My parents died in a plane crash when I was young, leaving me with no relatives. As a result, I became an orphan.

Roderick saw how vulnerable I was and supported me financially. Because of him, I had the opportunity to grow up with stability.

Our bond was like that of family. But when I turned 18, I realized I had developed feelings for him.

I knew, however, that we could never be together. So, I wrote my feelings down in my journal.

If Roderick had never seen it, I could have buried those feelings and kept them hidden forever. But he had found it.

In a fit of anger, he had ripped my journal apart. When he looked at me, his eyes were filled with disgust. "Savannah Lloyd, how could you feel that?" he had spat.

I had wanted to explain, but I hadn't known how. Ultimately, all I could do was apologize repeatedly, telling him that I shouldn't have feelings for him.

I hadn't understood why it was wrong to have feelings for Roderick. But if it had disgusted him that much, then maybe the fault was mine after all.

Even so, he hadn't let it go.

The next day, Roderick pulled me out of school. Before I could even understand what was happening, he had put me on a plane bound for another country.

He had also arranged for me to attend a university in a remote place. To make sure I had no contact with the outside world, he had hired bodyguards and housekeepers to keep watch over me around the clock.

At first, I couldn't understand why he had done this. It wasn't until two months later, when Roderick's wedding had hit the headlines, that everything became clear.

That was when I realized that, all these years, he had never gotten over his first love.

And so, Roderick gave Francesca the most extravagant wedding.

I watched that video countless times. In it, he looked at her with such tenderness as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. He had never looked at me that way.

At that moment, everything clicked. Roderick had only helped me because he felt sorry for me.

"Ms. Lloyd, please get in the car."

The voice of Curtis Moore, Roderick's assistant, jolted me back to the present.

With that, I picked Danny up and got into the car.

When Curtis saw him, a flicker of surprise crossed his face. "Ms. Lloyd, this is…"

"My son," I replied, gently brushing my fingers over Danny's chubby cheek and pulling him a little closer.

Curtis' eyes widened slightly upon hearing that, yet he didn't say anything further.

…

Curtis then drove us to the hotel where Roderick and Francesca had tied the knot six years ago.

Throughout their marriage, Roderick had spoiled her to no end. Whether it was her birthday or their anniversary, he always threw extravagant banquets.

This time, he had asked me to return. I figured it was to show me how successful Francesca had become, and to let me see how happy they were together. It was also an effort to make me give up on him for good.

As soon as I stepped out of the car, I saw Francesca waving at me.

In contrast to my pale, tired face, she looked every bit the pampered rich woman. Her expensive jewelry and clothes spoke volumes about Roderick's affection for her.

The moment Francesca saw Danny in my arms, her smile faltered.

She pointed at him with surprise and asked, "Sav, you had a baby overseas? Rick doesn't even know about it! I can't believe you kept this hidden so well!"

Before I could respond, Francesca started to tease Danny playfully. However, he didn't like strangers touching him and kept pulling away.

Seeing that, I quickly patted his back, trying to calm him.

The truth was, Francesca knew exactly how I felt about Roderick. But this time, I had no intention of engaging with either of them.

Francesca ignored Danny's discomfort and insisted on holding him.

As we approached the private room, Danny couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into tears.

I immediately reached for him. Francesca, on the other hand, forced a smile as she handed him back to me.

"Rick knows I'm afraid of pain," she stated. "Giving birth is tough, and he didn't want me to go through that. That's why we never had kids. Who would've thought that you had a son?"

As she spoke, she opened the door to the private room. Inside, several people were already seated.

I didn't feel like talking, so I made my way to the farthest corner of the room. But to my surprise, Francesca sat down right next to me.

Then, she wrapped her arm around my shoulder and enthusiastically introduced me and Danny to the others.

Unable to bear the awkward tension, I excused myself to go to the restroom.

When I returned, I overheard Francesca saying, "What do you mean she's a burden? Rick has been supporting Savannah for years. At this point, she's family.

"Besides, no one can change the fact that Rick's my husband. She was young and didn't know better. It's normal to have those feelings. But now, with a kid, I don't think there's anything left to worry about."

I stood by the door, listening quietly.

In the eyes of outsiders, I was the woman who had fallen for the man who could have been my uncle. To them, I was nothing but a freak, a woman who had disregarded moral boundaries.

At that moment, Danny tugged at my hand anxiously. I kissed him, and despite everything, walked back into the private room.

Now that those things were behind me, I should just face them calmly.

I didn't know how much time had passed. But suddenly, the door to the private room swung open.

"Mr. Campbell!"

Without hesitation, everyone in the room rushed forward to greet Roderick. I stayed in my seat, quietly listening to the exchange of pleasantries.

After a long while, I slowly lifted my head and looked at him. He hadn't changed much.

Dressed in an expensive suit, Roderick stood with Francesca clinging to his arm. There was nothing but warmth in the way they looked at each other.

With a crowd gathering around him, he didn't notice me sitting in the corner.

Even after all these years, Roderick was still the center of attention. He had a presence that drew every eye the moment he entered a room.

The only one who hadn't fared well in life was me.

Out of nowhere, Francesca beamed and gestured toward me. "Rick, Sav's here! You two haven't seen each other in years. You should catch up. Oh, and she brought a little surprise too."

Roderick showed no particular reaction to the word "surprise". Instead, he calmly ordered Francesca's favorite foie gras. Only then did he finally look at me.

Meanwhile, Danny tugged nervously at the hem of my shirt, clearly on edge.

It was obvious that Roderick saw him too. For a moment, his indifferent expression faltered and turned to shock.

"What's going on, Savannah?"

He was asking about Danny. I had never mentioned Danny to any of them. So, seeing me walk in with a child had clearly caught everyone off guard.

Their expression mirrored one another's. It was a mix of surprise and concealed amusement.

Then, Francesca introduced Danny with a smile. "Rick, this is Savannah's son. Isn't he adorable? He looks just like her. And he's not that young either."

Roderick's gaze shifted between Danny and me. A beat later, his eyes locked on mine and stayed there.

I thought he might ignore me altogether, but then he spoke up in a hoarse voice. "I wasn't expecting this. You've been abroad for a few years, and now you're married with a kid?"

I lifted my head and looked him straight in the eye. "I've been married for a while now. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

The room instantly fell silent. No one said a single word as Roderick stared at me, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes.

Just as Francesca was about to say something, he stepped toward me and asked, "Where's your husband?"

I dropped my gaze before answering, "He had work, so he couldn't make it."

The room immediately buzzed with whispers, followed by soft, stifled laughter. Nevertheless, no one dared go too far. At least, not with Roderick there.

"And he just let you travel all this way alone? Doesn't he care that something might happen to you?" he questioned, his expression darkening.

A bitter smile crept across my face as I replied, "I once flew to another country alone, and no one cared what would happen to me then. I'm a grown woman now. I think I'll manage just fine."

Roderick had sent me away once. I had never flown before, let alone gone to somewhere so far away.

Everything had been unfamiliar and overwhelming. I was terrified, unable to speak the language. Yet, he hadn't cared.

At that moment, Roderick's gaze grew colder.

…

I barely touched my food during the meal. I felt tense and out of place.

Everyone kept flattering Roderick, gushing over how perfect he and Francesca were together. But all I could think about was getting Danny out of there and letting him rest.

If I could rent a small place here and get a job, Danny and I would be okay. I had no plans of going back overseas, after all.

The moment the meal ended, I got up to leave with Danny. However, Roderick stopped me with Francesca standing beside him.

With a sharp look and a voice devoid of warmth, he warned, "Savannah, we're both married now. I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of my life."

Francesca leaned against him, smiling. "She won't do anything, Rick. She's a mom now. She knows better."

They looked like the perfect couple. And I was just the outsider who didn't belong.

No matter what I said, they'd never believe me. So, I nodded and replied, "You won't hear from me again."