Ethan and I met years ago at a conference. Back then, I was a promising apprentice under my father, the CEO of our company, NovaTech. Life was good; I had everything I needed, and I was well-regarded by my family and peers. I was the quintessential good girl, admired and respected.

However then, I was still not announced as the heir of the Everhart family since it was a family tradition that they would only introduce me to the world once I became the CEO.

Ethan, on the other hand, was known as the rebellious young master of the Harrington family. Gossip at social events painted a picture of a man more interested in squandering money in bars than leading his family’s empire. It was common to hear stories of his father publicly reprimanding him for his recklessness.

I found boys like Ethan insufferable. His indifferent demeanor, even when scolded by his father in front of everyone, only added to my disdain. He seemed utterly unbothered, almost childishly detached. Whenever I saw him, I made a point to avoid him. I doubted he even knew who I was, given his apparent disinterest in business and the people involved in it.

The rivalry between our families was well-known, though I never fully understood it. The Harringtons and my Everhart family were supposed adversaries.

Personally, I felt our true competition should have been the Featherson family, who were also venturing into robotics. The Harringtons, with their focus on AI-driven advanced technologies, seemed less directly competitive.

One day, after a conference session, I found myself in an empty hallway surrounded by a group of boys. Panic set in; wealthy men were often arrogant and unpredictable. Just as I felt desperation creep in, Ethan appeared like a hero, facing the group alone. For the first time, I saw him differently.

"Next time you're in danger, try not to be so foolish," he said, breathless from his effort.

"Me? Foolish?" I replied, my wide eyes filled with curiosity.

"Run, do you understand? If you're about to be cornered and can't fight back, just run."

His words, though harsh, were protective. He escorted me back to the conference, and from that day on, we started encountering each other more often at parties and gatherings for young entrepreneurs.

People began to notice his attentiveness towards me, even teasing him as my shadow. He didn't mind; he openly admitted his attendance was solely because of me. He seemed unaware of who I was or our families' strained connection, remaining the same disinterested person in business matters.

Gradually, Ethan began to change. He stopped frequenting clubs and started involving himself in his family's business. His transformation was sudden and noticeable.

Whenever we were at the same conference, I’d catch him stealing glances at me, his focus shifting from the speakers to where I stood. Our eyes would meet, and I’d quickly look away, feeling my cheeks flush. A strange, warm feeling began to grow in my heart.

"So, what do your parents do? Are they hoteliers?" He asked me one evening.

Trying to avoid revealing my true identity, I replied, "Something like that."

Months passed and Ethan's dedication to becoming a better businessman was driven by his desire to protect me. He often said he needed to be powerful to do so. I once asked him, "How long will you protect me?"

His response was both indulgent and sincere, "As long as you need."

I pondered and asked, "Is a lifetime okay?"

With a shy smile, he replied, "Sure."

I believed our lifetime together would be long, but everything changed when Bella entered the picture.

"You can celebrate your birthday anytime, but Bella is sick, and I can't ignore her."

"I'm not coming home tonight. Bella's in a bad mood and needs company."

"Christmas is just a ceremony. Celebrate it with Gavin. Bella is alone..."

No matter the occasion, he would leave me at Bella’s call. Our home became secondary to him.

His unwavering attention to Bella slowly eroded my faith in him, yet I remained grateful for Gavin, our smart and exceptional son, who inherited the best of Ethan's genes.

For Gavin’s sake, I endured over a decade of disappointment and neglect.

But now, Gavin was dead. He died because of Ethan’s indifference and negligence. There was nothing left for me to hold on to.

Consumed by these thoughts, I arrived at the Harrington Villa. The atmosphere was lively and joyful, with everyone in high spirits.

Meanwhile, Ethan and Bella sat among the crowd, chatting and laughing like a perfect couple.

The Harrington family adored Bella, seeing her as the ideal Mrs. Harrington. In their eyes, I was merely a babysitter for Gavin, deemed cowardly and deceitful. Even the younger Harringtons felt entitled to scold me openly.

I walked in, my face, a mask of emotionless resolve.

When I arrived at the lobby, I overheard Ethan's mother, Sophia, praising him. "Son, I heard that Gavin has a chance to be admitted to Stanford this year. This is all thanks to your excellent guidance. Gavin's lucky to have a father like you."

I stopped in my tracks, racing an eyebrow when I heard my husband's voice this time. "Gavin is my son, so he has to be exceptional," Ethan responded calmly.

"Gavin is indeed exceptional! Not only does he excel academically, but he also has a good character. He's sensible and polite. Everyone likes him," Bella chimed in, her voice warm and approving.

After that, another voice sounded. It was Ethan's sister, Ella Harrington, who immediately interrupted the conversation, "Since you like Gavin so much, why don't you become his stepmother?" Ella had always been close to Bella and wished she could be her sister-in-law.

Her words drew laughter from the whole family, making it clear that this was everyone's heartfelt wish. But as I walked into the lobby, their expressions changed drastically, as if they had seen an unwelcome guest.

They didn't even try to hide their disgust.

"Lila, where is Gavin?" Ethan asked coldly when he saw that I was alone.

Upon hearing his question, I stared at him with cold eyes. "Do you still care about your son?" Sarcasm laced in my voice.

Ethan's expression turned stern, and he replied angrily, "What are you talking about? I may be busy and not always there for Gavin, but he is the reason I work so hard. He is my only son and the sole heir to the Harrington family. Everything I have will be his someday. How can you say I don't care about him?"

"Everything is left for Gavin? If you hadn't said so just now, I would have thought it was all for Bella," I retorted, my voice shaking with anger.

For Bella, Ethan had cruelly left Gavin and me stranded on the way to his entrance examination. He ignored my desperate pleas and left us to tend to Bella's dog. The memory still made my heart ache.

The Harrington family looked at me as if I were a stranger. They were shocked that I, usually gentle and obedient, would dare to refute Ethan in public.

This family was ridiculous. Now, I could understand why my family hated them so much that they disowned me when I chose to be with Ethan.

Years ago, I had told my father about my desire to marry Ethan Harrington, but I was met with a heavy slap. My mother, Vanessa Everhart, looked at me with disappointment.

"Don't you dare marry that son of a bitch! Do you even know what their family did to us?" My father yelled, his face red with anger.

I couldn't understand back then. I thought it was just futile business rivalry. "Why? Because we're business rivals? They aren't even our main competitor! Why don't you direct your anger at the Featherson family instead? We compete with them all the time! Your anger at the Harrington family is one-sided, Dad!" I fought back.

My father's face was contorted with hatred. "I don't care! Don't even think about marrying that bastard, or you'll have to choose between him and our family."

I thought their reasons were shallow until my mother revealed the truth. "Years ago, their company, Nexus Dynamics, stole technology from us. It was a robot designed to assist in hospitals, especially during contagious disease outbreaks. Instead of nurses, this robot could administer medicine to patients, reducing physical interaction. They stole it and tried to enter the robotics and medical market with it. This betrayal caused your grandfather to have a heart attack. Without him, the company suffered a recession, and many almost lost their livelihoods. Now, do you understand why we hate them?"

I should have listened to my family. I should have stayed in the Everhart mansion and never seen Ethan again. But I was blinded by love.

And now, here I was, facing them even though I had just lost my son.

Ethan frowned and said impatiently, "So I didn't take you and Gavin to university, and now you're making a fuss over such a trivial thing?"

On the other hand, Bella took the opportunity to instigate further. "Lila, I know you're petty and jealous. It's fine to act like that in front of Ethan, but today is Mrs. Sophia Harrington's birthday. You know, she just wants to see Gavin, and Gavin loves coming here. How can you deliberately hide Gavin just to vent your anger? You're really unfit to be a mother."

Everyone looked at me with disgust, especially Sophia, whose face turned red with anger.

"Anyway, the entrance exam is over, and Gavin can be independent. Ethan, bring Gavin here right now, and don't let him meet this irresponsible woman again. Don't let her ruin my precious grandson."

After that, Ella glared at me. "Knowing that Gavin was coming, Bella even made his favorite beef pizza. Compared to a petty woman like you, Bella is more like Gavin's mother."

Over the years, I worked tirelessly and without complaint for my son. I gave everything unconditionally, but to the Harrington family, my efforts were nothing compared to Bella's beef pizza.

They actually thought that Bella, the person who indirectly caused Gavin's death, was more suitable to be his mother than I was.

Ironic.

How ironic.

I laughed, tears streaming down my face. "Lila, are you losing your mind?" They eyed me like I was a madwoman.

"Gavin is my son, not a bargaining chip for you to use. A woman like you who doesn't care about his preferences and has no sense of responsibility is really not worthy of being his mother," Ethan said angrily. "Today is my mother's birthday. If you don't want to be here, you can leave, but Gavin must attend. He is my son, a descendant of the Harrington family. Hurry up and bring him out!"

At that point, I stopped laughing and looked at Ethan with red eyes. "I have brought Gavin," I said, my voice steady.

Confused, Ethan looked around and asked, "Where is he?"

The other members of the Harrington family were also looking around, searching for Gavin. Sophia, my mother-in-law, even stood up from her seat, squinting to find him. "Where is my precious grandson?"

I took the urn out of my bag and placed it heavily on the table. "He's here," I said, my voice trembling with grief and fury.