Liam had already scooped Vanessa up in his arms and was walking briskly towards the villa. Vanessa rested her head on his shoulder, a victorious smile playing on her lips. Lila followed behind like a shadow, turning back to glare at Clara before leaving and muttering, "You nasty fatso."

No one looked back at her, no one asked her if she was in pain, and no one cared whether she could stand up again.

Clara slowly reached out and picked up the ballet pendant from the grass. One of the diamonds had been chipped off, making it look particularly broken in the moonlight. She clutched the pendant tightly, the sharp edge of the diamond piercing her palm, drawing tiny beads of blood that mingled with the blood on her back.

She looked up at the warm yellow light shining from the villa, which had once been her home, her whole world. But now, all that remained was a facade of tenderness and a chilling indifference.

Clara took a deep breath, the last trace of lingering affection in her eyes completely extinguished. She vowed in her heart: she wanted neither this cold-hearted man nor this ungrateful child. From this day forward, she would live only for herself, for the Clara who had once shone brightly on the stage .

The pain in her back continued, but her eyes grew increasingly resolute. She slowly pushed herself up and walked step by step toward the outside of the manor—there lay her suitcase, her plane ticket to Germany, and her new beginning.

Clara, supporting herself on a pillar in the pavilion, slowly stood up. The wound on her back burned like fire; every step pulled at her flesh, and the seeping blood had stained the back of her loungewear a dark brown, sticking to her back, cold and astringent. She took out her phone, her fingertips trembling slightly from blood loss, and dialed her private doctor's number—the one she had hired with her ballet competition prize money years ago, who had been responsible for her family's health for years. This doctor had been by her side during her dance injuries and prenatal checkups.

"Doctor, I have a back injury and I need you to come and treat it." Clara 's voice was weak and strained; the sharp pain in her back forced her to lean against the wall to keep her balance.

After a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, Dr. Zhang's troubled voice came through: "Madam, I'm so sorry... Mr. Liam just called me and said that Ms. Vanessa was injured outside and asked me to go to the city's central hospital immediately. He also specifically emphasized that Ms. Vanessa 's hand is used for playing the piano and cannot be scarred, and that I must handle it myself... Could you... wait until I get back from the hospital?"

“There are doctors in the hospital, of course.” Clara sneered, her laughter filled with sorrow. “Dr. Zhang, I am also the master of this house. I will double your consultation fee for coming today, and I will also give you an extra tip for your trouble.” She knew Liam ’s priorities all too well— Vanessa ’s minor scrape was “extremely precious,” while her bleeding back could only “wait a while.”

After hanging up the phone, Clara slowly walked back to the villa, leaning against the wall. The living room was empty; no one asked where she had been, no one cared about her wound. She found the first-aid kit herself, clumsily unwrapped the gauze, and tried to bandage herself—the wound on her back was invisible, so she could only feel her way around. When the alcohol swab touched the wound, the pain made her shudder, and tears almost welled up in her eyes. Before, when she injured herself while dancing, Liam would carefully treat her wound, blowing on it and scolding her, "How could you be so careless?" But now, the person who would have cared for her was by another woman's side.

After the wound was finally bandaged, Dr. Zhang arrived. While re-treating the wound, Dr. Zhang couldn't help but sigh, "Madam, this wound is quite deep; any later and it might get infected. Mr. Liam ... didn't he see it?"

Clara didn't speak, she just closed her eyes. She didn't want to mention Liam again ; every time she did, it felt like a stab to her heart.

After her wounds were treated, Clara drifted off to sleep. The pain in her back kept recurring like waves, making her sleep restless. Her dreams were filled with scenes from seven years ago—she was standing on stage in her dance dress, Liam applauding her from below, his eyes shining brighter than a spotlight. Suddenly, the stage collapsed, and she fell into darkness, all she could hear were Lila 's curses and Vanessa 's laughter.

She was awakened by a commotion. Opening her eyes, she saw the living room was crowded with people—nurses were pushing wheelchairs and physiotherapy equipment, and several doctors in white coats were busy moving various medical devices into the guest room. Vanessa sat on the sofa, a small bandage on her elbow, being carefully supported by Liam , who asked softly, "Does it still hurt? The doctor said you need to do physiotherapy for a few days. I'll move the equipment home so it'll be more convenient for you."

“ Mr. Liam , this is too much trouble for you…” Vanessa ’s voice was trembling with tears, her eyes red. “I only scraped my skin, and you’ve gone to such lengths. It’s making me feel bad.”

Clara leaned against the bedroom door, looking at the expensive medical equipment, then down at the gauze on her back that was faintly bleeding—her wound was ten times worse than Vanessa's , yet she had to find the first-aid kit to treat it herself, without even receiving a word of concern.

Liam turned and saw her, the gentleness on his face instantly fading, and he gave a perfunctory explanation: " Teacher Vanessa is injured, so it's more convenient for her to recuperate at home. Consider this an apology on your behalf."

“She just scraped her hand.” Clara ’s voice was as cold as ice as she glanced at the equipment. “Why are you making such a fuss? You never even mentioned bringing this equipment home when I broke my leg while practicing dance.”

Liam 's expression darkened, somewhat displeased: "Those were those days, and these are the present. Vanessa 's hands are different; they're for playing the piano. What if she injures her bones and it affects her career?"

Lila ran out of the guest room, threw herself into Vanessa's arms, and pointed at Clara , shouting, " Ms. Vanessa , you stay here! Don't mind that fat woman, she's just the maid, she has no right to interfere with us!"

“ Lila , stop giving Mommy nicknames all the time.” Liam said this symbolically, without any reproach in his tone, but rather with indulgence.

Clara, too lazy to argue with them, turned and went back to her bedroom. She knew Liam 's temper all too well; whenever Vanessa was involved , she was always wrong.

The next morning, as Clara stepped out of her bedroom, she saw Liam leaning against the sofa, iPad in hand, his fingers flying across the screen. Sunlight streamed through the French windows, illuminating his handsome profile, but his gaze was fixed on the screen, and he didn't even notice her approaching.

“ Clara , come here for a second.” Liam only looked up when Clara walked to the sofa and pointed to the iPad screen—it was full of information about high-end villas in the city center, with the lowest price being tens of millions.

Clara could speak, she saw Liam pick up his phone, tap the screen a few times, and then the phone beeped – he had transferred a 10 million yuan deposit to the real estate agent.

“ Clara , I’d like to discuss something with you.” Liam put down his phone and pointed to the documents on the coffee table. “ Lila has been studying piano very diligently lately, and I’d like to buy her a villa with a practice room so that Vanessa, her teacher , can live there and provide convenient guidance. This is a gift agreement between the couple, and as a token of our gratitude, the villa will be registered in Vanessa’s name.”

Clara stared at the agreement, the words "Gifts: Liam , Clara " particularly jarring. She suddenly remembered seven years ago, when she wanted to buy an imported piano, priced at only a few hundred thousand, but Liam hesitated for a long time, saying, "We'll buy it later"; she remembered when she was pregnant and wanted to eat imported fruit, Liam said, "Too expensive, ordinary fruit is just as good"; but now, he bought Vanessa a villa worth tens of millions without even blinking an eye.

"You've already paid the deposit, why are you asking me?" Clara sneered, her fingertip tracing her name on the agreement. "Also, have you forgotten that we're divorced? The cooling-off period isn't over yet, but we're no longer husband and wife. I won't sign this agreement."

Liam paused, seemingly only then remembering the divorce. He scratched his head, his tone carrying a hint of casual apology: "Sorry, I forgot." He paused, then asked, "When does the cooling-off period end?"

"Number 20." Clara 's voice was completely flat.

Liam breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to take Clara 's hand, but she instinctively dodged it. His hand froze in mid-air, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it: " Clara , after all, Professor Vanessa is a guest. It would be impolite to neglect her. I might not be able to take care of you lately, so please bear with me."

“ Lila is still young, and it’s understandable that she’s a bit willful, but she is still our child. Please don’t take it to heart,” he added, his tone pleading.

Clara frowned and interrupted him, "You don't need to say these things." She added in her mind—after all, I'm leaving soon, and these things will no longer concern me.

Liam closed the iPad, her tone suddenly softening: "Okay, let's make some light dishes tonight. Lila and I have been staying home with you lately, okay?"

Clara looked at the hypocrisy in his eyes and found it laughable. Staying with her? It was just an excuse to stay home with Vanessa . She pointed to her leg—her knee was scraped and swollen from yesterday's fall. "My leg is injured, I'm still recovering, and I can't cook for a while. Let the maid prepare."

Liam 's lips suddenly curled into a cruel smile, his eyes filled with contempt: "You can walk, can't you? What? You still want to keep dancing ballet with those legs of yours?" He paused, his tone undisguisedly insulting: "Which ballet dancer weighs 150 pounds? Clara , you should face reality."

Clara 's heart with precision . She remembered when she weighed 90 pounds, twirling on stage in her ballet tutu, with Liam shouting "My ballet princess!" from the audience; she remembered practicing dance late into the night, with Liam bringing her late-night snacks, saying, "Your legs are the most precious thing in the world"; but now, he was using her most prized legs and dreams to insult her.

Clara clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms until beads of blood appeared. She wanted to retort, but her throat felt blocked, and she couldn't utter a sound.

"Sorry, I was just joking." Seeing Clara's pale face, Liam stopped smiling and apologized perfunctorily. "Since you have trouble walking, you should rest at home. I'll take Lila and Vanessa out to eat."

After saying that, he picked up his coat and walked straight to the entrance without even asking, "Do you want something to eat?"

Liam left, Clara wasn't sad at all. Instead, she lay down on the sofa and took out her phone to search for information about liposuction. She carefully looked at the surgical risks, postoperative recovery time, and even contacted a hospital in Germany to confirm the surgery time— Liam and Lila were no longer in her world ; she just wanted to leave this suffocating place as soon as possible.

Liam didn't return until evening with Lila and Vanessa . They were carrying various luxury bags, their faces beaming with smiles, clearly having had a great time. Clara lay sprawled on the sofa, not even lifting her eyelids.

Lila entered the door, she found her slippers still lying haphazardly in the entryway. In the past, Clara would arrange her slippers at a 45-degree angle every day, with the toes pointing towards the door, and would warm them up with a heater beforehand; now, the slippers were scattered haphazardly on the floor, covered in dust.

"Fat lady! Why don't you tidy up the house!" Lila instantly lost her temper, throwing the toy in her hand on the ground. "Aren't you going to come and change my, Daddy's, and Teacher Vanessa's shoes? Are you doing this on purpose?!"

Clara slowly raised her head and looked at her coldly: "Why should I? Do I owe you anything? I used to help you clean up because I considered you family, but not anymore. From now on, you'll have to do your own things."

Liam frowned but didn't say anything—he clearly also thought Clara was "immature," but didn't want to argue in front of Vanessa .

Lila got even angrier and pointed at Clara 's nose, yelling, "You eat my dad's food! You drink my dad's water! You should be working at home! You owe us everything!"

“Who said I eat his food or drink his water?” Clara stood up, the wound on her back throbbing again, but her eyes were incredibly firm. “The down payment for this house was paid with the prize money I won when I won a gold medal in ballet; the wages of the maids in the house were raised by selling the jewelry my mother left me; even the food and clothes you eat and wear were mostly bought with my own savings. I don’t owe you anything!”

Liam finally spoke, interrupting her. He walked over, ruffled Lila 's hair, and said in a soothing tone, "Mommy was just saying that in anger, don't pay any attention to Mommy."

"I wasn't saying that out of anger!" Lila suddenly burst into tears, which streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls. "I don't want a fat and ugly woman to be my mother! I want Vanessa to be my mother! Vanessa is so gentle and beautiful, why wasn't I born from her!"

Clara like a hammer blow . She remembered three years ago, struggling for three hours on the operating table, nearly dying from severe bleeding, to give birth to Lila ; she remembered Lila crying at night when Lila was just a month old, and her mother holding and comforting her all night long, without closing her own eyes; she remembered crying tears of joy for a long time when Lila first called her "Mama." But now, her own daughter wanted someone else to be her mother.

Vanessa stood to the side, a look of surprise on her face. She quickly walked over, took Lila 's hand, and said with a deliberately guilty tone, " Clara , don't blame Lila . It's all my fault. I just wanted to be nice to her, buy her snacks, and play with her. I never thought it would make her think like this... It's all my fault for being too patient, making Lila feel like I'm more like her mother." As she spoke, she wiped her eyes, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

" Vanessa , what are you pretending to be a good person for!" Clara clenched her fists, her nails almost digging into her flesh. "You think I don't know you're doing this on purpose? You're deliberately trying to please Lila , deliberately acting weak in front of Liam , just to steal my place!"

“ Clara , don’t be rude!” Liam frowned, his tone authoritative and leaving no room for argument. “ Vanessa is just trying to be kind, don’t think so badly of her!” He looked down at Lila gently, his voice softening considerably: “ Lila , do you really want Vanessa to be your mother?”

Lila nodded vigorously, tears still streaming down her face, but her determination was unwavering: "Yes! I want Vanessa to be my mom! I don't want this fat woman as my mom!"

Clara looked at the scene before her and felt a chill run through her body. Her back still ached, but her heart ached even more, as if she were about to suffocate. She finally understood that there was no longer a place for her in this home. She took a deep breath, and the last trace of lingering affection in her eyes vanished completely—on the 20th, she would leave immediately and never look back.