On our eighth wedding anniversary, my husband treated Anya Hemsworth to dinner. Our five-year-old son asked for the first course.

She suddenly cried. “Sister, I know you’ve never liked me, but today is my birthday. How could you let a child humiliate me?”

My husband became furious and threw our son into the pigpen.

I knelt, admitted my mistake and begged him to spare our son. I promised I would never act recklessly again, only asking him to let our child live.

He ordered his bodyguards to hold me down and sneered. “Your precious son, whom you raised, has no manners. Since he likes to fight for food so much, let him fight with the pigs.”

I was forcibly injected with sleeping pills and when I woke three days later, I learned the starving pigs had eaten my son. I collapsed in the rain, crying, clutching his severed finger.

Nearby, my husband held Anya by the waist, lighting a sky lantern for her and taking photos of her favorite things.

Broken and hopeless, I took out my phone and called my husband’s sister.

“Sophie Taylor, the family has no heir now. I’ve repaid my debt. Please let me go.”

——

“Sophie, did Henry bully you again? And what do you mean the Taylor Family has no descendants? Isn’t Andrew…”

“Sophie, Andrew is dead,” I cut her off. “Henry locked him in a pigpen for three days and nights and starving pigs ate him.”

I stared at the tombstone in front of me and gently touched the photo in black and white. “Sophie, I gave everything for this child, but in the end, it couldn’t stop Henry’s canary from speaking a single word.”

“Let me go. Four years ago, the doctor said Henry could never have children. I’ve repaid my debt. I just want to take Andrew and leave.”

“How could this happen?” Sophie sounded shocked. “Is there some misunderstanding between you two? Or was Andrew just being naughty and hiding somewhere—”

“Sophie!” I laughed coldly. “I wouldn’t joke about Andrew. Besides, Henry is busy showing off at an auction with his canary, lighting lanterns for her and buying a British princess’s jeweled necklace worth hundreds of billions.”

There was a long silence on the other end before Sophie finally said, “Okay, I understand. Thank you for your hard work all these years. I shouldn’t have forced you. From now on, do whatever you want.”

After hanging up, I went home, drenched from the rain. When I saw the mess of clothes on the floor, my numb heart gave a painful jolt.

Andrew’s body was still warm, yet Henry was still enjoying himself.

“Hey, Kate Vergara, you’re back? What happened to you? You look like a ragpicker.”

Anya, wearing my pajamas, came quickly down the stairs. She brushed her hair back, revealing a purple kiss mark on her neck. “It’s because Henry is so full of energy. I can’t satisfy him, so he takes it all out on me.”

I looked at her without a word.

When I stayed silent, Anya’s eyes turned cold and she sneered. “I heard a pig ate your son. So, how is it? Do you like this gift, sister?”

I froze, then demanded in disbelief, “You did it? You killed my Andrew?!”

She gave a careless nod. “Not only did I make sure a starving sow ate him, I even recorded it. He kept calling me ‘Mom,’ and it sounded so sweet, hahaha…”

“Anya, you’re not human!”

I lunged at her in fury, but before I could strike, a large hand grabbed me.

“Henry, what are you doing? She killed our child! Are you protecting her?!”

Henry hesitated. Beside him, Anya covered her face, wiping away tears. “Henry, I only came downstairs and saw her soaking wet, so I kindly offered to help her change. But then…”

“Maybe I should just leave. You’ve never liked me. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have let your child order the first dish on my birthday…”

Henry’s expression darkened. “Kate, apologize to Anya.”

“What did you say?!” I stared at him in disbelief.

“In Anya’s hometown, the birthday person always orders the first dish, or they’ll have a miserable year ahead.” Henry placed his arm around her waist. “Apologize to Anya and this will be over.”

“Also, make some seafood dishes. Anya and I haven’t eaten since yesterday. After that, go get our son and take him to kindergarten.”

I listened to his commanding tone and smiled bitterly.

When Andrew was two and still couldn’t walk, I prayed to God and even followed the elders’ advice to “cut him off” with a kitchen knife. Henry laughed at me then, calling me naïve and superstitious. “Why believe that nonsense? This is the age of technology, not the past.”

My thoughts snapped back. My face turned cold and I gritted my teeth. “Henry, don’t you understand? I said Andrew is dead….”

Before I could finish, Anya cut in, pretending not to understand. “Henry, why would Kate curse her own child? Could it be she doesn’t like your child with hers?”

“Although I don’t know how children feel, I believe no mother would curse her own child, unless she didn’t love them. After all, I’m a woman too, so I understand.”

Henry listened and my brows furrowed. “Kate, have I been too good to you? Have you forgotten how you even became my wife?”

“If you dare curse my son again, I’ll throw you out and you’ll never be my wife.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, tasting blood and spoke coldly. “Henry, let’s get a divorce.”

His face showed a flicker of panic before he scoffed. “Kate, do you think I care about you just because you’re pulling this trick? If Anya hadn’t said she was worried you hadn’t eaten in three days, I wouldn’t have come back.”

“Anya is so kind! I truly regret marrying you.”

“Then divorce me. That way, Anya and I can be happy.” I looked at him without emotion.

Maybe my stare was too sharp, because for the first time, Henry seemed uneasy.

He pulled Anya into his arms. “Stop playing hard to get. It won’t work on me.” Then he left.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the severed finger I had found in the corner of the pigpen. It was Andrew’s.

After a long silence, I took out my phone and called Professor Zion Martin.

When the call connected, I went straight to the point. “Professor Martin, do you still need help?”

He sounded a little surprised. “Kate, why did you think of calling me? Have you finally decided?”

I stared at the severed finger in my hand and Andrew’s voice echoed in my mind. “Mom, you used to be so successful. Why do you insist on staying home as a housewife?”

“If one day you could return to your old job, I’d be so proud of you!”

My thoughts returned and I choked up. “I’ve decided. I’m willing to join the Bessemer project.”

“Good. Then I just need to cancel your identity. You know this is top secret. And your husband’s family…”

“Professor Martin, don’t worry about them. Give me a week. I’ll meet you after I’m done and I’ll cancel all my documents.”

I had just hung up when Henry’s angry voice sounded behind me. “What are you canceling? Planning to leave without me?”

I turned to him and said evenly, “Nothing, just that my ID card is about to expire, so…”

“Didn’t you just get your ID card two years ago? How could it expire so soon?”

I froze for a moment, not expecting him to remember going with me to get it two years ago. That was also the day he met Anya.

Henry walked over and snatched my phone. After unlocking it, he saw no recent calls in my history and his frown eased.

Then he accused me. “Can’t you just give me some peace? Do you think I actually care about you? You’re trying to threaten me like this? I’m telling you, your tricks only make me sick. You’re not even one-tenth of Anya.”

Before I could respond, he turned and left. From the doorway, Anya’s playful voice floated in. “Henry, why are you coming out empty-handed? My underwear is still in your bedroom.”

“There’s something dirty in there. I’ll take you to buy new ones.” His voice faded away. I sat on the floor, drained and dejected.

I quickly pulled out my phone and opened another system interface. A message from Zion, sent a minute earlier, appeared.

[Kate, welcome back. I look forward to you creating another legend.]

I replied with a simple “OK” and turned off my phone.

Two days later, early in the morning, I went to a specialty goods shop. I showed the staff the severed finger and stated my request.

At the same time, I applied online to cancel my identity information.

While waiting, I received a taunting message from Anya.

It was a photo of Henry in the hospital, wearing a stethoscope and looking serious.

Anya wrote: [Henry said he couldn’t help himself because he wanted to hear the newborn’s heartbeat. I wonder if he treated you like this when you were pregnant?]

I gripped my phone tightly. Anger burned inside me, but I forced myself to stay calm. I had only seven days left before I left them.

I still remember Henry’s expression when I was pregnant.

He wasn’t happy or excited about the child’s arrival.

His first words were, “Finally, you’re pregnant! I don’t have to eat those things anymore.”

Although Henry had been in pain at that time, he never refused me.

I told him I had a hidden illness and convinced him to join me in recuperating. I also said that once I became pregnant, I would no longer force him into anything.

But what Henry didn’t know was that the one with the illness wasn’t me, it was him.

Henry had been a gangster, often smoking and drinking. He also had asthenospermia, which made conceiving difficult and no one wanted to marry him. That was when Sophie came to me, offering me the favor of saving my life in exchange for staying with Henry and giving the Taylor Family a child.

For the first three years, I cared for Henry and nursed him back to health. In the fourth year, I finally became pregnant, but the baby almost miscarried. Sophie was terrified, knowing the doctor had already said Henry could never be a father.

I looked at the man in the photo, a sarcastic smile tugging at my lips.

Henry, you weren’t fit to be a husband, let alone a father.

I pushed open the door and saw Henry feeding Anya at the dining table. She was being spoiled, throwing a tantrum and refusing to eat properly.

When he saw me, Henry frowned. “The kindergarten teacher just called and said you didn’t send Andrew to school. What’s wrong with you as a mother?”

“Andrew is still young and naïve, but you’re an adult. Don’t you know how to behave? He has no manners and no upbringing and that’s all because of you!”

I gave a cold smile. “Henry, I said we’re getting a divorce. I’ll leave the house, but the child will stay with me.”

I didn’t want Andrew’s last bit of peace to be disturbed.

Anya suddenly spoke, looking confused. “But Andrew is the heir of the Taylor Family. If you take him away, wouldn’t that be…”

Henry looked embarrassed. “Kate, you’re really scheming. It was one thing to plot against me back then, but now you’re even scheming against a five-year-old. Is this fun for you? You’ve treated Andrew like some wild child.”

“Kate, I’ll give you one million, but Andrew must be mine.”

“Henry, Andrew is already dead. Can’t you just let him rest in peace?” I said coldly.

Anya’s face showed a flicker of unease, but Henry sneered. “Kate, do you think I don’t know? You deliberately encouraged Andrew to play pranks with you. Just to get a bit of money, you even made up a curse about his death. I really underestimated you. Add another million and Andrew must be mine.”

I was about to answer, but Anya quickly changed the subject. “Henry, I suddenly feel pain in my stomach. Is the baby kicking me?”

She pretended to blush and lowered her head.

Henry turned to her, his eyes gentle and doting. “The baby isn’t even formed yet. How could it be so naughty so soon?”

Watching them, I suddenly remembered when I nearly miscarried during my first pregnancy five years ago because Henry didn’t hold me steady. He had said carelessly, “Is such a small thing worth making a fuss over? It’s still unfinished, isn’t it? It’s not that easy to die.”

That night, I had just stepped out of the shower when I saw Henry sitting on the bed.

“Kate, you’re really clever. Not only did you trick Andrew into deceiving me, but you even joined forces with my sister to do this to me?”

Wrapped in a bath towel, I looked at him cautiously. “What are you talking about?”

The wariness in my eyes seemed to sting him. He rushed over, pushed me onto the bed and pressed his weight against me.

The next moment, he covered me with kisses. The scent of gardenia perfume, the one unique to Anya, burned in my nose.

My stomach turned. I tried to push him away, but I couldn’t.

“Henry, let me go!”

A chill spread across my chest, my heart pounding. Humiliation surged through me and tears rolled down my face.

“Why are you crying?” Henry looked up, his eyes dark and impatient.

When I stayed silent, he stood, grabbed the coat beside him and said coldly, “Isn’t this what you wanted? Why pretend to be some chaste heroine? I’ve seen every part of you, especially that ugly scar on your stomach. It disgusts me every time, just like you do.”

With that, Henry slammed the door and left.

I climbed out of bed, took the broken finger necklace from the drawer and pressed it against my heart, looking at it with tenderness and longing.

Andrew, don’t be afraid. Mommy will take you away.