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!"

It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck me.Tears burst from my eyes in an instant.

I grabbed Vivian by the collar,my eyes bloodshot with rage.

"What did you just say?Say it again!"

Vivian’s face flushed red.Her breathing turned erratic as she slapped at my hands in panic.

However,I tightened my grip.

My grandson began crying loudly,drawing the attention of nearby passers-by who stopped to watch.

"Elena Vernon,what do you think you're you doing?"

Victor had just returned with the medical report and came striding over.

Vivian suddenly collapsed to the ground,clutching her stomach and screaming.

"Help me,Mr.Holloway!My sister’s gone mad!She’s trying to kill our baby!"

Furious,Victor slapped me across the face.

"I didn’t.She’s pretending.Vivian faked the fall,everyone saw it!"

I shouted back,looking desperately at the bystanders,hoping someone would speak up for me.

Unfortunately,the crowd remained silent.

"Sweetheart,are you all right?My dear?"

My son and daughter-in-law had rushed over after taking leave.They burst through the doors and immediately scooped up my sobbing grandson.

"I saw it.I saw everything."

My grandson wiped his tears.

I crouched down and held his small shoulders,clinging to him as if he were my last hope.

"Quick,tell Grandpa the truth.Grandma didn’t push Vivian,right?She was pretending,wasn’t she?"

To my horror,my grandson pulled away from me and buried himself in my daughter-in-law’s arms.

"Mom…Sobs sobs…Grandma is so scary…"

"She pushed Vivian really hard."

At that moment,it felt as if the entire world had come to a halt.

Victor scooped the sobbing Vivian into his arms and hurried toward the clinic.

"Children don’t lie."

"Elena,if you dared to do it,then have the courage to admit it.Don’t be a coward,or it only makes me despise you more."

"Go home right now and reflect on what you’ve done.If anything happens to Vivian’s baby,don’t think I’ll spare you just because you’re my wife."

My son wrapped his arm around his wife,picked up my grandson,looked at me with disappointment in his eyes,shook his head and didn’t utter a single word.

The crowd slowly dispersed.

I stood there in a daze as if I were the last person left on earth.

Suddenly,my phone vibrated.

[I have arrived.]

Just three simple words,yet they brought tears to my eyes.

I began to walk forward,one step at a time.

The sunlight fell gently on the tear tracks running down my face,its warmth tinged with a cool breeze.I looked up at the helicopter slowly lowering its gangway and a faint,relieved smile formed on my lips.

I stepped onto the private jet,one foot after the other.

Yes,that was it.

I no longer wanted my husband,my son,or my grandson.

At fifty,it was time for me to start a new life.