Remembering everything from that day feels like being thrown into an ice cave—my breath caught, my chest tightening until it hurts to breathe.

I'm going to be divorced soon.

That thought kept crashing through my mind, over and over again, as if forcing me to stay awake... to stay sane.

Soon, whoever Sebastian wanted to sleep with, he could sleep with. Whoever he wanted to protect, coax, or spoil... None of it would have anything to do with me anymore.

My fingers trembled as I covered my eyes.

The biggest mistake of my life wasn't marrying a man who never loved me—it was destroying myself for him. Draining every last bit of my strength to prove something he never cared to see. Grinding my bones down until there was nothing left.

Aggrieved, hollow, ashamed—each emotion pricked my heart like a hundred needles.

Tears blurred my vision as I knelt down and began packing Jacob's things.

His tiny jacket, his little socks. The milk bottle he used to bite on. The messy little cards he drew with his crayons...

Each item I placed in the box felt like carving a piece of flesh out of my own body.

"Mommy... Jacob likes Mommy the most... Mommy should smile more, okay?" His soft little voice still echoed in my ears.

He couldn't even form full sentences back then, yet right before surgery, he would wipe my tears with his warm little hands, comforting me with his clumsy words.

"Mommy don't cry... baby not pain... Mommy hug..."

But that sweet, sensible child—he would never walk out of that operating room again. Never run into my arms again.

How could Sebastian be so cruel? How could he bear to let our child die alone?

Jacob could have lived!

Just a little more—if only the bone marrow that belonged to him hadn't been stolen…

I cover my mouth, choking on a sob as pain tears through my chest.

Just as I wiped away my tears, the bedroom door suddenly clicked open. I snapped the suitcase shut and quickly wiped my face.

Sebastian steps in, taking off his coat. His brows knitted as he looked at me. "Wife, what are you doing?"

I forced my stiff lips into a smile. "Didn't you say... you weren't coming back tonight? I'm just clearing out some old things."

Before my voice even faded, a sharp, coquettish voice cut in, "Oh my, President Mitchell, even with your wife at home, the place still looks so messy?"

Sabrina strutted in on high heels, her gaze sweeping over me like a scanning beam, slow and mocking.

Then she brushed past me casually, as if this were her house.

A beat later, she let out a high-pitched shriek of surprise. "President Mitchell! I didn't know you had something so cute at home!"

She lunged toward the giant teddy bear in the corner—the one I hand-stitched while pregnant with Jacob. The one that accompanied him through countless painful nights.

Her movement was too rough; her shoulder knocked straight into the photo frame beside the door—the one containing the only family photo we had.

Crack!

As glass shattered across the floor, my heart shattered with it.

It was the only wedding photo we had taken after Jacob was born. He stood between us in a tiny suit, smiling with innocent joy.

That day, Sebastian held my hand and promised he would protect me and our child.

It was the only thing we had that felt remotely meaningful.

And now it lay broken on the floor—just like this family.

Sabrina gasped dramatically, covering her mouth. "Ah! Madam won't be mad, right? I didn't mean to... If you feel bad, I can pay—"

She didn't even finish before Sebastian rushed to her side, grabbing her arm and checking her for injuries.

"Are you hurt? Did you bump yourself? Be careful."

Only when he confirmed she was fine did he exhale in relief. His voice softened, so tender it felt foreign. "As long as you're fine, that's alright. It's just a piece of paper. Why would you compensate?"

I stare at the shattered pieces on the floor, my chest tightening painfully.

So in his eyes... those days, those memories...were nothing more than a worthless piece of paper.

Clenching my fist, I steadied my voice. "It's fine. If it's broken, it's broken."

Sebastian paused—clearly not expecting me to be so "sensible."

Sabrina blinked, displeasure flashing in her eyes, apparently displeased that I didn't fall into her trap. She had been expecting me to explode.

But no matter how much I cared about that photo, more than anything... I wanted to claw out the bone marrow inside her. The marrow that should have saved my son. However, I knew that was impossible.

With a sugary smile hiding sharp edges, she said, "President Mitchell, did you forget to tell your wife why I'm here?"

Her "reminder" jogged his memory. He turned to me, speaking as if it were natural, logical, unquestionable. "Lorelei, clear out Jacob's room. Sabrina fought with her family and has nowhere to stay. She's my secretary—I can't just throw her out. She'll temporarily stay in Jacob's room."

My nails dug deep into my palms, sharp enough to break skin. The pain made my fingers tremble, yet it still wasn't as suffocating as the weight crushing my heart.

Sebastian had always wanted to clear out Jacob's room as soon as possible, saying it hurt him to look at it.

But I stopped him, again and again.

Because that room... was the last trace of our son's life—the only place in this house where I could still feel him.

But now, even that final piece of him is being casually erased by others.

Sebastian clearly expected me to argue with him like before, to fight tooth and nail to keep our child's room intact. He was already bracing himself.

But instead, as if I had become someone completely different, I simply nodded and said calmly, "Alright. I was planning to tidy up anyway. I might as well clear everything out."

Only by severing every memory in that room can I leave this "home" I've been guarding with my whole heart—without looking back.

The moment I said that, Sebastian froze, as if all his prepared arguments had nowhere to go.

Sabrina immediately chimed in, voice dripping with sweetness. "Madam is really so considerate. I was afraid I'd trouble you."

I didn't even bother looking at her. I just moved faster, my breaths turning cold and hollow.

One by one, I folded Jacob's drawings, his toys, his tiny shoes. I held each item to my chest, as if I were holding a child I would never get back.

By the time I closed the lid on the last box, my chest felt empty, carved clean.

I forced myself to lift the suitcase and dragged it toward the door.

My vision blurred.

My steps faltered.

Crack.

The dull, sickening sound of glass piercing flesh echoed sharply in my ears.

Agonizing pain shot up from my foot like electricity.

My knees buckled, my whole body trembling from spine to fingertips. Tears spilled before I could stop them.

I clung to the doorframe, cold sweat sliding down my neck.

But upstairs, Sebastian and Sabrina's laughter floated down effortlessly.

"The light on this balcony is great."

"President Mitchell, your study is so spacious..."

His study—the place where he snapped at me every time I stepped inside.

So someone else could waltz in effortlessly, welcomed, and praised.

As long as it wasn't me, it seemed even a woman who looked nothing like my sister—nothing like his past—could easily earn his gentleness, his attention, his preference.

My vision turned hazy.

Only when my blood had soaked half the floor did I drag the box to the living room and sit down. I dabbed at my wound with tissues, each touch painful enough to shake my hand.

A while later, Sebastian finally came downstairs.

His gaze swept through the now-emptied child's room. His brows knitted.

"Why did you clear it out so thoroughly?"

As if he found the emptiness... strange and unsettling.

I lowered my head. "You said it was an eyesore."

He paused but didn't respond to that. Instead, he said, "Later, go buy a new bedding set and cushions. Sabrina is a pampered young lady—not like you. She can't sleep on the things you buy."

Blood was literally pooling beneath my feet, yet he didn't spare me even a glance.

In his eyes, I never deserved the best. But Sabrina... by simply standing beside him—deserved everything.

I silently applied medicine, ignoring him. My silence made Sebastian finally sense something was off.

He stared at me for a long time before speaking, "Why aren't you responding? Oh right—I forgot to tell you. The day after tomorrow, come with me to a fragrance gala."

I didn't want to go.

Before I could even respond, he snapped at me coldly. "You're my wife. If you don't attend, you'll embarrass me. People will start speculating about our marriage. How am I supposed to explain that?"

On hearing that, I swallowed every refusal.

Fine.

I'll treat it as the last occasion I attend as his wife before the divorce—

a beginning and an end.

Besides, I need to find a reliable partner for the future. I can't just bring back anyone to meet my father.

On the day of the banquet, the wound on my foot had barely scabbed over. Every step felt like my shoe was slicing into the flesh again.

Meanwhile, Sebastian and Sabrina walked ahead, hand in hand, their steps brisk and light—never once slowing down for me.

Watching their backs felt like watching seven years of my own stupidity.

The banquet hall glowed under warm lights. Perfumers and collectors from major fragrance families mingled.

Someone spotted Sebastian from afar and approached cheerfully. "President Mitchell, long time no see."

Then the man's gaze shifted toward Sabrina. His smile brightened. "And this must be Mrs. Mitchell? Her taste is exquisite—and what a beautiful presence."

He was a senior expert in the industry, known for sharp accuracy.

Sebastian hesitated, not correcting him immediately.

Sabrina's cheeks turned beet-red. "Oh no, I'm just President Mitchell's secretary. How could I be the Madam..."

The man blinked. "Secretary? But the scent you're wearing—cold wood base with a hint of clean leather and the faintest soap note... This ratio is extremely rare."

He clicked his tongue appreciatively. "This fragrance is gentle, clean, yet carries a subtle, falling-in-love warmth. Very romantic. Didn't President Mitchell create it as a personal blend for his wife?"

Only then did his gaze land on me.

He sniffed lightly, then raised his brows, "Don't tell me that cheap roadside perfume clinging to this lady... is something President Mitchell created?"

Facing the senior perfumer's half-joking question, Sebastian simply smiled.

"The scent on my secretary is one of my blends. A practice piece I'm pretty satisfied with."

He didn't mention the perfume on me at all. Perhaps he was afraid that others would think he had terrible taste.

I lowered my gaze, forcing a weak smile.

Back then, for my sister, Sebastian stayed up three nights straight, creating the first perfume of his life just for her.

That perfume held the softest part of him, the pure devotion of his youth.

My sister had held that bottle like a priceless treasure. She even sprayed some on my wrist, grinning brightly. "Sis, smell it! Isn't it lovely? My boyfriend made it just for me!"

I smiled and said yes, it was lovely, and yes, I envied her.

But the truth was—I never envied the perfume. I envied the position of being cherished, chosen, held tenderly in someone's palm.

And me?

It wasn't until our fourth year of marriage that Sebastian finally gave me a "perfume."

For an event like tonight, I couldn't possibly show up wearing nothing. So I had carefully taken out that bottle—the only one I felt presentable—and checked the scent over and over before coming.

Who would've thought... The perfume he gave me was a cheap roadside knockoff.

Absurd. Ridiculous.

The wife of a renowned master perfumer... wearing a perfume that smelled like fifty cents at a street corner.

While his secretary wore a fragrance handcrafted with devotion and romance.

Sebastian didn't spare me a glance, nor did he notice my expression. Soon, he and Sabrina were immersed in business matters I had never been allowed to touch.

He was the one who insisted I accompany him—yet at this moment, I was nothing but a decorative vase left in the corner.

And Sabrina, with her effortless grace, looked more like his wife than I ever did.

The crowd buzzed with conversation and lights, but dizziness overwhelmed me. My stomach churned violently.

I hurried to the restroom, gripping the sink as my breaths came fast—like someone drowning, desperately gasping for air.

This pregnancy was hitting harder than the first.

Maybe this child also sensed that neither of his parents wanted him.

When I finally calmed down, I splashed cold water on my face and turned to leave—but froze the moment I stepped into the hallway.

A small boy, maybe three or four, stumbled across the carpet and ran forward.

"Daddy!"

Sebastian paused—then opened his arms.

The boy threw himself into his chest, giggling sweetly. "Daddy, hug!"

Sabrina followed beside them, smiling as she straightened the boy's collar. "Don't make trouble. Daddy still has work."

Sebastian crouched down, gently smoothing the boy's hair. His voice was soft. "Alright, no fussing. Why did you come find Daddy today?"

The child pouted adorably. "I missed you, Daddy."

I stood frozen. Something lodged painfully in my throat.

The "baby" Sabrina mentioned earlier... I didn't think much of it. I thought she meant a future child.

I never imagined... They already had one.

And he was three or four years old.

Which meant—back when Jacob was at his worst... Back when I was kneeling outside hospital doors, begging doctors, crying myself hoarse every night holding my dying child—Sabrina had been pregnant with Sebastian's baby, close to delivery.

While I drowned in grief over my son's death, Sebastian had already welcomed a new heir.

And to protect that child's inheritance, he had drugged me.

Cold spread down my spine, heavy and suffocating.

He lifted the boy onto his shoulders, making him laugh gleefully. The child's legs kicked in excitement as he patted his father's hair.

It was warm, and soft. A picture-perfect moment.

But to me, it was blinding.

Jacob used to want nothing more than a hug from his father.

But Sebastian only frowned. "Boys shouldn't cling so much."

He couldn't even spare five minutes of patience. To him, Jacob had been nothing but a sick burden.

But this child—this child was his treasured jewel.

My tears spilled before I could wipe them away.

I hadn't even processed the scene when a hand yanked me backward—vicious, forceful.

"Well, well. Where'd this pretty thing come from? Crying so sweetly. Come play with me."

A drunken man dragged me into the restroom, reeking of alcohol, his arm clamping around my waist.

"Let me go!" My voice shook with fear, but my cries were swallowed by the distant laughter in the corridor.

"Sebastian... Sebastian, help me!"

Even now—even now, my instinct was to call for him.

I saw his broad back pause for half a second. But then he simply smiled and continued teasing the child.

"Help me... please..." My voice cracked, drowning in desperation.

A filthy hand clamped over my mouth.

Not far away, Sabrina glanced back at me.

She smiled. Then turned away, ignoring me completely as she walked off with Sebastian.

I struggled wildly—digging my nails into the drunkard's skin, kicking, thrashing—but he was too strong.

"That's what you get for offending someone," he slurred, fingers reaching for my skirt.

I could smell the nauseating alcohol against my collarbone.

Just as I prepared to fight to the death...

"Get your hands off her! Do you know where you are?!"

A cold, furious voice cut through the air.

The next second, the man was yanked away from me and slammed against the wall.

A tall man stood before me—sharp features, pale skin like porcelain, eyes blazing with anger. "Are you alright?"

My legs gave out.

I collapsed to the floor, breath shaking uncontrollably as tears streamed down my face.

I opened my mouth, but no sound came. I could only tremble and shake my head.

He didn't ask more.

He simply removed his coat, placed it underneath me, and handed me a clean handkerchief.

"The lounge is next door. I'll help you there."

He nearly carried me inside.

After the door closed, he didn't stay.

He left me alone—giving me space to breathe.

I buried my face in the handkerchief he left behind, and sobbed until my chest hurt.

Not only did Sebastian have a new family... He could be so gentle with someone else's child.

If Jacob had lived, would he also have wished... to be held high like that?

The thought crushed me. My chest ached until I could barely breathe.

And remembering what the drunkard said, I realized—Sabrina ignoring me wasn't an accident.

She arranged this. She wanted to ruin me.

Just then, my phone vibrated, and a message from the assistant flashed on the screen.

[Miss, the abortion surgery has been scheduled. You can come anytime.]

My fingers trembled around the device.

I touched my stomach—there was still a life inside me. But I could no longer carry anything tied to Sebastian.

I stood up, wiped my tears, and clenched the handkerchief tightly.

No more looking back.

I left the hall, called a car, and went straight to the hospital.

Outside the operating room, the doctor confirmed again. "After this procedure, your body... may not be able to conceive again. You must be absolutely sure."

I closed my eyes.

My voice was soft—but firm. "I won't regret it."