When I went up to the second floor, I saw Dwayne working on his computer while Eva sat in his lap, feeding him fruit.

Even though I had long stopped hoping for anything from Dwayne, a dull ache still pierced my chest.

From the day we got married, his study had always been off-limits to me.

“Teacher Hemsworth is here? Did you come to scold us again?”

Eva looked smug, like a wildcat flashing its claws.

“I’m here to paint for you two.”

Eva giggled, her voice coy as she curled into Dwayne’s arms.

“Dwayne, how did you talk her into this? Teacher Hemsworth’s paintings are priceless. Most people can’t even dream of owning one.”

Dwayne rubbed her head.

“Didn’t you say you wanted her work? Forget Kate’s trash artworks, if you asked for the stars, I’d still find a way to give them to you.”

He turned and glanced at me.

“Aren’t you going to get the paper ready?”

I turned and went downstairs, set up my brushes and prepared the paint.

Among all the wealthy wives in Roseville, none had fallen lower than me.

But the doctor’s words kept echoing in my mind.

“Keanu still has time. From a medical standpoint, the best solution would be for you and Mr. Cavill to have another child. Cord blood would have the lowest chance of rejection.”

I stood there, dazed, when Eva’s voice floated down from upstairs.

“Why is Teacher Hemsworth setting up the easel in the living room? Shouldn’t it be in the bedroom?”

I had known Eva and Dwayne were shameless, but I never imagined they’d ask me to paint them being intimate.

“Dwayne, do you have no shame?”

Furious, I threw down the brush.

Dwayne, half-dressed in his pajamas, kissed Eva’s cheek like I wasn’t even there. His hand slid under her nightdress without hesitation.

“Aren’t you an artist? Why are you so narrow-minded?”

“Teacher Hemsworth, don’t blame Dwayne, it was my idea. We wanted to capture the beauty of our love. You’re the most skilled master we could find.”

Eva said sweetly, eyes glinting with provocation.

The sight of the two of them drained the last bit of strength from my body.

“Dwayne, I’m begging you. Come with me to the hospital. Keanu is really sick. I need—”

“Is Teacher Hemsworth about to suggest we have a second child to save Keanu?”

Eva cut me off.

“Been reading too many Hollywood dramas, haven’t you? Was it Keanu’s nosebleed last time that gave you the idea?”

“Keanu’s nosebleed was just because he was being naughty and got disciplined by his loving father. I think Teacher Hemsworth should switch to writing novels instead of painting.”

I glared at Dwayne.

“Keanu had a nosebleed. Was it because you hit him?”

He raised a hand to his child. All for her. What kind of father does that make him?

“He dared to put a centipede in Eva’s water glass. That kind of behavior deserved more than a slap.”

My fists clenched, pain burning in my chest.

That day, Keanu had wanted to visit Dwayne at the company. He had just been diagnosed and insisted on telling his father in person, asking me to wait downstairs.

When he came down, his face was covered in blood, hiding the handprint on his cheek.

I panicked and rushed him to the hospital. He kept saying he didn’t see his dad and claimed he fell on his own.

I couldn’t bear to imagine how much pain, how much sorrow that little boy had buried in his heart.

“Dwayne, Keanu is really sick. Please, just come to the hospital with me.”

As I reached for his arm, he threw me to the ground without hesitation.

“Kate, when you begged me to marry you, you promised not to interfere in my private life. And now you’re clawing and grabbing like some street shrew.”

Dwayne and I had grown up as family acquaintances.

But later, the Hemsworth family fell into decline and my father became seriously ill, with little time left.

His final wish was to see me married with children.

So when Dwayne forced himself on me after drinking and I found out I was pregnant, I begged him to marry me.

For my father and my feelings.

This playboy agreed to marry me not just because Uncle Daniel liked me, but because I promised to give him enough freedom.

My arm slammed against the wall and the sharp pain made me gasp.

I gritted my teeth, enduring it and reached for my phone to show him Keanu’s condition in the hospital.

But before I could open the photo album, the hospital called.

“Mrs. Cavill, Keanu has developed an infection. Please come as soon as possible.”

My heart clenched. Keanu’s condition couldn’t handle even a minor infection.

“I’ll be there right away.”

I hung up without another word. I didn’t care about the two people in front of me anymore. I pushed the door open and rushed out.

Seeing my reaction, Dwayne’s expression changed. He knew I wouldn’t fake something like this.

“Kate, was that the hospital? Keanu’s illness, it wasn’t a lie?”

I stopped in my tracks, turned around and gave him one last chance.

“Dwayne, come to the hospital with me. I’m begging you. Keanu loves you so much, he even calls for Daddy in his sleep.”

For a moment, Dwayne actually frowned, as if something in him wavered.

But Eva slipped behind him, pressing herself against his back.

“Teacher Hemsworth just can’t stand to see us happy. She’s only trying to drag you out of my bed.”

Her hand slid down his waist.

“She’s not going to paint for us. Why don’t we just record a video? Let’s try that position you talked about last time.”

Lust clouded Dwayne’s face in an instant. He picked Eva up and carried her straight into the bedroom, slamming the door shut with a kick.

The moans and gasps that followed shattered the last sliver of hope I had for him.

At that moment, I made up my mind that Keanu had nothing more to do with Dwayne.

My child, I would save myself.

This infection hit Keanu hard. The inflammation wouldn’t go down and the doctor recommended a direct bone marrow transplant.

But there wasn’t a suitable match in the national bone marrow registry.

Watching Keanu grow paler and thinner by the day, I could only blame myself for not being a perfect match.

Standing on the edge between life and death, all my pride crumbled.

With swollen, red eyes, I went to the company to find Dwayne. He was just about to leave.

Ignoring the stares from employees around us, I dropped to my knees with a heavy thud.

“Dwayne, Keanu is really sick. Please come to the hospital for a bone marrow match. You’re his father, can you really bear to watch your son die?”

Dwayne froze, clearly caught off guard.

“Who allowed you to come here and embarrass yourself?”

He grabbed my arm and dragged me into the president’s office, whispers already spreading through the office.

Everything I’d been holding in finally broke loose. I sobbed so hard it felt like something inside me was tearing apart.

At last, Dwayne seemed to soften.

“I’ll go to the hospital with you. If Keanu is really sick, then as his father, of course, I’ll help him. But if you’re lying to me again, I won’t…”

Just as a glimmer of hope rose in my heart, Eva appeared.

“Teacher Hemsworth, how can you be so cruel? I already gave up on being Mrs. Cavill. I just want Dwayne to come with me to France for my 23rd birthday. Why won’t you let me have even that?”

Dwayne’s lips pressed into a thin line. He turned to me, eyes full of suspicion.

Tears quickly filled Eva’s eyes.

“Dwayne, I called Keanu’s teacher. She said he was attending class like normal.”

“You’re lying.”

I was so furious I nearly slapped her across the face.

But before I could react, she suddenly dropped to her knees.

“Please, Teacher Hemsworth. I’m not as smart as you, not as talented and I don’t have your family background. Dwayne’s love is all I have. Please don’t take that from me.”

As she spoke, she moved as if to slam her head on the floor.

Dwayne, heart aching, rushed forward and pulled her into his arms.

“I’ll go with you to France for your birthday. Don’t cry.”

Dwayne’s gaze toward me turned cold once again.

“Eva has never had anyone celebrate her birthday with her. Don’t you have even a shred of compassion?”

In that moment, I hated Eva more than I ever had. I lunged at her, wanting to tear her apart, but Dwayne struck me hard across the face.

That slap shattered everything. I broke down completely.

“Dwayne, as long as you’re willing to do the bone marrow match, I’ll divorce you right away. I’ll give her the title of Mrs. Cavill.”

But Dwayne didn’t even look at me. He was only concerned with comforting Eva.

In the end, he lost his patience and ordered the guards to throw me out.

I returned to the hospital in despair and cried my heart out outside the ward.

Then, I wiped my tears and walked into the doctor’s office.

“Use my bone marrow. I’m his mother. I’ll take the risk with my child.”

The night before Keanu’s surgery, I put on sterile clothing and entered his hospital room.

Keanu’s eyes sparkled. “Mom, don’t be sad. I’ll definitely get better.”

I bit my lip and nodded, not even daring to hug him.

“When I get better, let’s ask Dad to take us to Disneyland, okay?”

At that moment, the sorrow in my heart reached its peak.

Because just before entering the room, I had seen Eva’s latest post on social media.

[Thank you, Mr. Cavill, for reserving all of Disneyland to celebrate my birthday.]

The photo showed her laughing on a carousel, Disney fireworks lighting up the sky behind her like a dream.

“Yes. Once you get better, Daddy and Mommy will take you to ride every ride in Disneyland.”

That’s what I said, but deep down, I knew the truth. The success rate of the surgery was less than forty percent.

Keanu’s surgery was a great success.

I believed Heaven must have heard my prayer, willing to trade ten years of my life for Keanu’s safety.

A month after the surgery, Keanu asked if he could go home for a few days.

After careful evaluation, the doctors approved it.

I brought him home, my heart full of joy. Just watching him walk out of the hospital made every sacrifice worth it.

But just as we stepped into the house, Dwayne, who had been gone for so long, suddenly barged in with Eva.

“Dwayne, now you believe me, right? Isn’t Keanu excellent? Teacher Hemsworth even cursed the child with a deadly illness.”

I had no time to argue. I immediately shielded Keanu and rushed him into the bedroom.

Before they arrived, that room had been disinfected three times. The two people before me were far too filthy.

Dwayne didn’t even glance at Keanu’s pale, fragile face.

He grabbed my arm.

“Kate, how dare you use our child to lie? Do you know how anxious I’ve been out there? You’re truly disgusting.”

I hadn’t even broken free from his grip when…

“Woof woof woof!”

The sound of barking shattered my nerves.

Keanu was allergic to dog fur. Right now, he was as fragile as glass. One allergic reaction could cost him his life.

“Get out! Get out of here! Stay away from Keanu!”

As I struggled against the two of them, the little dog ran straight to Keanu.

First, it barked wildly, then it started licking his skin.

Every hair on my body stood on end. I raised my foot and kicked the dog hard in the belly, sending it flying.

Eva immediately let out a piercing scream.

“Tom! My Tom!”

She rushed over, scooping the dog into her arms, tears streaming down her face.

“Teacher Hemsworth, I know you love Keanu, but Tom is like my child, too. How could you treat him like that?”

The dog whimpered, but it was clearly not severely hurt.

Dwayne hadn’t expected things to spiral like this. He quickly pulled Eva away, heading out to take their so-called “dog son” to the vet.

Just as he was about to leave, Keanu took two steps forward, choking on his sobs.

“Daddy…”

Dwayne turned back.

Before the joy on Keanu’s face could fully bloom, it was met with a hard slap.