I stood there, fixed in place, watching Amira spin around and around.

But in my heart, it felt like a fire was slowly burning bit by bit.

This spot should have been my show.

It was work I had spent so much time fixing, a setup I built piece by piece, the name that the Pearson family had finally kept steady.

But now, it was simply taken over by Adrian.

So the next steps would not fall apart, I could not even stop it right there, and I could not go up after Amira finished her act.

I could only stay here, watching everything happen with no control.

Watching all the effort turn into nothing.

A feeling of no control spread across my whole body. I just hated that I did not end things with Adrian earlier, even sooner.

After one track finished, the applause was light.

Before I could take a breath, Adrian took the mic and said, “Using this chance, I will share one thing: Amira will later join our Wilkinson Group and will become someone we plan to train.”

At that time, I did not even feel shocked anymore.

Adrian would even let go of tens of millions in the market just to clear an easy path for his lover.

My phone shook hard in my hand.

Calls from Daly City leaders came one after another.

I shut my eyes with no strength, turned around, and walked fast to the backstage.

In the backstage area, Adrian stood there, softly calming Amira, who felt nervous after the show.

Amira saw me first, moved forward half a step, standing in front of Adrian, her voice low and shaking.

“Sister-in-law, do not feel angry, and do not blame brother Adrian. I asked him, I wanted this chance to go on stage, if you want to blame, blame me.”

Each line, she said, meant that this show was what she wanted, and Adrian had given it to her.

And I was only that spare choice that got pushed aside.

The small bit of control I was still holding in my heart suddenly broke apart.

Without any thought, I lifted my hand.

A clear sound, Amira’s whole body was hit and turned to one side.

“Eloise, are you out of your mind?!”

Adrian’s face quickly became very dark, pulling her into his arms.

His voice dropped low, but you could hear clear anger.

“You crazy woman, why’re you hitting someone!”

I showed no feeling and tossed the phone right in front of him.

On the screen were missed calls from leaders one after another.

My tone was cold.

“See it yourself. The leaders are already blaming us.”

“Adrian.”

“Today, do you dare take the result of everything you’ve done?”

Adrian looked at the display, his look showing a short moment of unease.

He didn’t think the leaders would get so angry just for swapping a show.

But soon, that feeling was pushed away by impatience.

“Do we need to care?”

His tone sounded easy, even holding a bit of annoyance.

“It’s only switching a show, at most we pay some fine.”

“But why are you hitting someone? All choices today were made by me; if you want to blame, blame me.”

“Amira’s a performer, what if you mess up her face? Aren’t you ruining her future?!”

Adrian looked at me, proudly said, “And also—”

“Your show, how good can it be?”

“Next to Amira’s dance, it’s only average.”

At that second, I heard this, and I felt like my whole self dropped into water.

The one who once listened closely as I spoke about ideas, helped me fix drafts line by line, praised my clear thoughts and smooth speech, at that second, fully faded away.

I suddenly didn’t want to ask anymore, calm to the limit.

“Alright.”

“Then you go tell the leaders yourself, go tell the partners.”

As for who Adrian wants to push, he should start an entertainment company by himself.

From now on, he couldn’t step into the Pearson family’s film and TV department at all!

Even though I wanted to just walk away, the work of the Wilkinson family and the Pearson family was still tied together.

If this issue spreads, it would also ruin the name of the Pearson family.

I could only call the partners one by one.

Adrian and I stayed at the company all night, but neither of us wanted to look for the other.

Late at night, I went to the break room to make coffee, just as I picked up the mug, the door got pushed open from outside.

Amira stood at the doorway.

Her face looked red in a strange way, her hair a bit messy, the lipstick on her lips slightly smeared, as she had just come from something intimate.

She looked toward me and gave a proud smile.

“President Pearson, it’s pretty late, still busy?”

I didn’t reply.

She didn’t need any answer, going on by herself, “And now, work’s all you’ve got left.”

“Honestly, I feel a bit sorry for you.”

“You tried so hard for so many years, only had a daughter, and now you’re still not liked by your husband.”

She gave a small smile.

“If you still have some pride, don’t want me to throw you out myself one day, you might as well leave Adrian sooner on your own.”

I looked at her pretty face, lifted my hand, and poured the full cup of very hot coffee over her.

“Ah!”

Amira shouted, stepping back at once.

Coffee ran down through her hair, her carefully kept look fully messed up.

I set the used cup down, my tone cold with no warmth at all.

“What are you, that you think you can talk to me?”

“A mistress should know her place.”

“Don’t make people sick everywhere like garbage.”

Amira shook with anger, her eyes red, looking at me with teeth clenched.

“Eloise, you’ll regret this!”

I didn’t care to look at her again, turned around, and hadn’t taken a few steps.

All of a sudden, there was a sound of something heavy dropping behind me.

I quickly turned around.

A cold feeling I couldn’t explain rose up from my back.

Amira tumbled down the steps!

My head went empty, I didn’t think someone could be this harsh even to herself.

Before I could respond, quick steps already sounded from behind.

Adrian ran over and even shoved me aside hard.

The push was so strong that my whole body slammed into the coffee maker, my waist and stomach hurt badly, and my breath got cut off for a second.

He didn’t even look at me.

He ran down the steps right away and lifted Amira into his arms.

“Amira!”

I held onto the counter, bearing the pain, and still fell.

Down below, Amira lay in his arms, her face pale, tears falling one by one.

And Adrian looked up at me, his eyes full of coldness. “Eloise, do you think you’ve gone mad?!”

“When did you turn into this?!”

“So ugly, so mean, just because you’re jealous of Amira, you pushed her down the steps?!”

He held her tighter in his arms, saying in a harsh voice, “Do you know she does ballet?!”

“If her leg gets hurt, her whole life will be ruined!”

“What are you even thinking? Go outside and see which wife from any family acts this unreasonably and jealously like you! You don’t look like a Mrs. Wilkinson at all!”

Each line Adrian said felt like knives stabbing into me.

My chest felt tight, my nose burned.

I asked him back, full of hurt, “Then what about you, Adrian?”

“You say I’ve changed, haven’t you changed too? You doubt me just because of a mistress?”

“There are cameras in the company, you didn’t even check, you just decided it was me who pushed her down.”

I laughed, but tears were already falling.

“In your mind, am I this kind of person who would hurt others?”

“Do you think I should get pointed at by a mistress and still keep quiet….”

“That’s called being kind?”

“That matches what you think your wife should be?”

Adrian’s face shifted.

He was shaken by my red eyes; his throat moved, as if he wanted to speak.

But before Adrian could say anything, Amira suddenly grabbed his clothes, her voice weak.

“Adrian… my stomach hurts…”

Only then did he notice the blood slowly coming out from under Amira.

Adrian’s face changed at once, and he lifted her up and ran out fast.

When he passed me, he only left one line that felt very cold, “If anything happens to Amira, don’t blame me if I stop caring about our marriage!”

I stayed there for a long while, finally unable to hold myself, sliding down to sit on the floor.

Tears dropped one by one.

It felt like the last small part in my heart also slipped away.

The next day, I sat on the couch at home holding the baby, feeding her milk.

She didn’t have much hunger these past two days; her small face had grown thinner, drinking on and off.

Liliana called me, and right when she spoke, “…Amira is pregnant.”

She stopped for two seconds, like it was hard to say, “The doctor said, the one in her belly is very likely a boy.”

I paused, looking at the child in my arms. “Hmm, I get it.”

Only then did Liliana’s voice carry pain she couldn’t hold back, full of anger that came from care.

“Adrian, this kid has really lost his mind! He even ignored me, stopping him and insisting on keeping the baby, like he’s been controlled!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t ignore this, what he did is too much—”

I softly cut her off, “Mom.”

“Are the divorce steps finished?”

The voice on the other side dropped lower, “…there’s still a bit left.”

“I’ve already split the assets for you. What’s yours, not even a little will be missing.”

“Don’t worry.”

I smiled. “Alright, thanks, mom.”

The call ended.

The baby finished drinking milk and slowly fell asleep in my arms, her small face leaning against me, breathing softly.

I lowered my head to look at her, a bit of wetness in my eyes.

But soon, I held it back.

Today was the day to take the baby to the hospital for a check-up.

She had taken bad milk powder and snacks, and for these two days she hadn’t felt well, so I couldn’t wait any longer.

I held her and went out, told the driver to drive.

The car had just left the area for a short while.

A sharp brake sound came, with a bang, and everything flipped at once.

I almost by instinct held the baby tight, keeping her safe in my arms.

The strong hit threw my whole body out, my forehead slammed into the car glass, and my sight went dark.

Someone pulled open the car door and dragged us out.

When I woke up again, I was inside a strange car.

The baby cried softly in my arms.

Fear rushed up like waves.

I quickly took out my phone, pressing the emergency contact Adrian again and again.

Before, he had told me, “If something happens, press this, I’ll come right away.”

But now, the call went through again and again.

No one picked up.

“Adrian, answer the phone, please answer the phone!”

“Please, save the baby……”

I begged quietly in my heart.

Hoping Adrian would remember a little of the past.

But on the other side of the call, there was only a cold ringing sound.

In the end, the call got cut off right away.

When I tried again, it wouldn’t connect anymore.

At that moment, the last piece of hope in my chest broke.

The car stopped at a deserted park, and the child and I were pulled out.

The kidnapper grabbed my phone and smirked, “Still trying to reach President Wilkinson?”

“You didn’t know, did you, Mrs. Wilkinson, all of this was set up by President Wilkinson.”

I stared at the kidnapper with shock. He kept talking.

“You hurt Miss Walter, made her leg get hurt, and she almost lost the baby.”

“President Wilkinson said you must learn your lesson and say sorry to her!”

The child looked scared and cried in pain.

My chest tightened hard, and I quickly dropped to my knees.

“Sir, sir, I beg you, please let the child go. She’s still so young. If anything must happen, do it to me. Don’t hurt the child. She’s innocent!”

The kidnapper held the stick in his hand and weighed it.

“President Wilkinson also told me to break the child’s leg.”

“He said she’s the most important to you, so you’ll remember this.”

“Hit my leg!”

I shouted it out, my voice shaking and breaking.

“Hit me! Don’t touch the child!”

The kidnapper laughed loudly.

“Fine, then you take it for her!”

Right after that, the stick came down again and again.

The sound of bone snapping was very clear.

The severe pain burst out at once.

I almost couldn’t make a sound.

Everything turned white.

I carried the child, unable to even shout, only clenching my teeth as my body shook without control.

Adrian.

“You don’t deserve to be a father!”

“I regret marrying you. I regret loving you!”

Just as I was about to pass out, police sirens sounded in the distance.

I didn’t know where the strength came from, but I lunged forward and knocked the kidnapper down.

The kidnapper lost balance from my hit, his foot slipped, and he fell to the ground.

The police rushed in and held the kidnapper down.

I couldn’t think about anything else.

“Hospital… go to the hospital…”

Before they pushed me into the operating room, my leg had already gone completely numb.

I held on to my last bit of strength and called a number.

“Come to the hospital and take the child.”

I didn’t dare leave the child outside alone while I went through surgery.

I couldn’t let her fall into Adrian’s hands again!

When I woke up, before I could recover, a hand was already wrapped tight around my neck, pressing my body into the hospital bed.

I couldn’t breathe at all.

I struggled without thinking.

By my side, Adrian’s voice speaks in a low tone, holding back anger.

“Eloise, you are truly heartless.”

His face was very near mine, his eyes red with visible veins, anger hard to hide.

“To deal with Amira, you would even use such horrible ways?”

“Pay someone to kidnap her?”

“Do you know, if I had not found out in time, Amira could have almost died!”

He says each word slowly, his teeth pressed together.

I look at him blankly and say in a tired voice, “Do you have proof? Why do you think it was me?”

Adrian’s face turned even colder. “What proof do I need?”

“Besides you, who else would go after Amira like this?!”

He said it right away, without any pause or doubt.

When it came to Amira, Adrian never easily trusted me.

The corner of my lips lifted a little with sarcasm. “Your old secretary, or that model you were with before, or maybe even Amira herself.”

“Eloise!”

He cuts me off at once, his face turning red.

“You are just being unreasonable! I have never planned to let Amira take your place!”

“As long as you choose to live peacefully with her—”

“The role of Mrs. Wilkinson is always yours!”

“Why do you not understand what I mean?!”

By the end, Adrian had been nearly yelling.

It felt like from start to finish, every issue between us had been blamed on me.

It felt as if I gave way, then everything could turn fine.

I looked at him.

I faintly saw that once lively and warm young boy leaving me behind.

Childhood sweetheart had only been a fated ending.

Adrian had still been blaming. “Now, Amira is still pregnant; the baby has done nothing wrong.”

“You are also a mother, how can you be this cruel? You even pay people to take her?!”

“What if the baby was lost?!”

I gave a soft laugh. “Adrian, in your view, even an illegitimate child matters more than me, right?”

Adrian’s face had gone stiff.

My voice had been steady. “She was only nearly taken.”

“What about me? My leg was shattered. You not only show no concern, but came in and grabbed my throat, do you only feel satisfied if I am dead?”

Adrian’s expression had clearly shifted.

“What are you saying?”

He had slowly eased his grip without noticing; his eyes had moved to my wrapped leg, as if he wanted to pull the blanket up and look.

But before his hand could reach it, a faint voice had suddenly sounded from behind.

“Adrian.”

Amira had been standing by the doorway, her face white, her body shaking.

She had dropped straight to her knees in front of me.

“I am sorry, everything is because of me…”

“Sister-in-law, if you want to be angry, be angry at me, you can strike me or yell at me…”

“But can you allow me to deliver this child?”

“The doctor says my uterine wall is very thin; if I cannot keep it this time, I may never become pregnant again…”

As she had spoken, her body had kept shaking, looking very low and pleading, “After the child is born, you can end me or harm me, I accept it.”

“I have never wanted to take what belongs to you, truly…”

She had kept hitting her head toward me like she had lost control.

Adrian had rushed over almost at once, gently helping her up.

“What are you doing?!”

His voice had softened, showing clear worry. “Why are you bowing your head to her?”

Adrian had held her, as if he were holding something that could break easily.

When he had looked at me again, his eyes had been as if he was seeing a stranger. “Amira is already in this state; you still cannot accept her?”

He had looked at my leg with disappointment. “I almost felt pity for you; I almost believed your act of hurting yourself.”

“Believe whatever you wish.”

My voice had been very soft. “I will not be concerned about you anymore from now on.”

“Adrian, you and Amira can do anything you want.”

Adrian had not expected I would speak like that.

He had stared at me, as if checking whether I was just acting out.

But I had shown no feeling, no anger, and even less sadness.

His eyes had turned messy for a second.

His heart had felt like something was pulling it hard; he had kept feeling that if he closed his eyes, I would be gone.

He had wanted to say something, but before he could speak, Amira, in his arms, had lost consciousness.

Adrian had no longer paid attention to me; he had lifted her and hurried out.

When he had reached the doorway, he froze.

With his back facing me, his tone had softened a bit, “It is better if you understand it yourself.”

“Mrs. Wilkinson…”

“There is always only you.”

At that moment, the phone had shaken.

It had been a message sent by Liliana.

[The divorce is already finished, and the asset split is also settled.]

[Your belongings, I have asked people to move them to your new home.]

Only then had I breathed out, slowly pulling the IV needle from the back of my hand.

I had called a number.

“Let the plane land on the hospital rooftop.”

The person on the other side had quickly said yes.

I had stood up, and pain had torn through my leg.

But I had not stopped.

Step after step, I had walked outside.

Inside the plane, the private doctor had just given the baby an injection.

She had cried until her small face had turned red.

But the moment she saw me, the tears had suddenly stopped.

She had reached out her arms, moving into my embrace.

I had softly pressed a kiss on her forehead.

“Even without a father, your mother still lets you grow up as the happiest baby.”

My tone had been very firm.

“I also become myself.”

“No longer another person’s wife, another person’s Mrs.”

“Only Eloise Pearson.”