In the five years of their marriage, Kimberly bore a son for Daniel, believing their life together would last.

Then Siena returned to the country. Kimberly finally realized she was nothing but an outsider the whole time.

Daniel repeatedly chose Siena over her, and even her son grew attached to Siena.

Fortunately, their marriage was just a contract, and in seven days, she would be free to leave.

...

Kimberly Miles stood resolutely before Margaret Carter. She declared, "Mrs. Carter, I want to end the contract. You promised that if Daniel didn't fall for me in five years, it would be void."

Margaret looked up from her desk. "I did say that."

Her tone was measured as she continued, "But you've got Henry now. You love him so much. Can you bear to hear him call someone else Mom?"

"I can," Kimberly replied firmly. "My marriage to Daniel was based on a contract, and Henry was part of it. Now that Siena is back, they don't need me anymore."

In the past five years, she had developed genuine feelings for Daniel Carter, only to be let down over and over again.

Margaret sighed, reflecting on Daniel's behavior. Then she said, "The contract is almost due. Sign here, and in seven days, you're free to leave."

Kimberly signed the document without hesitation, then strode out of the Carter Mansion.

Once she got into her car, her phone pinged with a notification.

It was a photo from kindergarten. In it, Daniel laughed heartily, leaning toward Siena. Henry clung to her hand, his face lit up with joy.

They wore the family matching outfits Kimberly had bought for Henry's sports day. Siena had taken her place at the event and wore her clothes. The sight of it all twisted a knife in Kimberly's heart.

...

Daniel and Siena's love story had once been a sensation.

One was a billionaire heir, and the other was a rising star who dropped out of school to pursue fame in the entertainment business.

Despite their vast differences, love had brought them together. But as Siena's career skyrocketed, she ended things with Daniel to focus on her dreams.

Daniel spiraled into despair, drinking heavily and even contemplating suicide.

The news of the Carter family heir's attempt to take his life for love exploded online that night. Meanwhile, Kimberly's father lay in the operating room, the high surgery costs crushing her.

That was when Margaret approached her, promising to pay the fees if she agreed to marry into the Carter family and help Daniel recover. The duration? Five years.

Soon after, Margaret introduced her to Daniel and proposed their marriage.

"Would you marry Kimberly?" Margaret probed.

Equally anxious, Kimberly waited for Daniel's answer. If he refused, the contract would collapse, and her father's surgery would remain unpaid.

But surprisingly, he sighed and nodded. "Whatever. If it's not Siena, anyone would do it."

They met through this deal, intended as pure business, but Kimberly grew to love him through her daily care.

Daniel, on the other hand, remained distant, never truly paying attention to her. Even their marriage license was postponed. He claimed work kept him too busy.

One night, Daniel stumbled home drunk. His unfocused gaze landed on her.

"Let's have a kid," he mumbled.

That night, they shared a passionate moment, and Kimberly hoped it marked the start of love.

Later, she found out the truth. Siena had announced a new boyfriend earlier that day.

After Henry was born, Daniel's attitude to her changed. He was no longer that cold and stopped ignoring her efforts.

She thought it would endure until Siena announced her breakup.

On the same night, the paparazzi caught Daniel and Siena holding hands by the river, with headlines buzzing about a reunion.

Their contact grew frequent, and he even brought her home. Her appearance changed the cold temperament of Kimberly's son, Henry Carter.

He became clingy, always wanting to play with Siena. Photos of the three multiplied.

In five years, Kimberly and Daniel had barely a single picture together because he disliked taking pictures. But with Siena as a regular, he bought a new camera and saved every tabloid shot of them.

For Siena, he always bent the rules.

From that, Kimberly understood one thing. No amount of time would make him love her. His heart always belonged to Siena.

Thankfully, their marriage was just a contract.

In seven days, she would escape this humiliating home and pursue her dream of writing abroad. With the plan set, she contacted a foreign publisher and booked a flight for herself.

Back home, she pulled into her usual parking spot, only for Siena's car to slide in first. The ones with her were none other than Daniel and Henry.

...

Siena stepped out of the car with an air of confidence and approached Kimberly with a smirk playing on her lips. "Sorry, I snagged your spot by mistake. You don't mind, do you?"

Before Kimberly could respond, Daniel interjected, "This spot is not anyone's property. If you want it, no one's got a problem with that."

He shot Kimberly a warning glance, and Henry chimed in, "Don't worry about my mom. Her car is ugly and out of place anyway."

Kimberly's blood ran cold. She had nurtured Henry for four years, pouring all her love and care into raising him. Yet, here he was, defending Siena and looking down on her with such disdain.

Daniel grabbed Siena's arm and raised an eyebrow. "Come on, check out the room I set up for you. It's right next to mine."

Henry cheered, "Hooray! I've got a playmate from now on. Siena is good at any game, unlike my mom. She is so boring."

Daniel glanced at Kimberly, his expression unreadable. Then, as if remembering something, he said, "Oh, Siena's lease is up. She'll stay at the villa for a bit."

Kimberly's expression remained neutral. She merely hummed in response.

Daniel paused, surprised by her calm demeanor.

Siena faltered deliberately, "Maybe I should stay at a hotel. I don't think it's a good idea for an outsider like me to stay in your house and interrupt your life."

Henry pouted. "You and my dad knew each other first. If anyone's an outsider, it's not you."

"Exactly," Daniel echoed. "I bought this villa for you. How could you be an outsider?"

They ushered Siena inside, leaving Kimberly standing alone in the driveway. Daniel handed her the car keys, his tone brusque. "Pop the trunk and help Siena with her bags."

"Does she not have hands?" Kimberly retorted sharply.

Daniel paused, surprised by her reaction.

The defiance in her voice was new. It felt like she had stopped caring, and that unnerved him.

"You don't wanna help, fine. I'll get the butler..." he said.

"Forget it. Give me the keys," Kimberly cut in, taking the keys from his hand.

Her face was blank, and her emotions were hidden behind a wall of indifference.

When she entered the house with the bags, Henry was proudly showing Siena a gift: four five-gram gold bars.

Siena's eyes widened in surprise, her fingers tracing the smooth surface of the gold.

Kimberly's face drained of color as she watched the scene.

The Carter family had the wealth to spare, but these gold bars were her hard-earned savings, gifted to Henry each birthday as a symbol of her support and hope for his future.

Yet he handed them to Siena without a second thought, as if they were mere trinkets.

Daniel frowned, noticing Kimberly's stricken look. "Those were your mom's gifts to you, Henry. How could you give away something so personal?"

Henry protested, "Siena's not just anyone. I like her. It's just a few dumb gold bars. We've got plenty."

Daniel tried to argue, but Kimberly's cold voice cut through. "He is right. They're just gold bars. If he wants to give them away, let him."

Ignoring their stunned looks, she walked to her room.

Once inside, she leaned against the door, closing her eyes in exhaustion and pain.

"Seven days. Seven more days," she muttered to herself.

In seven days, she would be set free.

...

The next morning, Kimberly rose early.

She and Daniel always slept in separate rooms, partly because he hadn't fully accepted her into his life and partly due to his germaphobia, which barred others from his space.

After washing up, she drove to her friend's law firm and shared her situation.

Hannah Mitchell gasped, "So, all your kindness to Daniel was just for the contract?"

Kimberly nodded.

Hannah exhaled, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "I kept seeing news stories about you and Daniel, and I felt bad for you. Knowing it's a contract eases my mind a bit."

She paused, her gaze searching Kimberly's face. "So, what brings you here today? Need a divorce agreement?"

Kimberly gave a bitter smile. "Daniel and I never got a marriage license. I'm here for a custody waiver for Henry."

Hannah was shocked. "What? Everyone knows you'd die for Henry. You're giving up his custody?"

The rims of Kimberly's eyes reddened, but when she looked up, her voice was steady and resolute. "Just draft it."

Hannah, seeing her resolve, prepared the document quickly and handed it over. Kimberly gripped it tightly and stood to leave.

Hannah, sensing her sadness, called out, "Kimberly, you spent five years trying to warm his heart. From now on, keep that goodness for yourself."

Kimberly turned back and managed a small smile. "I will."

...

It was ten in the morning when she returned home.

The living room was empty, and the breakfast she had made sat untouched on the table. It was already cold.

She reheated the burgers and went upstairs to wake Henry and Daniel, as was her routine. Daniel's rule was to knock first, given his dislike of uninvited entry into his personal space.

She tapped once, and the door opened, revealing Siena in a bathrobe.

Siena stretched lazily, unfazed to see Kimberly standing outside. She muttered, "I just borrowed Daniel's bathroom. Ugh, my back is killing me."

Kimberly's stomach twisted with a mix of anger and betrayal.

Before Siena could provoke her further, Daniel emerged from the bedroom in pajamas. He yawned, "Siena, who is at the door? Henry?"

Kimberly looked inside and saw faint red marks on his neck, a telltale sign of intimacy.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. In five years of marriage, they had barely touched each other. She had assumed he lacked interest in physical intimacy, but clearly, it was just that he didn't want her.

Daniel fidgeted, quickly tugging his collar up to hide the marks. He stammered, "Siena just needed my charger. Don't read into it."

Kimberly scoffed at their lies. They hadn't even aligned their excuses, their deception as transparent as glass.

But instead of calling it out, she simply said that breakfast was ready and headed downstairs alone.

This marriage was a contract, a business arrangement that had long since lost its purpose. Daniel's closeness to others wasn't her concern, not anymore.

Now she only needed to wait it out until she could leave this life behind.

Five minutes later, the three people descended. The tension in the air was thick and heavy.

Henry frowned at the burgers on the table, his nose wrinkling slightly. "Reheated burgers aren't fresh, Mom. I want doughnuts."

Daniel coaxed him, "Your mom already made these, Henry. Let's not waste them. You can have doughnuts tomorrow, okay?"

"No! I want them now!" Henry refused, his voice rising in a tantrum.

Never patient with Henry's outbursts, Daniel started to scold him. But Siena interrupted, her tone sweet and conciliatory. "Kimberly, I hear your doughnuts are amazing. I'd love to try them."

Her eyes flickered with a mix of triumph and challenge.

Daniel's stance shifted instantly, his tone softening as he turned to Kimberly. "Since everyone's craving them, go make some doughnuts."

"I can't." Kimberly focused on her burger, never looking up. "Go ahead and make your doughnuts if you want them so badly. I got up early to make these burgers. Toss them if you don't want them."