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.

Maria's eyes trembled.

Eleanor sounded so natural just now, like a wife talking to her husband about their son.

Sunny Villa had been Maria and Richard's home for seven years, but the way Eleanor spoke made it feel like she was coming back to her home—not Maria's.

And Jonathan, knowing Maria would worry about him so much, still lied about being sick to get her back…

Maria's heart froze, turning ice-cold.

Richard's face tightened, his tone laced with concern. "Maria, Eleanor only works at the company because…"

"You've got it all wrong, Maria," Eleanor cut in, stepping forward and warmly taking Maria's hand. "I'm just filling in for the secretary, Ivy Hill. I'll be here for just a few days while she takes care of her family during an emergency."

Maria yanked Eleanor's hand back, her voice flat. "Did I say I misunderstood anything?"

Eleanor's face stiffened for an instant before she smiled softly. "Jonny called me just now, saying you won't go back to help him with his homework. If he doesn't finish it, his teacher will scold him again tomorrow. Maybe don't quarrel with the boy? His studies matter more…"

"Enough. Don't blame her." Richard's voice cut in, silencing Eleanor.

He looked at Maria, worry evident in his eyes, though his tone allowed no refusal. "We'll talk about your resignation tomorrow. It's late, so I'll take you home now."

A ringing was already filling Maria's ears.

She knew what came next. The nausea.

Every time her emotions spiked, her body reacted.

Maria forced herself to stay steady. "I'll collect the resignation letter tomorrow. Remember to sign it."

"Mari…"

Richard reached for her. His fingers brushed her cool silk jacket, leaving only a trace of chill.

Maria walked away quickly, unwilling to hear another word from them. On her way out, she noticed a new office next door.

Though she rarely came to the company, she remembered Ivy's office was tucked at the end of the hall. Richard had never liked anyone walking around and disturbing him near his office.

But now, there was bold lettering on the neighboring office's door. CEO's Executive Assistant: Eleanor Cooper.

This was the so-called "helping for a few days."

Bitterness welled up in Maria's chest as she stepped into the elevator and pressed the button. Just then, Mr. Graham's video call came through.

Maria answered. The sight of Jonathan, crying with blood running down his forehead, entered her eyes.

"Madam! Please come home! Master Jonathan is really hurting this time!"

One minute later, Maria burst out of the elevator. She quickened her pace into a run, the wind howling by her ears as she remembered what had happened in the past.

When Jonathan was three, he had hurt his head while playing in the garden. Wracked with guilt, Maria had carried him all the way to the hospital as he bawled. The doctor stitched him up, and Jonathan stopped crying. He was trembling from the pain, but he would wipe her tears with his tiny hands.

"Don't cry, Mom. Jonny loves you," he had said.

Now, the injury was in the very same place.

A tear slipped from the corner of Maria's eye. She could reject the Jonathan of today, but not the three-year-old Jonny from her memory.

-

Sunny Villa glowed brightly.

When Maria arrived, the air reeked of blood. Jonathan was still hiccupping with sobs as the family doctor finished dressing his wound. At the sight of Maria, his crying only grew louder.

"Mom, I'm dying! You only came back now that I'm dying!"

Maria rushed over. "You're not dying. Let me see your injury."

Jonathan leaned closer. It was only a scrape, though deep enough to look frightening. Maria sighed in relief and bent to blow on it, only for Jonathan to shove her away.

"Eleanor!"

Maria froze.

Ignoring his wound, Jonathan threw himself into Eleanor's arms, whining, "Eleanor, my head's hurt! It hurts a lot! Blow on it, please? If you blow, it won't hurt."

Eleanor cuddled him tenderly and blew a few times on his head. "Good boy. Better now?"

"Yeah! It doesn't hurt so much when you blow," Jonathan beamed.

Maria's lips went pale, bile rising in her throat.

Eleanor stroked Jonathan's hair and looked at Maria with a pointed smile. "I bought children's painkillers while I'm on the way here. If he still hurts tomorrow, make sure he takes one. It doesn't increase drug resistance."

Her tone was that of a mistress giving orders to a servant. Maria's eyes are even colder. "I don't live here. Go tell someone else."

"Uh…" Mr. Graham rubbed his hands awkwardly, not sure how to break the ice between them, just in time for Richard to come in after parking his car.

Jonathan let Richard inspect the wound, then glanced at Maria and demanded, "Mom, go wash some fruit. Dad and Eleanor love grapes. I want an apple!"

Before the words even settled, Richard smacked the back of his head lightly. "Who are you bossing around? You're getting ruder and ruder to your mother lately. Apologize."

Eleanor rushed to shield the boy, her eyes full of disagreement. "He's just a kid, and he's hurt. Richard, don't…"

Maria didn't want to hear more. She grabbed her purse, nearly vomiting as she bent down. Pressure pounded in her skull, but she forced back the nausea and headed for the door.

"Mari, are you alright?"

Richard caught her arm, then looked at Eleanor. "Go home. Our family affairs aren't your concern. Don't come so often."

Eleanor suddenly looked up, and her expression shifted.

Richard turned away, voice lowered as though afraid to startle Maria. "You don't look well. I'll take you to the hospital."

Without waiting, he guided her out.

The nausea overwhelmed Maria, and she shoved him off. She covered her mouth with her hand and rushed upstairs to the bathroom. Kneeling by the toilet, she vomited up mouthfuls of water.

The vomiting echoed downstairs. Richard's face tightened, and he hurried upstairs.

Behind him, Eleanor's weak voice drifted. "Richard…"

He stopped, frowning. "What's wrong?"

Jonathan, forgetting his own injury, rushed to support Eleanor. "Are you okay?"

Eleanor swayed, collapsed onto the sofa, and her breathing quickened. Clutching her chest, she gasped, "My…my chest, it hurts… so much…"

Mr. Graham cried, "Ms. Eleanor has heart disease, right? Is she having an attack? Sir, what should we do?"

Upstairs, Maria rinsed her mouth and opened the bathroom door—just in time to see Jonathan tugging desperately at Richard's sleeve.

"Mom just has her usual nausea. Don't worry about her! Eleanor will die if she doesn't get to the hospital!"