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.

“Delilah said you were at the hospital. I thought you were here worrying about Jaxon, but it turns out you’re just playing your little game behind my back!”

Calla instantly covered her face, her body collapsing into Elliot’s arms, the picture of someone wronged. “Mr. Carter, I’m sorry about Jaxon. I never meant to cause any harm. If Emery’s upset, I’ll resign right now. Whatever it takes…”

Elliot’s hand patted Calla’s back in a gentle gesture of comfort. “The one who owes an apology isn’t you.”

He turned his frosty gaze toward Emery. “After all these years, is jealousy all you’ve learned? Apologize to Calla.”

Apologize? To someone who had nearly cost Jaxon his life?

Emery’s chest tightened and her teeth ground together. “I’ll never apologize. Do you even understand why Jaxon had an allergic reaction—”

Before she could finish, Elliot cut her off sharply, “Calla already said it wasn’t intentional and Jaxon’s fine now. Are you seriously asking her to pay for it with her life?”

Even though Emery had expected this exact betrayal, the sharp pain in her chest still cut deeper than she cared to admit. She hadn’t even been given a chance to explain.

Calla lifted her head from Elliot’s embrace, putting on her best-distressed expression. “It’s alright, Mr. Carter. Emery only acted out of concern. We don’t want to upset Jaxon anymore.”

Elliot’s features softened at her words as though someone had just turned the lights on in a dark room. “Alright, we’ll do as Calla says.”

But his gaze turned cold the moment it landed on Emery. “As for you, I think it’s time you reflect on your behavior.”

Without another word, he took Calla’s hand and led her back into the ward, leaving Emery standing there, her heart heavy.

As she watched them walk away, the storm in her chest finally broke. She turned, desperate to escape, but the crowd surged around her. The next thing she knew, she was stumbling down the steps, unable to stop herself, her knees scraping against the concrete as she fell. Her hands and legs burned with the sting of the impact, but all she could feel was the overwhelming ache of everything she’d lost.

A passerby rushed forward, his voice filled with concern. “Let me help you get treated.”

Emery waved him off weakly, her hand trembling. “No, I’m fine.”

The pain in her body was nothing compared to the turmoil in her heart.

Dazed and lost, she stumbled toward the parking lot, her mind foggy, when suddenly she collided with a warm, steady embrace.

She looked up, meeting Landon Kingston’s gaze. His eyes were dark with unspoken pain, the kind that only those who had been through their own suffering could recognize.

“This is how Elliot takes care of you?” he asked, his voice thick with anger.

Without waiting for an answer, Landon reached out as if to lift her but then hesitated, unsure what would make her feel more at ease. Instead, he moved quickly to get a wheelchair and wheeled her toward the emergency room.

The nurse was efficient, cleaning her wounds quickly and with practiced hands. “No bone damage, thankfully, but the wounds are deep. Take it easy for now. Keep them dry to avoid infection.”

Emery was barely aware of the words being said, as though she were behind a thick, invisible glass wall detached from everything. She nodded mechanically. “Thank you. And thank you too, Landon.”

Her voice was barely a whisper, drained of all its usual strength. Landon held back the words that burned in his throat but finally managed to speak. “I’ll take you home.”

Sitting in Landon’s car, Emery slowly began to collect herself. The events of the day seemed to swirl around her, but she forced herself to focus on the present. Glancing over at Landon, who sat calm and composed behind the wheel, she couldn’t help but speak. “You don’t have to stay, Landon. Go back to work. I’m fine on my own.”

Landon’s gaze flicked toward her, steady and unwavering, before he handed her a divorce agreement. “I came to deliver this. Your phone was unreachable and the housekeeper at the Carter estate said you were at the hospital.”

Only then did Emery notice the missed calls piling up on her phone. A wave of guilt washed over her and she muttered an apology. “I’m sorry, Landon. Things have just been so overwhelming lately.”