During childbirth, Emery had suffered an amniotic fluid embolism, narrowly escaping death after a full blood transfusion. At that time, Elliot had stayed awake for three days, terrified that even the briefest moment of sleep could mean losing her. Once he was sure she was out of danger, he collapsed in exhaustion, as if he'd escaped a disaster.

Later, in a drunken haze, Elliot confessed, "If I had known the risks, I would have rather you never had children. That was the first time I truly understood regret."

But Emery never regretted it, not even for a second. Jaxon was the living proof of her love with Elliot.

When Jaxon was three, he had promised that he would take care of her, side by side with Elliot, when he grew up. With the boundless love of both father and son, how could she have ever felt regret?

Now, looking back, it all felt like a cruel joke.

She had long sensed the growing distance between Elliot and Calla.

Calla was a student she had helped and after graduating, she joined the Carter Family's Oakridge Group.

At first, Emery didn’t give it much thought. She had sponsored many students over the years and several, like Calla, had gone on to work at Oakridge.

But as Elliot came home later and later and the familiar scent of Calla’s gardenia perfume lingered on him more often, something began to stir in her gut.

When the truth finally hit, that Elliot was having an affair, Emery was shattered. At that moment, she brought up divorce for the first time.

If even the love they had shared so deeply could be betrayed, what else was there to hold onto? A dog who pledged loyalty to anyone wasn’t worth keeping.

But Elliot refused. He shoved her against the desk, his touch unnervingly intimate, his words cold.

“Calla won’t take your place as Mrs. Carter. You’re not a little girl anymore, do you still believe in fairy tales? You’ve been with the family since you were young. If we divorce, where would you go?”

“And Jaxon... He’s finally getting a heart. Can’t you see the timing? Must you be so selfish now?”

For Jaxon’s sake, Emery swallowed the sharp pain, letting it settle in her throat like a bone that couldn’t be dislodged, too painful to swallow, too stubborn to spit out. She continued playing the part of the loving wife to Elliot, even as the weight of her heartache grew heavier with each passing day.

Her sacrifices, however, led to nothing but more heartache, like the photo in Jaxon’s cherished diary, a snapshot of him, Elliot and Calla smiling too closely together.

The diary entries only deepened the wound, chronicling their “happy” moments as a family of three.

“Today, Dad introduced me to an auntie named Calla. Auntie Calla is so much fun! She played with me all day and took me to a night market. She even lets me eat street food, unlike Mom.”

Emery remembered that day well. After their trip to the market, Jaxon fell ill with gastroenteritis and a high fever that lasted three days. Neither father nor son mentioned the truth to her; she assumed it was just a reaction to his condition and stayed by his side without question.

By the time his fever broke, she had lost weight from the stress, but Jaxon was better and that was all that mattered.

“Auntie Calla let me skip my least favorite piano class and even bought me a new gaming console. She said I could come over anytime to play.”

“Today is Auntie Calla’s birthday. I secretly bought her a ruby brooch. I hope she likes it.”

Emery recalled that brooch, he one Jaxon had purchased. When the driver mentioned it, she assumed it was a gift for her. But to her shock, it was for Calla’s birthday.

The child she had risked her life to bring into the world remembered Calla’s special day but not hers. A deep pang of failure struck her. Had she failed as a mother?

The final entry in the diary hit Emery like a bolt of lightning. [Sometimes, I really wish Auntie Calla could be my mom.]

Seeing how much both Elliot and Jaxon adored Calla, she made up her mind, if they wanted each other so much, then they could have each other. She didn’t need either of them anymore.

Elliot had always thought she couldn’t survive without the Carter Family, which was why he’d acted so carelessly. But he had forgotten that before her marriage, she had been the top graduate of the design program in Evergreen University. If it weren’t for her obligations to him and Jaxon, she could’ve easily shone on her own.

That night, Emery slept soundly for the first time in ages. Perhaps it was the peace that came from her decision to leave. Her sleep was undisturbed, calm and dreamless all the way until morning, until Elliot’s call woke her up.

“Why haven’t you been answering your phone? Did you know Jaxon was admitted to the hospital?”

Even without seeing his face, Emery could hear the frustration in his voice. She held the phone away from her ear, recalling how Jaxon hadn’t returned home the previous night. She already knew where he’d been.

“Didn’t you leave him at Calla’s house last night? With her there, what could possibly go wrong?”

Elliot was taken aback. Usually, when it came to Jaxon, Emery reacted quickly and emotionally, even over small things. But now, she was eerily calm. His voice softened. “Calla didn’t know Jaxon’s allergic to mangoes…”

“Calla didn’t know? And you, his father, didn’t know either? Jaxon’s had allergy tests before and mangoes weren’t classified as high-risk. Since Calla already took him to the hospital, there’s nothing more to worry about. Or is it Calla you don’t trust?”

Before he could reply, Emery hung up.

Listening to the cold dial tone on the other end, Elliot’s face darkened, a knot of unease tightening in his chest.

Jaxon was the child Emery had risked everything for. His fragile health, due to his congenital heart condition, had made him more delicate than other children his age. Emery had sacrificed her career, poured her heart into caring for him and had been his constant, never once shirking the responsibility.

Yet now, hearing that Jaxon was in the hospital, Emery seemed indifferent, unmoved.

Elliot couldn’t quite place the strange feeling settling in his gut. But then he remembered their argument just the night before over her forgotten birthday and he dismissed his worries. She was probably still angry.

He knew her well, after all, they’d grown up together. She loved him, didn’t she?

He recalled the time they had been kidnapped as children when Emery had taken a blow to the ear, protecting him, enduring the pain until they were rescued. After all they’d been through, how could something as trivial as this cause her to pull away?

Reflecting on their shared history, Elliot felt a sense of relief wash over him. Emery was likely just blowing off steam over his affair with Calla. She would never leave him, or their son. He was certain of that.

Turning off his phone, Elliot spoke to his assistant. “Send the latest runway pieces to the house. Also, pick out a pink diamond jewelry set to match.”

It was his way of extending an olive branch. Women outside needed softening and so did the ones at home.

He hadn’t meant for their marriage to fall apart, not if she understood her role and knew when to step back.

After all, it was just a brief affair, a small distraction. And besides, he wasn’t the one who’d made the first mistake.

That afternoon, Emery went to the hospital.

No matter how she felt, Jaxon was her son, the child she had nearly lost her life to bring into the world. Seeing him was the least she could do.

Inside the VIP ward, Jaxon was curled up with Calla, his face glowing with joy as he held a tablet. He didn’t look like a child who should be in the hospital at all.

When Emery walked into the room, Jaxon didn’t even bother to look up. Instead, he simply turned the volume of his game up louder.

Calla smiled, her expression playful but taunting. She reached out to pat Jaxon on the shoulder. “Jaxon, your mom’s here. Don’t be rude. Have you forgotten everything Auntie Calla taught you?”

Immediately, Jaxon dropped his tablet, his face shifting into the obedient expression he knew was expected.

It was a deliberate move from Calla, pushing Emery to the sidelines and making her feel like a stranger in the room.

A wave of regret washed over Emery. With both Jaxon and Elliot so cold and indifferent, she wondered why she had bothered to come at all.

Placing the container of chicken soup on the table, Emery spoke, her voice flat. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave.”

Her detachment only seemed to fuel Jaxon’s anger.

He jumped off the bed in a flash. “I don’t want your soup!”

His face flushed with frustration, leaving Emery momentarily speechless.

She had always taken such care of Jaxon. Since he was three, she had made it her mission to prepare nourishing soups for him every week. She’d adjusted recipes, added extra ingredients and even continued the ritual when she was sick herself.

But now, the little boy who used to smile and say, “Mommy’s the best!” after finishing his soup was gone. How had he turned into this ungrateful child?

Seeing Jaxon’s outburst, Calla quickly grabbed the thermos with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Well, since Jaxon doesn’t want it, Miss Carter can take it back. He’s not feeling well, after all. It’s only natural for children to be a little temperamental at times.”

She added, as if to ease the tension, “Don’t worry, Jaxon just had the Fish Tacos I made. I made sure he wouldn’t go hungry.”

Fish Tacos? The words hit Emery like a cold slap. Her gaze flicked to the empty bowl on the table and a chill ran through her.

Jaxon had always despised fish. The mere scent of it had been enough to send him running for the door. For years, Emery had never once served fish at the dinner table, even though it had been one of her favorites, all to avoid upsetting him.

Yet here he was, eating Fish Tacos made by Calla.

Emery’s mind raced. Was it the fish Jaxon hated, or had it always been her, the mother who had sacrificed so much for him?

Sensing the shift in the air, Calla pushed the thermos toward Emery again, her gesture seemingly innocent. But as Emery reached for it, Calla let go of the thermos too soon.

It tumbled to the floor, spilling the hot soup with a violent splash. Emery instinctively recoiled, narrowly avoiding the scalding liquid.

Calla didn’t miss a beat; her voice was smooth but biting. “Miss Carter, there was really no need to let go so suddenly, was there? If you didn’t want it, you could have just said so.”

Jaxon immediately sprang to his feet, his small body blocking Calla like a fierce little protector. “Don’t bully Auntie Calla! If you keep doing that, I’ll tell Daddy to divorce you!”

The word divorce fell from his lips with a surprising force and Calla couldn’t hide the smirk that tugged at her mouth.

Emery didn’t even flinch at the spectacle. She knew the game Calla played all too well and had no interest in being part of it. Without a word, she turned and walked out of the ward, her steps steady, refusing to look back.

But Calla, never one to let an opportunity slip, followed her into the corridor. She blocked Emery’s path with a sly smile.

“Seeing Mr. Carter and Jaxon both on my side must sting, doesn’t it? A smart woman knows when to let go. Clinging to the title of Mrs. Carter isn’t always as glamorous as it seems.”

She leaned in, voice dripping with malice. “Let me tell you something. I knew Jaxon was allergic to mangoes. I just wanted to see if Mr. Carter would blame me for something so trivial.”

The words hit Emery like a slap in the face. She couldn’t believe Calla would go so far as to risk a child’s health to test Elliot’s loyalty. Her composure, always so steady, shattered in an instant. Without thinking, she slapped Calla across the face, the sound ringing in the quiet hall.

“Do you know a severe allergic reaction could be fatal?! A human life isn’t a game to play with!”

Calla’s eyes widened, shock flickering across her face. “What’s wrong with you?!”

Before Emery could say another word, Elliot’s enraged voice echoed through the corridor, booming like thunder. “What’s going on here?”

He stormed toward them, his arrival timed to perfection, as always.