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!"

Eleanor held her chest, her frail body looking like it might collapse at any second.

Richard immediately held her up, his face darkening as he saw her lips drain of color. "Graham, have the driver get the car ready!"

"No, I don't need the hospital." Eleanor's voice shook with pain, her gaze lifting toward the second floor. From the corner upstairs, she could see a sliver of fabric peeking out. She curled her lips into the faintest smile. "You'd better go check on Maria."

Richard frowned, hesitating.

Jonathan jumped in quickly. "Mom's fine. She just throws up a lot lately. She's like that since forever. Eleanor, Dad and I will take you to the hospital!"

Remembering that Maria's doctor had said it was only minor, Richard nodded. "I'll take you first."

The words of father and son drifted clearly upstairs. The nausea in Maria's stomach surged harder. This time, she didn't head back into the bathroom and vomited. Watching the car roll away, the ache in her chest outweighed the physical pain.

A maid nearby, seeing her pale face, tried to comfort her out of pity. "Madam, don't worry. Master Richard is yours. No one can take him away."

Maria gave a faint smile, turning to her. "So, you can see it too? That soon, he won't be mine at all?"

While Richard fretted over his true love, he probably never imagined that Maria didn't have much time left to live.

True, a dying woman should stop being such an eyesore. Maria might as well hand over the role of Mrs. Shaw and that of Jonathan's mother to Eleanor. After all, Jonathan's heart was already with her.

Dragging her powerless steps downstairs, she met Mr. Graham coming back after closing the gate. When he saw Maria trying to leave, he said, "Madam, Master Richard just said you should wait here for him. He has something to tell you."

"Then tell me on the phone," Maria replied, leaving without looking back.

At the hospital, Eleanor lay in bed after her checkup. The doctor assured them it was nothing serious, and only then did Richard relax.

He glanced at his watch. "Get some rest here. I'll…"

"Sorry for troubling you. It seems I also caused some conflict between you and Maria today, didn't I?" Eleanor cut in with a strained smile, as if she couldn't tell of his impatience.

Richard looked at Jonathan, who had dozed off beside her, and lowered his voice. "No. Rest well. I'll explain things to Maria myself."

"There's no need. As long as I leave again, you two won't have any problems. It's only because of me that you two never got your marriage certificate." Eleanor lowered her head, her eyes red.

Richard paused, listening to her words made him think back to seven years ago.

His grandmother's pressure and Eleanor's sudden disappearance, leaving him unable to file the divorce papers no matter how much he tried…

"It's all in the past. Don't blame yourself," he said calmly. "When you left without a word, I never held it against you."

"But I blame myself!" Eleanor's voice rose in sudden tension. "I know how your grandmother forced you to marry me. After I saved her life, she thought I was kind and dependable, that you'd be safe with me."

Eleanor sighed and couldn't help but sob. "It's my fault. Saving her terrified me so much that I ended up with this heart condition. After we got the certificate, I didn't want to drag you down. I was afraid you wouldn't want me, so I left for treatment abroad…"

Hearing her mention his grandmother, Richard's face softened further. "I truly don't blame you. Don't carry this burden. What matters is that your health is stable now. After all, you helped our family."

Eleanor lifted her gaze, her eyes filled with hope. "I didn't just help your family. I'm also your…"

"We should take time to finalize the divorce papers," Richard interrupted, his tone cool. "I couldn't find you all these years, but now that you're back, I should tell Maria the truth and get our marriage certificate reissued."

The obvious distance in Richard's voice left Eleanor speechless. Under the covers, her hands clenched tight.

Forcing a brittle smile, she whispered, "Of…of course. You've found the one you truly love and built a home with her. It's only right that I step aside."

"That's right." Richard stood up. "Rest well. I'll take Jonny home now."

"Alright," Eleanor murmured, biting her lip.

As soon as he carried the boy out, her expression turned extremely cold. Rubbing her temples, her frailty vanished. She pulled out her phone and made a call.

"Hello, I need a medical record forged."

-

Back at the hotel, Maria turned off her phone the moment she arrived. The next morning, as she came downstairs, the front desk called her.

"Mrs. Shaw, a Mr. Shaw came by around midnight. As you instructed, I told him you've already checked out."

Maria gave a grateful smile. "Thank you for covering for me. Sorry to trouble you."

The receptionist smiled easily. "Not at all. But… That was your husband, wasn't it? He seemed really anxious when he was here yesterday."

Maria's smile faded, and she only nodded vaguely before leaving.

Anxious?

Whatever his reason, even if he had been worried, Maria didn't need it anymore.

In Richard's world, she had never been first.

He was worried about her, but he had to send Eleanor off first.

He would worry about her absence, yet still spent the night at the hospital with Eleanor.

The feeling of being forever placed last… It was meaningless.

Maria got into a car and went straight to the mall.

Last night, she received her full treatment plan from her doctor. It included what medications to take, when to take them, and other precautions. All of them were typed out by the doctor personally.

He had also warned her that the headaches, vomiting, and blurred vision were nothing compared to what was to come. In two months, even surgery wouldn't help her. Once her motor or speech nerves were compressed, she would lose the ability to talk or even to live independently.

Maria still chose no surgery. She wouldn't gamble on a fifty-fifty chance. Instead, she wanted to spend her remaining time abroad with family.

She was grateful, too, for having such a compassionate doctor. He had spent hours persuading her last night, probably losing sleep himself.

Wanting to show her thanks, she headed to the mall to buy him a gift to show her sincerity. However, she hadn't expected to run straight into someone she didn't want to see.

In the distance stood a woman in a red coat, nearly forty. Maria froze, then turned to leave.

But the woman's sharp eyes caught her, and she strode quickly over.

"Stop!"

Maria halted. Forced to turn back, she greeted the woman softly.

"Catelyn."

The woman standing in front of Maria was Richard's aunt, Catelyn.

If Richard's friend Trent was the sort who smiled and called her Mrs. Shaw in the open but didn't think anything of her in private, then Catelyn was blunt and consistent. The woman was openly hostile from day one.

Since Maria married Richard, she had never seen a kind look from Catelyn.

Catelyn had called Maria a homewrecker in private more than once, saying Maria was someone who slept her way up, got pregnant, and forced Richard to take responsibility. Maria was upset, but no matter how Maria tried to explain, she never won Catelyn's respect.

Catelyn was Richard's only living relative, so Maria had to tolerate her.

At the time, Maria couldn't understand why Catelyn spoke so harshly to her.

Now, she did. All along, Catelyn had been telling the truth.

The woman who was actually Richard's legal wife and had a marriage certificate with him was Eleanor. Maria was indeed an outsider occupying someone else's place—except she had been kept in the dark by Richard for seven whole years.

"I see you run the moment you spot me. Why are you running?" Catelyn scowled, arms crossed.

Maria lowered her eyes, too tired to start a conflict with this woman. "No, I just didn't see you there."

Catelyn scoffed. "Yeah, sure! Drop the act! Look at you. You look terrible. Bad mood lately?"

Maria was surprised to hear even a hint of concern, but the next second, Catelyn sneered,

"Of course, Richard's real wife is back. You're panicking since you're losing ground, aren't you?"

Maria choked slightly. She looked up at Catelyn, unable to stop herself from asking, "If you knew, why didn't you ever tell me?"

Catelyn paused, then laughed. "If Richard wasn't afraid you'd leave if you found out, that his kid's mother would also leave on top of the one he loved gone, do you think I'd help him hide it all these years? I'd have told you straight out that you're just a homewrecker!"

Her voice was so loud that people passing by couldn't help but look over.

Maria clenched her fists, fighting to stay calm. "I'm not a homewrecker! If I'd known they were married, I never would've been with Richard."

"You stole someone's husband and took the position of Mrs. Shaw for seven years, but now you want to act all righteous? Aren't you ashamed at all?" Catelyn barked; she just wouldn't let up, her words getting nastier by the second.

Maria didn't want to argue. She turned to leave, but Catelyn pulled her back by her arm.

"If you know what's good for you, step aside! Don't cling to Richard. If it isn't because he wants to give his son a family, do you think he'd marry you in the first place?"

Maria's face went even paler. The words were nails driven into her heart. She shook off Catelyn's grip, steadying herself. "Don't worry, I'll leave. I'll disappear for good."

Catelyn rolled her eyes with a scoff. "You say that now, but you're full of lies. If you really are asked to leave, you'll use every trick in the book not to. But just you wait—Richard will reveal everything soon and make you leave!"

Maria took a deep breath. Everyone thought she couldn't let go of Richard, that she would do anything to stay.

But she knew herself best. She had always been someone who could let go of things completely.

If, when she got pregnant, Richard had told her about his marriage, she would have left. Whether she kept the baby or raised it alone, she would never have forced him to take responsibility.

She could love someone who didn't love her back, but she could never raise a child with another woman's husband.

Maria looked at Catelyn. "Fine, as you wish. I'll leave."

Catelyn was surprised by the resolve in Maria's eyes, but soon sneered again. "This morning, Richard called and asked me to introduce him to a famous wedding dress designer. Do you know what that means?"

Maria's heart skipped a beat.

"It means Richard isn't just dumping you, he's going to welcome Eleanor back openly with a grand wedding. If you stick around, you'll only embarrass yourself in the end!"

Catelyn looked at Maria, arms crossed, eyes full of glee.

Maria almost bit her lip to keep from crying.

When she got pregnant, Richard had insisted on marrying her, but their wedding was rushed—just a banquet at some hotel. Her wedding dress wasn't custom-made; it was just a simple dress bought off the rack.

All this while, she had dreamed of wearing a real wedding gown. It had become a small regret of hers.

She had never told Richard about it, but now, he was planning a lavish wedding for Eleanor, with a dress from a top designer while keeping her on a leash.

It was obvious who really mattered to him after that comparison.

No. She had never earned a place in his heart.

Maria found it laughable. She was about to speak when a familiar, deep voice came from behind.

"Aunt Catelyn. What are you two doing together?" Richard walked over quickly, first checking Maria's face.

The manager for the mall had told him a few minutes ago that Maria was here. He dropped everything and rushed over, afraid she was upset by last night or had other plans she wouldn't share with him.

Seeing Catelyn there, he grew even more nervous. Catelyn and Maria never got along. There was always conflict whenever they met.

He pulled Maria behind him, separating them. "What are you talking about? Nothing harsh, I hope?"

Catelyn's eyes darted, a little guilty. Afraid Maria would complain first, she quickly said, "What can I possibly say? I just ran into her and we had a chat, that's all."

"Is that so?" Richard asked, looking to Maria for confirmation.

Maria just stared at the ground, refusing to meet his eyes. She didn't want to talk to him.

Last night, Richard must have gone home to rest after going to the hotel for her, and never saw the letter she left in his study.

She was just waiting for him to find that letter, so everything could finally end. In the world of adults, there was no need to spell out things that couldn't be shown in the light.

Maria tried to leave, but Richard caught up and blocked her way. "Wait. You left last night without a word. I think we need to talk."

"I don't want to," Maria said coldly.

Richard stepped in front of her again, but before he could say more, his phone rang. He glanced down.

Maria instinctively peeked at the screen and saw a name in bold.

"Wedding Dress Designer Linda."