Maria watched Richard in silence, somewhat pale. Standing beside him was his legal wife. How was he supposed to introduce her in front of the woman he truly loved? If she were in his place, she would be stuck as well.

Richard met her eyes.

"This is Eleanor Cooper. We've known each other for a long time. She's…" he said quietly, pausing before continuing, "…a friend."

Maybe it was Maria's imagination, but when Richard said the word friend, it sounded unusually stiff. She trembled, but she kept her voice steady. "A long time? I see, so you were childhood friends."

Eleanor smiled.

"No, we met when we were twenty. Back then…" She covered her mouth and giggled softly. "Back then, Richard's haircut was so funny. It was a modern take on a traditional style. Heads turned the moment he got on campus."

Richard shook his head helplessly. "Are you bringing that up again?"

"So what if I do? I still have pictures from back then. Don't make me angry, or I'll show them to your wife," Eleanor teased, reaching over to tap Richard's arm.

Jonathan ran up and hugged Eleanor's arm. "What pictures? I want to see!"

Seeing them together was difficult for Maria. Anyone watching would think Eleanor belonged with the father and son, and that Maria was the outsider.

Eleanor smoothed Jonathan's cheek and winked. "I'll show you in secret later."

Richard smiled faintly and glanced at Maria, who looked so fragile and thin that he feared she might fall from a breeze. He hurried after her and caught her arm.

"What's wrong? Don't get angry at Jonathan. I'll teach him a lesson. I'll make him apologize at home tomorrow properly."

Maria bit her lip. "Did you read what I left you?"

Richard looked puzzled. "What did you leave?"

Seeing that he hadn't read her letter, Maria forced a small smile. "Never mind. I'm going home first. Remember to look in the study tonight."

"I'll take you home," Richard said, signaling to the driver across the street to pull over.

Maria refused to get in. Instead, she pulled her arm free and insisted on taking a cab. Richard stood and watched the cab drive off, then Eleanor came over and chatted with him.

Maria glanced back and saw them laughing together after Eleanor seemed to say something to him. She turned away, feeling a sharp sting in her palm. When she opened her hand, she saw purplish crescent marks where she had clenched her fist.

She didn't look back and left resolutely.

Back at the hotel, the doctor called and asked her to come in for a pressure test in two days.

Maria didn't want to stay, but the testing schedule was crowded with elderly patients who had to fly for treatment. Among the many patients on the schedule, she was the only person who was seriously ill and needed the test.

She went back to the hotel and deleted all of Richard's contact information.

At five, Jonathan was brought home by the driver. He tossed his bag aside and shouted, "Mom! I'm doing my homework now. I don't want to get in trouble at school again!"

He regretted playing the night before. Even though his mom nagged, he would lose his gold star and fall behind his classmates if he ignored her reminders. He didn't want to be teased by others!

Jonathan ran through the house looking for Maria, but he couldn't find her. "Mr. Graham, where's my mom?"

Mr. Graham came from the kitchen. "I haven't seen the madam. Maybe she's out. Would you like some egg custard?"

Jonathan pouted. "Yours isn't as good as Mom's. Never mind."

He went back to his room, played his console for a while, then glanced at the time and brought his homework out from the study. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he muttered, "It's just homework. I can do it myself."

However, he quickly realized he couldn't.

No one was there to explain the questions. No one to help him massage his eyes when his eyes got tired. He had gotten used to his mom handing him fruit while he worked.

Annoyed, he went to find the butler and the maids. But the butler wasn't familiar with his schoolwork, and the maids didn't know how to help with his study routine. They could slice the fruits for him, but they didn't know when he wanted them to feed him.

Jonathan's face fell. He remembered how relaxing it was to do homework on the balcony, with a breeze and his mom beside him. Maybe homework wasn't so bad.

He finally couldn't take it. "I'm calling Mom!"

Mr. Graham quickly handed him his smartwatch. After several rings, she picked up.

"Mom, where are you? Why aren't you home?" Jonathan demanded.

Maria was silent for two seconds, then asked quietly, "Do you need something?"

"I'm still waiting for you to help me with my homework. Are you trying to get me punished again tomorrow? Come home," Jonathan urged, his tone upset.

Maria's grip tightened around the phone. Her expression cooled. She had given everything, and ended up raising a boy who was impatient only with her but polite with everyone else. She had never been shown any real respect.

"Don't you like Eleanor? Go ask her for help. Don't call me."

Then, she hung up.

Jonathan was stunned; he held the watch, unable to believe his mother was being so cold with him.

A car soon pulled up downstairs, and Jonathan ran to complain to Richard.

Richard listened and snorted. "You brought this on yourself by making her angry. I'll go find her. When she comes back, you will apologize to her properly. Understood?"

Jonathan mumbled an unwilling yes.

Half an hour later, someone knocked on Maria's door at the hotel. She opened it, expecting a hotel staff member. Instead, she met a pair of dark eyes.

She froze. "How did you find me?"

Richard stepped in carrying a bowl of ravioli. "Have you eaten? I got these for you. Crab ravioli with extra vinegar, just how you like it. Eat while they're hot."

He was still in the same crisp suit he wore to the company, the one she had ironed for him. He took off his suit, looked around the room, and started packing her things as he rolled up his sleeves and got Maria's coat.

"Come home with me. It's not convenient here. Jonny needs some discipline. Let's go back and handle him together. Don't run away just because you're angry."

Maria quietly watched him crouch to fold her clothes and felt a single tear fall. She quickly turned her head and wiped it away.

"Did you look at what I left on your desk?"

Richard froze and looked up. "What did you leave? You've already asked me that twice today."

Maria stood in the doorway. "You'll know after you give the letter a read. I'm not going back with you. Just go home."

Richard ignored her and set her high heels in front of her. "Come on, Jonny's waiting for you. Come home with me."

"He only wants someone to do his homework for him. If I don't, he'll find someone else tonight." Maria turned her face away. "Just go. I'm not going back."

Without asking, Richard grabbed her ankle and dropped to one knee, his trousers creasing. "We both need you."

Maria gave a bitter laugh. "Seems like you need Eleanor more. She fixed everything at school today, and Jonny listened to her."

Richard's expression darkened, and he chuckled. "Are you jealous? No matter how good she is, she's not Jonny's mother."

"She could be, if you wanted her to." Maria pushed him off.

The amusement drained from Richard's face. He looked up at her. "What do you mean by that?"

"Why don't we get a divorce? You marry Eleanor and let her raise Jonny," she said casually.

Richard tossed the heels aside and stood with a dark expression. His tall physique shadowed hers as he stood by the doorway. "What did you just say? Divorce?"

"That's right. If there's someone better suited to be your wife and Jonny's mother, what are you waiting for?!"

Maria's anger flared as she lost control of her emotions. She felt his hypocrisy so sharply. Their marriage certificate was fake, yet he acted as if divorce was forbidden. One sentence, and their bond of seven years could be over. There wasn't even any paperwork that needed to be signed!

Maria turned away, but Richard grabbed her wrist. His handsome face was dark, his chest rising and falling in agitation.

"Without my permission, there will be no divorce. Say whatever you want, but don't throw that word around."

Maria met him with a cold expression.

"So what if I say it? It's not a crime. Or are you planning to keep both of us, your wife and your lover?"

If Richard chose to, even his seven-year wife could become a mistress in a heartbeat, and he could still marry Eleanor.

"When did you get so unreasonable?" Richard snapped. "There's nothing between me and Eleanor! You can't make things up just because you're unhappy."

"So what if I make things up? If you can't stand me, then divorce me!" Maria shoved his hand off. "Get out! I don't want to see you!"

Richard's patience ran thin. He pulled Maria into a kiss, trying to smother their argument by force and make them forget every shred of unhappiness between them.

A girl passing by the open door gasped at the scene.

Maria trembled and pushed him away. Richard held her by the waist and shut the door with one hand. He pressed her against it, one hand sliding up under her clothing, touching along her chilled skin.

Maria trembled even more. It wasn't only because of the agitation she felt from being sickly, but it was also the revulsion at his overbearing touch. How could he pretend to love her all these years, marry her, and have a child with her, and still treat her like this?

As all those thoughts flooded into her mind, she couldn't take it anymore. She shoved him hard and fled to the bathroom. She hadn't eaten, and her stomach spasmed.

Richard followed and steadied her. "Why are you throwing up again? This isn't just you feeling unwell. Come to the hospital with me."

"I'm not going…"

Before she finished, Richard scooped her up like a princess. Her head ached, and she felt too weak to struggle. She was also prone to motion sickness, so she was feeling even worse now. She shut her eyes and tried to stay still.

Richard drove fast, glancing over at her the whole way as he sped through traffic to the hospital.

They finally arrived.

Maria was registered, had her tests ordered, and then ran the tests…

Maria felt sick the whole time, swallowing her saliva while nurses took her through the tests as if she were some marionette. When she came out, Richard waited in the corridor with a cup of honeyed drink.

"Drink this. It'll make you warm."

She didn't take it. She sat down, pale.

"I shouldn't have argued with you today," Richard said. He hooked her pinky with his and gave a small smile.

This was one of those little gestures he used to charm her, as he wasn't someone who could charm with words. Maria felt a small, unwanted flutter in her chest as the familiarity awakened her memory.

"Let's go home after the tests, okay?" Richard asked.

Maria was just about to answer when a shadow fell over them.

"Richard, what are you doing here?" Eleanor's curious face appeared.

Richard released Maria's hand. "Maria's not feeling well, so I came with her for the tests. Why are you here in the hospital at this hour?"

Eleanor looked awkward and clutched her test results behind her back. "Oh, nothing."

Richard frowned. "Let me see."

She hesitated and handed him the paper. His face tightened as he read it. "Didn't you already have your cardiac bypass surgery? Why are you having chest pains again?"

"It's an old problem," Eleanor said, voice small.

"Keep taking your meds and rest. If you need anything, contact Morgan," Richard said gently.

Maria's chest sank. Morgan Davis was Richard's personal assistant. All these years, he had never worked for anyone other than Richard and her.

But for Eleanor, the rules were different. As expected of Richard's true love!

Maria's breathing grew quicker.

Richard bent and rubbed her back. "Feeling any better? You've been throwing up a lot. That's more than just a little sick. Let's see what the doctor says."

Throwing up a lot?

Eleanor's eyes narrowed and glanced at Maria's stomach, the gears in her head turning.

"I'm going to the bathroom," she said, then slipped into the exam room.

Inside, the doctor murmured to a nurse, "Throw that report away. Use the one I replaced. Don't say anything."

Eleanor waited until the nurse left and fished the crumpled paper from the trash. She smoothed it out. The two characters on the paper read—brain tumor.

She froze.

Outside, the nurse told Richard, "It's just mild gastritis. Some meds and she'll be fine."

Maria exchanged a relieved glance with the nurse. She had no intention of telling anyone about the diagnosis before she left and was grateful the doctor respected her wishes.

Richard draped his coat over her shoulders and said, "Let's go home."

"Richard…" Eleanor called, appearing again. "It's late, and cabs might be hard to find. Can you drop me off first?"

She clutched her chest as if fragile. Maria instinctively pulled her hand away from Richard, planning to use the moment to slip away. However, Richard squeezed her hand instead. "Maria's not well. I'll take her first and call you a cab."

Eleanor's face froze, and she clenched her fists.

Maria caught the look and realized Richard would never openly dote on Eleanor in front of her. She felt the sting of it and stepped into the elevator with him.

"I won't force you. I'll drop you at the hotel," he promised.

She hesitated, then got in.

Richard did drive her back to the hotel, but once again stepped into the elevator and went up. Maria wanted to quickly leave him outside, but he didn't expect the room door was already open.

A maid was making the sofa into a bed with Jonny's blue bear sheets.

Jonny sulked over homework and sniffed when he saw Maria. "It's late, and you're still nagging Dad and me. Dad has to get up early for work tomorrow!"

Maria's chest tightened. She ignored the boy and went to her bedroom, closing the door.

Outside, Richard scolded Jonny. Inside, Maria noticed Richard had brought over his clothes and laptop for the next day while they were at the hospital. She pursed her lips, not understanding what Richard wanted to do.

She went to turn off the laptop, then suddenly noticed the browser's search history. There was one entry that froze her and made her unable to move her eyes away.

Personal marital status search.

Her fingers went stiff as she clicked the history link and was taken to the results page—she couldn't even say why she did that.

She stared at the screen in disbelief. She had to check again to make sure she could believe the results she was seeing.

Richard's marital status was…

Married.

And in the field where the name of the wife was, two words were stated clearly.

Eleanor Cooper.

The color drained from her face instantly.

Richard hadn't just faked a marriage with her—he had secretly married Eleanor, too! On the household registry were Richard, Eleanor, and a child, as if they were the real family.

Maria felt like she had been a free nanny for seven years.

What about Jonathan? Did he know that Eleanor and Richard were actually married…?

The thought chilled her. She couldn't stop shuddering; she switched off the laptop and stumbled back.

She bumped into a warm, steamy presence. Richard stood there, wrapped in a towel, hair half-dry, his torso bare, his muscles beautifully contoured.

He didn't notice the strange looks Maria had. He smiled, voice low as if he was holding back his desire. "Feeling any better?"

Maria bit her lip, numb with shock.

Richard took her silence for consent. He swept her up, carried her to the bed, and leaned over her.

Maria sank into the soft bed. Before she could push Richard away, he had her in his arms.

His embrace exuded a woody cologne scent. It was her favorite. He had been wearing that scent for seven years after she made an offhand comment about it.

Two days ago, she wouldn't have believed her marriage was a sham, or that he didn't love her.

But now…

"Relax," Richard murmured, holding her hands tight. Their palms met as he planted a trail of kisses along her neck.

Only when his warm hands heated her back did Maria shiver, snap back to herself, and shove him away hard. She sat up, enduring the ache in her chest.

"I don't feel well. I don't want to do this."

She got up and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Richard frowned and stared at the closed door, lost in thought.

-

Maria went into the next room. Jonathan called after her from the living room, but she ignored him. Her fingers trembled as she pulled out her phone and scrolled to her latest social post. The marriage certificate stung her eyes.

She had just posted it a few days ago—a photo of her and Richard marking their seventh anniversary. She remembered the date clearly: September ninth. It was a meaningful date. They had rushed to the registry office, snapped the pictures, and then gone straight to the ceremony.

Trent had personally delivered the certificate and offered his blessings. He had even left a congratulatory comment under the post. He had also given it a like and commented right under her status, wishing them to grow old together.

Eleanor must be back by now, right?

Trent would see the photo and probably laugh at how blind Maria had been, how she had been fooled for seven years without noticing.

Maria's eyes were red as she tried hard to force those tears back. She blamed herself for being blind and lied to for seven years. From now on, she would disappear quietly and spend the time she had left with her brother, Willow. She would let Richard have what he wanted.

Dragging her feet, Maria began to lie down, but a call from her doctor interrupted her.

"Mrs. Shaw, I've reviewed your test results," the doctor said. "The tumor was discovered too late, and you've had no prior treatment. You are not fit to travel, either by air or sea."

Maria's heart tightened. "Not even by sea?"

"No. First, you haven't started any conservative treatment, so your body can't withstand travel. Second, your route would involve higher altitudes that could trigger your brain cancer's symptoms."

The doctor's tone was grave and certain.

Maria held her phone tight. "If I can't fly or take a ship, how am I supposed to leave?"

"Do you have to leave immediately?" the doctor asked.

Maria pressed her lips together. Richard's true love had returned. Why stay to be pushed out, to be abandoned by husband and son?

"I have to leave. Please help me, no matter how hard it is. Money isn't a problem," she answered softly but firmly.

The doctor sighed. "I'll put together a ten-day treatment plan. If you respond well, you might be able to travel afterwards. Maybe even fly."

Ten days…

Maria's face fell. She did not want to stay that long, not with everything so uncertain. But she had no choice but to cooperate with the doctor.

-

The next morning, when Maria came out, the living room smelled of breakfast.

Richard was swatting at Jonathan's hand. "Your mom's not awake yet. Wait until she comes out."

Jonathan pouted and rubbed his hand.

Maria gripped the doorknob, surprised they had not left. "Can't you two just go home?"

Richard was taken aback, then came over and lowered his voice. "I know Jonny was out of line yesterday, and you should teach him a lesson. But you look exhausted and unwell. I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone."

Maria paused. She hadn't expected him to insist on staying.

She turned away, her eyes lowered. "If you don't agree, I won't go back."

Richard's expression cooled; he didn't understand why Maria was suddenly so stubborn this time, refusing even to look at their son.

Maria grabbed her coat, saying she was going for a run.

"When I get back, clear away leftovers and take out the trash," she added.

Jonathan watched her go, noticing she had not once looked his way. His heart tightened.

"Mom!" he called.

But she ignored him and slammed the door.

Father and son exchanged glances. Richard's face turned cold. "Eat your eggs and milk, then go to school. If you can't get your mom back tonight, don't bother coming home."

Jonathan didn't dare to say a word and quietly nodded.

The maids packed Jonathan's bag and took him to school while Richard left for work.

Maria wandered for two hours. When she returned, the hotel suite was indeed empty. She changed rooms at the front desk immediately, then went to the hospital to talk to the doctor about her treatment plan.

Around five or six in the evening, Mr. Graham called in a panic. "Madam, where are you? Come back right away. Master Jonathan is sick, and I can't reach Master Richard!"

Maria's eyes flickered, but she answered coolly, "Call the family doctor. I can't treat him."

"But Master Jonathan fainted. He's breaking out in cold sweat and keeps calling for you."

Maria stopped in her tracks. She exhaled slowly. "Are you sure he's calling for me? Not someone else?"

Mr. Graham hesitated, suddenly unsettled. He glanced at Jonathan, who was nearby, faking his symptoms and watching him perform. He wasn't sure how to answer that.

"Ma-Madam… You're his mother. Who else would he call?"

But Maria had already hung up.

Jonathan's eyes opened wide. "Mom isn't coming home?"

Mr. Graham could only nod.

Jonathan's face flushed red. "She's changed! She doesn't care about me at all. I only said a few mean things to her at school! She's so petty!"

"Please, Master Jonathan," the butler whispered, "if Master Richard finds out, he'll be angry again."

Still fuming, Jonathan plopped onto a stool. He huffed and pulled out his phone. "If Mom won't come, I'll call Eleanor to help with my homework. I don't need her!"

By then, Maria had arrived downstairs at Shaw Group. She found Richard and handed him her resignation letter. Richard's finger hovered over the signature on the lower right.

He looked up, baffled. "You're basically a figurehead here. Why resign all of a sudden?"

Maria's nails dug into her palm as she searched for an excuse.

Richard suddenly sprang to his feet and stepped toward her. Startled, she backed away. At the same time, the sounds of high heels clicking on the floor in the hallway echoed.

"Richard, Jonny just called. He's all alone, so I'm going back early…"

The door swung open, and Eleanor froze at the sight of Maria.

Maria's face drained of color. In Richard's usually unreadable eyes, she caught a flicker of guilt and panic.