In the circles of New York high society, Ethan Miller was known as the heir who suffered from natural infertility. As for me, Sophia Brooks, I was considered “naturally fertile,” and within a year of our marriage, I had given him a pair of fraternal twins—a boy and a girl.

But at the scene of the car accident, our two children and Chloe Adams’s beloved pet dog were pinned under opposite ends of the wreckage. Ethan instinctively ordered the rescue team to save the children first.

Yet Chloe cried pitifully, “Star is like my own child. If something happens to him, I won’t survive either.”

The next second, Ethan gave the order to rescue the dog first.

My children, crushed beyond recognition, were rushed to the hospital, but the nurse told me that all the doctors in New York had been summoned away by Ethan.

Heartbroken, I called him, begging for help, but he only replied impatiently:

“Star is trembling in fear and needs doctors to watch him overnight. Let the kids wait a little longer.”

In the end, my children died from multiple fatal fractures.

I carried their ashes back to the Miller mansion, broken and dazed.

“You Millers have lost your bloodline forever,” I said coldly.

…

“I told the rescuers to save the children before I left. What else do you expect me to do?”

“Sophia, when did you become so petty?”

“Jealous of a dog? You even dare to make up such lies while your children are dying. Do you even know how to be a mother?”

Even through the phone, I could picture Ethan frowning, his face full of impatience.

“Ethan, what should we do? Star is trembling again…” Chloe’s sobbing voice came through the line, and then I heard Ethan shouting frantically:

“Doctor, save him quickly!”

“How can this just be a shock? Run a full-body check again!”

Chloe’s tone grew more anxious:

“Ethan, could Star have been touched by something unclean? Maybe if we can find a boy and a girl to stay by his side and pray for him through the night…”

The phone was picked up again, Ethan’s voice urgent:

“The children’s life force is strong. Bring them here to keep vigil for Star right away…”

I stared at the heart monitor as both lines went flat, then finally hung up the phone.

The Miller family had a long-standing favor owed by my family. When Margaret Miller begged me, in the name of that family debt, to marry Ethan despite his infertility, I agreed.

Every woman in the Brooks family had been known for her fertility, and I was the most gifted of all—able to give the Millers a pair of healthy fraternal twins in one birth.

But it wasn’t until after the wedding, when Ethan got drunk one night, that I learned the truth: I had never been more than a tool for him to carry on the family line. Chloe was the woman he truly cared about.

My phone kept lighting up with new messages:

“As long as you bring the kids, when you come back, I’ll take you to retake that family portrait.”

Once, that had been my greatest wish. Now it only felt like the cruelest mockery.

Today should have been the twins’ third birthday. After begging endlessly, Ethan had finally agreed to join us for a family portrait.

But when we got to the car, I saw Chloe already sitting in the passenger seat, clutching her dog.

“Sophia, every year Ethan and I take Star for a family portrait. This year we’re lucky to have you with us too!”

Not wanting to ruin the children’s joy, I got in with them.

But on the way, tragedy struck.

Remembering it now, my eyes blurred with tears again.

I cleaned and prepared my children’s little bodies, then, suppressing my grief, had them cremated.

In just two short days, they went from being warm, giggling little ones in my arms to nothing more than ashes, sealed in two tiny urns.

I held on to the urn with all my strength.

Now that my children were gone and the debt of gratitude had been repaid, I had no reason to stay any longer.

I returned to the Miller mansion, planning to pack up my children’s belongings.

But what I found shattered me—stains of yellow-brown liquid were smeared across their bedsheets.

Their favorite teddy bear had been ripped apart beyond recognition.

Suddenly, a dog darted out, barking at me ferociously.

Around its neck hung the medals my children had won in their swimming competitions.

“Sophia, we couldn’t reach you, so Ethan gave Star the medals to calm him down. Please don’t overthink it…”

Chloe Adams appeared, wearing my nightgown, and explained softly.

“As long as Star is fine, what are two medals worth?”

Ethan Miller came down the stairs, not sparing me a single glance.

He was still angry that I hadn’t answered his calls for days.

In the past, I would have rushed to explain, to beg for peace.

But not anymore. All I wanted now was to take my children’s belongings with me.

Staring at Star with those medals hanging from his neck, my vision burned with rage.

“Take them off and give them back to me!” I screamed.

“Sophia, don’t act like this, you’re scaring Star.”

Chloe quickly scooped the dog into her arms to comfort him.

“Why are you yelling so loudly?”

Seeing Chloe’s eyes fill with tears, Ethan immediately turned on me, scolding harshly:

“If you want the medals, then bring the kids back. Otherwise, forget it.”

“I used to think you were simple and innocent, but now you’re trying to use the children to manipulate me?”

But those two medals meant everything to my children.

They had trained relentlessly for those competitions, never daring to skip practice even when they were sick.

Once, one of them even cramped mid-swim and nearly drowned.

Because of their hard work and sacrifice, I couldn’t let those medals go.

Ethan paused when he saw the tears brimming in my eyes, my stubborn refusal to bow my head. His tone softened slightly.

“Fine. I know you’re just jealous and acting out. Forget the kids—you don’t need to bring them. These medals will stay with Star as his good-luck charm.”

“Good-luck charm?”

I tried to hold it back, but the tears spilled anyway.

“My children fought for those medals with their lives. And you’re giving them to this beast? As a charm?”

“Does he deserve that?”

Chloe’s face went pale, her eyes glistening with tears.

“I’m sorry, Sophia. It’s all my fault. I’ll take them off and give them back to you right now…

Just, please don’t be angry with Star. To me… he’s also like my child.”

“You’ve done nothing wrong! The one who should apologize is Sophia!”

Ethan cut her off, pulling her protectively into his arms.

I let out a bitter laugh.

My husband was embracing another woman, standing against me, and demanding that I apologize.

All these years, he had taken my silence and tolerance as a license to trample me.

I told myself not to be jealous, that I only held the position of Mrs. Miller by name.

At first, he had at least pretended to be considerate.

When Chloe came home late, she would bring me roses and offer excuses.

I trusted Ethan to handle things properly with her, and each time I reassured him not to worry.

But Ethan mistook my tolerance as greed—believing I only stayed because I wanted the Miller fortune.

So he grew bolder, more ruthless, humiliating me in front of others without hesitation.

He even pinned a post on his social media: “The one you love most should always be in the spotlight.”

And below, our mutual friends left their mocking comments and laughing reactions.

“Ethan really knows how to keep his wife in line—impressive!” someone remarked with mock admiration.

This time, I couldn’t help but speak up, but Ethan only sneered at me in return.

“It was just a joke,” he said coldly.

“Do you even realize your own worth? Who gave you the right to question me?”

So to him, a joke meant trampling my dignity under his feet.

Then came the sharp crunch—Star bit down on one of the medals, snapping it in half.

“No!” I cried out, my heart twisting in panic.

Seeing my expression change, Ethan raised his brows in smug triumph.

“If you care that much about those medals, then kneel down and beg the dog to give them back.”

I froze in humiliation, torn between rage and despair.

“Sophia can’t possibly kneel to Star,” Chloe interjected softly, though her eyes gleamed with calculation. “Maybe it’s better to let it go.”

Her words carried the air of someone already certain of victory.

“There’s only one medal left,” Ethan reminded me with a cruel smirk. “Hesitate any longer, and you’ll lose that one too.”

He gave a sharp chuckle, about to command Star to chew through the other medal.

“No… please…” I choked, before finally collapsing to my knees.

“Please, give me the medal back…” I forced the words out with unbearable shame.

When Ethan saw me actually kneeling, a fleeting trace of guilt flickered across his face.

“Let it go, Ethan. Sophia already knows she was wrong. Don’t make her bow her head again,” Chloe said gently, pulling him back into cold reason.

“No. If she doesn’t bow, how is that begging?” Ethan replied harshly.

Biting into the inside of my cheek, I lowered my head and struck it against the floor. Once, twice…

“Sophia, I’ll record a video as proof,” Chloe said sweetly, lifting her phone. “So no one can say we forced you. Everyone will see that you willingly kneeled and apologized to Star.”

At that moment, Star toppled off the sofa by accident. The last intact medal clattered to the floor and shattered into pieces.

“Never mind,” Chloe said carelessly, tossing the fragments at my feet. “Seems these medals can’t bring luck anyway. You can have them back.”

I stared at the broken pieces, my face pale, my body trembling.

My children were gone. And now even their medals were lost.

From my bag fell two things—the printed divorce papers, and the tiny urn holding their ashes.

Ethan snatched up the papers, scanning them briefly.

“You actually want to divorce me?” he said with a mocking laugh.

“Enough with the tantrums, Sophia. Do you really think I’ll tolerate this nonsense forever?”

With that, he tore the divorce papers into pieces and flung them at my face. He didn’t notice the flash of hatred that passed through Chloe’s eyes.

“What’s this? Some trinket you picked up?” Chloe sneered, picking up the urn and pretending to pry it open.

“No!” I lunged forward to grab it, but Ethan blocked my way.

“It’s just a worthless box. Let Star use it as a chew toy.”

Those words broke me. I exploded, screaming with every shred of pain inside me.

“That’s my children’s ashes! Give them back to me!”

Ethan froze, startled by my words.

“If you don’t believe me, call the hospital and check for yourself!” I shouted.

Seeing the raw truth in my face, he fumbled for his phone in panic, dialing in haste.

But Chloe’s teary voice interrupted.

“Sophia, you’re just angry I’ve taken Ethan’s attention, aren’t you? Fine, I’ll leave with Star right now. Just… please, don’t curse your own children anymore…”

Ethan stopped the call, his face twisting with fury, and struck me across the face with a brutal slap.

“You vile woman! For the sake of jealousy, you’d even dare to mention your children’s ashes?!”

Then he turned coldly to the guards.

“Lock her in the basement. Let her learn her lesson.”