Upon entering the mall, the two women entered the elevator while Luna took the escalator. Not that she was affected by their words earlier; she just couldn’t stand listening to their groundless nonsense any longer.

Like ordinary days, she headed to the third, where her favorite dessert shop was. Whenever Luna was stressed out, she would always go there to unwind.

Meanwhile, Daisy was living in a magnificent mansion near the shopping mall, so she arrived quickly at the mall and easily found where Luna was in the shop.

But as soon as she sat in the chair across from Luna’s, she noticed the latter’s dejected expression, as if she was about to cry. Concerned, Daisy frowned and eagerly asked, “What’s wrong?”

But then she soon realized what could be the cause of her friend’s desolation, causing her worry to grow more. “Has something happened at the meal with the Tatum family earlier?”

However, Luna remained silent. She simply took a large sip of her drink and swallowed it along with her great grievance.

Since Luna didn’t respond and remained silent, Daisy could tell that the dinner didn’t go well. Otherwise, Luna wouldn’t have come here to relax and even called Daisy over for some company.

Suddenly, something crossed Daisy’s mind. She recalled hearing a rumor about Luna at her house these days. Remembering it, her eyelids fluttered in panic, and she stammered, “L-Luna, if you heard some rumors about you, j-just ignored it, okay?”

Between the silence of Daisy and Luna, two women came into the shop and started chatting.

“How much can a doctor only make? Even if she worked extremely hard, her salary is insignificant compared to the cost of a piece of jewelry that a wealthy woman can afford. No matter what, being Grayson’s woman is still a lot easier for her to have a lot of money than being a famous doctor,” one of the newcomers scoffed.

Since the women were walking close to Luna and Daisy’s seats, Luna heard it and was momentarily stunned. Upon recovering, she turned her head to see who had said it, and to her surprise, she saw the two women she had seen earlier in the parking lot.

They were now carrying shopping bags in their hands, indicating that they had just finished shopping and had come to the shop to take a rest.

Seeing Daisy balled her fist, Luna already knew the latter would slam the table and confront the woman, so before her friend could do that, she immediately whispered, “Hey, calm down. They have the right to say whatever they want. Just let them be.”

Luna had been a submission wife to Grayson for three years, not complaining or competing with anyone even once. She was solely focused on her passion and her work. So it’s inapprehensible that Grayson saw her as a jealous woman.

In questioning Luna’s hard work, Grayson not only insulted her but also the noble and honorable profession of a doctor.

Daisy knew precisely what was running through Luna’s mind right now. Thus, in gritted teeth and knitted eyebrows, she replied, “That’s because he’s a heartless man.”

Almost every day, doctors witness their patients die, and most of the time, patients die in their hands despite their best efforts. Thus, doctors were under so much stress at work that they cursed and blamed themselves for losing their patients.

But what Luna couldn’t handle was Grayson’s indifference towards her. It had been two days since the rumor of Luna being a murderer had spread, but Grayson couldn’t bring himself to care for her. Instead, he was preoccupied with Stella, who was already dead.

Daisy's answer surprised Luna because she had not expected her friend to say such things about Grayson. But she soon chuckled and took another sip of her drink.

It hurt to say, but Grayson didn't have even the slightest feelings for Luna, and her eyes were wide open to that truth.

Luna leaned back in her chair and remarked, "We've been working in the hospital for years, and we've encountered many troubles during those years. Most of the deceased patient's family members, who couldn't accept the death of their loved ones, find some way to vent their rage, right?"

With a spoon in her mouth, Daisy paused for a moment. She then soon figured out what Luna was trying to say. "You mean it's James family's doing?"

The James family was not financially fortunate, and Stella's mother had previously worked as one of Tatum's nannies. The latter opposed Grayson and Stella's relationship and kept separating them. Only a few people knew about this history, and one of them was the Brown family, who used to live next door to Tatum, so Daisy was aware of it.

Daisy only met and befriended Luna after the latter was married to Grayson. But even now, Daisy had not yet told Luna about it. It was not that she didn't trust Luna at all; she was terrified of what the Tatum family's power could do if they discovered she had told Luna about the secret.

The Tatum family had kept that secret hidden for years now. Of course, it was a shame for them that Grayson fell in love with their nanny's daughter. Hence, they covered it up, leaving only Daisy aware of it aside from the family. So, if it was revealed to anyone else, it could easily be assumed that it was her.

Furthermore, since Grayson was in love with Stella, the James family had reaped numerous benefits from him. In fact, Grayson had been their backer in recent years, allowing the family to make significant progress. But it didn't end there even after Grayson married Luna, as he still continued to spoil Stella in the same way he had before.

However, now that Stella was gone, the James family no longer had a connection to the Tatum family, which also meant that their future might be at risk.

What was plausible was even though Luna didn't know the secret history of the James and Tatum families, she thought of that possibility.

Indeed, the James family spread the rumor to arouse Grayson's rage at Luna and pity for Stella, as well as to maintain Grayson's remaining love for Stella so that they could continue to milk him.

But even if Luna saw through the James family's trick and Grayson discovered it, nothing would change because Luna had no place in Grayson's heart. And now that the woman Grayson loved most had died, he would find a way to vent his sadness, and unfortunately, Luna was the one he chose to vent his emotions with.

Luna and Daisy decided to go home when the sky started darkening.

However, when Luna pulled into their parking space, she found the light in their living room still on, which was unusual these past two days.

Although she had an idea why, she quickly got out of her car, changed into slippers, and walked inside to confirm if she was correct. When her gaze drifted to the sofa, she found Grayson sitting. His eyes were closed, one of his arms rested on the sofa's armrest, and his legs were stretched forward, so Luna thought he had already fallen asleep.

After two sleepless days and nights, the man's face became haggard, his clothes were wrinkled, and the beard on his chin had grown messily. But even so, it did not lessen Grayson's handsome appearance. In fact, it even added to his sexual attractiveness, though he appeared to be a dangerous man who would kill someone the moment he opened his eyes.

Luna was aware that Grayson's rage had not yet subsided, so she did not dare to provoke him.

Silently, she decided to go upstairs. However, just when she was about to turn around, Grayson had already opened his eyes, making their gazes meet, and letting Luna notice Grayson's bloodshot eyes.

"The day after tomorrow is Stella's funeral. Kneel in front of her coffin and apologize. Only then will I stop bothering you," Grayson growled, frowning and glaring at Luna.

Luna scoffed in disbelief at what she had heard. It was as if she had heard a joke, but the man was too serious when he uttered those words for it to be a joke.

If she was only asked to attend the funeral as a guest, Luna would probably go as she and Stella had known each other for three years since their lives had been entangled from the day she married Grayson.

But kneeling down and apologizing to Stella's corpse were things Luna would never do, for she had nothing to apologize for, to begin with. Besides, doing so was like admitting that she had done what everyone was accusing her of. But since she had poured all of her efforts into saving Stella, unlike their accusations, there was no way she would do what Grayson asked her to.

Thus, in Luna's resentment, she firmly refused Grayson for the first time, retorting, "No, no way!"

Luna couldn't believe Grayson would torment her just to put his mind at ease. She thought the latter had gone insane due to his intense love for Stella.

Indeed, Luna had been a docile wife for three years, but that didn't mean she had to obey him and absorb all of his rages for the rest of her life. She also had a life and mind that could decide on her own. Clearly, Grayson was being unreasonable and had gone overboard this time!

On the other hand, Grayson was stupefied to witness Luna's firm disapproval. As far as he knew, Luna was always silent, listening to whatever he said, and appeared to be non-existent. But now, for the first time, she got the courage to retort to him.

Grayson agreed to marry Luna because she was docile and she didn't mind that he was still with Stella and because she was a cardiologist, he expected to help treat his true love. However, his belief in Luna's ability turned out to be a huge mistake to him.

Upon realizing his miscalculation with Luna, Grayson's face grew grimaced, and his grip became tighter even more. He was now shooting a death glare at Luna as if he wanted to murder her right then and there.

"You were in charge of Stella's operation until she died. So, who else should we blame aside from you? Don't you even consider at least attending her funeral? Now, I repeat, kneel down and apologize to her, and I won't trouble you again," Grayson snarled as he clutched Luna's wrist, still glowering.

With his ever-tightening grip, Luna felt like her bones were about to be crushed.

"You were the one who asked me to perform Stella's surgery in the first place. I had many other patients then, but you asked me to be her chief surgeon. Why did you ask me to do it if you didn't trust me?" Luna peppered Grayson with questions, causing his pupils to dilate and his fingers to loosen for a brief moment.

Stella had been suffering from heart disease for years, and as the years passed, her condition worsened to the point that she had to undergo a heart transplant. As Grayson discussed the operation plan with other doctors, they all recommended Luna to be the surgeon for that operation.

"Luna is a responsible doctor. I believe she will prioritize patients and draw a clear line between work and personal matters." This was what Stella had said after hearing the doctors' recommendation from Grayson.

As Stella had said so, and Grayson hoped that the former could live a long life if they took the doctors' recommendation, they considered it and changed the medical team for the operation. But, in the end, the surgery turned into a tragedy—Stella died.

At the end of the day, Grayson failed to make Luna attend Stella’s funeral and apologized in front of the latter’s coffin. Left with no choice, he did what Luna had told him to do.

As soon as the sun rose, he went to the hospital where Luna worked and started processing the investigation, which kept him busy for days. It was also the day he decided never to step foot in their house again.

Shortly after Grayson filed a request for an investigation with the hospital, Luna received an order from her superiors to suspend her post until the investigation was finished.

In three years of their marriage, Grayson and Luna had faced many challenges, but Stella’s death was the one that would surely put an end to their marriage.

Upon learning the news about the investigation Grayson pursued against Luna, Adeline immediately called Luna back to their family’s villa.

Adeline Curry’s husband died in a car accident 20 years ago, along with Luna’s father, the Curry family’s driver, leaving Adeline to care for their family alone. Adeline had an only son named Oscar Curry, and then she soon adopted Luna since the girl was already an orphan as her mother had died while giving birth to her. From Harden, Luna’s surname was then changed into Curry. Unfortunately, Luna had only been adopted and raised with the intention of propelling the Curry family to the top by clinging to powerful and wealthy individuals.

In the living room of the Curry family’s villa, Adeline was standing with her left hand on her waist and the other catching her forehead, looking problematic. Just as Luna pushed the door open, Adeline put her hands down and stepped forward, meeting Luna halfway. When they were just a meter apart, Adeline threw Luna a death glare and started to scold her. “What is this I’ve heard? Let me remind you that if Grayson really divorces you, we will lose the support of their family! Did that ever cross your mind? You’re completely useless! If that happened, who else would marry a divorced woman like you? No rich men will want to marry you, stupid brat!”

Luna was already used to hearing her adopted mother’s derisiveness. As she always did, she was just looking down and remaining silent.

“You must have forgotten that we raised you, and you must spend your entire life repaying us,” Adeline added, looking at Luna from head to toe.

Since Luna was five years old, she had been listening to Adeline’s brainwashing words. But now that she was old enough, she found those words bullshit.

“Go find a way to get Grayson’s heart. If you can give him a child, then go so you can remain in the Tatum family. Do it if you don’t want a dead woman to be more valuable than you!” Adeline sneered, pushing Luna’s forehead with her index finger.

Just as Luna heard the word ‘baby,’ she glanced at her belly as her thoughts started to wander.

Adeline and Maeve had told her to have a baby to win Grayson’s heart, but Luna couldn’t take their reason.

Battling with herself, she wondered, ‘If I announced I’m pregnant would this be enough to quell Grayson’s rage?’ But she quickly shook the idea off, muttering inwardly, ‘Huh! I must be dreaming. He only married me so that he could maintain his relationship with Stella. So, even though I’m pregnant, it’s impossible for him to keep me by his side now that Stella is gone.’

But then her conscience nagged her, saying, ‘You were raised by this family, but what are you doing? You’re disappointing them after everything they’ve done to you!’

Then another voice whispered in her head. ‘Now that you have the baby, you want it to deliver, but for what purposes? You wanted to use him or her as a tool like Adeline did to you? You wanted to control his or her life to improve your own? So, what’s the difference between you, Adeline, and Maeve? You will only cause your child to suffer the same fate as you.’

Adeline was busy scolding her when Oscar returned home and saw Luna standing and looking down while Adeline was scolding her.

Seeing this, Oscar frowned and approached the two. “Mom, what’s the matter? Why are you scolding her again?”

Adeline’s expression softened upon seeing her son’s face. But instead of answering his question, she just instructed, “Go call your brother-in-law and invite him to come here for a dinner.”

Adeline turned to Luna again. Her sharp gaze was directed toward her.

'How can this woman be so useless? Do I have to do everything for her?' Adeline thought as she mentally shook her head.

Meanwhile, Luna's eyes caught Oscar taking out his phone. She hurriedly walked toward him and held out her palm. "I'll talk to him. Give me your phone," she said.

Oscar sighed and followed her command. Luna took the phone and went to the backyard. She dialed Grayson's number and put the phone near her ear.

Luna's eyebrows furrowed when Grayson didn't answer his phone. She pressed the call button again and waited. On her seventh try, the man finally picked up the call.

"This better be good news, Luna. Have you changed your mind?" Grayson's cold voice asked.

Luna pursed her lips. "No."

"Then, what did you call me for? You're just wasting my time!" Grayson growled on the other line. Luna could picture his scowling face in her head perfectly.

"My mother kept on asking me about you. She said you haven't visited our home and eaten a meal here for a long time. She wants me to invite you. If you're busy with work, I'll just tell her," she replied timidly. She looked down and waited for his answer, slightly kicking the grass under her feet.

Grayson scoffed inwardly. Luna couldn't even hide the disinterest in her tone. She made it clear that she was obeying her mom's orders. "I'm not in the mood to eat. Stella had just died. What's the point of eating or whatever anyway," he answered with indifference.

'Can a dinner or something solve all of my problems?' he thought to himself.

Luna heaved a deep sigh and stared at the sky. To her, it felt like he was implying that since Stella is already dead, she shouldn't live her life anymore as well.

That shouldn't be the case. Stella was already gone, but life would always continue. The sun would still rise. People would move forward in their lives. Time would never stop. Nothing could change Stella's death, but that was not Luna's responsibility anymore.

Grayson was the first one to end the call. Luna clicked her tongue as she turned the phone off. Instead of returning to the house, she stayed in the backyard for a while. The gentle breeze and the sight of the bright sky were able to calm her down.

After a while, she went inside and found her mother sitting on the sofa, obviously waiting for her news.

"So?" Adeline raised her brow.

"Grayson said that he's swamped with work. He can't spare time to come here," Luna replied in a monotone.

Adeline's lips twitched. Her daughter's answer and obvious disinterest made her blood boil.

"What?" Luna asked upon seeing her mother's reaction. "He's really busy. He told me that he'll just come here next time."

"Call him again. Ask him where he is right now, then pick him up and bring him here."

Luna's mouth went agape. She stared at her mother in disbelief. She thought of not obeying her mother for a moment, but she also realized that her mother would probably do worse if she didn't follow her. She would probably go and find Grayson by herself, which would only make things worse than they are right now.

"Haven't you noticed anything wrong or strange in the past three years, Mom?" Luna asked.

"Stella's role is very important. Without her, I wouldn't be able to marry into the Tatum family."

This wasn't just as simple as it looked like. It was a matter of true love. A meal or even a grand feast wouldn't solve the problem at all.

Luna felt that, after all, she was still a woman. A human. She still had her dignity and self-consciousness.

She shook her head and walked out of the house, leaving her enraged mother. She could hear her mother's angry litany, but she didn't look back.

"You ungrateful brat!" Adeline's voice echoed throughout the entire house.

Luna bit her lower lip and fisted her hands tightly. Right now, she was facing the huge framed photo of Stella. She didn't even expect that a single phone call from Grayson would change everything.

Grayson called Adeline and informed her about the negotiation he had with Luna. Adeline was so pleased that she immediately escorted Luna to Grayson's house in just a snap.

Luna stood stiffly until a painful pinch on her waist from her mother made her move forward. Luna glared at Adeline before facing ahead again. She wouldn't be surprised if a bruise formed on her waist tomorrow.

Eyes glazed with unshed tears, Luna raised her head and stared at Stella's picture. The woman's smile seemed gentle and sweet, as if she enjoyed looking at what was happening in front of her.

Luna swallowed hard. She didn't know why, but she could sense a trace of sarcasm in Stella's graceful smile.

'I feel bad for you, dear Luna. When I was still alive, you had to live under my shadow. Now that I'm dead, you're still trapped in my footsteps. What's worse is you have to bow to me and pay respect. The tables have turned, but you still can't escape. I will be a shadow in your life forever. You will never escape.' These words played inside Luna's head repeatedly. She shook her head and blinked her eyes, unable to erase Stella's smile and voice from her mind.

Grayson stood near Luna with a stoic expression. His eyes showed nothing but indifference as he looked at her.

Isla, Stella’s mother, and Chloe, Stella’s sister, were standing next to Grayson. Both women wept and mourned beside him. Their swollen eyes were a clear indication that they had been crying for so long. They only stopped crying when they saw Luna standing in front of Stella’s altar. All of a sudden, anticipation was written in their expressions as they watched Luna bow in front of their dead loved one.

Seeing Luna bow in front of Stella meant only one thing. She was admitting her mistake. Stella would finally be able to rest in peace. In addition, Grayson would continue to support and take care of the James family since it was Luna’s fault after all.

Besides Stella’s mother and sister, all of her present relatives thought the same way as they watched Luna give respect to Stella.

Meanwhile, Luna sniffled as she slowly moved toward Stella’s altar. She fisted her hands so tight that she could feel her nails digging into her flesh. Her body trembled despite her constant tries to calm herself down.

She looked at Stella’s picture again and, in an instant, tears brimmed in her eyes again.

Adeline moved her body closer behind Luna. Without any word, she tightly gripped her arm and forced her to lower her head even more. Luna groaned in pain and tried to remove herself from her mother.

Unless someone cut her head off, no one could make her lower her dignity and submit herself to them.

Luna gathered all her strength and broke free from her mother’s hold. She stepped forward but unfortunately, her foot tripped on the carpet. Panicking, Luna held the tablecloth so she wouldn’t fall to the ground.

However, the tablecloth moved, making the candles on the table fall. The wax oil spread on the table, and flames consumed the cloth.

The entire house was enveloped with smoke and fire in just a blink of an eye. Stella’s framed picture burned into ashes almost in an instant.

Luna stood frozen in her spot as she watched everything turn into mere ashes and smoke. Her mind went blank. Her body became numb as cold sweats formed on her back and forehead despite the heat of the fire. She could feel her throat hurt. She felt suffocated.

Luna repeatedly coughed, feeling the burning sensation in her throat. Screams and cries surrounded the place. She gasped in panic, causing her to inhale more smoke. She turned her head sideways and saw people running. Some people were slightly panicking as they tried to put the fire out. The others were busy running away from the scene.

The fire continued to grow rapidly. Luna, still frozen on her spot, watched the scene unfold before her eyes. Her mother was already gone.

Luna blinked her eyes when she saw something. In the midst of the thick smoke and scorching flames, a tall figure suddenly appeared. The figure rushed toward the altar table and grabbed Stella’s urn and all the other items laid there.

Luna stepped closer as she narrowed her eyes. Not long after, she finally recognized who it was.

Grayson.

Luna swallowed a huge lump in her throat as she stared at Grayson’s figure.

‘He’s willing to endure that fire just to save a mere urn? Stella’s that important to him, huh?’ she thought to herself.

Without any word, Luna turned around and ran away. She didn’t feel even an ounce of guilt about the fire. She didn’t care about what people could say to her—even Grayson.

Luna looked back and saw the house of the James family get consumed by the fire. The loud sirens of the fire trucks blared from a distance. People and passers-by started to form a crowd near the burning house.

Luna turned around and continued to walk away. Suddenly, a pain shot through her stomach. She stopped in her tracks and covered her belly with her hand. She coughed and coughed. Her sight started to become hazy with each minute. Her breaths began to become heavier.

Her lips trembled as fear started to rose in her system. She looked to her right and saw Grayson’s shadowy figure. At that time, Grayson was actually busy searching for Luna.

A sad smile curved into Luna’s pale lips. She swallowed hard before starting to walk away again, not minding the agonizing pain in her stomach.

What happened at Stella’s funeral instantly became the talk of the town. Rumors began to spread. One of those was about Luna. It was said that Grayson’s wife completely unleashed her true colors, turning Stella’s family’s house into a sea of fire during her funeral. Some people even said that Luna not only killed Stella but also killed the moment for Stella’s loved ones to mourn for her.

Even to her death, Luna managed to destroy everything for Stella. They said that she really wanted to vent all her anger on her.

People talked about Luna with great enthusiasm in the streets, markets, malls, hospital corridors, and even inside houses. At this point, what happened at Stella’s funeral blew up so badly that people couldn’t stop talking about it. Worse, adding details to stories that were not even true.

Days after the fire, the James family held another funeral for Stella. But then, they kept everything private and buried Stella’s ashes with only their close family, friends, and relatives.

Meanwhile, Luna suffered greatly from the fire. She inhaled a lot of smoke which damaged her throat. She wasn’t able to speak for days because of it.

What was worse was the doctor informed her that the baby in her belly also wasn’t able to make it.

The baby was in an unstable state as soon as she arrived at the hospital. They weren’t able to save it. Luna thought that it must be Stella’s way of revenge against her. Or because of the fire she started at the house of Stella’s family.

Luna spent days resting in their home alone. The only person who knew about her miscarriage was Daisy.

The Curry family didn’t want to be the receiving end of Grayson’s anger about what happened. They didn’t even dare to speak with Luna at all. Even the name of Grayson’s family was dragged into the rumors. Maeve made it clear to Luna that she should deal with the matter by herself. On the other hand, Grayson didn’t talk to Luna after the fire yet. He would always picture the fire whenever he heard her name or pictured her face.

Daisy put the hot bowl of soup in front of Luna. The latter muttered her thanks before grabbing her spoon.

“Uhm… About Grayson,” Daisy started. Luna looked at her. “Did he talk to you yet? Didn’t he want to divorce you?” Daisy asked in a low voice.

Luna bit her lower lip.