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…”

Sevlene’s POV

When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed again.

My phone was filled with missed calls and messages from Cortey.

[Sevlene, where are you? I searched the entire party hall but couldn’t find you.]

[Did you get hurt? Please reply as soon as you see this.]

[You’re not making a drama again, are you? Ignoring my messages on purpose? If you keep this up, I’ll really get angry.]

His patience was quickly wearing thin—worry turning into irritation.

It hadn’t always been like this. Before, if I accidentally fell asleep and didn’t reply for an entire night, he would only be concerned something had happened to me. Even if he was abroad on business, he would catch the next flight back just to make sure I was safe.

I guessed people would really change in no time.

Swallowing the bitterness in my chest, I finally sent a reply.

[I’m fine. I’ll be home soon.]

By the time I got back home, it was already late in the evening.

Cortey was still at the company. But the living room door was left open.

When I stepped inside, I froze.

Charlee was lounging lazily on the couch, toying with a opal bracelet in her hand.

The blood in my veins turned cold.

That bracelet… It was my mother’s keepsake. Before she passed, she had asked the doctor to give it to me.

I could never bring myself to wear it, so I had locked it away in the safe.

How… How the hell could it be in that manipulative woman’s hands?

I didn’t care about anything else. My body moved on instinct as I lunged forward to snatch it back.

“That’s my mother’s. Give it back!”

But Charlee slipped away nimbly, climbing onto the couch and holding the bracelet high above her head.

“This?” she sneered. “Daddy gave it to me. Last night, I was so shaken up I simply told him I liked your bracelet. Just like that, he smashed open your safe and took it out for me.”

She tilted her head, eyes full of mockery. “Sevlene, do you still not get it? Cortey doesn’t love you anymore. He’s in love with me now.”

My voice trembled with urgency.

“I know. I have no intention of fighting with you. I’ll leave him soon. You two can be together.”

Her lips curled as she tucked the bracelet away, studying me with malicious amusement.

“Who asked for your blessing? I don’t want to be ‘given’ to him. I want to snatch him. That’s what makes it fun.” She gave a cold laugh. “We come from the same kind of background, so why did you get to meet a good man like Daddy while I was nearly sold off to old men as their plaything?”

She spat the words like poison. “You’re obviously not better than me in any way. You don’t deserve the position you’re in. Being his wife? It should have been me.”

With a twist of her wrist, she flaunted the bracelet. Her smile turned wicked.

“You want it back so badly? Too bad. I’m not giving it to you.” Taunting me, she laughed maniacally.

Rage surged through me, breaking past the dam I had tried so hard to hold. My hand shot up before I could stop myself.

The slap rang sharp and loud across her cheek.

And in the next second, Cortey’s furious voice cut through the air.

“Sevlene! What the hell are you doing?!”

I turned. He was standing in the doorway, his expression thunderous as he stormed toward me.

“I’ve warned you before—don’t upset Charlee. If her emotions fluctuate and her health index drops, how will she continue to donate blood to your mother?”

His tone dripped with accusation. “Besides, your mother isn’t even dead yet. There will be plenty of chances for her to give you things in the future. It’s just a cheap bracelet. Why can’t you let Charlee have it? We’re husband and wife—she’s my daughter, which makes her your daughter too.”

My heart clenched. He didn’t even know. He didn’t know my mother had already passed away.

There would be no more gifts to receive from her. Ever.

I furrowed my brow, forcing out each word like ice.

“Don’t try to dress this up as something noble. You know exactly what kind of relationship you two have. Now give me back my mother’s bracelet!”

Perhaps it was my words that ignited his anger. His face darkened as he snatched the bracelet from Charlee’s hand.

Then, right in front of me, he hurled it to the floor.

The gemstone shattered instantly, splintering into pieces that scattered across the floor.

His cold and merciless voice rang in my ears.

“You’re just jealous of how well I treat Charlee. That’s why you insult her. I told you—she’s someone very important to me. You dared slander her, so I destroyed what was most important to you in return.

“Sevlene, I hope you’ve learned your lesson from this. Charlee is here to join our family—not to be your punching bag.”

With that, he took Charlee’s hand and led her away.

That bitch threw me a triumphant look over her shoulder, her eyes full of smug victory.

But I had no energy left for anger.

My knees gave way, and I sank to the floor. One by one, I began picking up the fragments of the shattered opal.

Sharp edges cut into my skin, leaving tiny trails of blood, but I felt nothing.

All I knew was that I had to gather every single piece and tuck them safely into my pocket. I was terrified… that if I was one second slower, I would lose them forever.