The next morning, when Tabitha woke up, Kieran and David were walking into the room with breakfast in their hands.

Seeing her awake, Kieran naturally placed the tray within her reach, his eyes full of affection. "David and I wanted you to sleep in a little longer, so we got up early to pick up breakfast for you."

David pumped his legs and climbed onto the bed, leaning against her shoulder. "We were only gone for a while, but I already missed you so much, Mommy."

Tabitha could still feel the lingering chill from the figures beside her, and a trace of self-mockery rose in her eyes.

They had clearly been away all night and had just gotten out of Summer's bed, yet they spun the story that they had gone out to buy breakfast. She hadn't realized how good their acting was until now.

After breakfast, Kieran and David wasted no time and took her straight to the ski resort. Summer was already there, fully dressed in her ski gear, waiting at the entrance. However, Tabitha had no interest in skiing.

Kieran glanced at her with concern, then cautiously asked, "Tab, what's wrong with you? Did David or I do something to upset you?"

Tabitha shook her head. "No. It's just my friend. Her issue's been weighing on my mood."

Only then did Kieran relax. He lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Don't worry, Tab. The same thing would never happen to our family. If you don't feel like skiing, then…"

Before he could finish, Summer's hesitant voice cut in. "But Mr. Lowe…"

Seeing the longing in Summer's eyes, Kieran hesitated, the words on his lips making a U-turn. "You should wait for us here. David, Ms. Dabney, and I will go ski a few rounds and be right back."

David didn't say a word, but Tabitha noticed his hand had quietly made its way to the hem of Summer's coat. Maybe he wanted to have their precious family time a little too badly that he wasn't worried at all that Tabitha might notice.

She nodded in silence.

And so, Kieran instructed the hotel staff to take good care of her. He then took the gloves from his bag and carefully put them on her hands. "It's freezing here, Tab. I don't want you catching a cold. If you feel unwell, call me right away."

David followed along seriously, checking the zipper on her coat. "I don't want you to catch a cold either, Mommy."

Watching them focus all their attention on Tabitha, Summer couldn't help but feel bitter. "Mrs. Lowe, they really do love you so much, don't they?"

At that, Tabitha looked up at her and caught a trace of jealousy in Summer's eyes that she hadn't managed to conceal in time.

Tabitha simply smiled, a hint of implication in her words. "I'm sure your family feels the same toward you."

After all, the fact that Kieran and David were playing house with Summer behind her back was proof enough that they had never truly considered her feelings. What they cared about most was being with Summer.

As soon as that was said, a deep rumble rolled in from the distance. The ground beneath their feet shook.

Tabitha was about to ask what was happening when she looked up and saw a vast stretch of blinding white crashing straight toward them. People scattered in all directions at once. Chaos erupted everywhere.

Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed the hem of Kieran's coat. The very next second, she watched it slip from her grasp as he turned and ran toward Summer.

David, who had been standing in front of her just moments ago, sprinted in the same direction.

"Summie!"

"Ms. Dabney!"

A looming darkness descended, and heavy snow slammed down on Tabitha.

In the final instant before she lost consciousness, she saw the man who had once said he loved her, and the boy who had sworn to protect her, holding another woman tightly in their arms.

When Tabitha came to again, a whole week had passed. Seeing her open her eyes, the nurse hurriedly called the doctor.

"Mrs. Lowe, you're finally awake! Your husband and son practically scoured the entire city for doctors. To pray for your safety, Mr. Lowe even donated ten million dollars to a charity foundation, hoping that all the blessings would return to you.

"I'm sure they'll be thrilled to hear that you're awake!"

No sooner had the words left the nurse's lips than Kieran and David pushed the door open. They immediately hugged Tabitha tightly, fear and relief written all over their faces.

"Tab, you're finally awake. Do you have any idea how worried I've been this past week?"

David's eyes were red as he choked out, "Mommy, I was so scared I'd lose you forever."

Both Kieran's and David's tears dropped on the back of her hand.

Despite that, Tabitha was barely moved by their tears. All she felt was irony.

When danger came, the one they instinctively protected was Summer, not her. It was impossible for her not to feel heartbroken.

She had given Kieran her whole heart, loved him with everything she had, and raised David with her own hands from the very beginning. Yet Summer, who had only been around for a few short months, had managed to erase all of that effortlessly and take her place.

Seeing Tabitha's reaction, Kieran and David felt a pang of unease. They each hurriedly explained, "Tab, it was so chaotic that day that I couldn't tell who was who. That's why I protected the wrong person."

"Mommy, Daddy and I will never let you be in danger again. This was all our fault."

Tabitha, still weak from just waking up, felt nothing but exhaustion. She had no energy to expose their clumsy lies. She just needed to wait one more week before she could leave this place and these two liars.

In the following days, likely out of guilt, Kieran and David never left her side in the hospital. Naturally, Kieran's phone never stopped ringing, buzzing with calls day after day. Not once did he answer.

One day, Kieran's phone vibrated with a new message. His eyes narrowed, and his expression shifted ever so slightly. A few seconds later, he turned to Tabitha with an apologetic look.

"Something urgent just came up at work, Tab. I need to work it out."

David pressed his head close to the screen, saw the message, and immediately said, "Mommy, I'll go with Daddy to the office."

Tabitha took in their expressions carefully. What could require David to go to the company? It was obviously Summer.

After receiving her nod of approval, they hurriedly left. Meanwhile, Tabitha got out of bed and followed them. Around the corner in the hospital hallway, she saw Summer crying incessantly as she threw herself into Kieran's arms.

His expression darkened slightly. He pried her hands away and spoke with unmistakable warning. "What are you doing here at the hospital? I told you not to show up until Tab has fully recovered. Stay home, and do not show yourself in front of her!"

At that, Summer only sobbed even harder. She buried herself against his chest, clutched his waist, and said pitifully, "I just miss you two so much. It's been ten days. We'd agreed that you'd spend at least two hours with me every day."

David saw Summer crying and became so frantic that he jumped in to explain, "Ms. Dabney, Daddy and I miss you, too. But Mommy hasn't recovered yet, so we need to stay with her."

He turned to Kieran. "Daddy, say something to make Ms. Dabney happy!"

Feeling the dampness against his chest and hearing David's pleading, Kieran ultimately sighed and softened his demeanor. "Alright, easy. It pains me to see you cry. Tell you what—I'll spend the next two days with you, alright?"

Her crying stopped immediately. "Really?"

It wasn't until Summer received his definitive answer that she smiled through her tears. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes screaming affection.

The light in Kieran's eyes went out, his Adam's apple bobbling. The next second, he cupped her head and pressed his lips fiercely against hers. They kissed with a clinging intensity, as if to pour out all the longing of the past ten days.

David quickly covered his eyes and turned his head away, chuckling. "I can't watch this!"

Tabitha returned to her ward like a puppet with its string pulled. Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes and soaked into the pillow. She bit down hard on her lower lip, refusing to let a single sound escape.

Repeatedly, she told herself to wait just a little longer. Soon, she would be able to leave, and this would be the last time she ever cried for Kieran and David.

Perhaps it was the long period of neglect, but it ultimately sparked a sense of crisis in Summer. At last, she tore off her mask and revealed her true colors.

The next morning, Tabitha woke to a barrage of provocative messages Summer had sent the night before.

"I know you saw us. How did it feel, watching your husband kiss another woman while your son covered for him? You know, Kieran loves it when I cry. He said it gives him a sense of satisfaction, especially when we were in bed.

"The more I cried, the harder he'd go. Even when I lost my voice from all the screaming, he still wouldn't stop. Once, he even said he wanted to stay by my side 24/7. I bet he's never done any of that to you, right?

"I guess not, because even your precious son is a big fan of mine. He said he felt extremely at ease around me. One time, he thought I was asleep and secretly called me 'mommy.' Honestly, Mrs. Lowe, I think you failed miserably as a wife and a mother."

Staring at the taunting texts, Tabitha suppressed the storm of emotions and took screenshots of every single one of Summer's texts.

With only three days left before she could depart, she decided these messages would be her parting gift to Kieran and David.

That morning, Tabitha asked to be discharged. The hospital informed Kieran immediately.

Soon after, his call came through. He sounded unsurprisingly apologetic. "Tab, I can't leave the office right now. I'll send someone to take you home instead. David's with me, so don't worry about him and just rest well at home."

She knew exactly what he meant—they were spending time with Summer—but she simply responded softly, "Okay."

Three days before leaving this world, Tabitha returned home and instructed the household staff to gather all her belongings and discard them.

One of the maids looked puzzled and asked, "Mrs. Lowe, are you replacing them with new ones?"

Tabitha nodded. "Yeah."

Little did they know, it wasn't just the belongings being replaced—even the lady of the house was, too.

Two days before leaving this world, Tabitha opened the secret room only she, Kieran, and David could access.

The walls were covered with dense clusters of photographs from the past decade—photos of the three of them together, and every annual family photo taken since David was born.

Over the decade, the man in the photos had grown from young and awkward to mature. The family had grown from two to three. But now, one face would have to disappear.

Tabitha took a pair of scissors and sat in that room from morning till night, cutting herself out of every photo, leaving only Kieran and David. She then pulled out the marriage certificate Kieran had carefully stored in the safe seven years ago.

As she held it, she noticed the wedding vows tucked underneath it.

"Tabitha, to me, you are my whole world. Because of you, my world is no longer black and white… I will love and protect you forever. I believe we will grow old together, loving each other through every lifetime."

Tabitha read each word carefully, taking in the overflowing affection of a 22-year-old Kieran.

By the time she reached the end, she smiled silently, her eyes slightly wet. Finally, she slid the vows back beneath the marriage certificate.

Along with the pieces of her own cut-out photos, she stacked them in the center of the garden and set them on fire. She stood there, watching the photographs and the certificate turn into ashes.

The day before leaving this world, Tabitha printed out all the photos and messages Summer had sent over the past few days.

There were pictures of Kieran shirtless, holding Summer in his arms, her neck covered in hickeys. Others were of David leaning against Summer's lap with admiration while she read him bedtime stories.

Some were the three of them, all wearing cartoon headbands, smiles wide as they posed at a theme park.

…

Tabitha had thought seeing those photos would hurt, but all she felt was a dead calm. She packed all the printed photos into a folder, slipped her wedding ring inside, and sealed them together.

The day she left was their seventh wedding anniversary. That morning, Kieran and David, who hadn't returned for days, came home early. Kieran carried a heart-shaped cake in his hands.

"Tab, I've been busy with work lately—I know, it's my fault. Today is our anniversary. I promise you, David and I won't go anywhere but stay by your side."

David raised his little palm in oath. "Mommy, I swear I've been keeping an eye on Daddy every day. He's really busy at work."

Tabitha looked at them, so certain in their words, and asked softly, "Aren't you two tired?"

Weren't they tired, playing the roles of devoted husband and perfect son while juggling her and Summer?