After that day, I buried myself in work so completely that going home became a rare occurrence. It didn’t take long for Damian to sense that something was off.

Then, out of nowhere, his mother called.

She had always looked at me as nothing more than filth that had crawled into their pristine world.

“Emilia,” she snapped the moment I answered, “Damian already told me everything. You embarrassed us at the royal charity banquet, and now you’re pretending to be the victim? Even though you grew up poor with no proper guidance, the least you could do is refrain from dragging my son down to your level!”

Her words cut like blade after blade.

“You’re carrying the future heir of our family empire,” she continued coldly. “So stop your nonsense. People are already whispering about trouble between you and Damian. I’ve arranged a dinner tonight with his closest circle. You will arrive with him. And you will behave.”

The line went dead before I could speak.

For the first time in a long while, I actually wanted to see every single face that had betrayed me—just once—before I left for the capital for good. So I hailed a taxi and headed straight for her mansion.

When I entered the grand dining hall, Damian’s mother was already seated at the head of the table. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. His friends exchanged glances, some openly rolling their eyes.

“Auntie, why did you invite her?” one of the women scoffed. “She’s only going to ruin the atmosphere.”

“Here comes the witch again, trying to wedge herself between the golden pair,” another voice added deliberately loud.

“Emilia, sit here.” My mother-in-law pointed to a seat near her.

I ignored her and took the farthest chair at the end of the table instead.

Nathaniel—Damian’s closest friend—tilted his head with a cruel grin. “Remind me again, Emilia… what’s your last name? Oh—right. My mistake. You don’t have one since you don’t even have a father.”

I lifted my gaze slowly. “And you are… who, exactly?” I asked flatly, as if he were nothing more than background noise.

His smile vanished. So did the amusement on everyone else’s faces.

Not long after, Damian arrived—with Adriana walking right beside him.

When he noticed I had already taken my seat and caught my steady gaze shifting between him and her, he quickly stepped away from Adriana. I saw her discreetly remove the pendant around her neck before following my mother-in-law toward the kitchen.

Damian hurried to sit beside me. With practiced tenderness, he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and fastened the diamond pendant around my neck—putting on a performance of devotion for everyone watching.

“This is your first time wearing diamonds, right?” he said softly. “Don’t worry. Next time, I’ll get you sapphires like you really love.”

Then, lying without the slightest guilt, he added in a lower voice, “I lost it at the estate yesterday. After our call, I rushed back to search for it.”

The diamond felt like it was choking me.

Without saying a word, I unhooked it and placed it on the table.

Damian stiffened. “Emilia, what do you think you’re doing?”

“So greedy,” someone whispered mockingly. “No wonder Auntie despises her.”

My mother-in-law shot me a sharp glare. “Why did you take it off?”

“It’s too tight,” I replied calmly and said nothing else.

They didn’t understand.

In their world, diamonds were never symbols of love. Long ago, a single diamond used to be handed to those cast out of elite families—a final payout before banishment.

And I wasn’t being cast out.

I was choosing to leave.

From the kitchen, laughter drifted out. Adriana clung sweetly to my mother-in-law’s arm. “Auntie, you work far too hard. If I had been here all these years, I never would’ve allowed it.”

“That silly child,” my mother-in-law laughed fondly. “If it were you, everything would be different.”

Then, with full intention for me to hear, she added, “Adriana, don’t trouble yourself with chores. Let Emilia help the staff. You’ve never lifted a finger in your life, and your hands are too delicate for such work. Emilia is used to scrubbing floors and washing dishes anyway. Ever since she entered Damian’s house, he dismissed the maids. Hard labor suits her.”

My teeth dug into my lip as I listened to my own husband agree with his mother in quiet approval.

A moment later, they returned to the dining room—Adriana seated proudly between Damian and my mother-in-law, exactly where I once sat.

“Auntie, I missed you terribly these past years,” Adriana said sweetly. “And not a single day passed where I didn’t think of Damian.”

No one at the table found anything inappropriate about her longing for another woman’s husband.

“If things had turned out differently,” my mother-in-law teased, shooting me a sideways glance, “you would have been my daughter-in-law by now.”

She tugged Adriana closer. Damian kept silent—still sulking over the rejected pendant.

Then my mother-in-law turned to me with fake gentleness. “Oh my, forgive me. Old age makes me talk too much. Emilia, this is Adriana—my goddaughter. She and Damian grew up together.”

Her tone sharpened. “I heard you’ve been throwing tantrums at home over her presence. Don’t be ridiculous. Adriana is like a sister to Damian. Don’t let jealousy make you lose your dignity.”

“They’ve always been inseparable,” she went on. “So trust your husband and stop monitoring his every move.”

Colin smirked and jumped in. “Auntie is right. Adriana was only helping you, Emilia. You’re far too controlling. Do you really think we’d damage Damian’s life?”

He leaned back lazily. “If Damian ever wanted to leave you, he wouldn’t have waited this long. And besides—he already promised Adriana to merge two major corporations soon. It’s better if you learn to accept her. That’s the least you can do as his wife.”

My breath hitched.

Merge companies?

As Damian’s legal spouse, I had heard nothing about any such deal.

Realizing he’d let too much slip, Colin abruptly shut his mouth. The room fell into a tense, uneasy silence as everyone exchanged nervous glances.

And in that moment, I understood just how far I had been pushed outside my own marriage.

“Do you even realize how serious this is?” I snapped. “If their company gets entangled in a scandal, your corporation will be dragged down with it—our family will share the blame.”

Before Damian could respond, Adriana spoke first, her voice trembling with false hurt.

“Emilia, I know you dislike me, but please don’t tarnish our company’s reputation with baseless accusations.”

I turned toward Damian, expecting him—just once—to stand beside me. Instead, his stare turned icy.

“Adriana is right,” he said flatly. “You never had a formal education, so you wouldn’t understand how corporate alliances work. How could you possibly tell whether this deal benefits us or not?”

The words stabbed straight through me.

“It’s better if you leave the business decisions to me,” he continued without hesitation. “Adriana managed executive responsibilities for three years. I won’t show favoritism just because you’re my wife, especially when you’re an uneducated orphan.”

My hands trembled under the table. My own husband had just humiliated me in front of everyone.

The rest of the dinner felt hollow and flavorless. I didn’t speak again. Damian kept glancing at me, uneasy, while his mother remained in high spirits—laughing loudly with Adriana as if victory had already been declared.

When I finally reached for an oyster, his mother suddenly slammed her chopsticks down.

“Emilia, I get that no one raised you properly,” she sneered, “but are you truly so foolish that you’d eat something this spicy while pregnant? Do you even care about the baby at all?”

Her gaze sharpened. “No wonder Damian has to watch over you so tightly.”

“Is this what you call him protecting me?” I shot back.

The entire table fell silent.

Even my mother-in-law was left momentarily speechless. Damian stared at me in disbelief.

“This oyster was prepared by my nutritionist for digestion,” I said quietly. “I brought it only because you rushed me during lunch and demanded that I hurry here with food for everyone.”

I rose slowly from my seat. “But it seems I’m nothing but a burden here. I shouldn’t have come at all.”

“Emilia!” Damian stood up and followed me outside.

“Emilia, my mother didn’t mean it that way,” he insisted. “Come back inside right now.”

I turned to him with a bitter smile.

“Damian, my parents are still very much alive. And if I had listened to them back then, I would never have chosen a place where I’m treated like an outsider every single day.”

He grabbed my shoulders, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re just saying this because you’re upset.”

“Let it go just this once,” he urged. “You need to be a good wife… a good daughter-in-law.”

Suddenly, Colin rushed over anxiously.

“Damian! Adriana can’t breathe properly—you need to come now!”

Damian looked torn. Then he turned to me.

“Emilia, go back inside. A storm’s coming. I’ll help Adriana first—just wait for me.”

I stared at him like I was looking at a stranger.

He hesitated, searching my face for permission he didn’t deserve, then squeezed my hand before letting go and running back to her.

A message flashed across my phone almost instantly—from his mother:

[You may come back inside now. I misunderstood earlier.]

[Let’s not ruin this dinner.]

I smiled through burning tears. It was never about me. It was always about image, status, and power.

---

Three years ago, I had been abducted during a business trip. My father and brothers had turned the entire city upside down searching for me, but my identity was kept hidden for my own safety.

In the end, it was Damian—the heir of the JadeMoon Corporation—who led the rescue operation.

My mother wanted to compensate him generously.

Instead, I told her I had fallen in love with him.

My brothers opposed everything. They warned me that as the only daughter of a powerful family, someone as cold and ruthless as Damian would never truly protect my heart.

How foolish I had been—believing love could outweigh status.

Tonight, my own husband had made it clear: without status, I was nothing.

---

Rain poured down mercilessly as I stood outside, soaked to the bone. I ignored every call and message telling me to return. Shame crushed my chest.

How could I go back now?

What would I tell my parents?

Would they even accept me after everything?

Suddenly, warmth wrapped around me.

Damian pulled me into his arms, drenched just like I was. “Are you okay?” he murmured. “I’m sorry I left you like that. But why couldn’t you just listen and go back inside?”

He pulled back slightly. “Adriana is really unwell. I brought her here myself—I couldn’t just abandon her. Even then, she told me to come find you. You should learn something from her.”

He sighed in frustration. “Mom kept calling you. Why are you always this stubborn?”

Then he noticed how pale my face had become.

Without another word, he took me to a nearby boutique so I could change into dry clothes.

“Are you feeling alright?” he asked afterward. “I’ll call a taxi to take you home.”

I shook my head. “Aren’t you coming with me?”

“I still have something to take care of—”

“You’re taking Adriana home, aren’t you?”

He stiffened. “What?”

For the first time, he realized I had seen through him.

Guilt and irritation collided across his face. “I’ll come back after dropping her off,” he said carefully. “She’s a single mother, Emilia. She’s sick. What if something happens to her on the way?”

I cut him off quietly.

“I understand,” I said. “She needs you because she’s weak and helpless. And I can go home alone—because I always have.”

“Not again with your ridiculous suspicions,” Damian snapped. “It’s not what you think at all!”

“Then explain this to me,” I shot back. “You and Nathaniel both drove tonight, so why did it have to be you who took her home?”

A flash of irritation crossed his face before he let out a long breath. “Emilia, are you seriously being jealous of Adriana again? How many times do I need to repeat myself? I only see her as family.”

“She’s alone in this city,” he went on smoothly. “Separated from her partner, raising a child by herself. How can you not feel even a little compassion? She and I grew up together. I won’t abandon her when she needs help.”

“If she’s truly struggling,” I countered, stepping out of his grip, “then why is she so eager to merge your company with ours? Does she even understand how dangerous that move is for you?”

Damian looked displeased but softened his tone as he tried to pacify me. “You should stop involving yourself in things you don’t understand. Stay at home and focus on what you’re good at. Once both corporations merge, our influence will double. It’s a strategic advantage.”

He stepped closer, pressing a light kiss to my forehead as he held my hand. “Don’t exhaust your mind over this, Emilia. You’re about to become a mother. If you’re always this suspicious, how will you raise our child properly?”

I smiled faintly at that—at the man I’d been married to for three years, who still didn’t even know that I had already lost our baby because of his neglect.

“Wasn’t it you,” I said softly, “who told your friends that because I grew up without parents, I wouldn’t know how to raise a child—and that Adriana would have to teach me?”

The color drained from his face.

“Were you spying on me?” he barked. “You misunderstood everything! I was drunk that night—I didn’t even know what I was saying. I never meant it that way.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but his phone rang suddenly. Victoria’s name flashed across the screen.

He hesitated—until I nodded for him to answer.

The moment he picked up, a child’s cheerful voice spilled through the speaker.

“Daddy! I miss you! When are you coming to play with me and Mommy? When will you both come back?”

Horror crept across Damian’s face when he realized I had heard every word.

“Mark,” he said quickly, forcing a gentle tone, “you should call me your uncle, not that.”

“Why?” the boy asked innocently. “Mommy said I could call you my dad.”

Damian stiffened before hurriedly responding, “Your mother is with me right now. We’ll be back soon.”

Then he ended the call.

“Emilia—”

I was too emotionally drained to argue anymore.

With empty eyes, I nodded. “You can do whatever you want.”

I turned to leave, but he wrapped his arms around me from behind.

“You just don’t know how to adapt,” he murmured. “I can’t always cater to your emotions. But from now on, I’ll stay close and help take care of our baby.”

He leaned down and brushed a soft kiss against my cheek.

---

I hadn’t even made it home yet when a message from Nathaniel popped up on my phone:

[ Sister-in-law, Adriana is severely ill. Damian won’t be coming home tomorrow. ]

Tomorrow, Damian was supposedly hosting a grand welcome banquet for Adriana’s company. Since I had openly opposed the corporate merger, it was clear now—my presence was never part of his plans.

My hands trembled as I stared at the screen.

Then I opened social media.

Adriana’s post was the first thing I saw:

“Shopping for tomorrow’s celebration—trying to find matching outfits for my two favorite men.”

The photo showed my husband holding her son in his arms while Adriana leaned affectionately against his shoulder.

My vision blurred.

“Ma’am, look down!” the driver suddenly shouted in terror.

My tears stopped instantly as I lifted my head—just in time to see a massive truck barreling straight toward us. The steering wheel jerked sharply, but it was already too late.

The collision came with a deafening crash.

The car flipped violently, metal screeching, glass shattering.

“Mom… Dad… Brother…”

Fragments of my past flashed through my mind like broken scenes from a film.

Blood streamed down my shoulder as I shakily lifted my phone and dialed the one number I had been too ashamed to call for years.

My father answered on the first ring, his voice stern—but edged with concern.

“Emilia? Why are you calling now—”

“D-Dad…” My breathing was erratic. I could barely force the words out.

“I’m s-so sorry… for letting you and Mom down. I love you all…”

The phone slipped from my fingers as darkness closed in.

I welcomed it quietly—without once thinking about the people who had turned my life into a living hell.

Through fading consciousness, I heard my father’s desperate voice echo through the line:

“Emilia! Emilia! Where are you?! Answer me! Where are you, my daughter?!”