When Julia opened the door, the house was a complete mess. The lights in the living room were on, yet not a soul was in sight.

She headed upstairs, about to push open her bedroom door, when she noticed it was already ajar.

Inside, Cameron and Anne were tightly wrapped in each other’s arms.

Anne lay beneath him, her eyes hazy with desire. In the next second, Cameron lowered his head and kissed her deeply.

A deafening roar filled Julia’s ears. Her stomach twisted violently.

They were doing this on her bed.

On her bed.

Julia turned and bolted, heart pounding, wanting nothing more than to escape that room.

She had just reached the living room when her daughter came barreling at her on a child’s tricycle.

Before she could move, the front wheel slammed into her. She crashed to the floor, pain shooting through her body.

Her daughter stopped on the pedals, face twisted with malice. "You stupid fat woman! Who told you to come back and ruin Daddy and Teacher Anne’s date?"

Julia struggled to get up, only to see her daughter spin the tricycle around and ram into her again, the wheels rolling straight over her calf.

"Ahhh—!"

A sharp, searing pain shot through her leg, soaking her in cold sweat. Her scream echoed in agony.

"You deserved it! That’s what you get for ruining the date! You shameless fat witch! Homewrecker! Get out of our house!"

The shrill, venomous voice cut deep. Julia’s heart sank. She was only five, where had she learned to speak like that?

But the pain was unbearable. She had no time to think.

Upstairs, the noise had clearly reached the bedroom. After a brief pause, Cameron finally came down.

He took one look at her sprawled on the floor and frowned in irritation. "What now? You just got back, and you're already making a scene. Can’t you stay quiet for one second?"

His daughter immediately switched to a pitiful tone, pointing at Julia with wide, accusing eyes. "Daddy, she ran into my bike on purpose! She tried to scare me! She’s bad!"

Cameron’s gaze darkened, but seeing Julia writhing in pain, he reluctantly walked over and extended a hand. "You okay?"

Julia shook her head and spoke weakly, "Reese is lying. Take me to the hospital… my leg… I can’t stand."

Cameron withdrew his hand, then knelt to support her. "Don’t talk right now. I’ll take you to the hospital."

At that moment, Anne stepped out, still wrapped in Cameron’s bathrobe.

She held her forehead and leaned against the doorframe, her voice soft and fragile. "Mr. Cruise… my head feels dizzy… I can’t stand…"

Her body swayed as if she would collapse at any second.

Without hesitation, Cameron rushed to her and swept her into his arms.

"Dizzy? Don’t worry. I’ll take you to the hospital right now."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he stepped over Julia, trembling in pain on the floor, and headed straight for the door.

"Reese, open the door for Daddy. Then go back to your room and sleep."

The girl looked anxiously at Anne, cradled in his arms. "What happened to Teacher Anne? I want to go too!"

Cameron shook his head.

"It’s too late. Go to sleep. You’ve got kindergarten tomorrow."

Though reluctant, Reese still did as Cameron said. As she passed by Julia, she snorted and kicked her hard in the stomach.

The once lively living room now held only Julia, curled on the floor in silence.

Beside her sat her daughter’s tiny tricycle. As her eyes drifted across the cold, empty space, every memory she’d clung to shattered quietly inside her.

With trembling fingers, she reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and called the housekeeper.

Her voice was barely audible.

“Hello… send someone to the living room… take me to the hospital…”

Julia spent three long hours at the hospital, completely alone.

“Severe soft tissue contusion, possible bone fracture. Surgery is necessary. You’ll need a family member to handle the payments and sign the consent forms,” the masked doctor said, handing her a slip.

Julia took the form with steady hands and gave a faint shake of her head. “Doctor, I came alone. I’ll take care of everything myself.”

The doctor frowned. “You came here alone with injuries like that? No family? There’s a whole list of procedures…”

Julia forced a tired smile. The people who had hurt her most were the ones who should’ve stood by her side.

She managed every step on her own, paperwork, payments, everything. By the time the surgery ended, dawn had already begun to break.

Still groggy, she wheeled herself slowly toward the bathroom, only to stop short.

Anne, dressed in a hospital gown, was strolling casually down the hallway. Her complexion glowed, and Cameron’s tailored jacket hung elegantly over her shoulders.

When Anne spotted her, she offered a slow, deliberate smile. “What a coincidence, Mrs. Cruise,” she said, drawing out the last three words with syrupy sweetness.

“Mr. Cruise is arranging a private doctor for my follow-up. He can’t leave just yet.”

Julia frowned and tried to wheel past, but Anne stepped in front of her, leaning down with a smirk.

"How did it feel… watching your husband carry me away?"

She lowered her voice, lips curling with triumph. "Julia, I’ll be the new Mrs. Cruise soon enough."

With that, she pulled out her phone and held it in front of Julia’s face.

Onscreen, inside Julia’s own bedroom, Cameron leaned in and kissed Anne, his hands roaming slowly over her body.

Then came his voice, gentle and intimate. "Reese really likes you, Miss Lawrence. Would you be willing… to become her other mother?"

Julia’s eyes widened. Humiliation crashed over her like a tidal wave.

She smacked the phone aside and let out a cold laugh.

"An unfaithful man who can’t keep it in his pants, and a backstabbing child who drugged her own mother…"

"Take them. I tossed them away. If picking up trash makes you feel powerful, be my guest."

"You—!"

Anne’s expression twisted with fury. She raised her hand.

Julia’s head snapped to the side. Her cheek burned from the force of the slap.

Still unsatisfied, Anne raised her hand again. But this time, Julia instinctively caught her wrist.

Anne struggled to pull free until, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Cameron approaching from the far end of the hallway. Her expression shifted. With a sudden smile, she grabbed the heavy metal base of the nearby blood pressure stand and slammed it hard against her own wrist, right where Julia’s hand held her.

“Ah—my hand!” Anne cried out, staggering backward before collapsing to the floor.

Cameron rushed over, immediately crouching beside her. “Miss Lawrence, are you alright?”

Tears welled in Anne’s eyes as she clutched her wrist. “It hurts so badly… Why does Mrs. Cruise always target me?”

“I only came to check on her, but she suddenly grabbed my hand and smashed it with the machine. She told me I wasn’t fit to teach Reese piano anymore… and ordered me to leave.”

Cameron froze, stunned by her words. Then his face twisted with fury as he turned to Julia and shouted, “Julia, what the hell are you trying to do?!”

Julia stared at them coldly, too drained to explain anything.

Cameron’s gaze turned sharp. "Apologize. Apologize to Miss Lawrence right now."

Julia finally spoke, her voice steady. "Apologize? To her?"

Cameron’s expression darkened. He let out a cold laugh.

"Fine. Won’t apologize? Then I’ll punish you until you do."

He pulled out his phone, and within moments, two bodyguards arrived.

"Take my wife to the third floor," he ordered flatly.

Julia’s eyes widened. She tried to wheel herself away, but the guards grabbed her on the spot.

"Cameron! What are you doing?!"

They lifted her out of the chair, dragging her up the stairs as she struggled.

"Let go of me! Let go!"

Behind her, Cameron’s voice was cruel and venomous. "You love hurting people… especially where it counts."

"Your precious ballet? You’ll never dance again. Those legs they’re useless now. This is your punishment."

"Throw her off the third floor. Let her remember this lesson for the rest of her life."

Julia’s mind went blank.

She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard.

Rage exploded from her throat. "Cameron, you can’t do this! Don’t you dare!"

He frowned. “Why wouldn’t I? I’m teaching you a lesson. You hurt someone—this is your consequence, Julia.”

The bodyguards dragged her up to the third floor. Before she could even react, Cameron’s voice echoed from below.

“Do it!”

They didn’t hesitate.

“Ah—!”

Her scream barely lasted a second. The wind roared in her ears as the ground rushed up to meet her. That split second of weightlessness turned into horror.