Hearing the word "dirty," a sharp pain stabbed my heart.

Memories of being tormented by villains on the island instantly resurfaced, filling me with terror.

I instinctively looked toward Dario.

But Cecilia, who had just walked over, blocked my view. She took Jerry from Dario's arms without asking.

While soothing the child with practiced ease, she turned to me with regret in her eyes and said, "Madam, I'm truly sorry. Jerry is still young. Please don't take his words to heart."

Dario, who had been quietly observing me, finally spoke up to mediate, "Valerie, take Irene upstairs to rest first. Also, don't take Jerry's words to heart."

My throat felt tight and sour and I couldn't help but smile bitterly inside.

After seven years apart, in his eyes I'd become this petty, mean woman.

Dario pushed me upstairs. Once back in the room, I immediately gave Irene and myself a hot bath.

Opening the wardrobe, I found it starkly empty except for two guest pajamas hanging inside.

Suddenly, I felt like an unwanted outsider—at least in this household, I was clearly not welcome.

That night, Dario made a token appearance in our room to say goodnight.

As he turned to leave, I wrapped my arms tightly around his chest from behind, my voice soft and tempting, "Stay, please?"

Dario froze for a moment, then the click-clack of high heels echoed outside the door.

He immediately pushed my hands away and refused, "Not tonight. I'm afraid you're too tired."

His cool fingertips brushed my cheek. I smiled faintly, pretending nothing had happened.

Cecilia passed by the doorway, her eyes flashing with seething jealousy as she glanced at us.

"Sir, Jerry is looking for you. He wants you to tell him a bedtime story."

"Alright, I'll be right there."

With that, Dario withdrew his hand, gave me a faint smile and left.

Later that night, I heard the cheerful laughter of Dario and Cecilia drifting from Jerry's room.

Holding my daughter close in the spacious bed, a bitter ache lingered in my heart, refusing to fade.

I was clearly Dario's wife, yet through the long night, he was keeping another woman company.

I lay awake all night. The next morning, I woke to the sound of dogs barking downstairs.

After breakfast, Irene rushed impatiently to the garden to see the dog.

Jerry was walking the Black dog and shot Irene a disgusted glare, "Get lost! You filthy thing, don't block my path with Black!"

With that, he slammed the frisbee he was holding hard onto Irene's head.

It made Irene cry out in pain, so I rushed out to hug and comfort her.

Jerry let Black lunge at us instead, cackling maliciously, "Hahaha, serves you right."

"Black, teach them a lesson!"

The dog, nearly as tall as a person, leapt over us in one mighty bound. Terrified, I screamed and fell to the ground.

"Jerry, stop this nonsense!"

Dario emerged from the house carrying his briefcase. Seeing the disheveled state of Irene and me, he hurried over to help us up.

"Valerie, are you hurt?"

I shook my head. As I rose, I caught sight of several new red marks on his neck.

Jealousy surged like a venomous snake, coiling around my heart until I felt suffocated.

Just as I stood up, Cecilia approached, her back straight and makeup flawless, "Madam, you shouldn't be out walking at this hour."

"Black has a cleanliness obsession. Jerry isn't allowed to have anyone in the garden when he walks the dog every morning."

"Exactly! Dad, hurry up and send them away now."

Jerry haughtily grabbed Dario's large hand.

I expected Dario to at least scold them, but instead, I heard him reprimand me, "Valerie, you're still sick. How could you wander around like this?"

My palm burned fiercely, the hand I'd scraped in the fall now covered in blood.

Clenching my fists, I sneered, "In your eyes, am I now less than an animal?"

Before he could answer, I picked up the flying disc from the ground and slammed it hard onto Black's head.

The dog let out a few howls of pain and collapsed to its knees.

Jerry, furious, shielded Black and roared at me, "You crazy woman! How dare you hit Black?! I..."

Before he could finish, a sharp "smack" echoed.

My palm landed instantly on his tender little face and the child burst into wails.

"Valerie, how could you pick a fight with a child?" Dario quickly grabbed my arm, saying helplessly yet with some irritation, "If you're feeling unwell, I'll have a doctor come treat you tomorrow!"

With that, he picked up his phone to instruct his secretary.

Cecilia curled her lips, shooting me a smug glance, "Madam, I hear your mental state is quite unstable. Perhaps you should rest indoors more often from now on!"

Fuming with rage, I snapped, "None of your business!" before scooping up Irene and heading upstairs.

At lunchtime, Cecilia didn't come to call us. Instead, she sent someone to deliver the meal, instructing us to eat in our room.

Seeing the few dishes with a thin film of oil on the plates, a bitter taste filled my mouth.

"Mom, didn't you say Dad would be good to us? Why won't he even give us a chicken drumstick?"

Irene struggled to chew the potato in her mouth, frowning in complaint.

I set down my chopsticks, stroked her cheek and comforted her, "Don't worry, I'll go get you some meat."

With that, I got up and went downstairs.

In the dining room, Cecilia sat at the table serving food onto Jerry's plate.

"In this household, are you the mistress, or am I?" I deliberately raised my voice, interrupting their feast.

Jerry slammed down his chopsticks angrily, pointing at me and roaring, "You filthy woman! Didn't Cecil forbid you from coming downstairs to eat?"

I sneered without a word, slamming my hand down hard on the table.

Then, under everyone's stunned gaze, I yanked the tablecloth off the table.

A dozen or so dishes crashed to the floor with a clatter. Tapping my fingers lightly on the table, I challenged Cecilia, "What do you say, Cecil?"

Cecilia's face twisted in anger, yet her features remained exquisitely beautiful.

She soothed Jerry and forced a polite smile, "Of course, you’re the mistress, Madam. Please don't be upset. Just tell me what you'd like to eat and I'll see to it."

I curled my lips into a cold smile and casually pointed at the wreckage on the floor. "Six dishes and one soup, each with a different type of meat. I also want milk and a dessert with at least five types of fresh fruit in the afternoon fruit platter. Got it?"

Cecilia forced down the anger in her eyes and replied, "Understood, Madam."

But the moment she turned away, a sinister smile spread across her face.

That afternoon, just as Irene and I woke up, Dario's secretary arrived to take us for a physical exam.

"Madam, Mr. Finley is waiting at the entrance."

Only upon stepping outside did we discover Dario had arranged another car for us.

"Since you two aren't feeling well, I'll have the driver take it easy. Irene and I will head to the hospital ahead of you."

With that, he slammed the car door shut.

Sitting in the car with my daughter in my arms, I watched Dario's car disappear into the distance, my mind filled with suspicion.

Not long after leaving the villa complex, Irene started crying and complaining of stomach pain. I too felt a dull ache in my abdomen, though not as severe as hers.

"Driver, hurry up! My daughter's sick—it might be appendicitis!"

Unexpectedly, the driver showed no reaction. Instead, he impatiently scolded us, "Madam, Mr. Finley specifically instructed me not to drive too fast because you two suffer from severe motion sickness."

"You'll just have to endure it a little longer. We'll be at the hospital soon."

But Irene in my arms was already pale with pain, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead.

My heart ached for her. I pounded the back of the driver's seat and urged him, "We can't wait any longer. My daughter's condition is critical—I fear for her life!"

The driver, however, slowly dialed Dario's number. 

A cold voice came through the receiver, "The lady's not in the best state. Ignore her and keep going at the same speed."

Dario's words plunged me into an icy abyss.

"Mom... it hurts..."

Irene's voice grew fainter by the second. I couldn't think straight anymore. 

I shoved open the door and yelled at the driver, "Stop the car immediately or I'll jump out!"

The driver was startled and slammed on the brakes and the car came to an abrupt halt.

Without another word, I scooped Irene up and rushed out.

"Ma'am, where are you going?"

The driver tried to dissuade us, but the honking from the vehicles behind him grew relentless.

With no other choice, he restarted the engine and sped away.

Holding Irene close, I flagged down a passing truck and begged the driver to rush us to the hospital.

The hospital emergency room was packed. The doctor frowned as he examined Irene.

After determining the cause, he turned to me, his face flushed with anger, "How do you raise a child? You didn't even know the food had expired?"

My heart sank.

That vicious woman, Cecilia—she actually fed Irene spoiled food?

Fortunately, Irene had eaten only a little at lunchtime. The doctor said we'd brought her in just in time—an IV drip would be enough to send her home.

Relieved, I hurried Irene to the ward for the IV.

Just as the nurse inserted the IV needle, hurried footsteps echoed outside the door.

"Valerie, what the hell are you doing?"

Seeing Dario enter, I was overcome with fury. 

I slammed the medical records against his chest and shouted accusingly, "Look at this! This is the 'care' your wonderful housekeeper gave us."

Dario glanced at the chart, his brow furrowing slightly, "Cecilia wouldn't be this careless. It must be the kitchen maid who used the wrong ingredients."

I was so furious I could barely contain my laughter. Even now, he was twisting the truth to defend Cecilia.

I grabbed his collar and demanded coldly, "Dario, have you grown tired of us—me and my daughter?"

Dario grabbed my hand and hurriedly protested, "You disappeared for seven years and not a single day went by without me searching for you."

His eyes suddenly welled up with tears as he spoke, "Valerie, do you have any idea how I endured these 2,500 days and nights?"

But I didn't want to hear it.  "Enough. Let's get a divorce!"

As the words fell, Dario froze as if struck by lightning.

His face twisted in disbelief as he stammered, "Valerie, don't joke like this. You know how much I love you..."

Before he could finish, his phone rang urgently.

He suppressed his sorrow and quickly answered the call from Cecilia, "What? Jerry's gone missing?"

After hanging up, his face darkened as he demanded in a hoarse voice, "Valerie, Jerry only said a few harsh words. How could you hire someone to kidnap him?"

I froze in shock, suddenly thinking Dario seemed like a moron.

Before I could defend myself, he grabbed my neck, twisted my arm behind my back and dragged me out of the hospital room.

"You're coming back with me now! If you don't hand Jerry over, I'll make sure you never see Irene again."

"Let go of me! I didn't kidnap him." I struggled desperately, but it was useless.

He shoved me into the car and sped home at breakneck speed.

Cecilia stood anxiously at the front door. As soon as we got out of the car, she threw herself into Dario's arms, sobbing, "Jerry was walking Black outside just now when he suddenly let out a terrible scream and vanished."

"I'm so scared... It's all my fault for not watching Jerry properly..."

Dario comforted her gently, then turned his gaze to me with a fierce glare as he threatened, "If you don't want anything to happen to Irene, tell me exactly where Jerry is!"

Watching them embrace, my heart felt like it had been wrenched.

For the sake of an adopted son, Dario was willing to hurt me and my daughter.