I stood at the villa entrance, sighed softly, and pushed the door open by myself.

Madeline Rousseau’s shrill laughter rang from within.

"My precious golden grandson, eat another bite, grow up strong so you can inherit your daddy’s company."

But the instant her eyes fell on me, the smile faded, curling instead into disdain.

"Well, look who it is, the cause of all this mess. Holding up the divorce, how can a woman without kids still act so high and mighty?"

The little boy, Kieran, grew sulky the moment he spotted me. He flung his half-eaten apple, the sticky pulp splattering my skirt.

"Nice throw! Ten years of marriage and your stomach’s still flatter than a washboard. All you do is waste time on jewelry appraisals, broken rocks, what good are they?"

The rain outside poured harder. Staring at the scene before me, my mind drifted back to the day of my third failed IVF attempt. That day too had been stormy, and Madeline had screamed at me over the phone like a madwoman. “You really are the curse of our family. Can’t give birth, why don’t you die?”

Back then, I endured the physical torment, sobbing out apologies for the sake of love and marriage. Later, I hid in the hospital, weeping alone through the night. But what had all my humility and concessions brought me?

They only gave the entire family the courage to push me further and further. Now, I had truly had enough.

“Madeline.” I bent down to pick up the apple Kieran had thrown at me, my tone light, no longer calling her “Mom.”

“You may not know this, but my father bought this villa before my marriage. It is my personal property.”

“Now, take your precious grandson and get out of my house!”

Madeline’s cursing stopped cold. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

“You said what? You want me to leave? This is my home, my son’s home.”

“Someone has trespassed into my villa. Send security immediately.” Without hesitation, I called for security.

Madeline’s face froze. She hadn’t expected I would truly dare summon people to throw her out. In the next instant, she snatched a teacup from the coffee table and hurled it at me.

I dodged immediately, letting the cup shatter into glittering shards across the floor.

“Alina Windsor! Are you insane?!”

Leandro’s voice thundered from the doorway. I lifted my gaze to see him rushing in, drenched, with a frantic Azalea trailing behind.

He strode forward, shielding his mother, and roared at me, “Alina, isn’t it just a divorce? But she’s my mom! Haven’t you caused enough trouble?”

Trouble?

I stared at him, finding it laughably absurd.

He was the one who brought a mistress and a child into my home. His mother was the one smashing things and spitting curses inside my house. And yet, in the end, I was the one accused of causing trouble?

Who exactly had I spent ten years of my life with?

Just then, Azalea inched closer, her face pale, her tone deliberately fragile as she persuaded me.

“Alina, Mom is old, please don’t be like this. Kieran is still young, don’t blame the child.”

I let out a cold laugh. Not even married yet and already calling her Mom? Truly without shame.

Security soon arrived, their stance resolute as they carried Madeline away.

The air resounded with Madeline’s shrieks, the child’s sobs, and Azalea’s pitiful pleas.

Leandro’s teeth clenched as his furious eyes locked on me. “Alina, you are ruthless enough!”

A soft smile touched my lips. “Not as ruthless as you.”

The front door crashed shut, sealing away every trace of noise from beyond.

Surveying the wreckage before me, I let my body slide down to the floor. I held myself tightly, and at last, the sobs I could no longer control tore through me.

Ten years, was this all I had gained in the end?

The night breeze was cool. I stood on the balcony, staring blankly into the distance.

Behind me came Leandro’s familiar footsteps, and a jacket was gently draped over my shoulders.

“Alina, your health has never been good. Don’t catch a chill, I’ll feel distressed.”

I didn’t turn around, only sneered. “Mr. Rousseau, you really are busy. After sending your mistress home, you suddenly remembered to care for your ex-wife?”

Leandro sighed, his chest pressing against my back, the same posture as the countless embraces we had shared over the past ten years.

“My mom really went too far today. I apologize on her behalf.”

“Alina, but you have to understand me. Do you know how hard it is for me?”

“Every time I see others showing off their children, every time I hear my mom crying on the phone, Alina, I just couldn’t help it. If there were even the slightest chance, I would never have…”

“Never what? Never cheat? Never divorce?” I finally turned, meeting his reddened eyes.

“So all the fault for not having a child lies with me? Leandro, can’t you stop making excuses for yourself?”

A flicker of embarrassment crossed his eyes, yet he still struggled to make me believe him.

“Alina, I’m not making excuses. The one I truly love is you. I really can’t let you go.”

My gaze dropped to his left hand, and his wedding ring was already gone. And now he wanted me to believe that a man who cheated had his reasons? The thought was laughable.

“This house,” Leandro suddenly shifted the subject, “has a really good school district. Kieran is about to start elementary school.”

“I want to exchange this house for the seaside villa I bought for you before. I can pay you the difference.”

Of course. The mask had slipped at last; his late-night performance of tenderness was nothing but a ploy for the school district house.

I tore off the jacket and flung it back at him. "So this was your true purpose all along?"

His face stiffened. "I’m thinking of you! That seaside villa will rise in value."

"Leandro." My voice cut through his words, faint and fragile, like a whisper swept away by the night breeze.

"Do you still remember the day we went through the third round of IVF?"

His eyes darkened, pupils shrinking.

"The doctor warned that my body had already suffered too much, that another attempt might cause heavy bleeding."

I slowly lifted my shirt, revealing the scar etched across my stomach.

"Back then, I put my life on the line to try again. Do you remember what you said, kneeling at my hospital bed? You said that just having me in this life was enough."

"And now?"

The color drained from Leandro’s face.

"That’s enough, Leandro. Get out."

I pressed the speed dial on my phone. "Security will be here in three minutes."

"Alina." He suddenly grabbed my wrist, his voice desperate. "We’ve been married ten years. You have to think about my descendants too, I beg you."

"Seven years." I peeled his fingers away, one by one. "The rest of the time, you were in Azalea’s bed."

"Alina!" he gritted his teeth. "Don’t you regret this!"

I sneered and locked the balcony door right in front of him.

He stood outside, his face twisted with rage as he shouted at me, then finally kicked the door hard before storming away.

The next morning, I left for my studio as usual. But just as I reached the entrance, my vision went black.

"Alina?!" The last thing I saw was Nikolai’s anxious figure rushing toward me.

When I woke again, the sharp scent of disinfectant filled my nose, the same smell that had haunted me through countless rounds of IVF.

Nikolai stood at my bedside, his gaze heavy with concern. "Alina, you’re pregnant, about six weeks."

The words froze me in place. My hand instinctively went to my stomach.

Ten years of marriage. Three failed IVF attempts. And now, in the middle of the divorce cooling-off period, I was pregnant?

How ironic this world could be.

"However, your condition isn’t ideal." Dr. Landers stood beside him, flipping through the test results, his brows furrowed. "The endometrium is too thin, and your HCG and progesterone levels are low; this doesn’t look good."

"Abort it." I cut him off, pushing myself upright despite the sting of the IV needle tugging at my wrist.

"And destroy all the frozen embryos in the hospital, mine and Leandro’s."

When Nikolai heard my decision, he said nothing. He only tightened his grip around my hand in silence.

Just before I entered the operating room, my phone vibrated, a message from Leandro.

[Alina, for the sake of our ten years of marriage, let’s talk again.]

I stared at the screen, let out a cold sneer, and powered it off.

Ridiculous. What was there left to talk about?

The procedure ended quickly. My body, already drained of strength, leaned heavily against Nikolai’s arm as he supported my waist.

"Take it slow, no need to rush," he whispered.

A faint ache pulsed in my lower abdomen, a cruel reminder of what had been taken away.

And then, a voice I could never mistake cut through the air.

"Don’t be afraid, Daddy’s got you!"

My body stiffened. Slowly, I looked up and there was Leandro, bending to scoop Kieran into his arms. The child’s small face was flushed, his head weakly resting against his shoulder.

Azalea stood at his side, a registration slip in one hand, her other arm resting naturally in the crook of Leandro’s elbow, the picture of a devoted wife.

Leandro lifted his head, and his gaze collided with mine.

For an instant, his expression faltered. His eyes swept over my pale face, slid to Nikolai’s steady hand supporting me, and finally dropped to the discharge slip I held.

"Alina?" His voice carried hesitation, his brows knitting together. "Why are you here at the hospital? Are you unwell?"

Azalea’s wary eyes darted over me at once, her fingers tightening on Leandro’s sleeve.

My hand moved instinctively to my stomach, empty now. The life once inside me was gone. What meaning was there in his concern?

"It’s nothing, just a routine checkup. You two came to the hospital for…?"

“Keiran had a fever and wasn’t feeling well, so we brought him in.” Leandro’s eyes stayed fixed on my face, probing with quiet concern. “Alina, are you sure you’re alright? You look terribly pale.”

Nikolai’s voice came at the perfect time, firm and protective. “It’s just a little anemia, nothing to worry about.”

Leandro seemed ready to say more, but Azalea tugged at his sleeve. “Leandro, it’s our turn now.”

After a brief pause, he gave a reluctant nod. His gaze swept over me one last time before he turned away.

“Then… take care of yourself, and rest well.”

I stood still, watching their family of three fade into the distance.

What a cruel irony.

Leandro had given all his love to a child who was, in all likelihood, not his by blood. And he would never realize that he had just lost the only child who truly was his.

With a pained sigh, Nikolai wrapped his arm around me. “It’s over now, Alina. Let me take you home.”

Resting against his shoulder, I closed my eyes and allowed him to lead me slowly from the hospital.

Behind us, the mechanical voice of the broadcast called out patient numbers, and at last, my tears flowed soundlessly.