Over the next three days, Winona was busy preparing for Carter's birthday party. She also bought all the gifts he would receive from age six to 18 in advance.

He was still her flesh and blood. Even if they would never see each other again after this, she would fulfill her duty as a mother until he turned 18.

…

On Carter's birthday, numerous guests arrived at the invitation. Winona stood beside Asher, holding Carter's hand. They were surrounded by everyone in the center.

Unlike previous years, when he was always excited on his birthday, Carter seemed unusually sullen today. He kept kicking at pebbles on the ground, his small head constantly turning toward the entrance.

Even Asher kept glancing down at his watch.

Winona thought perhaps something about the party was not up to standard. Just then, a female voice rang out from the entrance.

"Carter!"

Carter's head shot up, and his eyes lit up. He pushed past Winona, who was standing in front of him, and ran toward the door.

"Ella!"

Winona stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. She took several steps back before barely managing to steady herself.

Carter did not notice at all. Like a baby bird returning to its nest, he threw himself into Ella's embrace. The dejection vanished from his face, replaced by a bright smile.

"You're finally here! I've been waiting for you."

Ella laughed and pinched his cheek, saying gently, "Traffic delayed me a bit. Sorry to keep the birthday boy waiting."

Asher also walked toward Ella. His usually cold expression showed a trace of a smile.

Winona endured the faint pain radiating from her ankle. She stood among the crowd, watching her husband and son abandon her to gather around Ella. Bitterness spread from her heart and through her entire body.

She should have known. The only person who could make the father and son act so strangely was Ella.

The very important person Carter mentioned must have been her too.

The lively crowd around them suddenly fell quiet. They exchanged glances with each other. After a long moment, the murmuring began.

"Who is that? Why would Mr. Rhodes and Carter personally greet her?"

"Could she be the real Mrs. Rhodes? Did we all mistake the wrong person earlier?"

"No, I heard she's Mr. Rhodes' first love from when he studied abroad. The one he couldn't have. She only recently came back to the country."

"God, poor Mrs. Rhodes. Her husband's first love shows up openly at their son's birthday party..."

"Shh, keep your voice down. Mrs. Rhodes is still here."

Winona looked away. Her heart only felt bitter now. There was no more pain.

After tonight, she would no longer be Mrs. Rhodes.

While everyone whispered, Carter was pulling Ella around the venue, eagerly showing her everything.

"Ella, this is my favorite cartoon character!" Carter pointed excitedly at different displays. "These are all my photos from when I was born, and this is a painting I did myself."

Asher followed beside them, his gaze carrying a faint smile. After making a full circle around the banquet hall, the three of them finally appeared before Winona.

"Ella, this is my mom."

Unlike his excited tone earlier, Carter's voice carried obvious reluctance now.

Ella's expression remained calm. She patted Carter's head and said with a smile, "Ms. Warren, you're so lucky to have such a well-behaved child like Carter."

Winona smiled back. "You will be as lucky too."

After tonight, not only Carter but Asher would be Ella's as well.

Carter did not want to linger in front of Winona. The next second, he pulled Ella away.

Asher instinctively moved to follow but caught sight of Winona standing alone, out of place with the lively atmosphere around her. For once, he softened his voice. "Thank you for your hard work preparing the party these past few days. Ella can keep Carter company. Why don't you go back to your room and rest?"

Winona lowered her eyes, hiding the mockery beneath them.

How desperately did he want to be with Ella that he would ask his own wife, their son's biological mother, to leave the birthday party?

Even so, she said nothing. She turned and went upstairs. She no longer wanted to waste time on these meaningless matters.

When it was time for Carter to make his wish, a maid called Winona back downstairs.

In the banquet hall, Carter stood in front of a giant cake, ready to make his wish. Ella and Asher stood on either side of him.

Winona stopped in her tracks when she saw the scene. It was such a harmonious picture. Anyone else joining would seem superfluous.

Noticing Winona's figure, Ella gave her an apologetic smile. "Ms. Warren, I'm so sorry."

She moved to step away from Carter's side, but Carter's small hand clutched tightly at Ella's clothes. He refused to let her leave. "Mom, I want Ella to stay with me."

Asher glanced at him and agreed. "It's Carter's birthday. Let's go along with what he wants. Don't take it personally."

Winona stood where she was and nodded calmly. She was about to let go of this father-son pair entirely. Why would she care about an insignificant position?

Carter visibly brightened. He closed his eyes, pressed his palms together, and made his wish.

"I hope I can grow up happy and healthy."

He paused for a moment. The next instant, he spoke in Istralian.

"I also hope Ella can be my mom!"

Carter's childish voice reached the ears of everyone present. Among the guests, quite a few understood Istralian.

For a moment, expressions varied across the crowd.

Asher froze at first, then explained without changing his expression, "Children say silly things. No need to take it seriously."

Carter pouted, his eyes full of reluctance. He wanted to say more. "But—"

Winona stepped forward and interrupted him, "This is your gift. It can make your wish come true."

She handed Carter the envelope she had prepared in advance. Inside was the divorce agreement she had already signed. She thought this gift was probably what Carter wanted most.

After a pause, she added, "There's a key inside..."

Originally, Winona wanted to tell Carter that his future birthday gifts were all stored in a safe. He just needed to open one gift each year in order.

Yet, before she could finish, Carter nodded dismissively. "Thanks, Mom. I got it."

He did not believe the gift Winona mentioned could actually make his wish come true. It was just the kind of joke adults told to humor children.

He casually set the envelope aside and looked at Ella with eager anticipation. "Ella, what gift did you get me?"

Ella pinched his cheek and pulled out a gift from her pocket with a smile.

Three matching T-shirts. In the center was a photo of the three of them together, their faces close and intimate.

"This is from when we went to the amusement park last time. I had it made into matching family shirts. Do you like it, Carter?"

"Wow!" Carter let out an excited cry. He picked up the shirt and examined it over and over, wishing he could put it on right then and there.

"I love it! Tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that... I'm going to wear it every single day!"

The photographer the Rhodes family hired arrived just in time to take the group photo for the birthday party.

Carter's eyes lit up. He tugged on Asher's sleeve. "Dad, can we all change into these shirts and take photos?"

Asher, who usually only wore formal attire, surprisingly did not refuse. After the three of them changed, they looked exactly like a family of three.

When it came time for the official photo-taking session, Asher frowned and looked at Winona, who had been standing to the side the whole time. "Why aren't you coming for the photo?"

Winona looked at the three of them in matching shirts, pressed closely together with no space between them. Her lips curved slightly. "I'm a bit tired. You all go ahead."

Asher did not think much of it. He signaled the photographer to begin. Ella and Asher stood on either side of Carter.

For better composition, the photographer directed Ella and Asher to move closer together. Bit by bit, their shoulders touched. Both froze at the same time, and they instinctively looked at each other.

Asher's usually indifferent eyes showed a rare hint of tenderness, while a blush rose on Ella's cheeks.

Carter stood between them, holding their hands, his face showing pure happiness.

Whispers continued among the guests all around.

"First, the son wishes for another woman to be his mother; then, they wear matching family shirts for photos. Mrs. Rhodes really can tolerate anything."

"What do you know? Back when Mr. Rhodes was abroad, he and his first love had a great relationship. He proposed 100 times. If his first love hadn't wanted to wait before getting married, Mrs. Rhodes would never have gotten that position."

"So, what you're saying is, Mr. Rhodes' true love has always been his first love. Now that she's back in the country, do you think they'll..."

Listening to the gossip around her, Winona suddenly remembered the scene from six years ago when Asher proposed to her.

No flowers, no ring, not even a confession. It had just been one simple question—"Will you marry me?"

Those four words sent her flying into this marriage like a moth to a flame.

Even after accidentally learning about his past with Ella after the wedding, she continued the marriage. She clung to the belief that she was the legitimate wife and that Asher would eventually fall in love with her.

However, it took her six full years to understand. A heart already occupied by someone else could not be warmed.

No matter how hard she tried, the moment the person in his heart reappeared, she would lose completely.

Watching Asher's gaze involuntarily fall on Ella, Winona let out a soft laugh. Fortunately, this marriage that never should have started would soon be over.

Winona could not bear to watch the three of them any longer. She walked alone to the back garden.

Her phone buzzed.

Winona swiped up on the screen, and a text message popped up.

[Dear passenger, your flight will depart in eight hours. Please board on time.]

Winona's face broke into the first genuine smile of the day. She put away her phone and prepared to go upstairs to pack her luggage.

She had barely taken a few steps when she ran into Ella.

Ella smiled and blocked Winona's path. "Ms. Warren, you're the hostess of this party. Why are you out here all alone?"

Winona knew Ella was not as innocent as she appeared on the surface.

Otherwise, she would not have gotten Winona's contact information on her very first day back in the country. She would also not be posting photos with Asher and Carter on social media every few days.

"Ms. Levine, just say what you want to say."

Ella stared at her for a long moment before letting out a soft laugh and dropping the pretense. "Ms. Warren, you're a smart woman. Asher and I were passionately in love back then. He proposed to me 100 times. If it wasn't because I wanted to wait before getting married, the position of Mrs. Rhodes would never have been yours.

"If you're smart, you'll file for divorce now. At least you can leave with some dignity."

Although Winona had already decided to divorce, that did not mean she could tolerate provocation from a mistress. Her expression turned cold immediately. "Ms. Levine, my marriage with Asher is none of your business. You're an outsider."

Ella casually examined her manicured nails. "So what? Even though I rejected him 100 times in the past, he still can't forget me. You've seen it these past few days. The person Asher loves is me. Even your own son is closer to me. He wants me to be his mother.

"I just said one thing. I told him that if you ate walnuts, I could become his mother. And he actually went and did it."

She looked Winona up and down with a trace of mockery on her face. "I just didn't expect you to be lucky enough to survive. What a shame. I wanted you, the unnecessary one, to disappear sooner."

Winona stared at Ella in disbelief. Her nails dug deep into her palms as fury burned in her chest. Carter feeding her walnut cake had been Ella's doing all along.

"Ella, how could you—"

"You're the one who took my place!" Ella interrupted coldly. "If it weren't for you, I would be Mrs. Rhodes."

From the corner of her eye, Ella noticed Asher and Carter walking toward the garden. She immediately replaced her vicious expression with a pitiful, vulnerable look.

"Ms. Warren, Asher and I are in the past now. Why are you being so aggressive?"

Her eyes instantly reddened, and her voice choked with emotion.

Winona frowned, confused by the sudden change.

The next instant, Ella ripped a tear in the matching T-shirt she was wearing. Before Winona could react, Ella lunged forward and grabbed her wrist.

Winona was caught off guard as Ella dragged her into the pool beside them. Winona had nearly drowned as a child and had a natural fear of water. The water came surging toward her. She instinctively thrashed her limbs, trying not to sink.

Asher, who had rushed over, jumped into the water without hesitation. Winona struggled to reach her hand toward him. "Save... Save me."

However, the next second, she watched helplessly as Asher swam quickly toward Ella on the other side. He did not even glance at her.

An anxious shout came from the shore. "Dad, Ella's over there! Hurry and save her!"

At that moment, Winona could clearly feel her already broken heart crumble into dust. Even at this life-or-death moment, the father and son only had Ella in their hearts.

Winona had no strength left. She slowly closed her eyes as her entire body sank into the darkness.