Marcella spent seven years and gave up a kidney just to make Grady Walquist turn back and look at her.

But his ex-girlfriend only needed seven days to win his heart all over again.

“Don’t be so greedy, Marcella. And don’t you dare compare yourself to Zeth!”

Even the son she cherished like a lifeline made a birthday wish. “I hope Aunt Zeth can be my new mom.”

Under the candlelight, Grady’s gaze was hazy as he kissed Zeth Beckinsale.

Quietly, Marcella walked out of the home she had painstakingly built and sent a confirmation message to a classified organization deep in a remote, deserted area.

[I’m willing to give up everything and join the mission of the organization. From now on, my life belongs to my country.]

——

Marcella spent the entire night by the river, letting the evening wind blow against her.

She couldn’t understand how her life had turned out this way.

When did it start?

Was it when Grady agreed to marry her?

Was it when she donated a kidney for him without hesitation?

Or was it when she gave up her career to stay home and take care of Seth?

Marcella’s mother had been a maid for the Walquists. Marcella had practically grown up with Grady, and from the very beginning, her heart had belonged to him.

But she always knew—there was an unbridgeable gap between them, one she could never cross in this lifetime.

And his ex-girlfriend Zeth had always been by his side.

To everyone else, they were a match made in heaven. It was only a matter of time before they got married.

But one day, Grady got into a car accident and suffered severe organ damage.

That was when everything changed.

While Grady lay in a coma, Zeth left the country.

The Walquists were furious but powerless, desperately searching for a compatible kidney donor.

Whether it was Zeth’s luck or misfortune, Marcella was a match.

She still remembered that afternoon when Henrietta, Grady’s mother, cried in front of their maid’s daughter for the first time, begging Marcella to save Grady.

Seeing Marcella not saying anything, the older woman even made a promise.

“I know you’ve always loved Grady. Dear, if you want, once he recovers, I will make sure you two get married!”

But what Henrietta didn’t know was that in those moments of silence, Marcella had no intention of using her organ to bargain.

She was simply happy—happy that she could save the man she loved.

Grady was silent for an entire month after waking up and learning about his girlfriend's departure.

He also ignored Marcella’s visits, acting as if she didn’t exist.

Everyone assumed he had agreed to be with her because she had forced him into it.

But what they didn’t know was that he was the one who brought it up first.

“At worst, just give her family some money. No need to marry her—I was just talking nonsense!

“Does she even know her own status? How could she have the guts to actually expect you to marry her?”

Henrietta’s voice came from inside the hospital room just as Marcella arrived, holding the soup her mother had just made.

Marcella had never thought of forcing Grady to marry her.

But hearing those words still made her heart clench in pain.

She could only act like nothing had happened as she walked into the room.

Before she could even set the soup down, Grady grabbed her wrist.

“Let’s get married. Do you want to?”

His words came so suddenly that even his mother was caught off guard.

Marcella knew she would never be accepted.

But when she saw the gentleness in Grady’s eyes at that moment…

She hesitated.

‘Just this once. Let me be selfish just this once.’

That thought filled her mind as she met his gaze and nodded.

But she never expected that after seven years, everything would turn out to be nothing but a fantasy.

For seven years, Marcella and Grady treated each other with nothing but respect.

She always left a light on for him when he came home late, and when she was sick, he stayed by her bedside.

He even shed tears in front of her for the first time when their son Seth was born.

Marcella had thought that maybe, just maybe, Grady had feelings for her too.

But Zeth’s arrival finally made Marcella realize—it had all been a fantasy.

Grady’s heart had always belonged to Zeth.

With a ding, Marcella’s phone vibrated with a new message, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Even though she had mentally prepared herself, her heart still clenched when she saw the organization’s exact instructions.

[Mrs. Walquist, first of all, we appreciate your dedication. For security reasons, we will be relocating you to an uninhabited area in the country. Your identity will be erased—Marcella Westerman-Walquist will cease to exist in this world. Please be informed, too, that you will not be allowed to leave for the next 10 years.]

[Please consider this carefully before confirming.]

She clenched her fists, recalling the conversation she overheard outside the villa earlier that night.

Then, exhaling slowly, she let it go.

[I confirm.]

By the time she returned home, it was already early morning.

But the moment she opened the door, she noticed something—Zeth’s shoes were still at the entrance.

‘She… stayed the night? Which room did she sleep in?’

Just as the thought crossed Marcella’s mind, Grady stepped out of the master bedroom.

The second he saw her standing at the door, his eyes flickered toward the bedroom—his expression tense and unnatural.

Before she could even question him, he was already throwing accusations her way.

“Where were you last night? Did you forget it was Seth’s birthday? Seriously, Marcella, I don’t know what kind of mother you think you are!”

His brows furrowed tightly as if surprised his wife wasn’t immediately apologizing.

After all, in the past, no matter what he said—right or wrong—she was always the first to say sorry.

But now—now that she had finally seen things for what they were—his words only filled her with bitter amusement.

Without a word, she moved to push past him, heading straight for the bedroom—she had to see it with her own eyes.

But the moment her fingers touched the doorknob, Grady lunged forward and yanked her back, shoving her away.

With a bang, her back slammed against the edge of the table, a sharp pain shooting through her spine.

The force was enough to leave her struggling to straighten up.

Grady hadn’t expected her to lose her balance. He instinctively reached out to steady her, but she jerked away.

“Tch! This is why I keep telling you—you need to work out more. I barely pushed—”

“—Dee, I’m done taking a shower!”

Before he could finish speaking, the bedroom door swung open from the inside.

A sweet and delicate voice reached Marcella’s ears.

‘Zeth’s!’

“What? What exactly are you trying to hide from me?”

Marcella pointed a trembling finger at Zeth’s face.

Even though she had already decided to let go of her husband, Marcella still couldn’t stop the ache in her chest.

How could Grady let Zeth wear her nightgown?

How could he let her sleep on their bed?

“O-Oh. Marcella, you’re getting the wrong idea. I just borrowed the master bathroom. Guys, please don’t fight because of me. I’ll leave right away. I’m sorry. I—”

Before she could finish, Grady cut her off sharply. “What are you apologizing for? There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

He turned to Marcella, his gaze full of reproach and frustration.

Over his shoulder, Marcella saw Zeth’s tearful eyes, her lips quivering as if she were on the verge of breaking down.

A fragile and pitiful sight—painting Marcella as the villain.

But she had seen it already.

Just moments ago, when Zeth hid behind Grady, Marcella had caught that fleeting look in her husband’s ex’s eyes—smug and taunting.

No one knew what Grady said to Zeth, but she suddenly burst into laughter.

She even glanced in Marcella’s direction.

A wave of helplessness rose from the soles of Marcella’s feet. For the first time, she felt that the past seven years of her life had been utterly meaningless.

She averted her gaze from the ‘ex-lovers’ and was about to walk around the two and return to her room when a small hand grabbed her.

Before she could see Seth’s face clearly, she heard his reprimanding voice.

“You’re not allowed to go in until you apologize to Aunt Zeth!”

Seth shoved past his mother and ran to Zeth’s side, naturally wrapping his little arms around her waist.

When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with such intense disgust for Marcella that it was nearly overflowing.

“I was using the bathroom just now! That’s why Aunt Zeth went to the master bedroom’s bathroom instead! You barged in yelling without knowing the situation! What if you scared Aunt Zeth? You gotta apologize!”

Marcella stared at Seth’s aggressive stance, her hand clutching her lower back trembling uncontrollably.

She never imagined that the child she had painstakingly given birth to would one day turn against her.

It had only been seven days, and Seth was already desperate for Zeth to become his new mother.

Marcella closed her eyes, forcing back the tears welling up in them.

When she opened her eyes again, her gaze toward Seth was completely indifferent.

“Mind your own business. It’s not your place to tell me what to do.”

Seth hadn’t expected his mother to scold him like that, leaving him completely stunned.

Even Grady was taken aback. He felt that something about the Marcella before him was different.

But that feeling was quickly pushed aside, replaced by even greater dissatisfaction.

“Marcella! What’s wrong with you? Seth is just a kid!”

“So what? He’s not my son?”

With just one sentence, Marcella shut Grady up. Seth, too, widened his eyes and stared at her in shock.

Before Grady could respond, Marcella took a step forward.

With a bang, she shut the bedroom door, locking all three of them outside.

Through the door, she could still hear Seth’s choked and tearful voice.

“Aunt Zeth, when can you stay here forever and be my mom?”

‘Oh, perfect! I don’t want to be your mom anymore either!’

Marcella thought bitterly, but as she turned her head, her eyes caught sight of a few strands of red hair on her pillow.

The same color as Zeth’s.

Marcella’s gaze drifted to the messy bed sheets and the trash bin, where used tissues wrapped around discarded condoms lay in plain sight.

It was then that she collapsed onto the bed, drained of all strength.

The moment the memories of last night flooded her mind, her stomach lurched.

She barely had time to react before she threw up all over the floor.

‘So it’s not just Grady who’s been lying to me, huh?! Even my own son knows everything but plays dumb to deceive me!’

Hearing the sound, Grady hurried in, his face filled with concern that didn’t seem fake.

But as soon as his hand reached out to her, Marcella flinched away.

“You’re like this, and you’re still being stubborn…”

Grady trailed off, momentarily stunned when he met Marcella’s icy gaze.

He had never seen her like this before.

For the first time, a strange sense of panic crept into his heart.

Before he could think any further, the sound of shattering glass echoed from the living room.

Seth rushed into the bedroom, his brows tightly furrowed.

Grabbing his father’s hand, the boy tugged anxiously.

“Dad, Aunt Zeth burned her hand! Come and check on her!”

From beginning to end, Seth never once checked on his mother.

He even covered his nose in disgust as he stood near Marcella.