Samantha was locked in a pitch-black room. Following Joseph's orders, the bodyguards would throw snakes, rats, and insects into the room. They also adjusted the temperature of the air conditioner to its hottest setting.

Samantha curled into a ball in a corner. Sweat drenched her thin shirt. She could hear the snakes hissing and the rats scampering around in the darkness. Fear gripped her heart, but she was too weak to even scream.

This was the punishment that the man she loved for so many years and the son she carried for ten months in her belly thought that she deserved.

Three days later, Samantha was released from the room. She looked extremely haggard. Her complexion was pallid and drained of color, and her lips were bleeding from the cracks.

The melodious sounds of the piano resounded from the living room. Lydia was teaching Joseph how to play a popular children's song. He sat obediently on the piano stool, his little face tight with concentration. The hatred he harbored for Samantha was totally absent.

Harry was standing next to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The sunlight bathed him in a golden glow. He was watching Joseph and Lydia quietly as they played the piano. His lips were curled up in a gentle smile that Samantha had never seen before.

As Samantha leaned against the wall, she couldn't help but feel how laughable the entire scene was. She had tried desperately to become a part of this family once, but she had remained an outsider till the very end. But now, she was retreating willingly. She would fulfill Harry's and Joseph's wishes.

…

Samantha woke up early on the day the divorce certificate was ready to be picked up. She prepared a lavish breakfast for herself that included a crispy fried egg, perfectly toasted bread, and a hot glass of milk.

Joseph ran into the kitchen while rubbing his eyes. He sniffed the air, saying, "It smells delicious! I want to eat some too!"

"It's all gone," Samantha replied as she placed down her cutlery languidly.

"Make some for me tomorrow, then!" Joseph ordered matter-of-factly while pursing his lips.

"There won't be a tomorrow."

Although her voice was soft, her words were like a knife, cutting off all possibilities.

Joseph was stunned for a moment before he started throwing a tantrum. "Why won't you make it for me? Bad Mommy!"

Harry rushed into the kitchen when he heard the commotion. He frowned deeply, asking, "Must you be so stubborn and fight him at every turn?"

Samantha could tell he was looking down on her.

He continued, "You're his mother. Don't you think you're crossing the line by bullying him like this?"

She lifted her eyes and met his gaze steadily. "I'm just telling him the facts. How am I bullying him?"

Harry was stunned by the resolute look in her eyes. He was about to question her further, but Joseph had already grabbed his hand and was dragging him outside. "Let's go look for Ms. Yeager, Daddy! She knows how to do everything. She's much more amazing than Mommy!"

Samantha watched as they grabbed the keys and prepared to leave. Before they did, she finally opened her mouth and said, "Wait. Our divorce application will be settled today. Aren't you going to come with me to get the divorce certificate?"

Joseph interrupted her by causing a ruckus. "Let's go, Daddy!"

At the same time, Harry received a call from Lydia. "Harry, Joe said he wanted to eat tiramisu the other day, so I learned how to make it. Do you want to come over and try it?"

The furrow between Harry's brows smoothed out in an instant. "Okay. We'll come over right now."

He didn't spare a glance at Samantha before he took Joseph's hand and left the villa.

The moment the door clicked shut, Samantha chuckled to herself. By the looks of things, she would have to get the divorce certificate by herself.

…

When Samantha arrived at the courthouse, one of the staff members handed two copies of the divorce certificate to her.

"Your ex-husband didn't come with you?" he asked.

"He's busy," she replied with a smile, stashing one copy of the certificate in her bag.

After returning to the villa, she placed the other copy of the divorce certificate on the coffee table in the living room. She then grabbed the suitcase she had packed beforehand and left the home she had been living in for the past decade. She didn't turn back even once.

Samantha looked at the scenery zooming past outside the window on the way to the airport. She suddenly recalled the last scene she saw in her past life before she took her last breath.

She had been lying on the hospital bed. As Harry and Joseph were orbiting around Lydia, they didn't look at her even in her dying moments.

She was going to have a fresh start in this new life. She wasn't going to be anyone's wife or mother. She was going to be her own princess!

Simply for touching the bespoke suit of the richest man's son, Horace's mother had her hands and feet broken and was thrown into the sea, where she drowned. On the day he sued the arrogant Master in court, the latter was acquitted.

This was because the lawyer who defended him was Amanda, the founder of City Rock's unparalleled law firm and was also Horace's wife. 　　

At the end of the trial, the elegant and beautiful woman left the defendant's bench and placed an “apology letter” in front of Horace.

“Horace, sign it. You don't want to be sued for defamation and sent to prison, do you?”

Her tone was gentle and persuasive, but the gaze hidden behind her gold-rimmed glasses was sharp as ice. 　　

Horace glared at her stubbornly, his voice trembling: “Why, Amanda?”

He couldn't understand...

He was obviously her husband, and she loved him so much that she wanted to marry him, a caregiver, even if she gave up her family property and was under house arrest by the Young Family.

But after his mother died, he had begged her countless times, and even this morning, he knelt at her feet for the ninety-ninth time, threatening to divorce and begging her to give up the case.

But what did she say?

- Horace, don't push me!

Amanda turned the ring on her finger in boredom: "Godfery Morris is different. He has been chasing me for ten years and saved my life."

"I must protect him, even if the enemy is my beloved husband."

As she said, she opened the tablet in her hand and showed the live broadcast screen in front of Horace.

"You have two minutes to think about it, Horace. Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about your mother. Sign it and I will return your mother's ashes to you..."

The screen showed a scene at sea, and several bodyguards were holding a sandalwood urn. As long as they let go...

Horace's eyes turned red: "What are you going to do?"

But she didn't frown: "Don't waste time. Can you bear to let Mom stay in the sea forever?"

"Amanda!" Horace stared at the woman in front of him, his mouth almost bleeding: "I want to divorce you..."

But in the cruel confrontation, she was so calm that she didn't give in at all.

"Horace, you only have the last thirty seconds."

At that moment, Horace's heart seemed to be pierced by a needle.

How ironic, obviously, this woman had once loved him with all her heart.

Eight years ago, she fell in love with him at first sight in the old house of the Young family.

He was the old master's caregiver, and their social statuses were as different as heaven and earth, yet she had confessed her feelings to him a hundred times.

She would replace all the plants in the garden overnight just because he had glanced at a green plant.

She would also book an entire floor of the hospital when he accidentally sprained his ankle.

It was also then that he learned she had a suitor—a wealthy young master who had been pursuing her since childhood, loving her to the point of obsession.

But she had eyes for no one else— "Horace, I only love you. Maybe Godfery and I are a good match，but I hate him!"

In order to force her to let go, the Young Family not only took back her shares, but also used their connections to send her to an island abroad.

For a full twenty days, Amanda used hunger strike to exchange for compromise from the outside world, and completely moved Horace's heart.

Just like that, they got married, and she really loved her husband as she promised.

The incident happened half a year ago. Godfery, who had been away for many years, suddenly returned , and this time, she suddenly changed her attitude towards this childhood sweetheart.

She turned down a multinational meeting, went to the airport to pick him up in person, and even did not go home for three days to organize a dinner for him.

In Horace's puzzled eyes, she told the truth: "A year ago, I went to the UK and had a car accident. Godfery was in a coma for a whole year to save me."

"Horace, I only love you, but he just woke up, I have to pay off this debt, one year, give me one year, okay."

At first, Horace believed her.

Until the night of the dinner, he accidentally suffered from an old illness and was taken to the hospital for rescue, but Amanda's phone could not be reached.

Helplessly, his mother found the luxury yacht where the dinner was held, but she never came back after this trip.

Everyone insisted that it was an accident and said that his mother committed suicide.

Even Amanda, who was not at the scene when the crime happened, believed this statement.

But that night, after he was pushed out of the emergency room, he clearly received a phone call. He heard the chaos on the other end of the phone, mixed with Godfery's scolding and his mother's painful screams.

His mother was forced to fall into the sea!

In the past six months, he blamed himself in pain and cried all the time. After a breakdown, he finally found a trace of evidence from a waiter.

He begged Amanda to help him countless times.

But in this criminal self-prosecution trial, she stood on the opposite side of him without hesitation.

She protected his mother's murderer and even threatened him with his mother's ashes to force him to admit his mistake to the other party...

At this moment, Horace looked at Amanda in front of him and felt that she was so strange that she seemed to come from hell.

He was desperate and resigned to his fate. He just shook his fingers and signed the apology letter with crooked handwriting.

"Satisfied? Then let them come back from the sea..."

But just as his hoarse voice fell, a cry suddenly came from behind.

Godfery suddenly held his head and lay on the dock: "Amanda, help, my head hurts again!"

At that moment, Amanda was so panicked that she threw down the tablet and rushed behind her.

On the other side of the live broadcast, the countdown had ended. Without receiving Amanda's order to stop, several bodyguards had already opened the urn...

"No! I have signed! Amanda, tell them to stop!"

Horace shouted like crazy, but how could those bodyguards listen to his orders.

He wanted to rush over and grab Amanda, but she was completely focused on Godfery, and even as she helped him away, her elbow collided with him forcefully.

Horace lost his balance and stumbled toward the table corner, tears falling onto the tablet.

It was too late, too late...

The ashes had already been scattered from the ship, carried by the cold sea breeze, slowly disappearing into the churning waves.

The heart-wrenching self-blame tore at his heart.

His mother was always afraid of the cold, and she hated the cold sea the most. But now, not only did she die there, but she was also trapped in that sea forever.

"Mom, I'm sorry..." His voice collapsed.

Suddenly he regretted so much, regretted falling in love with Amanda, regretted marrying her.

Endless regrets struck his mind like a muffled bell, and Horace suddenly felt dizzy.

In the darkening world, he could only hear Amanda's anxious voice outside the court.

"Godfery, hold on, as long as you are fine, I will promise you anything!"

When he woke up, he was in the hospital.

The young assistant lawyer stood helplessly by the bedside: “Mr. Wood, the case has been decided. You need to let it go. Your health is the most important thing.”

Horace came to his senses from the lingering pain in his heart, ignoring the needle stuck in his hand, and sat up abruptly, quickly rummaging through his backpack.

“Please take a look at this agreement. Is it valid?” His voice trembled as he handed over the documents he had pulled out.

The other party quickly gave a definitive response: “Mr. Wood, your wife has already signed this divorce agreement. All you need to do is sign it and submit it, and you will receive the divorce certificate in a month.”

This morning, he had knelt before Amanda with this document in hand.

Perhaps she was too rushed to leave, or perhaps she didn’t believe he would divorce her.

She assumed the agreement was fake and signed it without even looking at it.

But she would never have guessed that everything he said was true.

Horace couldn’t wait a moment longer. He pulled out the needle and rushed to the Family Court to submit the documents.

After completing the procedures, he went to the beach one last time. In the cool, light rain, he knelt down straight: “Mom, from now on, I will go to a place by the sea and stay with you forever.”

But the only response was the cold sea breeze.

After kneeling for an unknown amount of time, he wiped away his tears and dialed a phone number: “Hello, I want to... schedule a fake death rescue.”

His broken voice was filled with resolve: “In a month’s time, the cause of death will be ‘homicide,’ and I will arrange the location. All you need to do is prepare a new identity for me, rescue me, and send me abroad.”

Yes, he wasn’t just getting a divorce.

In a month’s time, he would personally seek justice and leave Amanda with a surprise she would never forget.

By the time Horace had finished everything and returned to the villa, it was already late.

The living room was lit, and Amanda was holding a bowl of chicken soup, feeding Godfrey spoonful by spoonful.

“Amanda, I posted that apology letter online.”

He said, taking the woman's hand: “Horace has been slandering me. Being cyberbullied will teach him a lesson. You're not allowed to interfere.”

Amanda hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed, “Alright, he deserves punishment for his mistake.”

Horace suddenly recalled the online abuse. They said that his mother deserved to die, called him a worthless caregiver, not even worth a single finger of Master’s...

His heart ached sharply, and he walked into the living room with a blank expression.

“Where did you go?”

Seeing his pale face, Amanda paused, her tone softening for no apparent reason: “The wound on your forehead... how did you get that?”

Horace ignored her.

Godfery, noticing the situation, changed the subject: “You're back, Horace. Good timing. I brought you some gifts，just come and take a look.” "

Amanda cleared her throat, her expression hesitant: “Horace, Godfery has been unconscious for too long, and his body hasn't recovered yet. He'll stay here for now. You need to take good care of him. He's lactose intolerant, can't eat cold food, and must sleep until ten o'clock in the morning every day, also fruits must be juiced...”

Every word felt like a knife stabbing Horace's heart.

He couldn't believe it and laughed coldly: “What, you want me to take care of him?”

“Stop it, Horace. What's done is done. Let's not dwell on it. You worked as a caregiver at the Young Family, so I trust you...”

She stopped herself from saying more.

On one side of the dining table, there were 267 items listed regarding the care of the Master.

On the floor lay scattered luxury brand bags, a Bulgari watch with obvious scratches, an Hermès keychain given as a gift, and a pair of Dior leather shoes that had clearly been worn...

It turned out that the so-called gifts were nothing more than a pile of discarded junk.

Horace suddenly recalled that many years ago, when Amanda's best friend had merely referred to him as a “male caregiver,” she had flown into a rage and had someone halt the other party's multi-million-dollar project that very night.

“Horace is my husband. Anyone who dares to belittle or bully him is slapping my face!”

But now, she was slapping her own face, forcing him to become a personal caregiver for his enemy.

What deep love, what vows—they were so fragile.

He would never believe in them again.

Horace forced back the moisture in his eyes. In the final thirty days, he would endure everything...

But who could have imagined that on the very first night he moved in, Godfery began to suffer from nightmares.

When he rushed into the master bedroom barefoot, Amanda had just finished her shower.

“Amanda, I can’t sleep alone.” His tone was domineering as he climbed into bed beside her: “The guest room mattress is too hard. I want you to sleep with me.”

Amanda heard this, and her delicate crescent-shaped eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Horace knew she felt sorry for him...

So sorry that she didn’t care Horace was still there—she immediately hugged Godfery back and patted his back soothingly.

She looked at the left side of the double bed: “Horace, Godfery hasn’t suffered hardships since he was a child. Look...” Could you please stay in another room for now?"

At that moment, Horace saw a fleeting look of defiance on Godfery's face.

He sneered, picked up the pillow, and got out of bed.

“Since Mr. Morries likes it, this bed is yours.”

Yes, not only this master bedroom, but this bed, along with this woman, he wanted none of it.