At Seraphina's funeral, Clementine made an entrance.

Dressed in a black Victorian-style dress, she wore an expression of deep sadness. As she approached the altar, she glanced at me and let out a quiet, mocking laugh. "Melina, now that your child is gone, let's see how you plan to hold on to Adrian."

I remained expressionless, not wanting to engage in any disputes with her.

But Clementine insisted on provoking me, leaning in to whisper incessantly in my ear.

"Honestly, I envy you. No matter what I do, I can't keep Adrian's heart. But you, you managed to keep him around with just a child."

"However now," she smirked, "what else do you have?"

I gave her a cold look. "Clementine, I'm letting Adrian go back to you. Please don't come in front of me again."

"Letting him go?" Clementine scoffed, "Melina, you really think too highly of yourself. Did you ever think you truly had Adrian?"

I fell silent.

Adrian and I grew up together, childhood friends from the same neighborhood.

I always liked that distant young man.

But he never liked me, especially after Clementine came into the picture, and his indifference reached its peak.

Yet, at a Thanksgiving party, by some twist of fate, I ended up in a room with a drunken Adrian.

At the time, I thought his advances were genuine, that maybe he actually liked me.

But once he sobered up, Adrian slapped me, accusing me of using deceitful tactics.

Later, I found out I was pregnant, and Adrian was pressured by his family to marry me.

I knew Adrian never loved me. If it weren't for Seraphina, I would have divorced him long ago.

Now that Seraphina is gone, what do I have left to keep me connected to Adrian?

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Clementine, say what you want. From now on, I will have nothing to do with Adrian. I wish you both a long and happy life together!"

"Melina!" Adrian's angry voice came from behind.

"What do you mean by that?"

I turned around, and Adrian was glaring at me with a cold, stern expression.

"I said, I want a divorce!"

Adrian narrowed his eyes. "Very well, Melina. You'd better remember what you've just said."

I nodded, watching as the two of them linked arms and walked away. Finally, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Seraphina, Mommy will see you soon...

It was the day of Seraphina’s funeral.

Adrian said he couldn’t attend because of work commitments. Instead, he sent over a small Victorian-style dress, the one Seraphina had been longing for. I remembered how excitedly Seraphina had told Adrian that Thanksgiving was coming up, and she wished for that very dress. Adrian had promised her he would buy it before Thanksgiving. But he hadn’t.

Thanksgiving had long since passed, and the dress never made it into her hands.

I took the dress and quietly asked, “Seraphina loved this dress for so long, why didn’t she get it for her birthday?”

Adrian paused before replying, “I forgot.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. Seraphina cherished that gift so much, how could she not have reminded him? The truth was, even if Seraphina had mentioned it, Adrian probably didn’t care enough to pay attention.

I carried the dress over to Seraphina’s gravestone, gently placing it down. “Seraphina, it’s Mommy who let you down.”

I crouched down, my fingers tracing the youthful features of Seraphina’s face in the photograph. She was smiling so joyfully, her eyes curving like crescent moons. Yet, I had failed to keep that happiness alive.

I recalled the last time I tried to celebrate Seraphina’s birthday, buying a doll that matched the style of the dress. Seraphina was quick; she immediately recognized the doll and its connection to the dress she wanted. Clutching the doll with her eyes sparkling, she asked, “Mom, did Dad send this to me through you?”

I nodded, “Yes, your dad is busy with work, so Mom brought it for you.”

Seraphina hugged the doll tightly and said, “Thank you, Mommy!”

I stroked her hair. She was so understanding; she surely must have known the gift was from me. But she chose to pretend otherwise, just to protect my feelings.

My darling daughter…

The tears flowed, unstoppable.

After the funeral, I returned to the house and packed up Seraphina's and my belongings, ready to finally leave this place that had never truly been ours. Honestly, there wasn't much to collect—a few scattered pieces of clothing and Seraphina's small stash of toys.

Adrian had started his business ventures back in college, and his natural talent had quickly made him a rising star in the business world. Yet, he rarely spent any of his wealth on Seraphina or me. All his money went to Clementine.

As I lugged my suitcase downstairs, I unexpectedly bumped into Adrian.

"Where are you going?" he asked, his brows knitting together in confusion.

I met his gaze with calm resolve. "Where I'm headed is no longer your concern."

His eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've made it clear before, Adrian," I stated, holding his gaze steadily. "There's nothing left between us."

Adrian let out a sharp laugh. "Melina, do you think you can just walk away like that?"

I frowned slightly, "Adrian, I've already let you go. Please, let me go too."

His anger twisted into a bitter smile as he stepped forward, gripping my shoulders tightly. "You were the one who insisted on marrying me. Now you want to leave as if I meant nothing?"

The pain made me wince, and I struggled to break free. Adrian, what about me? What did I ever mean to you?

I looked at the face I once knew so well, now both familiar and alien, and felt a wave of dizziness.

In truth, Adrian had been good to me once. Especially after my parents passed away suddenly, he took extra care of me. He would spend his meager allowance on snacks for me, try to cheer me up when I was down, and patiently help me with my studies.

But everything changed when Clementine transferred to our high school. Adrian began to distance himself, spending more time with her. Everyone said he was into Clementine, and I was just in the way.

I tried to win his affection, but it only made his disdain more apparent. Even those around him mocked me, saying I was a fool, wagging my tail for Adrian's attention, yet never getting a second glance.

What hurt the most was when Adrian nodded in agreement with those words. I felt like a clown, my only purpose to be laughed at.

Snapping back to reality, I pulled myself from Adrian's grasp and fled outside. His angry shouts echoed behind me.

I quickened my pace, too scared to stop.