It was as if they were strangers, and he was afraid of being associated with them.

Celeste was about to call out to James.

Naomi looked at her daughter and shook her head discreetly. Celeste caught her signal and lowered her gaze in disappointment.

Sophia spoke up with understanding. "Oh, I see. You probably didn't know, but this young girl doesn't have a father. Maybe you shouldn't reassign Ms. Sloane to the marketing department. It's not easy for her to raise a child alone."

James frowned slightly as he glanced at Naomi before saying, "Alright. It's your call."

Sophia was pleased and nodded sweetly at him.

Their eyes met in a way that suggested an intimate, personal exchange between them. It was as if no one else existed in their world.

Celeste clung to Naomi and buried her face against her leg.

"Hey, Mommy. Hey, Daddy," Liam greeted, breaking their tender exchange.

He rushed over with pattering steps and hugged James' leg playfully. "Daddy, pick me up!"

Celeste froze. She looked up at James and Liam incredulously.

James picked Liam up, and his eyes were filled with a tenderness Celeste had never seen before. When he noticed Celeste looking at him, his arm jolted slightly as he held Liam, but he showed no other reaction.

Tears welled up in Celeste's eyes. James turned his gaze away to avoid meeting hers.

"Liam, you're being naughty again. You're always asking James to carry you. Come down now," Sophia chided and tried to get Liam to come down.

However, the young boy clung tightly to James' neck.

"No way! I like to be held by Daddy, and Daddy likes holding me too," Liam said. He kissed James' cheek loudly and stated, "I'm hungry. I want cake."

"Alright. We'll get you some cake. James, let's head in." Sophia smiled and followed James inside.

After taking a few steps, she turned back and called out. "Ms. Sloane, come on."

Naomi crouched down to check on Celeste, whose face was covered in tears. She tilted her head up and asked, "Mom, are they the people Mr. James loves?"

At that moment, Naomi could no longer hold back her sorrow. She pulled Celeste into her arms, and they cried together.

The scene was so cruel that Naomi could barely bear it, let alone a child like Celeste.

Naomi didn't answer, but Celeste already knew the truth.

"Mom, I want to take one more look." Celeste wiped away her tears and took Naomi's hand. "I want to see if the people Mr. James likes are nice."

"Can't we just go home, Celeste?" Naomi couldn't bear to let her get hurt again.

Celeste stubbornly shook her head. "I want to go."

"Alright." Naomi held her hand and entered the banquet hall.

The hall was lively, packed with people. James, Sophia, and Liam were at the center of attention.

Naomi and Celeste quietly sat in a corner. All the time, Celeste's gaze never left James. The gentleness and care he showed Liam were everything Celeste had longed for but had never received.

When she saw James feeding Liam fruit himself, she stood up.

"Mom, Mr. James loves them. He looks so happy. Let's go. We shouldn't stick around," Celeste said softly.

Naomi was immensely saddened to hear those words coming from Celeste. The overwhelming misery was so suffocating that it knocked the breath from her lungs.

"Let's go home then," Naomi said.

Celeste nodded. They held hands and walked toward the door.

"Ms. Sloane, please wait." James' assistant, Oliver Brown, intercepted them. "Mr. Hudson said he wants to take Celeste out. Please hand her over to me."

Oliver was the only person in the company who knew about their relationship.

"Mr. James wants to take me out?" Celeste's eyes lit up instantly. She looked past the crowd, searching for James.

Oliver nodded. "Yes, that's what Mr. Hudson said."

At the same time, James messaged Naomi, saying he wanted to take Celeste with him to watch the fireworks. It was the first time he had ever taken the initiative to do anything with Celeste.

Naomi felt uneasy. She didn't want to let Celeste go with James. But upon seeing Celeste's hopeful face, she couldn't bring herself to refuse her daughter.

She reminded, "Celeste, take care of yourself. If anything happens, call me."

Celeste was excited to go with James. She replied, "Don't worry, Mom. I'll behave and make Mr. James like me."

"Okay." Naomi stroked her head, her heart heavy as she quietly sighed at how Celeste still longed for James' love. She glanced in his direction, praying that Celeste wouldn't be disappointed.

And so, Naomi left alone. She had just gotten home when her phone rang. It was Celeste calling her.

"Mom! M-Mr. James left me behind!" Celeste sobbed helplessly.

Naomi's heart sank to her stomach as Celeste continued pitifully, "I'm so scared, Mom…"

"Where are you?" Naomi asked anxiously.

"I… I don't know…" She sniffled.

"Don't be afraid. I'm coming to get you right now. Don't hang up. Talk to me. I'll be there soon," Naomi comforted.

She tracked Celeste's smartwatch location and rushed over in her car. When she found Celeste, the latter was sitting alone by the roadside and covered in a thick layer of snow. She was freezing there!

Naomi couldn't hold back her tears. It felt like all the strength had been drained from her body. She scooped Celeste into her arms.

"Don't be scared, Celeste. I'm here now," Naomi said reassuringly.

"Mom, I was so scared. I'm so cold," Celeste sobbed uncontrollably as she curled up in Naomi's arms.

Her whole body was burning up, and she had already started muttering deliriously before they even got to the hospital.

"Mr. James, I'm sorry… I shouldn't have called you Dad… Please don't leave me… Please don't leave me…"

Naomi's hands trembled, and she was so overcome with grief that she was unable to speak. James had heartlessly left her alone by the roadside because she called him "Dad".

She couldn't believe he had done that. Celeste was only five!

"Don't cry, Celeste. I'll always be with you. I'll never leave you."

By the time Naomi arrived at the hospital, Celeste had already lost consciousness. The doctor scolded Naomi, saying that she was a terrible mother for letting her child end up in such a state.

Naomi didn't defend herself. She blamed herself for what happened to Celeste, too. She had known that James didn't love Celeste, yet she had still let him take her.

So, this was all her fault.

"Dad… I want Dad…" Celeste called out for James as her fever worsened. "Mom, I want Dad to hold me, too. I'll be good."

She kept crying. Her face and hair became sticky with her tears, causing Naomi's heart to ache terribly. Even in that moment, Celeste was still thinking about James.

Naomi clutched her phone and reluctantly called James. Of course, he didn't answer.

She sent him a message. "Celeste is running a high fever. Please come to the hospital to see her."

But even as dawn broke, there was still no reply from James.

Meanwhile, Sophia updated her social media with photos of herself, James, and Liam enjoying the night view together.

This meant that James had left Celeste behind without the slightest hint of remorse or concern.

The last shred of hope Naomi held out for James died completely. To him, Celeste had never mattered. So, she mattered even less.

Naomi stayed by Celeste's side all night.

Finally, Celeste woke up. She said softly, "Mom, I'm sorry for making you worry."

Her thoughtfulness made Naomi feel even more heartbroken. "Silly girl. There's nothing for you to be sorry about," Naomi said, holding back her tears.

If anyone should apologize, it was her. She had failed to let Celeste have her father's love.

"Mom, don't cry. I'm okay now," Celeste comforted her.

"Okay. I won't cry anymore," Naomi said, holding Celeste and feeding her medicine and food.

Celeste stayed in the hospital for three days. On the day she was discharged, James finally replied to Naomi's message.

He wrote, "Are you still at the hospital? I'll come pick you up."

Celeste read the message just as the notification popped up. She smiled brightly and said exuberantly, "Mr. James said he's coming to pick us up!"

The moment she learned that James was coming, she couldn't help but feel a little hopeful again.

Naomi nodded and silently prayed that he wouldn't break his promise. Even if it was just out of guilt for abandoning Celeste, she hoped that he would at least follow through this one time.

As time passed, Celeste's smile began to fade. From morning till noon, she kept watching the door to her hospital room intently.

Naomi glanced at the clock, then at Celeste.

Celeste noticed and said softly, "Mr. James isn't coming, is he? He must have gotten too busy that he had forgotten to pick me up. Let's go, Mom."

She forced a smile, pretending to be okay. Then, she jumped out of bed to tug on Naomi's hand.

Naomi's chest tightened, and she nodded. "Okay. I'll take you home."

They walked out of the hospital room together. When they reached the elevator, they saw James. "It's Dad…" Celeste immediately corrected herself and said, "It's Mr. James. He came to pick us up!"

But in the next moment, Sophia stepped out of the elevator.

Naomi tightened her grip on Celeste's hand, which was beginning to pull away.

James turned and saw them. The moment he did, he frowned slightly, and his expression became uneasy.

"Is Liam alright?" Sophia asked, looking at him.

He shook his head. "He's fine. It's just a scrape."

Then he turned away and didn't look at Naomi or Celeste again.

Naomi understood that James hadn't come to pick them up. He was only there for Sophia and Liam. Even if she and Celeste had been in danger, it wouldn't stir the slightest concern in him.

There were no words to describe the complicated emotions that were coursing through her at that moment.

She looked down and smiled gently at Celeste. "Come on, Celeste."

Celeste smiled back. "Let's go home, Mom."

The ride home was quiet. Celeste stared out the window, sniffling from time to time. When they got back to the villa, she locked herself in her room.

Naomi didn't disturb her. She just stood silently outside to keep her company.