I woke up early in the morning when I heard the sound of a crying child.

As I stepped into the living room, something hard hit my forehead, sending a sharp jolt of pain through it.

“I don’t want this! It’s such an ugly brand! My classmates will laugh at me if I bring it-”

Looking at Regina throwing a tantrum, I suddenly remembered that it was her seventh birthday.

Gloria looked embarrassed, but her eyes flicked around.

“Regina, your Auntie Hazel loves you very much. She didn’t mean to give you something so plain.”

After my parents passed away, they left me a large inheritance and this estate in the city center.

After my heart transplant, I poured all my love into Regina, the one who carried my daughter’s heart. Gloria said she wanted to show her kids the world, so I spent hundreds of thousands arranging a world tour for them.

Regina’s health was fragile, so I helped them buy an estate near the hospital.

And now, Regina had smashed the gift I had prepared long ago, which was a metal jar for my dead baby that I had gotten after I worked very hard.

“I want that little doll with a gold necklace!”

Following her finger, I saw the box I had hidden deep in the cabinet being pulled out.

The solid gold pendant was a birth gift for my first child.

In the past, I would have given it without a second thought.

But today, I didn’t want to keep pleasing a greedy child who wasn’t mine.

“No. That’s for my daughter, not you.”

Regina froze, her gaze drifting suspiciously to my belly.

“Auntie Hazel is pregnant again?”

Then, she said something that made my blood run cold.

“Once Auntie Hazel’s baby is born, I’ll have a new heart. Daddy is so good to me!”

Even Regina knew. I was the only one left in the dark. My hands moved before I could think and I pushed her away. My hair stood on end.

Regina sat on the floor, stunned for two seconds and then she cried out loud. But not a single tear fell. Clayton appeared from nowhere and scooped her into his arms, full of concern.

“Daddy, Auntie Hazel hurt me. She wouldn’t give me the little doll and she pushed me … huhu … ”

Gloria stepped forward with watery eyes and a wounded look.

“I’m sorry. We upset you. Regina and I will leave now … ”

Watching the perfect family of three, I instinctively clenched my fists and swallowed the bitterness.

When Regina first called Clayton ‘Dad’, I had had a huge fight with him.

But all he said was, “You’re being unreasonable.”

He claimed Regina was pitiful, but that was just an excuse.

In the end, I gave in as usual.

After learning the reason behind today’s outburst, Clayton frowned at me.

“Hazel, don’t be so stingy. You don’t need the child anymore, so why not let Regina have it?”

“You weren’t like this before.”

I stared at him, a bitter smile tugging at my lips.

“That’s because before, I was blind … kept in the dark like an idiot.”

Clayton’s face stiffened and his voice softened.

“Regina’s just talking nonsense. Don’t take it to heart. I’ll give her the little doll and that’s the end of it.”

When I said nothing, he added tentatively, “Our sixth anniversary is coming up. How about an island vacation?”

He knew that the old me would’ve cried and thrown a tantrum over something like this. But now, after losing two children, my spirit was worn thin. I had no energy left to scream.

I pressed my lips together.

“Okay. I have a gift for you, too.”

A few minutes later, I came downstairs carrying a heavy gift box.

As I passed Gloria, I caught the greedy flicker in her eyes before handing it to Clayton.

Inside were the remains of my unborn child, soaked in murky formalin. Along with the medical records of my first baby and a document severing all ties.

I was ready. I had to leave cleanly, without regrets.

My money, my child … he couldn’t have either.

Clayton smiled, relieved, as he reached for the box.

“Hazel, you’re so thoughtful. It’s heavy, though. Is it perhaps cash or gold bars?”

I looked at him coldly.

“It’s what you’ve always wanted most. But promise me one thing. You won’t open it until seven days from now.”

I came back to my room and kept flipping through the family photo on the table.

Back then, I was carefree and my mother would frown, gently tapping my forehead.

“You silly goose, what will you do when you get married?”

I just gave her a hug, smiling.

“Well then, pick someone for me, Mom. He’ll definitely treat me well.”

The noise downstairs brought back my memory. Frowning, I headed down.

“Little birthday girl, look at the camera and give us a sign!”

I hadn’t even noticed when so many people filled the living room. Children ran around in a noisy mess.

“What’s going on here?”

Clayton looked over, his smile vanishing fast.

He stepped in front of me and asked, “What’s wrong with you, Auntie? Who told you to wear the mistress’s clothes?”

I glanced down at my long nightgown, confused by what he meant.

Clayton whispered, “Regina said her classmates are ignoring her. She wanted to have her party here to save face. Just bear with it for now and I’ll apologize later.”

Before I could reply, the parents nearby started whispering.

“Is that nanny hoping for a promotion? Everyone knows Clayton is madly in love with Gloria. They’re the most admired couple at our school.”

“Their daughter is six already. No matter how pretty she is, Mr. Barnett wouldn’t give up his wife and kid for her.”

The most admired couple?

I stood stunned, staring at Clayton.

Since my parents died, I had locked myself away in this estate, avoiding the outside world and Clayton’s social life.

He’d always been gentle with me.

“Hazel, just stay home. I’ll tell everyone you’re my wife, the only one I love.”

And now they’d become a family.

I was the one branded as the shameless mistress.

Gloria casually picked up my silk scarf from the table, dabbed her eyes and softly apologized.

“It’s my fault for being too kind. My nanny interrupted the kids’ party.”

“Take off my clothes and leave them here. I’ll act like none of this happened.”

I laughed in disbelief and stopped in my tracks.

“Gloria, how did the house I’ve lived in for thirty years suddenly become yours?”

I turned toward the cabinet to dig out my property deed.

Clayton stopped me. The next moment, my silk pajamas were ripped off, exposing pale skin.

“Alright, nanny, stop making a fuss. Return Gloria’s clothes!”

He emphasized ‘nanny’ like a dagger.

A woman nearby gasped and quickly covered her child’s eyes. My blood rushed backward. My hands trembled as I tried to hold onto the shredded clothes.

In this six-year-long fake marriage, wasn’t I always just a ‘nanny’?

Holding back tears, I said once more, firm and loud, “This is my home. You are not welcome. Please leave!”

Gloria smiled as she stroked the table.

“These are my favorite white gardenias. Mr. Barnett has them flown in from Europe every day.”

My eyes followed her hand. The flowers were beautiful, but I had been allergic to pollen since childhood.

“The décor is my favorite Spanish style. My husband and I picked out every piece together.”

After my daughter died, I couldn’t bear the house anymore, so I redecorated in my favorite Spanish style.

“And these photos, just my husband, me and Regina’s birthday memories.”

“How can you prove this house is yours?”

My face turned pale. The only thing I had left to prove ownership was a key. This estate, where I had lived for over twenty years, had slowly turned into something I couldn’t recognize.

“Please ask the nanny to leave our house now.”

Everyone’s glarings felt like tiny knives, which stabbed my heart.

I shoved Clayton aside and pulled the property deed out from the cabinet.

Just as I lifted it, Regina suddenly collapsed, her eyes fluttering shut.

“Mom … my chest hurts … ”

“What the hell are you doing?!”

Clayton pushed me away and swept Regina into his arms.

His eyes burned red as he glared at me.

“You’re fucking nuts! If anything happens to Regina, I’ll make you pay with your life!”

My lower back slammed against the table corner. Pain surged through me, sharp and breath-stealing. He forgot I was supposed to be carrying his child, too.

As Clayton and Gloria rushed out, the other guests slowly filtered out of the room.

In the cold, silent space they left behind, I crumpled to the floor, no longer able to hold back my tears. That night, the door creaked open. Clayton came in, his expression dark.

“Regina was released from the ER after a heart episode. You’ll go apologize to her tomorrow.”

I turned my back on him, coldly.

“No.”

His voice hardened with anger as he grabbed my arm, then yanked me to face him.

“If I had known you were this cruel, I had never have married you! No wonder your parents died in an accident. Even your child got hit by a car … ”

That sentence said everything.

Our so-called marriage had been a lie. The accident? Also a lie.

I stood suddenly, my voice low and sharp.

W“Was it really an accident?”

Clayton froze. For the first time, he saw real rage rise in my eyes. He instinctively shook his head.

“Hazel … what are you saying … ”

His smile twitched. Then his phone rang and he used a work excuse to slip away. Watching him run, I laughed to myself.

A moment later, my phone beeped. The same person from the agency had sent me a few photos.

“These are the candidates to be your husband. Please choose the one you like.”

My eyes landed on the man in the far-right photo. He had thick brows and dark, calm eyes, looking down at a book. That book was my mother’s masterpiece. Without hesitation, I picked him.

“This one charges $500,000, Miss.”

“Fine.”

I checked my balance. After purchasing Petra Island, not much remained. Thanks to his reminder, I transferred my estate to Sotheby's International Realty and cut off all expenses that weren’t mine.

Gloria’s beauty packages. Regina’s extracurricular classes. Clayton’s car loan. All linked to my credit card, yet never a word of thanks.

Maybe guilt held him back, because Clayton didn’t question me once over the next five days.

Silently, I reviewed the service list from the agency and checked off a handsome butler, a Michelin-starred chef and a high-end beautician.

That was enough. From now on, I would live for myself.

The day of my departure came closer with each breath. I began packing the estate room by room, tossing out anything that belonged to Gloria or Regina. When Clayton came home, he tripped over a box on the floor.

He bent down and pulled out a ring, frowning.

“Hazel, isn’t this our wedding ring? Why did you throw it away?”

Calmly, I said, “Because it didn’t fit.”

The ring had never been my size.

A flicker of confusion passed through his eyes. He took my hand and slid the ring onto my finger, coaxing, “It’s a shame to throw away a good ring. Don’t be upset. Gloria only has me as her brother. I have to take care of them.”

“Regina’s medical bills have been piling up lately, you know … ”