Just after hanging up the phone, Reese tiptoed in holding a glass of milk.

"It was your fault for interrupting my piano lesson today. Drink this, and I’ll forgive you."

Reese turned and handed the glass to Julia.

Julia hesitated, puzzled. She hadn’t planned to drink it, but in the end, this was the child she had carried for ten months. Her heart softened. She drank it.

That night, in a hazy, half-conscious daze, Julia seemed to hear Cameron again, his breathing thick with desire, accompanied by familiar, rhythmic sounds.

"This waist… so damn slender… Teacher Anne, you’re beautiful..."

The next day, she opened her eyes to a pounding headache and a wave of dizziness.

She reached for her phone. It was already afternoon.

All these years of marriage and raising a child, she had hardly ever slept in. And now, she had slept so long it felt unreal.

Just then, her phone rang. She tapped the answer button.

"You’re awake?" came Cameron’s voice. "You were tired last night, so I let you sleep in. Didn’t want to wake you."

"Help prep a few dishes for dinner tonight. Reese and I will eat at home. Teacher Anne is coming too."

Julia rubbed her temples. "I thought there wasn’t a piano lesson today. Why is she coming?"

There was background noise on his end, followed by Anne’s cheerful voice, "President Cruise, Reese wants to play hide-and-seek with us."

Cameron sounded impatient. "Just do as you’re told. Reese wants her to come and play. We’ll talk when I get home."

Before Julia could respond, the call ended. She slowly got up, walked to the mirror, and stared at her swollen, unfamiliar reflection.

She couldn’t pull herself out of the fog.

Let’s just treat it as one last memory before leaving. Julia let out a soft sigh.

The front door opened. Cameron and Anne stepped in, holding Reese’s hand.

The three of them walked in, chatting and laughing.

That scene looked exactly like a real family of three.

The table was already set, the dishes still steaming with fragrant heat.

“Wow! Smells amazing!” Reese exclaimed, exaggeratedly sniffing the air before eagerly digging in.

Anne sat quietly, her eyes brimming with tears, her utensils untouched.

Cameron glanced up and frowned. “Julia, Teacher Anne needs to maintain her figure. She can’t eat greasy or spicy food. Didn’t I tell you to make something lighter? Why did you put so much chili? Are you trying to kill her?”

Both Cameron and Reese loved spicy food, which was precisely why Julia had prepared the meal that way.

The moment Reese heard that Anne couldn’t eat spicy food, her face fell. She turned and screamed at Julia.

“Teacher Anne doesn’t eat spicy food! Why did you make everything spicy, you bad woman!”

She banged her utensils on the table and ordered, “Teacher Anne loves seafood! Go make seafood for her now!”

Julia let out a bitter laugh. The daughter, who had nearly died giving birth to her, remembered what her teacher couldn’t eat, yet forgot that her mother was allergic to seafood.

The corners of Anne’s mouth lifted ever so slightly, a faint trace of false apology flickering across her face.

“I’m really sorry for the trouble, Mrs. Cruise...”

But before she could finish, Reese shouted, “Teacher Anne, I won’t let that fat witch bully you! She stays home all day doing nothing, and now she can’t even cook properly. What else is she good for?”

Julia had once been a dancer who avoided spicy food to stay fit. But over the years, she forced herself to eat it, just to please that father-daughter pair. Even when the spice caused her stomach to burn, she kept smiling. And yet, they never once remembered that she couldn’t handle it.

Her hands trembled with rage. She slammed her utensils down.

“Why should I remake it? I’m done with this kind of life!”

The words had barely left her mouth when Cameron cut in sharply.

“Julia, be reasonable. How can you act more childish than a kid?”

Backed by her father, Reese shrieked and swept her little hands across the table, sending all the dishes crashing to the floor.

Hot chili oil splashed onto Julia’s body, searing her skin with a sharp burn.

“Your food is disgusting! You won’t even let Teacher Anne eat, bad woman!”

“Just seeing you makes me sick, fat witch! That’s why I put sleeping pills in your milk, so Teacher Anne could go to school and pretend to be my mom. All my classmates said she’s pretty and gentle. She looks like my real mom, not you! You’re just a fat, ugly maid who should stay home!”

Reese’s shrill voice pierced the room, her little face twisted with open disgust.

Julia stood there, frozen as if struck by lightning.

What?

No wonder she’d slept half the day with a splitting headache.

She turned to Cameron, eyes wide in disbelief. “What did Reese just say?”

A flicker of surprise crossed his face before he quickly composed himself.

“There was a parent-child event at the kindergarten today. If you’d shown up looking like this... the other kids would've laughed at her. She has her pride, too. You’re her mother, you should understand.”

He paused, then added flatly, “But yeah, giving you sleeping pills was wrong. I’ve already scolded her for it.”

Julia felt suffocated. Cameron was actually condoning their daughter’s behavior.

She let out a cold laugh. “This is how you raise her? What’s wrong with how I look? I only became like this because I gave birth to her!”

All reason snapped. She grabbed the remaining bowls and dishes and hurled them to the floor.

The sharp shatter of porcelain echoed through the dining room.

Cameron’s expression turned cold. “Julia, what the hell are you doing? Reese is just a child. Can’t you be more tolerant? And there’s a guest here. Stop making a scene!”

“Making a scene?” Julia laughed, her voice trembling with rage. “Fine, I'm leaving!”

She couldn’t bear one more minute in that suffocating room. Stumbling out of the dining area, she kept walking.

Even after reaching the garden behind the estate, the pain in her chest wouldn’t ease. The nausea lingered like a knot that refused to loosen.

She collapsed onto the pavilion bench, gasping for air, trying to calm herself.

Footsteps sounded behind her.

“Mrs. Cruise?”

It was Anne’s voice. She had followed Julia out and quietly walked up beside her.

“Are you alright? Children speak without thinking. Julia, don’t take it to heart. Reese just likes me a little too much; that’s why she said those harsh things. You’re her mother, of course, you wouldn’t blame her.”

Julia didn’t reply. She didn’t even want to look at that face pretending to be innocent.

Anne’s gaze drifted to the necklace around Julia’s neck, a delicate diamond pendant shaped like a ballet slipper, intricately set and gleaming under the light.

Anne spoke with open admiration. “Julia, your necklace is beautiful.”

She reached out to touch it.

Julia instinctively raised her hand and said coldly, “Don’t touch it.”

At that moment, Reese’s voice echoed from a distance. “Teacher Anne, where are you? I want to eat cake with you!”

Anne, having been blocked, suddenly staggered as if losing balance. With a sharp cry, she fell toward Julia.

Caught off guard, Julia tried to dodge, but Anne grabbed at her, and both of them went crashing backward!

Julia’s back and legs slammed hard against the sharp edge of a statue. Warm blood soaked through her clothes almost instantly, and the searing pain made her body tremble uncontrollably.

“Teacher Anne!” Reese rushed over to Anne and looked up at her, eyes full of worry. “Does it hurt? Daddy, hurry, help Teacher Anne up!”

Anne had only landed on the grass, suffering a small scrape, yet her eyes shimmered with tears. “Thank you, Reese. It doesn’t hurt.”

She turned to Cameron with a pitiful look. “I just… thought Julia’s necklace was beautiful and wanted to admire it. That’s all.”

Cameron frowned but stayed silent. He stepped forward and helped Anne up. As he did, she leaned gently into him, her hand resting on his shoulder, making him visibly stiffen.

Reese’s face twisted with anger. She screamed at Julia, who was still on the ground, “You nasty, fat witch! How dare you push Teacher Anne!”

She lunged at Julia, her little fists pounding. “Bullying Teacher Anne! See if you dare do it again!” Then her tiny hand gripped the necklace at Julia’s throat and yanked it with all her strength.

With a sharp snap, the chain broke.

Reese clutched the broken necklace like it was treasure and held it up to Anne.

“Teacher Anne, here! This pretty necklace, fat witch doesn’t deserve it!”

Anne made a show of modest refusal, her tone gentle. “Reese, you shouldn’t. That belongs to your mommy.”

But Cameron’s voice followed coldly. “It’s a kind gesture from the child. Just take it as an apology from her mother.”

Julia, still enduring the burning pain in her back, forced out a hoarse whisper.

“I didn’t push her…”

Cameron’s gaze turned cold. “Julia, apologize to Teacher Anne.”

Julia stared at him in disbelief.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. She lost her balance and dragged me down!”

Reese pointed a finger, her face twisted with contempt.

“You’re fat like a pig! Teacher Anne is skinny. How could she push you? You’re just jealous! You did it on purpose!”

All trace of warmth vanished from Cameron’s eyes, replaced by nothing but disgust.

“Julia, you’ve truly let me down, so petty, so pathetic.”

He scooped Anne into his arms.

“Teacher Anne’s hands are meant for the piano; they’re too precious. I apologize on her behalf.”

Then, his tone softened as he turned to her. “Come on. I’ll take you to the hospital and have that wound looked at.”

Reese trailed after them like a loyal shadow, not once glancing back at Julia.

The pain in Julia’s back seared through her skin, but she still let out a laugh, low, bitter, and soaked in tears.

This was the child she had nearly died giving birth to. This was the man who once swore he’d love her forever.

And now, without a shred of hesitation, they protected an outsider, leaving her behind like she meant nothing.

In that moment, Julia made a quiet vow to herself: She would never again cling to this man. And as for that heartless child, she was done.

Julia called her private doctor to treat her wounds.

But on the other end came a hesitant voice. “Madam, Mr. Cruise just called and asked me to head to the hospital. The piano teacher was injured... so...”

Julia let out a cold laugh.

“There are plenty of doctors at the hospital. I’m the mistress of this house, too. I’ll pay double for today’s visit.”

After the ordeal and a fresh wave of pain, she finally drifted into a groggy sleep. Her injuries throbbed, every muscle aching.

But not long after, noise from the house jolted her awake. Squinting in confusion, she walked out, only to see Cameron practically turning the living room into a medical ward.

When he saw her, he explained, “As an apology, Teacher Anne will be staying here to recover.”

Julia gave a bitter chuckle. “She only scraped some skin. Does it really warrant all this drama?”

Cameron frowned.

“What if it affected her tendons? I’m doing this as an apology from you.”

On the side, Anne looked torn. “President Cruise, perhaps I should still return to the hospital.”

But Reese sprang up, defiant.

“Teacher Anne, just stay here! Don’t mind that fat woman, just treat her like the maid!”

Cameron quickly stopped her.

“Reese, stop giving Mommy nicknames.”

Julia couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. She rolled her eyes at Reese and turned away, letting them do whatever they pleased.

The next morning, she saw Cameron lounging on the sofa, seriously browsing something on his iPad.

When he noticed her, he called out, “Julia, come here.”

She walked over, only to see him scrolling through listings of luxury villas.

In the blink of an eye, he transferred a $10 million deposit.

Cameron pointed to a stack of documents on the coffee table.

“Julia, I want to discuss something. I’m thinking of buying a villa for our daughter to practice piano in, so Teacher Anne can live there and tutor her conveniently.”

He tapped the page.

“This is a spousal gift agreement. As a token of appreciation, the villa will be registered under Teacher Anne’s name.”

Julia let out a cold laugh. "You already paid the deposit, what’s the point of asking me now?"

"No need to go through the trouble of signing a spousal gift agreement. Have you forgotten we’re already divorced?"

Cameron froze for a moment, clearly stunned. "Julia, sorry, I forgot."

Then he asked again, carefully, "What day does the cooling-off period end?"

Julia replied flatly, "The twentieth."

Cameron let out a breath of relief and reached out to hold her hand, but she quietly stepped back.

"Julia, Teacher Anne is a guest after all. I didn’t mean to neglect you, I just didn’t want to be rude to her."

Seeing Julia remain silent, he continued, "Reese is still young. It’s natural for her to be a bit willful, but she’s still our daughter."

Julia frowned. "You don’t need to say all this."

Because I’m leaving soon anyway, the second half stayed locked in her throat, unsaid.

Cameron gently closed the iPad and said softly, "Alright then, make a few light dishes for dinner tonight. Reese and I will stay home and keep you company, okay?"

Julia sneered inwardly. Was it really to keep her company or just another excuse to spend more time with Anne?

"My leg is injured. I’m still recovering. I won’t be cooking these days. Just let the maid handle it."

Cameron’s lips curved into a cruel smile. "But you can walk, can’t you? What, still dreaming of dancing ballet with those legs?"

"What kind of ballet dancer weighs 150 pounds?"

Julia’s fists clenched tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms. Every word he spoke was laced with contempt and mockery.

Seeing her expression, Cameron gave a half-hearted apology. "Sorry, I was just joking."

"If your leg’s inconvenient, just stay home. I’ll take Reese and Teacher Anne out for dinner."

After Cameron left, Julia didn’t care in the slightest.

She lay on the sofa, browsing through everything she could find about liposuction surgery.

When they returned, full and content, Julia didn’t even lift her eyelids.

The moment Reese stepped in, she noticed her slippers were scattered on the floor, and the maid hadn’t brought her new pajamas. She exploded on the spot.

"Fat witch! Why didn’t you clean up or get shoes for me, Daddy, and Teacher Anne?"

Before, aside from the maid’s cleaning, Julia had handled everything in the house herself. She had cared for the father and daughter with meticulous effort.

But now, she didn’t want to lift a finger.

She stared coldly at her daughter.

"Why should I? Do I owe you anything? From now on, take care of your things."

Cameron frowned slightly but said nothing.

Reese grew even more furious. She pointed straight at Julia and shouted, "You eat my daddy’s food, drink my daddy’s water, so you should do the work at home! You owe us!"

Julia let out a cold laugh. "Who said I eat and drink from him? I hired the maids. They answer me. If you want someone to serve you, go hire your own."

Cameron quickly stepped in, patting Reese’s head. "Mommy’s just upset. Don’t take it seriously."

But Reese cried out, "I don’t want a fat and ugly woman to be my mommy! I want Teacher Anne to be my mommy. She’s so gentle and pretty. I wish I had been born from her instead!"

Hearing those words from her daughter, the heart Julia had already given up on still twisted in pain, like a breath caught in her chest, refusing to release.

Anne stood off to the side, feigning surprise, then quickly spoke with a soft, apologetic tone.

"Mrs. Cruise, please don’t blame Reese. This is all my fault. I only meant to be kind to her, I didn’t expect it to turn out like this… I must’ve been too patient, and she ended up seeing me more like a mom."

Julia clenched her fists. "Anne, stop pretending to be the good person!"

"Julia, don’t be rude." Cameron frowned, then lowered his gaze to his daughter and asked gently,

"Reese, do you really want Teacher Anne to be your mommy?"

The little girl gave a firm nod. "I do."