The prince of New York high society once stopped a plane for me, and I once vanished with our child for three years.

We were married.

Nine years later, a younger, more attractive woman appeared by his side. She's vivacious and daring, joining him in all his thrilling escapades. Meanwhile, I had become a housewife, keeping a watchful eye on our daughter, insisting she not indulge in too many sweets.

He told me, disappointed, "Thalia, you've lost your spark."

Even my daughter critiqued, "Aunt Alison is smart, gorgeous, and earns her own living. What about you? You just depend on Dad."

The next day, I took my ID and went through with the divorce from Harvey.

Perhaps they'd forgotten. At twenty-two, I was bold enough to dive off a cliff into the open sea to escape. And at thirty-five, I still have the guts to start over from scratch.

---

In Riverside, a city that once thrived on heavy industry near New York but now faced decline, I pushed open the glass door of a local tech company.

At the reception, the young woman was engrossed in Instagram, the video blaring from her phone.

"[Scandal in high society: Harvey Kelly is getting divorced! This couple's story was like a novel—his former wife was an Ivy League student. Her family disapproved of the relationship, leading to an intense love saga, where he pursued her while she tried to escape but couldn't cut ties. It's rumored that the infamous U8420 flight delay years ago was because the prince halted it to chase his wife! And now, they've split up. It seems marriages that cross social classes are nearly impossible.]"

The young woman was so captivated she hadn't noticed my presence. So, I stood beside her, listening to the three-minute saga of what seemed like my own life story.

Eventually, the young woman noticed me and quickly muted the sound. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you here for the interview?"

"Yes, I have a ten o'clock appointment with Marvin for the algorithm engineer position."

She nodded, suddenly remembering, "Oh right, please fill out this information form."

Her eyes lit up, connecting the dots from the video. "Marvin mentioned you're also an Ivy League graduate. Did you ever meet Mrs. Kelly? I think her name was... um..."

After being married to Harvey for so long, I felt like I'd lost my identity. I smiled and told her, "Thalia Hansen."

"Right, Thalia Hansen!" she said with a dreamy look. "To win over the prince, she must be quite the intellectual beauty."

An intellectual beauty, huh? I forced a smile, remembering how just last week, my daughter criticized me for the extra weight around my waist, saying it wasn't as slim as a young girl's.

"Ma'am, have you completed the form? I'll take it to the interviewer."

I handed her the form.

"Okay, please follow me, Ms. Hansen," she said. Her eyes snapped to me suddenly, as if she'd seen a ghost.

The interview went smoothly.

Marvin Robertson, the head of technology, looked over my resume and remarked, "Valedictorian of your high school, top of your class in computer science at the University of London, and lead author of three major conference papers. Ms. Hansen, your credentials are impressive. But I'm curious, why did you stop working after college?"

I gripped the fabric of my pants tightly and replied softly, "To take care of my child."

At twenty-two, I had an unexpected pregnancy.

Harvey Kelly's mother was far from pleased with me. In her vision for Harvey's future, he was destined to marry a wealthy heiress, someone from a similar social standing, not me, a girl from a modest background. She went to great lengths to push me out.

The wealthy woman, her lips painted in bold red, stared at me with indifference, surrounded by a row of security guards. The night sky was dark as ink. The seawater was freezing, biting cold. I jumped off the high cliff. At that moment, everyone thought I was gone for good.

Maybe it was the injuries from that fall that took a toll on me, as my daughter was frail from the start. Needy, allergic, unable to handle formula. Her tiny face was swollen and bruised, crying endlessly through the night. I was alone, a fragile new mother, clumsily trying to take care of her newborn.

Marvin nodded in understanding. "Ms. Hansen, you've been out of the professional world for quite a while. You would need to start from an entry-level position. Is that okay with you?"

Without hesitation, I nodded. "Yes, that's perfectly fine."

Marvin stood up and shook my hand, welcoming me to the team. My heart pounded in my chest, just like when I first found out I got into the University of London. It felt like... I had taken the second big step in my life.

The next day, I walked into the company and saw Marvin Robertson giving me an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, but the job offer has been withdrawn," he said.

I was taken aback. "Why?"

He hesitated, nervously gesturing towards a corner of the room. "Our company has just been bought out. The new CEO said we can't hire you."

Following his gaze, sunlight poured through the blinds, forming a golden halo around the man seated in the leather executive chair.

He was tall and dressed in a tailored suit. His smoke-gray trousers met black socks tucked neatly at his ankles. Slowly, the chair turned to face me.

A strong nose, thin lips, striking brow, and deep-set eyes made up his face. His only accessory was a wristwatch worth a fortune, unmistakably showcasing his wealth.

Suppressing his anger, he spoke in a low voice. "Thalia Hansen, haven't you had enough? Your daughter is waiting for you at home."

His eyes swept over the company's outdated walls and old water cooler, a mocking smile on his lips. "Do you really believe you can make six thousand dollars a month here? I'm busy; I don't have time for these distractions."

I looked up at the man I'd been involved with from the age of twenty into my thirties, suddenly finding the situation amusing.

I heard my own calm voice say, "Why should I return? To play nursemaid to your girlfriend while she's recovering?"

"Harvey, I'm not that desperate."

Harvey rubbed his temples. "How many times have I explained? I was drunk that night. I don’t remember anything."

The sharp sound of high heels echoed in the room. The door opened slightly, and a pair of nude high heels stepped in.

Alison Wright, dressed in a business suit, her smoke-gray skirt revealing long, pale legs. Her curls draped over her shoulders, and her slightly rounded belly was the only sign that she was expecting, her figure still elegant.

She placed a file on Harvey's desk and spoke softly. "Mr. Kelly, here is the acquisition contract for your review."

The words hit me like a punch, and I took a deep breath to fight back the bitterness, fixing him with a cold stare. "Nice touch you have there. Bringing your pregnant lover to meet your ex-wife."

Harvey frowned, annoyed. "Alison is different from you. She's my top assistant. Who else would I bring to an acquisition meeting?"

He raised his eyebrows, giving me a patronizing look. "Oh, I forgot, you never worked, so you wouldn’t understand these things."

Each word was like a slap.

My heart felt weighed down, as if a wet cloth were pressed against it, aching deeply.

At eighteen, I was a rising star, the top student in my class. A bright banner with my name hung at the school entrance, and everyone knew who I was.

The neighbors' smiles shone brightly. "Thalia from the Hansen family is destined to be a community leader!"

At twenty-two, I was the student body president. I spoke at a major conference in Vienna, delivering a speech confidently in English before thousands.

Walking down campus paths, I would hear, "Look, it's Thalia Hansen, she's amazing!"

Now at thirty-five, how did my life come to this?

Alison looked up, her fresh face and gentle voice directed at me. "Thalia, don’t hold it against Mr. Kelly. We both drank too much at the company’s holiday party."

"I intended to end the pregnancy, but Mrs. Richards found out. When she took me for a checkup and learned it was a boy, she insisted on keeping it."

She caressed her belly with a smile. "You know how Mrs. Richards has always wanted Harvey to have a son. You couldn’t give her one. For years, Mr. Kelly bore that pressure for you."

A wave of absurdity swept over me.

I clutched my throat, the pain stinging like saltwater, leaving a raw sensation.

The sheer absurdity made me laugh bitterly. "Why couldn’t I have more children? That woman knows better than anyone."

"I’ve said it before, Haisley is my only daughter. I will only ever have her."

"Do whatever you want." Harvey stood up, towering over me at six-foot-two, completely enveloping me in his shadow.

His face was as dark as the relentless rain outside the window.

"When you were twenty, it was called playful caprice. At thirty, it’s no longer appealing. It's foolish."

He pronounced each word deliberately. "Thalia, think it over carefully."