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.

Sevlene’s POV

That very night, Charlee sent me a video.

In the video, she was sitting tipsily on Cortey’s lap, her voice soft and coy.

“Daddy, I really think Mrs. McEnroe doesn’t like me at all. And every time I donate blood, it hurts so much… Daddy… I don’t want to do it anymore.”

Cortey’s eyes filled with distress. He pulled her into his arms, his voice gentle as he coaxed, “If it hurts, then you won’t do it anymore. I’ll find someone else with a matching blood type. You’re the most important person to me, Charlee. I won’t let you suffer the slightest bit of harm.”

As he spoke, Charlee leaned closer and pressed her lips against his. In the next instant, Cortey clutched the back of her head and deepened the kiss without hesitation.

The video ended there.

But the impact it left on me felt like a violent collision straight into my soul.

It was utterly disgusting.

I saved the video and forwarded it to an anonymous number.

[There are only five days left before I leave. When the time comes, send this video along with the other evidence I’ve already given you. This one should be highlighted. Make sure it’s broadcasted on every big screen.]

What Charlee didn’t know was that every secret provocation she made behind Cortey’s back, I had quietly recorded and handed over to a hacker.

That night, I didn’t sleep. Instead, I gathered all the gifts Cortey had given me over the years and threw them away.

Even our wedding photo—I tore it from the wall, smashed it to pieces, and tossed it into the trash along with the five years of my marriage.

The next day, Cortey didn’t come home. But Charlee did.

The moment she walked in and saw my packed luggage, she let out a mocking laugh.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to pull a runaway-wife act just to get Daddy’s attention? Useless. He’s already completely in love with me now.”

She tilted her chin, her voice dripping with provocation. “Yesterday was my first time. I even begged him to be gentle, but he wouldn’t listen. He wore me out until morning.”

As she spoke, she deliberately exposed the hickey marks scattered across her neck.

“You’ve been married to Cortey for years. Did you even know he likes being called ‘Daddy’ in bed? Yesterday, I screamed myself hoarse, but he still wouldn’t let me stop.”

My fingers tightened around the recorder in my hand. I swallowed down the nausea clawing at my throat and sneered, “To be a mistress and still act this shamelessly. Wow. You must be proud of yourself.”

She spat sharply, her eyes flashing with contempt.

“Please. The one who isn’t loved is the real mistress.”

Her tone grew colder. “And you don’t even need to bother with this pathetic runaway act. I only need one move to prove to you who he truly cares about.”

Just then, the sound of a familiar engine roared in from the courtyard.

In the next heartbeat, Charlee grabbed a vase from the table and smashed it against her own head.

Blood immediately streamed down from that crazy bitch’s forehead as she crumpled to the floor, a pitiful figure.

She glared at me through tears, her voice breaking as she accused, “Mrs. McEnroe, I promised I’d keep donating blood for your mother, but do I not even have the right to fall in love? Just because you saw these hickeys on my neck, you demand I break up with him?! Isn’t that too cruel?”

Her sobs were delicate and pitiful, as though she were the most wronged woman in the world.

Before I could even respond, a figure charged into the room.

It was Cortey. He shoved me with such force that I crashed onto the coffee table, my head slamming hard against its sharp corner. Blood instantly blurred my vision.

Meanwhile, he scooped Charlee into his arms, holding her as though she were the most fragile treasure on earth.

His eyes blazed with fury as he glared down at me.

“What the hell, Sevlene?! How could you keep targeting Charlee again and again? I’ve made up my mind—she’ll never donate blood to your mother again! Since you’re so ungrateful, figure out a way to save her yourself!”