My mother, heartbroken over my ten-year unrequited love, simply drugged her much younger best friend, Fiona Harper, and sent her to my bed.

After waking up, Fiona coldly agreed to marry me.

However, not long after we got married, she began traveling abroad frequently. Each trip lasted three years.

During that time, I stayed home, raising our daughter, Maisie, while waiting for her return.

Until three years later, when I heard that she returned to Canada, I skipped an important business engagement, bringing my daughter to the airport to greet her.

Unfortunately, she just gave me a faint look, saying, “Sorry, I have a cleanliness obsession.”

From then on, my daughter and I would wash our hands at least three times every time we touched anything. Our home was spotless, without a speck of dust. Still, she never came back. She never even held our daughter.

Until I saw a video where someone asked her, “Miss Harper, what do you think is the happiest thing you've ever done?”

She replied nonchalantly, "Probably last week, overseas. I coaxed Rielle to sleep and then pulled Asher into the bathroom."

In the midst of the uproar, my hands and feet went cold.

Asher Rudolf was her ex-boyfriend, while Rielle was his daughter.

Rumors had it that they had been living together for the past three years. Turns out, it was all true.

At that moment, my heart completely shattered. I left divorce papers on the table, took my daughter, deregistered our household registration and left the country.

——

One day, Maisie came home crying when the nanny picked her up from kindergarten.

“Daddy, is it true that I don’t have a mom anymore?”

She sobbed, her voice hiccupping with sadness.

“Mommy promised to go to my kindergarten parent-teacher conference, but when she arrived, she said she’s Rielle's mom.”

“Daddy, all my friends said I am a child without a mom, hu hu hu…”

My chest burst with a ton of pain, and with red eyes, I took my daughter into my arms.

I wanted to say something to comfort her, but remembering Fiona’s cold attitude, it stuck in my throat.

Now I regretted it.

I thought that after waiting Fiona for three years, she would come to her senses and be willing to return to this country to reunite with our family.

Little did I know, it was just because Asher had said he wanted to return to the country. So Fiona had booked the ticket without hesitation, planned everything meticulously and even enrolled her ex-boyfriend’s daughter in the best kindergarten.

The day I went to the airport to meet her, Maisie put on the most beautiful dress and nervously asked me, “Daddy, will Mommy like me?”

I nodded. “Maisie, you’re Mommy's only daughter, of course she will.”

But when we arrived at the airport full of surprises, we saw Fiona holding Asher's hand and cradling a three-year-old girl in her arms.

Maisie and I froze in place.

Fiona faintly swept a glance at me. “I'm sorry, I'll go and settle Asher and Rielle first, you guys go home first.”

She didn't even look at Maisie, but gazed at Rielle with a gentle face.

I closed my eyes in despair at the thought.

“I'm sorry, Maisie. It's all Daddy's fault. Next time, Daddy will go to the parent-teacher meeting with you."

After washing her face and coaxing her to sleep, I saw her little brows furrowed tightly in her sleep. "Mommy, hug me…"

Her small voice stabbed my heart like needles.

If it hadn't been for that incident three years ago, Maisie might not have had to suffer like this.

Three years ago, my mom was heartbroken that I had been secretly in love for ten years and simply drugged Fiona, who happened to be my cruh, and sent her to my bed.

I was shocked, “Mom, are you going to kill me?”

My mom sighed. “Son, I saw it a long time ago that you like Fiona. Good news, she also has a crush on you but she just won't say anything.”

“The other day when she was drunk, I even heard her call your name. It’s frustrating to watch. Better to just force it into reality."

I resisted, but I didn't expect my body to get hot in the next second.

My mom hemmed and hawed, “I also put something in your wine, cherish this night.”

Then the door was unlocked.

After that night, Fiona came to her senses and said coldly, “Ryan, I agree to marry you and be responsible wife for you.”

Hearing that, I thought a happy life was about to begin.

But at a party, I accidentally bumped into her talking to a friend.

“Fiona, don’t be ungrateful. Ryan Curtis is rich, has a great figure, and most importantly, he loves you. Just settle down and live a good life.”

Fiona smoked a cigarette and sneered.

“Yeah, he is. At first, I also had a good feeling about him, but I didn't expect that he was actually such a cheap man. When I think of the day he drugged me and forcibly pounced on me, I feel … disgusted.”

I hadn’t even figured out how to explain things to her properly when, two weeks later, she got a visa and left the country.

Ten months later, she sent our newborn daughter back home.

I took care of our daughter, Maisie, alone, while waiting for her to come back day and night.

But what I got in return was her entanglement with Asher and his daughter.

The empty villa was silent as ever. I took out my cell phone just about to call Fiona, asking when she would be back.

Suddenly the door was pushed open and Fiona coldly walked in.

She swept a glance at the sleeping Maisie and spoke carelessly, “Rielle is coming to the house to play tomorrow, so you and Maisie should leave this house.”

Meeting my confused gaze, the corner of her lips raised a smile and explained, “Rielle is more possessive and can't see other little girls calling me mom.”

I had just held my breath and finally exploded at this moment.

I laughed back in anger, “Fiona, do you even remember who your biological daughter is?

"Do you know what Maisie went through at kindergarten today?”

Fiona frowned slightly and interrupted me, “Ryan, no need to remind me about this.”

“I’m sorry about what happened at kindergarten today. But Rielle also had a parent-teacher meeting. Asher is now divorced and raising her alone—he’s too busy to manage everything."

"Besides, before I even met you, I had made a promise to Asher that I would never let him suffer."

"I’ve already married you, given you what you wanted. You can’t stop me from caring for him and his daughter. It’s something I owe them.”

Fiona threw down her jacket after saying that and went to the bathroom.

The sound of clattering water rang out, drowning out my desperate and helpless whimpers.

If I had known that after marrying her and living my life like this, I would rather die than choose to give in that night.

I smiled bitterly at the divorce agreement that I had just written on my computer.

If I had no heart, according to my character, I am afraid that I would have already mentioned divorce.

But when I thought of Maisie’s aggrieved look, I still wanted to fight a little more, did not want to let her lose her mother since she was a child.

Maisie woke up early in the morning. When she learned that her mother came back, she jumped up excitedly.

“I'm going to take the picture I just drew and show it to Mommy!”

Yeah children forget quickly. Maisie had already forgiven her mother for what happened at kindergarten yesterday.

Maisie joyfully ran downstairs.

But there, she saw Asher and Rielle in, while her mother was gently helping Rielle peel oranges.

“Mom, who are they?”

Seeing that Maisie was still at home, Fiona frowned. “Why are you still at home? Where's your dad?”

Maisie was taken aback, still carefully holding up the family portrait she had been drawing for a week.

“Mom, look! I drew our family portrait. I always want to show Mommy when Mommy come home.”

The painting was just about to be handed over when a small hand nonchalantly snatched it away.

“What a crap painting!”

Rielle stomped her foot and tore it in half.

She arrogantly crossed her arms and fiercely pushed my daughter.

“Maisie, this is my mom! Don’t you remember that your classmates say you're a child without mom? Who allowed you to call my mom as yours?!”

Seeing Maisie fall to the ground and wailed, I was instantly anxious and helped Maisie up to while staring coldly at Rielle.

“Apologize.”

Fiona tightened her brows and said unhappily, “Ryan, why are you being so mean to a little kid?”

She held Rielle in her arms without saying a word.

“I told you in advance last night that Rielle couldn't stand to see people calling me mom.”

“She's just upset and frustrated, it's not like she pushed Maisie on purpose.”

I stood firm, still insisting.

“Didn’t you see what just happened? Was that not on purpose?”

“Fiona, she just personally called Maisie a child without mom. Now tell her, does Maisie really not have a mom?”

Fiona hesitated for a few moments, but still softly coaxed Rielle without the intention of apologizing.

Asher's eyes rolled and he stepped forward to apologize with a smile.

“Mr. Curtis, I'm really sorry, Rielle grew up abroad—she’s a bit blunt and says whatever comes to her mind. Please don’t take it to heart.”

With his words, the little girl in Fiona’s arms looked even more triumphant.

“I didn't say anything wrong! The classmates have all said that Maisie is a child without mom! She's the one who robbed my mom!”

I clenched my fists and stared coldly at Fiona.

Before, when she said she had a cleanliness fetish, Maisie and I endured it and accommodated her.

She was willing to use overtime as an excuse to get involved with other men outside and I also turned a blind eye.

But now, I couldn't tolerate people calling Maisie as a child without mom.

“Fiona, I'll ask you again-”

“Is Maisie a child without a mom?”

A point of displeasure flashed across Fiona's face, but she sneered and said, “Do you really need me to explain how she became my daughter?"

"Enough. Today is Rielle’s day to play here. Don’t ruin everyone’s mood.".

Asher and his daughter watched from the side, enjoying the drama.

Fiona heartbreakingly picked up Rielle and said, “Mommy will buy you some toys, okay?”

“And Elsa's pretty dress!”

“Good.” Fiona's face was full of favor.

Watching her back as she walked away, my heart grew cold. I finally said the words I had been weighing for so long.

“Fiona, let's divorce!”

Fiona's footsteps lurched and she coldly turned back.

“Ryan, do you think this is funny?”

“If you think this can threaten me, then it's fine as you wish.”

After saying that, she left without looking back.

The corner of Asher's eyes flashed with a smirk, but he quickly suppressed it and turned back to apologize to me.

“I’m really sorry. Fiona and I are innocent. She’s just someone who values emotions and loyalty deeply. She’s been kind to me since I got divorced early and my daughter has no mother. Please don’t take it personally or let this ruin your relationship.”

Asher added my contact information before leaving, said to compensate Maisie’s broken painting.

“Asher, come on!”

Fiona holding Rielle stood outside not far away, softly shouting him.

“Coming!”

Asher chased after him with a joyful smile, and before they could go far, the sound of their conversation clearly reached my ears.

“Fiona, really? Ryan said he wanted a divorce out of anger. How could you agree so easily?”

Fiona sneered. “He used all his means to beg for this marriage, how could he possibly give up a divorce?”

“Just now he was so mean to our Rielle. What I said before was just a small punishment for him, it won't be long before he begs me to come back.”

I couldn't help but sneer.