Sevlene’s POV

That night, Cortey didn’t return to the villa.

I sat in front of my mother’s urn, staring at it through the long hours of the night, unable to close my eyes even once.

The next morning, I went straight to the company and handed in my resignation.

My manager looked at me in surprise.

“Why so sudden? You used to love this job more than anything. If it weren’t for your mother’s car accident, you never even took time off.”

The mention of my mother made my nose sting. My throat was dry and hoarse when I answered.

“My mom… has passed away.”

The manager froze for a moment, then sighed softly, offering words of comfort.

When my colleagues heard I was leaving, they all came over to send me off. That was when someone suddenly rushed in with a grin.

“Sevlene, your husband’s here to pick you up.”

The moment the words landed, a chorus of teasing rose around me.

“So that’s why Sevlene suddenly quit while she was doing so well—she’s going home to be a full-time wife?”

“With a husband that rich, handsome, and faithful, being his full-time wife doesn’t sound bad at all. Honestly, I’m kind of jealous.”

Their laughter and envy filled the air, but I couldn’t force even a smile.

They thought my marriage was happy and perfect. Only I knew it was already broken, riddled with cracks too deep to fix.

Hugging a cardboard box of my stuff, I walked to the familiar Maybach parked outside.

Just as I reached to open the passenger door, the tinted window rolled down. My gaze fell directly on Charlee—her body bent low over Cortey’s lap, her chest pressing tightly against him as she rummaged for something.

Cortey’s breathing was heavy, his Adam’s apple bobbing hard. The moment he noticed me, his face stiffened. He hurriedly pushed his so-called daughter aside.

“S-Sevlene. Charlee dropped a hair clip in the car. She was just looking for it.”

Charlee’s cheeks flushed crimson. Her voice trembled, dripping with feigned embarrassment.

“Mrs. McEnroe, I…”

“There’s no need to explain. I won’t misunderstand.” I cut her off coldly, unwilling to watch their stupid performance.

Cortey’s expression shifted. His eyes flicked to the box in my arms, a flicker of something strange crossing them.

“You resigned?”

“Mm. I don’t want to work anymore.” I didn’t bother with more explanation and steered the conversation away. “So, what did you come for?”

“My mother’s birthday is in a few days,” he said, a faint trace of expectation in his tone. “She told me herself to bring you along. She’s never been willing to accept you, but suddenly she’s changing her attitude. I think she’s finally given up trying to split us apart. So, I planned to take you shopping—pick out a gift for her, and also buy you an evening dress for the party.”

At those words, I caught the flash of envy in Charlee’s eyes, so sharp it nearly overflowed.

But I knew better. Edna wasn’t suddenly softening toward me. She was preparing to introduce the city’s finest young ladies to Cortey at her birthday party.

She wanted me there for one reason only—so I could see the difference between me and her son.

Soon after I got into the car, Cortey brought us to the city’s largest shopping mall.

He claimed it was for me, but his gaze trailed Charlee the entire time.

She offhandedly mentioned liking a pair of heels, and Cortey immediately bought every similar pair in the store.

She complained that her bag was uncomfortable to carry, and he ordered every luxury handbag they had in stock, telling her to try them all and pick whichever she liked.

When she grew tired from walking, he fussed over her, buying drinks and even crouching to massage her feet.

Overwhelmed by his gestures, Charlee’s eyes glowed with adoration.

“Daddy… You’re so good to me.”

Cortey looked at her with gentle indulgence.

“You’re my good daughter. If I don’t treat you well, who should I treat well?”

The two of them played their sickening little game of “father and daughter,” oblivious to everyone else.

And I—like a forgotten extra—stood there watching it all.

Swallowing back the ache in my chest, I focused on carefully choosing a gift for Edna, then selecting a cream-white evening dress for myself.

Just as the sales assistant was about to wrap up my dress, Charlee appeared at my side. Her gaze lit up in wonder as she stared at the dress.

“This dress is so beautiful. If I could wear it, it would look amazing on me… Too bad Mrs. McEnroe picked it first.”

Cortey glanced at her, then at me. His expression tightened, caught between us.

“Sevlene, Charlee lost her parents young. She’s suffered a lot, and she’s never had a dress like this before. Why don’t you let her have it? After all, you already have plenty of dresses at home that you’ve never even worn. You can pick one of those instead later.”

I locked eyes with him, my voice steady, each word carved out like stone.

“What I set my eyes on, there’s no reason for me to give it up.”

With that, I folded the dress neatly, placed it into the bag, and turned to leave—ignoring whatever look might have crossed Cortey’s or Charlee’s faces.

Sevlene’s POV

Just as I was about to step into the elevator, Charlee’s voice rang out behind me.

“Mrs. McEnroe, do you really think snatching a dress from me will make my daddy change his mind about you?”

Her tone was laced with mockery, as if she were tossing out a careless question just to watch me squirm.

My steps faltered. I turned my head toward her and replied evenly, “I never wanted him to change his mind. If you like him, you can have him.”

Perhaps my indifference stung her pride. My words made it sound as though Cortey was nothing more than a disposable toy to me, and that only fueled Charlee’s resentment.

She sneered.

“Keep pretending. You couldn’t hold onto your man, so now you act like you don’t care. Deep down, you probably want me dead, don’t you?”

Her lips curved into a strange, almost sinister smile.

“Well, I can give you that chance.”

Before I could make sense of what she meant, she suddenly let out a loud cry and tumbled down the staircase.

The sickening thud of her head hitting the floor echoed through the shopping mall.

Moments later, Cortey rushed over.

Clutching her bleeding head, Charlee looked up at me in utter despair, her voice trembling with accusation.

“Mrs. McEnroe, I only liked the same dress as you. I didn’t even take it from you! Even if you’re angry, you didn’t have to push me down the stairs…”

Cortey froze, his face shifting with disappointment and rage as his eyes locked on me.

“Sevlene! Do you even care whether your mother lives or dies? Must you torment Charlee before you’re satisfied?”

I shook my head, trying to explain. “I didn’t—”

But before I could finish, he shoved me.

The world spun violently. My body crashed hard against the floor.

In the blur of pain, his furious voice thundered in my ears.

“It’s my fault. I spoiled you all these years and turned you into something this vicious—so cruel you’d even go after an innocent young girl!”

Through my blood-hazed vision, I saw him scoop Charlee into his arms and stride away, stepping right over me without a glancing back.

Agony consumed every bone in my body, yet none of it compared to the pain hollowing out my chest.

That was the same man who had once knelt before me with teary eyes, slipping a opal ring on my finger and swearing he would protect me for a lifetime.

Now, he hurt me for the sake of another woman…

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying on a hospital bed.

The doctor let out a sigh of relief upon seeing me awake.

“You’re finally up. How could you fall so badly? If a kind stranger hadn’t brought you in time, you might have…” He stopped himself and shook his head. “Never mind that. You should call your family. With injuries like these, you shouldn’t be left alone.”

I lowered my gaze, my voice heavy with sorrow.

“I don’t have a family. My mother has already passed.”

Pity flickered in the doctor’s eyes.

“Then… your husband? Surely you have a husband.”

I parted my lips to answer, but before I could, commotion drifted in through the window.

“Did you see? The CEO carried his wife in today. She only had a cut on her forehead, yet he called every top specialist in the hospital. Looks like those rumors about him loving his wife to the bone are true.”

“Of course. Even when she said she was afraid of needles, he completely dropped his cold CEO persona and coaxed her like a child, distracting her until she calmed down.”

Their so-called ‘wife’ was clearly referring to Charlee.

Cortey had simply taken all the tenderness he once gave me and bestowed it upon her, piece by piece.

The doctor was still waiting for my response. I forced a smile, swallowing down the bitterness in my chest.

“My husband is gone too. We’re already divorced.”

The words had barely left my mouth when the door slammed open.

Cortey strode in, his face dark as thunder.

“What did you just say? Who the hell are you claiming you divorced?”

Sevlene’s POV

I turned my head just in time to catch the flicker of tension in his eyes.

Curling my lips in a half-hearted smile, I said casually, “My friend’s husband cheated on her. She’s filing for divorce.”

Cortey’s steps faltered. A trace of discomfort flashed across his gaze.

“You shouldn’t waste your attention on things like that. If her husband strayed, then she simply chose the wrong man.”

A cold laugh echoed in my heart, though I kept my expression calm. I countered evenly, “Then tell me—did I choose the right man?”

Cortey answered without hesitation, almost too quickly.

“Of course. Haven’t you seen how much I love you? Everyone around me thinks I’ve gone crazy. I’d do anything for you.”

As he spoke, he reached for my hand, his voice shifting to a rare moment of tenderness.

“I admit what happened today was reckless. But it was because your mom’s life depends on Charlee’s. You don’t want anything to happen to your mom, do you?”

I opened my mouth to reply. But before I could, his phone rang.

The caller ID read only three words.

[My Good Daughter]

At once, he dropped my hand and picked up the phone.

The next second, Charlee’s cries came through.

“Daddy, my head suddenly hurts so bad. Do you think I might be dying? I’m so scared… Can you come keep me company?”

Concern immediately swept over Cortey’s face. He turned to me and muttered a quick, “I’ll just go check on her. I’ll be right back,” before rushing out.

But he didn’t return.

Not until I was discharged from the hospital did I realize he hadn’t come back at all.

I signed my own papers, settled the bill, and took a taxi home alone.

The moment I stepped through the door, a nauseating scene awaited me.

Charlee sat perched on Cortey’s lap, adjusting his tie. Their faces were so close that if either of them leaned forward even slightly, their lips would meet.

“Daddy,” she cooed sweetly, “you look so handsome today. You’ll definitely outshine everyone at the party.”

Cortey chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately.

“You and that sweet little mouth of yours.”

Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

“Then shouldn’t you have a taste? Only then will you know just how sweet it really is.”

Bile rose in my throat. I gagged audibly.

Startled, Cortey instantly pushed Charlee away and hurried to my side.

“What’s wrong? Do you feel unwell?”

I slapped his hand aside when he tried to touch me, my voice distant and cold.

“Don’t touch me.”

A flicker of hurt passed through his eyes. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Charlee suddenly cried out anxiously, “Daddy, the birthday party’s about to start. We have to go, now.”

It was Edna’s birthday today.

Cortey had already prepared a dress for me. I slipped into it, and without wasting time, he escorted me straight to the party hall.

The moment Charlee spotted Edna, she hurried over, fussing with concern. Edna, in turn, smiled warmly at her, treating her with the intimacy reserved for a beloved daughter-in-law. Their closeness made it seem as though they were truly family.

Welp, soon, they would be.

After all, the cooling-off period for the divorce was almost over. Once I walked away, no one would be able to stop Charlee from replacing me.

I approached Edna with the gift I had carefully chosen. But she didn’t accept it. Instead, she looked me up and down with her usual scrutinizing gaze.

“I’ve invited all the most distinguished young ladies here tonight,” she said. “They all admire my son. If he marries any one of them, the benefits they’ll bring to this family are things you couldn’t give in ten lifetimes.”

Her words came out of nowhere, yet cut like a blade.

My hand froze mid-air, the gift box suspended awkwardly. I tried to speak, but no words would come.

Cortey noticed my embarrassment and stepped forward, about to speak on my behalf. But before he could, Charlee let out a dramatic gasp.

“My ankle! I twisted it! Ah! It hurts!”

Without the slightest hesitation, Cortey turned away from me and rushed straight to her side.

Edna looked at me like I was a clown, her eyes glinting with mockery.

“Pathetic. You can’t even compete with that kind of trash. I told you long ago—you don’t have what it takes to be my son’s wife.”

To be fair, she wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t hold that position. Back then, I was too full of myself. I thought that just because her son and I were in love, it would last forever.

Just then, the chandelier above us crackled ominously.

A screw loosened, and in the next instant, the massive two-meter-wide light fixture came crashing down.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Cortey rush forward—not toward me… but to shield Charlee. He wrapped her tightly in his arms, using his body to block the shower of falling glass.

Meanwhile, I was shoved in the chaos, stumbling and crashing to the floor. Shards pierced my skin, scraping bone, each stab of pain making my body tremble uncontrollably.

The last thing I saw before consciousness slipped away was Cortey’s bloodshot eyes as he carried Charlee in his arms, striding out without once looking back.

My vision blurred. My chest twisted with agony sharper than the glass embedded in my flesh.

Watching their retreating figures, I forced out a hoarse, broken cry.

“Help… me…”