The world spun as Elena's body crashed down the staircase. Pain exploded through her limbs, and warm blood streamed from her forehead, blurring her vision.

Benjamin and Charlotte stood at the top of the stairs, smiling maliciously.

Charlotte clapped her hands, while Benjamin made a face.

"Serves you right!"

"That's what you get for not giving us cake!"

Elena struggled to push herself up. Blood dripped onto the floor from her chin and her arm, cut by broken glass.

She looked at the two children before her and couldn't reconcile them with the children she'd once fought to bring into this world while lying half-conscious in the delivery room.

The front door flew open just then.

"What happened?"

Lucas' low voice rang out. Sabrina followed close behind him, and the two of them froze at the sight before them.

"Dad!"

The children's expressions shifted instantly as they rushed toward him in tears. "Mom threw the cake away and wouldn't let us eat it, and she said she doesn't want us anymore!"

Lucas's gaze fell on the cake in the trash, then shifted to Elena, who was covered in blood. His brows knit together. "Elena, why do you insist on making things difficult with your own children?"

His voice was icy. "How could you say something like that to your biological children? You don't deserve to be a mother!"

Elena braced herself against the wall and slowly stood up. Blood stained the collar of her clothes.

She looked at him and suddenly laughed.

"When have I ever deserved anything in your eyes?" she asked hoarsely. "Haven't you always treated me as nothing more than a tool to bear your children?"

Lucas' pupils contracted slightly.

"If the wife you want is Sabrina, and if the kids only want her as their mother, then I'll step aside and give the four of you the family you want," Elena said as she wiped the blood from her face.

The air seemed to freeze.

Lucas' expression darkened. He stared at her as though he was seeing her clearly for the first time.

"Don't forget, Elena," he said in a chilling tone. "Our marriage was an alliance between the Fischer and the Jennings families. There was never any love to begin with. What exactly do you expect me to give you? Love?"

He let out a short, humorless laugh. "I'm sorry. I can't."

Elena laughed, and tears slipped down her face as she listened.

He was right.

She'd been foolish enough to think she could soften him.

Lucas had softened once before, but not for her.

She should've known better.

"Lucas, that's enough," Sabrina said gently, taking hold of his arm. "The kids are frightened. Let's take them upstairs first."

Lucas looked at Elena for a long moment. Finally, he turned away, lifting one child in each arm and leaving with Sabrina at his side.

Elena watched their retreating silhouettes while blood continued to drip onto the floor.

She'd never felt regret this sharply before—regret for marrying Lucas and for giving birth to those two children.

In this lifetime, she wouldn't repeat the same mistake.

From now on, she would live only for herself.

…

Three days later, it was Benjamin's birthday.

The party was held at the most luxurious hotel downtown. Crystal chandeliers scattered brilliant light across the ceiling, and a towering champagne tower gleamed at the center of the ballroom.

As always, Lucas had booked the entire floor and thrown Benjamin a grand celebration.

Elena stood quietly in a corner.

She watched as Benjamin and Charlotte held Sabrina's hands on either side of her, circling her like two cheerful little birds. They clung to her the entire evening, deliberately leaving Elena alone.

Not far away, Lucas stood with a champagne glass between his fingers, his gaze drifting toward Sabrina occasionally.

The tenderness in his eyes was something Elena had never once seen directed at her.

"Mr. Fischer is such a devoted man. Despite all these years, he only has eyes for Ms. Miller."

"Of course. Even the kids take after him. They don't have eyes for anyone but Sabrina."

The whispers weren't subtle. Elena heard every word.

"I went to university with Mr. Fischer and Ms. Miller," a man in a tailored suit said under his breath. "Back then, the way he treated her was intense. He was basically one step away from proposing before graduation."

"No wonder," someone beside him replied. "First love is first love. Wife or not, she's still the one that matters."

"And what did all her scheming to marry into the family even get her?" another person added, casting a dismissive glance at Elena. "She gave him kids and still couldn't win his heart. I'd say she's going to spend the rest of her life alone."

Elena stood there quietly. It felt as if her heart had turned to ice. It was heavy and dull, but it no longer seemed to hurt.

She took a deep breath and walked toward the elevator.

Just as the doors were about to close, a hand slipped between them.

Sabrina stepped inside in her high heels, perfectly composed, her red lips curved in a faint smile.

"The divorce will be finalized in three days," she said, meeting Elena's eyes directly. "You're going to leave like you promised, right?"

Elena pressed the button for the first floor. "Of course. I want out more than anyone."

Sabrina's smile widened in satisfaction. "Good. I'll take care of this family from here on out. Lucas and the kids never liked you anyway. Give it time, and they won't remember you at all."

Elena didn't respond, letting the elevator descend in silence.

All of a sudden, a loud crash sounded as the elevator jerked violently.

The lights went out.

Sabrina screamed and grabbed her phone. "Lucas! Help! The elevator malfunctioned!"

Elena slammed against the wall. Pain split across her forehead, and something warm ran down her face.

Some time passed before voices and footsteps echoed outside.

"Are you two alright in there?" the rescuer shouted.

"Help us! My leg is stuck!" Sabrina yelled, pounding on the door.

Metal screeched as tools forced the doors apart, and a beam of blinding light cut through the darkness.

A rescuer leaned in to check on the situation, his expression grim. "Mr. Fischer, both women's legs are pinned. We're running out of time. We can only extract one first. Who should we take?"

Through blurred vision, Elena saw Lucas standing behind the rescuer with Benjamin and Charlotte.

His gaze locked onto Sabrina, and he spoke without hesitation. "Get Sabrina out."

"Save Ms. Miller first! Hurry!" the children cried, tugging at the rescuer's sleeve.

The rescuer frowned. "Mr. Fischer, Mr. Benjamin, Ms. Charlotte, the other woman appears to be more severely injured. I recommend saving her first."

"I said Sabrina!" Lucas demanded icily.

The rescuer let out a helpless sigh and reached in to pull Sabrina out.

Elena watched as they carefully lifted Sabrina free. The elevator door, now supported by only half its frame, let out a harsh, grating creak before it gave way.

The warped metal slammed down onto her leg. Pain tore through her body so violently that it robbed her of breath.

The last thing she saw was Lucas carrying Sabrina away, with the two children cheering joyfully behind him.

Then, the darkness swallowed her whole.

When Elena opened her eyes again, the harsh white light forced her to squint. The sharp scent of disinfectant filled her nose, and the steady beeping of a heart monitor echoed beside her.

"You're awake," the doctor said. "You fractured three ribs. If you'd been brought in any later, it could have been fatal."

Elena stared blankly at the ceiling.

The final scene before the elevator collapsed replayed in her mind with cruel clarity.

Lucas had chosen Sabrina without hesitation. And when the warped elevator door came crashing down toward Elena, he hadn't even looked back.

Elena tried to shift her body, but pain radiated through her chest before spreading to her limbs.

Strangely, she couldn't cry. It was as if the pain had numbed her heart.

…

Three days later, Lucas came to pick her up.

He stood at the doorway in a crisp suit, his eyes resting briefly on the bandages wrapped around her torso.

"Sabrina still dances," he said at last. "I couldn't risk her leg."

Lifting her head slowly, Elena met his gaze.

"You'll just have to deal with the sacrifice. You're a housewife. Even if your mobility is limited for a while, it won't affect much," he stated calmly, without a hint of emotion in his voice.

Elena said nothing. It felt as if she was truly seeing the man she'd loved her entire life for the first time. His features were still as striking as ever, but in those eyes, there had never been a place for her.

"Lucas, if I had died that day, would you have cared?" she asked hoarsely.

His brows drew tighter, but he didn't answer.

Instead, he pulled out a black card and placed it on the bedside table. "Don't ask pointless questions. Consider this compensation. As long as you behave and raise the kids properly, you'll always be my wife."

Elena burst into laughter.

In her previous life, she'd carried the title of Mrs. Fischer until her dying breath, but what did that matter?

It didn't save her from loneliness, being forgotten, or dying alone in a fire.

This time, she no longer cared about being his wife.

She was going to live a better, more brilliant life, and she was going to find someone who actually loved her.

She couldn't hold back any longer and was seconds away from telling him that she was done with him for good.

"Lucas, I—"

His phone rang, cutting her off.

He answered immediately. Sabrina's voice carried through the speaker. "Lucas, the kids and I are waiting for you at the restaurant. We have a surprise for you!"

His expression softened at once. "I'll be there soon."

When he ended the call, he glanced at his watch.

"I have something to take care of. The driver is downstairs," he said, his voice devoid of warmth.

He turned and left. Elena's hands unconsciously curled into fists, but she didn't call out to him.

It didn't matter anymore.

Soon enough, he would learn from Sabrina that the divorce had already been finalized. She didn't want him anymore, nor did she want the children who treated her as a mere stranger.

"Martha," Elena said as she pressed the call button. "Have my luggage sent to the airport."

An hour later, she deleted every one of Lucas' contacts and left the black card in a drawer in the hospital room.

As the plane lifted into the sky, the sunset painted the clouds in gold and red. Elena watched the horizon, smiling faintly before closing her eyes.

In this life, she would never again compromise herself for anyone.

Those years of lowering herself for love would vanish with this flight, disappearing into the clouds forever. What awaited her was a brand-new future, one that belonged only to her.