Niel’s voice traveled into my ears along with the wind and dragged me out of my memories. “Does your boss treat you so badly that he won’t even buy you a jacket?”

I spared him a look but refused to talk to him.

Just then, Cloud tugged at his shirt. “Niel, since Yelena’s living such a horrible life now, shouldn’t we help her?”

She looked at me as if she found my entire situation regretful. But I did not miss the scorn in her eyes.

Niel raised an eyebrow in amusement and smirked. “Yelena, as long as you apologize, I’ll marry you.”

When those words came out of Niel’s lips again, I gave him a mocking look. “It’s been three years, and you still haven’t married Cloud?”

She had been looking all pitiful, but after what I said, she immediately started crying.

Iris rolled her eyes at her and grabbed my hand again. “Yelena, I won’t let any random person join the Stalner family,” she said earnestly.

Cloud choked in response, and her face turned even paler.

She cast a pleading look at Niel, but he did not respond.

So, she wore a tragic smile instead.

“Yelena, don’t be a nanny anymore. Get back with Niel. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

Niel’s expression changed, and he suddenly yanked my arm.

“Yelena, why must you insist on making Cloud sad? I already told you that I would marry you. What else do you want? Why are you putting her on the spot?!”

His questions made me look at him in surprise.

Before I could retort, Michael started bawling.

I quickly picked him up and patted his back with familiar motions as I looked at him lovingly.

Iris suddenly asked, “Yelena, is that really your son?”

She was a mother too, so she knew how mothers treated their children.

I smiled at her and nodded.

Niel just scoffed. “Mom, are you senile? Yelena is clearly someone’s nanny.

“When she ran away, she was diagnosed with severe depression.

“Besides, Lewis Corporation is an empty shell now. How can she still think about marriage?”

I did not want to talk to Niel. Whatever his thoughts were, they were not important to me.

Iris ignored him too. Instead, she looked at me with a mix of pity and other complex emotions.

After I calmed Michael down, I put him back in the stroller. Then, I bade Iris farewell and attempted to leave.

However, Niel grabbed me again. “Yelena, I said that I would marry you. What else do you want?

“I’m pulling you out of the dumps and making such a huge sacrifice for you. You should be grateful to me.”

I squashed my anger but still sneered at him. “You’re going to marry me? What about your Cloud?”

Cloud gave Niel a hopeful look and treated him as her savior.

Yet, he simply cast her a deep look before he sighed. “I told you many times before that Cloud… is just my sister.”

His words made her tear up, and ruthlessness flashed in her eyes.

She had finally managed to wear down Niel’s defenses. But Yelena just had to come back and cause him to start hesitating again.

At the sight of her losing her composure, his heart was filled with pity. “But after we get married, you have to treat Cloud better. No matter what, she’s our sister,” he immediately said.

I scoffed and replied, “You don’t have to worry about me. You can start treating Cloud nicely now. Then again, that’s exactly what you’ve been doing over the past twenty years or so.”

While I was dating Niel, he would always prioritize Cloud.

A memory in particular stood out: It was his twenty-fifth birthday.

I had gone shopping with my best friend for an entire day before picking out the best watch for him.

When I went to our date with the gift, I found Cloud with him.

Forcing a smile, I said, “Niel, didn’t we agree that we were going to be the only ones celebrating your birthday?”

Cloud immediately started crying. “Should I just go back, Niel?”

Even as she said that, she did not attempt to get up. She just kept crying.

Niel scowled at me. “I can have whoever I want celebrating my birthday! It’s none of your business! If you don’t like it, leave!”

I froze up and tightened my grip on the gift.

Although I saw the smugness in Cloud’s eyes through my peripheral vision, I could not do a thing about it.

I loved Niel too much and did not want to miss out on celebrating his birthday. So, I shamelessly sat down next to Cloud.

Niel and Cloud acted really affectionately with each other. It was as if they were the couple there.

They talked about the anime she loved, and I could not join in the conversation at all.

While Cloud drank her juice, I took out the gift I had prepared.

I then handed the watch to Niel. “Happy birthday.”

Before he could even look at it, she snatched it away. “Let me see!”

Not caring that it was for Niel, she put it on and started admiring it. “It looks so nice.”

“Have it, then,” Niel said coolly. He seemed completely unbothered.

I maintained my stiff smile and said, “That’s my gift for you.”

Niel just cast me a glance. “What about it? Cloud likes it, so let her have it. You’re about to become her sister-in-law. Are you saying you can’t even give up on a watch?”

…

“Yelena, I’m asking you a question! When did you become like this?”

Niel’s voice dragged me out of memory lane once again.

I thought that our connection ended after the engagement party. To think that the world would be so small…

I looked at him. “Neil, there’s nothing between us anymore. Mind your manners.”

Cloud held his hand in pity. “Calm down, Niel. I’ll make Yelena apologize to you!”

She must have lost her mind because she suddenly rushed over and shouted, “Apologize!”

She tried to grab my shirt, but I avoided her.

However, she was actually targeting the stroller. When my guard was down, she snatched it.

“Wah!” Michael immediately started crying.

I shoved her away and held my son as his cries made my heart hurt.

He grew up pampered and had never been mistreated this badly before.

“Ah!” Cloud cried out and fell to the ground.

I looked over with a scowl and saw that Niel was already checking on her “injured” knee.

There was not even a single scratch on it, but she was already crying.

Iris could not bear watching this any longer and mocked her, “Your cut healed up so quickly.”

Niel hurried over to me and yanked at my arm so harshly that I nearly fell over with Michael.

“Apologize to Yelena now!”

Just as I was about to yell right back, I heard a familiar voice.

“Who’s apologizing to who now?”

…

I turned and saw Saul walking over. Despite the scholarly air about him, it did not hide the ferocity in his eyes.

Behind him was a Lincoln limousine, and beside him were a dozen security guards in suits.

Before everyone’s gazes, Saul walked right up to me and hugged me.

With a fake smile, he looked at Niel and repeated, “Well? Who’s apologizing to who now?”