My baby was gone. My womb was destroyed… while their child lived happily.

And now, he was out buying cakes for Jackson and Nora—not for me.

I gripped the phone tightly, my breathing heavy.

With trembling fingers, I tapped the gallery icon. I knew this would hurt, but I had to see it.

The screen opened. Dozens of photos of Ethan, Nora, and Jackson.

An amusement park. A dinner. They even spent time traveling abroad together.

Not only that, last year—

Ethan was carrying Jackson in his arms, looking at him with pride, on his third birthday.

My heart sank.

It wasn’t me by his side.

It wasn’t me in those memories.

I was just a shadow.

I was the one considered his wife, yet I was the third person between them.

I placed Ethan’s phone back on the table. My hand fumbled to the other side, searching for my own phone. The moment I found it, my fingers quickly dialed a number I had saved for a long time—the contact of a lawyer I had met at a charity event before.

The call connected.

"Zoey?" The man’s voice on the other end sounded professional, but there was a hint of surprise.

"I need your help," I whispered, trying to suppress the tremor in my voice.

"I want to divorce Ethan."

Silence.

"Zoey, are you really sure? I just heard that you were hospitalized. I was actually planning to visit you later. So—"

"No need to worry, I’ve recovered. It was just a minor accident, Mr. Gerald," I cut him off before the conversation dragged on. More precisely, I lied.

"Please, just help me with what I asked for."

I sensed his hesitation, but finally, he said, "Alright. We can start by gathering your marriage documents and any evidence supporting your decision to file for divorce."

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. "Do it quietly. I don’t want Ethan to know until the right time."

"I understand."

Before I could end the call, Ethan suddenly walked into my room, making me hurriedly hang up in panic.

"Darling, who were you just calling?" he asked.

"Oh, it was just my friend, Lily. She keeps insisting on visiting me. I already told her there’s no need. I’ll be leaving soon anyway, right? I’m bored."

Ethan shook his head firmly.

"No! You’re not fully recovered yet," he said sternly.

"But... Didn’t you say you wanted to adopt a child? I want to do it as soon as possible. You know, I miss my baby. I want someone to fill that void."

Ethan fell silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.

"Alright, I’ll talk to the doctor now.”

I successfully persuaded Ethan to take me home from the hospital sooner. But one thing still bothered me—my request to adopt a child had yet to be fulfilled.

"Why aren't we heading straight to the orphanage?" I asked, staring at him sharply while he focused on driving.

Ethan glanced at me briefly before returning his attention to the road. "We'll postpone it for a few days."

My forehead creased. "Why? Didn’t we already agree on this?"

He was silent for a moment as if searching for the right words.

"Zoey, you're still recovering. Your hand is bandaged, and your body hasn't fully healed. How can you take care of a child in this condition?"

I stared at him blankly. "I'm fine, Ethan."

"But I don't want you to push yourself," he said gently, his tone almost convincing.

I let out a quiet sigh, pretending to give in. "Alright."

I leaned back against the car seat, turning my face toward the window.

Recovery?

That wasn’t the real reason. Ethan was hiding something.

****

When we arrived home, Mrs. Sophia greeted me with a cold stare.

Ethan helped me out of the car, his hands supporting my body as if I would collapse at any moment.

"This is what happens when you can’t stay home, Zoey," Mrs. Sophia’s voice was sharp.

"Not only is your hand broken, but now you can’t even be a perfect woman for Ethan."

Her words cut like a knife.

I looked at Ethan, then back at my mother-in-law. "I was just worried about him, Mom. I never expected this to happen. And I don’t know who sent that message—who set me up."

"You were careless," Mrs. Sophia scoffed.

"Look at the result, Ethan is perfectly fine. You’re the only one who ended up as the victim. You should have called before acting recklessly."

I opened my mouth, but Ethan spoke first.

"Mom, stop." His voice was firm but exhausted.

"Zoey only wanted to make sure I was safe. She got into that accident because she was worried about me."

Mrs. Sophia didn’t look impressed.

"Then what about the heir to the Anderson family?"

Ethan let out a deep sigh. "We’ll adopt a child from an orphanage."

"NO!" Her voice was shrill, her eyes stabbing into me. "That is not an option."

I clenched my fists. "Then what?"

"The heir to this family must be of Anderson blood. Not some child off the streets."

I bit my lip. "But I… I can’t get pregnant again, Mom. How could—" My voice broke.

"That’s your problem, Zoey." My mother-in-law's gaze turned even colder.

"Find a way… or bring your dead baby back to life."

I froze.

In an instant, all the air in my lungs vanished.

She left the room, but her words still echoed in my mind.

*****

A few days later, Ethan suddenly asked to talk.

"I've been thinking about Mom's request regarding an heir," he said.

I scoffed, already predicting where this conversation was going.

"And what’s the solution?"

"I've found the best solution for all of us."

I stared at him sharply, my forehead creasing. "What do you mean?"

At that moment, the front door suddenly swung open.

A little boy ran inside and immediately hugged Ethan as if answering all my confusion.

"Daddy, I missed you!"

My heart plummeted to my stomach as I saw the child I had once seen in Ethan’s photo gallery now standing before me.

Ethan stiffened, his body tensing. I saw him bite his lip as if wanting to take back the boy’s words.

"Zoey, I'm sorry. Don't misunderstand."

Ethan's voice wavered.

He took a deep breath, then looked at me. "Zoey… let me introduce you. This is Jackson."

I didn't move. Didn't blink.

Ethan swallowed hard. "Jackson… is my nephew. I've already explained to him that I'm his uncle, but he's just used to calling me Dad."

The child looked up, his big eyes full of cheerfulness. The same eyes as Ethan's.

Even without a DNA test, I knew—Jackson was not his nephew.

A smile formed on my lips. A forced smile. A smile that felt like a slap to my own face.

"Oh? Really?" My voice sounded light, but my world was shaking.

Before I could react, Mrs. Sophia had already stepped forward.

She gazed at Jackson with pride, as if the boy were the long-awaited prize.

"So, this is the heir of the Anderson family?"

Ethan nodded. "From now on, he will live with us."

Mrs. Sophia crouched down and pulled Jackson into her embrace. "Of course! A wise decision, Ethan."

I remained frozen.

Then Ethan touched my shoulder, his voice gentle, trying to soothe me. "Zoey, don’t worry. Just focus on your recovery. Jackson has had a babysitter caring for him since he was little. I'll bring her here."

Before I could respond, the door opened again.

Someone walked in.

I held my breath.

Nora.

She stood at the doorway, smiling. Wearing a babysitter’s uniform.

"Hi, Zoey. Long time no see."

I stared at her without blinking.

My fists clenched.

"I'm Jackson's babysitter. I've been taking care of him for years and have earned the family's trust. From now on, I'll be working here."

My heart pounded violently.

She was once my best friend.

Now, she was the woman who had destroyed me so effortlessly.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm raging in my chest.

Ethan stood beside me, looking awkward as if he sensed the sudden tension filling the room.

"Mom, are we going to live here?" Jackson's innocent voice made my heart sink.

Mom? He called her that. Nora.

I stared at him intently, then shifted my gaze to Nora, who still wore that sweet expression.

For a moment, she looked surprised, but her face quickly regained composure. She lowered her head slightly, gently stroking Jackson’s hair.

"Sweetheart, you must be polite. From now on, we’ll live here, but remember what I taught you, okay?"

I saw her glance at me with a meaningful look.

I crossed my arms over my chest, struggling to hold myself back.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Zoey. Ever since I started taking care of Jackson, he’s always called me Mom. You see, he lost his parents when he was little."

Her voice was so natural as if there was nothing wrong.

I gave a thin smile.

"Oh? So you've been teaching him to call you Mom for a long time?"

Her expression flickered for a split second, but she quickly masked it.

"It wasn't me who taught him. He got used to it on his own. He just needed a mother figure."

My smile widened. "Really? Then you must be very close to him, huh?"

Nora nodded, still pretending to be calm.

"Of course. I’ve been taking care of him for years."

I glanced at Ethan, who was rubbing the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable with this conversation.

Then I looked back at Nora. "In that case, welcome to my home, Babysitter Nora… and Jackson."

I heard her breath hitch for a fraction of a second before she forced another smile.

Ethan looked uneasy. He glanced at me briefly before shifting his gaze to Nora, as if sensing the tension between us.

"Zoey," he called softly, trying to ease the atmosphere.

"I know this is sudden, but I hope you can accept it. Jackson needs someone who understands him, and Nora has been taking care of him for a long time. She knows him best."

I let out a bitter chuckle. "Oh? So now you think I’m not good enough to take care of him?"

Ethan was silent for a moment, his face visibly tense.

"That’s not what I meant. I just want to make sure Jackson doesn’t feel out of place. This is for the good of all of us."

I stared at him deeply, searching for something in his eyes—hesitation, guilt, or maybe even the courage to confess. But all I found was a faint trace of despair.

Nora gave a small smile. "Ethan is right, Zoey. I’m not here to replace you. I just want to help."

Help? I didn’t believe that for a second.

"With only one functional hand, I don’t think you’re capable of taking care of Jackson," she said bluntly.

She was openly mocking me. I shot her a sharp look, but Ethan gently took my left hand.

"Zoey, I need you to trust me. This is for your health. Once you recover, you can take care of Jackson."

His hand was warm, but it felt foreign.

I used to trust Ethan completely.

But now?

I slowly pulled my hand away. "Alright," I said flatly. "You've already made your decision, haven’t you? So all I can do is accept it."

Ethan looked at me as if trying to make sure I was really okay. But I didn’t give him the chance.

I turned away, my eyes landing on Jackson, who still stood close to Nora.

****

I stood at the doorway, watching a scene that had become increasingly frequent.

Ethan came home from work, carrying several branded shopping bags in his hands. Without hesitation, he handed the gifts to Nora and Jackson.

“This is for you, sweetheart.” Jackson cheered excitedly.

“Do you like it?” Ethan gently ruffled the boy’s hair.

Jackson nodded, opening a box containing expensive sneakers. Meanwhile, Nora received a designer handbag with a faint smile.

“Thank you, Ethan,” Nora said softly.

My chest burned with the anger I struggled to contain.

“Is this your new habit?” I asked coldly.

Ethan turned to me, smiling as if I had simply misunderstood.

“Sweetheart, this is just a reward for Nora. She’s been taking good care of Jackson.”

I crossed my arms. “And Jackson? Do you have to shower him with expensive gifts every day?”

Ethan sighed. “I just want him to feel loved. He lost his parents, Zoey. You know why.”

Ethan was busy drowning Nora and Jackson in attention and gifts, while I became more invisible in my own home.

My baby was gone, yet it wasn’t me he embraced, it wasn’t me he comforted.

Ethan had never given me gifts.

But what did gifts mean if they couldn’t bring my baby back?

"Zoey, in a few days, there will be a party to introduce Jackson as our family's heir. Let’s start preparing. I want you to choose the decorations," Ethan said, just as I struggled to suppress my anger.

****

I stood beside Ethan, in the place that was supposed to be mine. But tonight, I was nothing more than an ornament next to him—just a wife in name.

On the other side, Nora stood beside Jackson, her hand gently patting the boy’s shoulder. At a glance, they looked like a perfect little family.

Ethan raised his wine glass, his voice ringing throughout the room.

“From today on, I want you all to know that Jackson is part of the Anderson family. He is the heir I will protect and raise to the best of my ability.”

Cheers and applause filled the room, accompanied by hushed whispers that stabbed into my ears.

"Finally, the Anderson family has a male heir."

"Poor Zoey, she couldn't give Ethan an heir. Such a pity."

"Nora is just a babysitter, but look at how she stands beside Ethan. They look more suited for each other."

My fingers curled into fists at the sides of my gown. I wanted to scream, to shove away every sympathetic gaze and whispered judgment that stripped me bare.

I turned and walked away, unable to endure it any longer. But as soon as I stepped into the empty hallway, another set of footsteps followed me.

I stopped.

"Nora."

My fists tightened, my breath unsteady.

Nora gave a faint smile. "How does it feel to be pushed aside, Zoey?”