Jeffrey Strong and Louise Joseph had been childhood friends, growing up together. In high school, Louise's family faced a crisis, forcing her to move abroad, and they were separated.

During college, I met Jeffrey. I fell for him at first sight and pursued him passionately in the prime of my youth.

Eventually, my genuine affection won him over, and we became a couple. After graduation, we started a business together, supporting each other through countless challenges.

Finally, we got married.

After Emily was born, Jeffrey encouraged me to gradually leave the workforce and stay home to take care of the family.

Our life was ordinary but happy.

I thought we would remain this blissfully happy forever.

However, when Emily turned five, Louise returned.

Her reappearance disrupted our peace and stirred up turmoil in Jeffrey's heart.

Jeffrey became increasingly impatient with me and our daughter. He often stayed out all night, and at the mere call from Louise, he would abandon us and rush to her side eagerly.

This left me deeply disappointed and heartbroken.

Since Emily's accident, Jeffrey hadn't returned home. Louise's Instagram was filled with photos of their adventures in Blido City.

It wasn't until the day of Emily's funeral that Jeffrey finally called.

"Rose, you're getting more unreasonable. I only asked Emily to get Louise a milkshake."

"Only? Jeffrey, Emily was only six. How could you send her out alone to buy a milkshake? Are you even human?"

I questioned him angrily.

"Emily is six. She should be independent. If she can't even do this, what's the point of raising her?" Jeffrey retorted, his tone filled with justification.

Just then, I heard Louise's laughter in the background.

"Rose, it's all my fault. I suddenly craved that milkshake, and if I don't get it, I can't sleep at night.

"Jeffrey was just worried about me going out in the heat, so he asked Emily to get it for me," Louise added.

Her words ignited the fury within me.

"Jeffrey, you care about Louise, a thirty-year-old woman, but you sent our six-year-old daughter out in scorching weather to get her a milkshake? You don't deserve to be Emily's father."

Jeffrey immediately defended Louise.

"Rose, it was just a milkshake. Do you have to blow it out of proportion? You're becoming more and more petty. Emily is just like you, making a big deal out of nothing. She could've called if she had trouble. We waited for her at home for a long time."

"Yes, Rose. You really need to teach Emily better. She took over an hour to get a milkshake and didn't even call. If Jeffrey hadn't taken me to Blido to get a cake, I don't know how much longer we would've waited," Louise chimed in.

Their words shattered my heart, filling it with cold hatred.

Holding Emily's urn, I closed my eyes in despair.

"Jeffrey, let's get a divorce. The papers are ready. Just sign, and we'll be done."

Jeffrey exploded at the mention of divorce.

"Rose, I've tolerated your nonsense over and over. Are you really going to be this unreasonable? It was just a milkshake! I can take her to the kindergarten graduation to make it up to her."

I scoffed, tears silently streaming down my face, landing on Emily's black urn.

"There's no need. Emily won't be able to go. She'll never be able to go."

"Rose, you're disgusting. Are you cursing our daughter just to spite me? Are you even human?" Jeffrey spat angrily.

"Emily couldn't go because when she was on her way to buy..."

I couldn't finish before a scream interrupted me from the other end of the line.

"Jeffrey, I'm so clumsy! I cut myself while peeling an apple."

"Louise is hurt. I need to take her to the hospital. Stop causing trouble," Jeffrey said hastily before hanging up.

After Emily's burial, I went to the hospital to obtain her death certificate.

The moment I received the death certificate, I truly realized that my child was gone.

My little girl, who used to hold my hand and tell me she loved me, was gone forever.

Leaving the administrative building, I had to pass through the emergency room to exit.

As I entered, a familiar voice echoed in my ears.

"Can you be gentler? Can't you hear her saying it hurts? I don't know how you do your job. I'll complain to the hospital if you're not careful."

Following the voice, I saw Jeffrey holding Louise in a room.

A nurse was cleaning a small cut on Louise's finger.

The nurse rolled her eyes at Jeffrey.

"It's just a tiny cut. If you had come any later, it would have healed on its own. You people waste medical resources for nothing."

"Jeffrey, it's all my fault. If I hadn't been so clumsy and cut myself, you wouldn't have to deal with this."

Louise looked at Jeffrey with such pitiful eyes that he almost felt sorry for her.

"You're too kind-hearted. I don't know what you'd do without me," Jeffrey replied.

"Aren't you always going to be with me?" Louise asked.

"Yes, I'll always be with you," he said.

And then they embraced each other like characters in a soap opera, unwilling to part.

Watching this scene, I gripped Emily's death certificate tightly, feeling a sense of injustice for both myself and my deceased daughter.

At that moment, Jeffrey looked up and our eyes met.

"Why are you here? Are you following me?"

His expression was full of displeasure.

Louise stood up from Jeffrey's embrace.

"Rose, don't blame Jeffrey. It's all my fault. I got hurt and he was just worried, so he brought me to the hospital."

Louise always wore that pitiful expression, which made me furious.

"Shut up! You're a thirty-year-old woman. Don't act like a child. Do you want to be Jeffrey's mistress?"

As I yelled at her, Louise immediately hid behind Jeffrey. He glared at me, furious.

"Rose, shut your mouth. Louise is hurt and already feeling bad. Do you have to come here and make it worse? How did you become so vicious?"

"I'm vicious? You sent Emily out alone to get her a milkshake. Did you ever consider she might get hurt?" I demanded.

My eyes were red with anger and grief.

Jeffrey was momentarily taken aback, then sneered.

"You keep talking about Emily. It's time for school to end. Shouldn't you be picking her up instead of coming here to confront me? You're so hypocritical, Rose."

I looked at the death certificate in my hand, feeling utterly drained.

"Emily doesn't need to be picked up anymore. She'll never need to be picked up again."

"What do you mean?"

Jeffrey finally noticed the death certificate I was holding. When he saw the words "Death Certificate," his eyes widened in shock.

He asked nervously, "What are you holding? Who... who died?"