I had no idea how much time had passed before I opened my eyes and found myself lying in a familiar room.

Victor sat by the bay window,sipping tea and reviewing financial statements.

I tried to sit up,pushing myself upright.The moment I moved,Victor noticed.

He let out a quiet sigh of relief,though his face remained impassive."How are you feeling?Still unwell?"

He walked over as he spoke,"I had someone in the kitchen make porridge.I’ll go serve it for you…"

As he talked,he caught a glimpse of me getting out of bed and rushed over to help.

"You should stay in bed and rest.The doctor said your health is very poor.You need to take care of yourself."

I avoided his touch and staggered toward the living room.

My daughter-in-law was cooking porridge in the kitchen.When she saw me,she invited me in to eat.

My little grandson had just returned from school.Beaming with joy,he rushed toward me like a spinning top.

My heart immediately softened as I crouched down,having difficulty embracing him.

But unexpectedly,he ran right past me,bumping into me just enough to make me stumble and threw himself straight into Vivian’s arms.

"Vivian,you’re so pretty and smell so nice.Not like Grandma…She’s always messy and smells like oil and sweat."

The air in the living room instantly turned heavy.

Victor remained silent for a long time and then gently patted my shoulder."Children are just too innocent.Don’t take it to heart,Elena."

I could only stand frozen.

Watching my grandson cling to Vivian,I looked down at my loose,worn clothes and rough hands.A lump formed in my chest.

Perhaps sensing my downcast mood,Victor pursed his lips and rubbed our grandson’s head.

"Why would you say that to Grandma?Apologize to her."

His tone was not stern,but the boy frowned.

"I’m not apologizing.I didn’t say anything wrong."

He pouted and stomped his feet in anger."You adults are such hypocrites."

"Grandpa,you clearly said Grandma was dirty and smelly and that you didn’t want to sleep in the same room with her."

"You also said she was as fat as a pig,staying at home all day doing nothing,just lazing around.You said she’s not as hard working as Vivian,who still goes to work even though she’s pregnant."

"Grandpa,you obviously agree with me,so why should I apologize?"

My little grandson looked up with a flushed face,speaking with surprising logic and confidence for someone his age.

I was completely stunned upon hearing that.

Looking at my reflection in the kitchen glass,I saw a warped figure in sloppy,rumpled clothes.

For a moment,my mind went blank.I had worked tirelessly for the past thirty years like a servant,a slave.And yet,this was what I got?Slander and contempt from the very people I loved?

"Hello?Who is this?Say something."

Victor’s voice rang out from behind me,snapping me out of my thoughts.

I turned and saw him holding my phone,answering a call.The line was open,but there was only silence on the other end.

Victor frowned and was about to speak when I snatched the phone from his hand.

"Who said you could answer my calls?"

Victor froze in place.

I glanced at the familiar number flashing on my phone and ended the call.

"Who was that?"he asked,his voice tight with restrained anger.

I responded calmly,"Someone you don’t know."

"Then introduce me to him.Elena,don’t forget that you’ve been my wife for thirty years.There shouldn’t be any secrets between us."

"Oh?And what about the secret you kept from me?Dating Vivian for five years behind my back?"

My voice suddenly rose and the living room fell into an awkward,suffocating silence.

My son and daughter-in-law exchanged glances,their eyes darting between us.

Victor rubbed his temples,temporarily at a loss for words.

Just then,my phone lit up again.

I glanced down.It was a text from that person.

[Is it inconvenient for you to answer the phone now?]

I replied with a simple,[Yes.]

A pause followed and then another WhatsApp message popped up.[Should I come to the Holloway Family's residence and pick you up myself?]

A small laugh escaped my lips.[No need.I’ll make my way out.]

Victor noticed the faint smile tugging at my lips.It made him visibly uneasy.

He looked like he was about to ask who I was messaging and why I was smiling so warmly,but before he could speak,Vivian stepped forward.She gently tugged on his sleeve and spoke in a soft,delicate voice.

"Mr.Holloway,it's time for me to go to work.Will you give me and the baby a ride?"

Victor cast a final glance at me for a few seconds,then turned to look at Vivian and smiled softly.

"All right."

As he helped Vivian out the door,he threw a comment over his shoulder as if it were an afterthought."I’ve got business today and tomorrow,so I won’t be coming home."

"While your son and his wife are working,make sure to take care of your grandson.Don’t neglect the housework.I know you’ve been wronged this time.Once I’m done handling things,I’ll come back and spend more time with you."

However,Victor did not return for an entire week.

During weekdays,while my son and daughter-in-law went to work,I took on the task of sending my grandson to school.

After handling all the minor tasks for the day,I picked up my phone and opened Instagram.

My social circle was filled with people who were once the pampered sons and daughters of wealthy families.Now,the young ladies had become distinguished women of status and the young masters had grown into capable men,managing their family fortunes with ease.

My feed was flooded with photos and videos from an auction.

From The Prestige Auction House,to be specific.

There sat Victor,nearing fifty but still full of vitality,legs elegantly crossed,cradling the petite Vivian in his arms.

"Any stuff you like here?"His voice was soft,eyes brimming with tender affection.

Vivian gave a shy smile."Whatever you give me,I'll treasure it."

With a casual wave of his hand,Victor said,"Release the sky lanterns.Book the entire venue."

Amid the cheers and applause,Victor and Vivian embraced and kissed,surrounded by gasps of admiration and envy.

The scene sent a wave of fascination through Victor’s many admirers.Even my daughter-in-law could not resist whispering to my son at home.

"Wow,your dad is so charming.Vivian must really be his true love.I’m so jealous of her."

Vivian went wild on social media,posting ten affectionate photos of her and Victor on her Instagram.

Whether out of reluctance or his own desire,Victor followed up with a post of his own.

The picture showed two hands tightly intertwined and on Vivian’s finger gleamed the final piece of the auction,a dazzling diamond ring.

The caption written below was,[With her.]

I suddenly recalled the auction I attended with Victor more than a decade ago.It was the only time I ever accompanied him to such an event.

I had my eye on several items that day and was eager to place a bid.

He simply offered a cold reminder,"Elena,your family has gone bankrupt.You’re now relying on me,on Victor Holloway,to survive."

"The Holloway Family’s wealth is for you to admire,not to spend.Think twice before you act."

And yet now,looking at the photo of Vivian,smiling radiantly and surrounded by lavish auction items,I could not help but feel a tremor in my heart.

The truth was simple,he never loved me.

I moved my fingers and typed a comment,[A handsome man and a beautiful woman.What a perfect match.]

It seemed Victor sensed something because,by the time I refreshed the page,the post had vanished from my feed.

I stood in the empty room,silent.

Step by step,I walked to the closet,opened it and was met with clutter.

Several once-elegant designer clothes pieces from twenty or thirty years ago hung sadly in the corner.

I pulled them out,ironed them with care and held them up in front of the mirror.

Years of toil had left their mark on me,shown in my aging face and my changed figure.I could no longer fit into those gowns meant for a younger.

Tears welled up and spilled freely.

The mirror reflected the scar on my shoulder,the mark of a knife wound I took for Victor Holloway.

I remembered him cradling me in his arms back then,sobbing like a child as I bled,promising me the world with trembling lips.

I believed him,but the promises rotted over time.

People changed.So did love.

After crying until my heart emptied,I finally calmed down,picked up my phone and sent a message to that person on WhatsApp.

[Please come pick me up.]

That person replied instantly.

[On my way.]

Just then,the kindergarten called to say my grandson had caught a cold and was running a fever.They asked me to come immediately.

I hesitated for a moment and then sent another message.

[Pick me up at the hospital.I’ll send you the location later.]

I was nearly fifty already.I could not afford the recklessness I had in my twenties by leaving whenever I pleased.I had responsibilities.

I had a son and a grandson.No matter how much I longed for freedom,I was still bound by duty.

I rushed to the hospital with my feverish grandson,who had already fallen unconscious,feeling a flood of mixed emotions.

Let it be the last responsibility I fulfilled as a grandmother before I walked away.

This house…it had not felt like mine in a long time.

As I was taking my grandson for a blood test,I ran into Victor and the moment I saw him,a dull ache rose in my chest.

I almost bumped into Vivian behind him,but he instinctively shielded her,clearly flustered and protective.

Victor narrowed his eyes at me and began scolding me.

"Elena,can’t you do anything right?You can’t even take care of a child?"

I opened my mouth,but before I could speak,Vivian cut in at just the right moment.

"Mr.Holloway,the pregnancy test results should be ready.Can you go check for me?"

Victor glanced at my worn-out face and seemed to realize his words had been too harsh.He looked like he was considering whether to say something softer,but Vivian gave him a gentle shove.

"Hurry up."

He nodded and patted my shoulder lightly before he left.

"After I take Vivian to her appointment,I’ll take you to see a specialist.You really should take better care of your health."

As she watched Victor walk away,Vivian’s smile vanished.Her eyes turned cold the moment they met mine.

"Old woman,you’ve got some nerve,still clinging to Mr.Holloway like that.Do you know what people say when I accompany him to banquets?"

"They say you’re pathetic and incompetent.You don’t deserve Mr.Holloway.He and I,we’re the perfect match."

Seeing that I remained indifferent,she pressed on,her voice laced with venom.

"Do you even know why the Vernon Family went bankrupt?Why your father jumped to his death?It was all Mr.Holloway’s doing.He never loved you!"

I stared at her in disbelief.

Vivian's smile grew even more smug.

"Your father didn’t have to die.Your family could have made a comeback.Do you know who your father saw last before he died?It was Mr.Holloway."

"He used you to threaten your father.And your father chose to trade his life,for yours!"