...

Siena's face glowed with triumph.

Henry shouted, "Dad and Siena are the best! My mom is terrible! Won't even let me have ice cream!"

His words drew stares from passers-by, and they pointed at Kimberly.

Kimberly felt a pang of disappointment. All her care for him over the years was for nothing.

Daniel just watched, making no moves to stop Henry. Siena, playing the nice person, hushed Henry and ended the scene.

Outside the supermarket, they proposed eating out and gave Kimberly no chance to object.

Daniel ordered a hearty meal, but the dishes were all spicy except for Henry's kid's meal. No one asked Kimberly's preference; they just submitted the order.

"After all these years, you still remember my favorite dishes?" Siena marveled, touching his hand playfully.

Daniel blushed up to his ears.

When the food arrived, he kept serving Siena, while Kimberly sat silently, barely eating anything.

Noticing her lack of enthusiasm, Daniel asked, "Why aren't you eating?"

"I can't handle spice," she replied flatly.

Daniel paused, surprised.

Kimberly often cooked spicy meals, so he had assumed she enjoyed them too, never noticing her true taste.

Guilt stirred in him, and he grabbed the menu. "I'll order you something else. What would you like?"

"No need. You guys enjoy your meal," she refused.

Before he could insist, a passerby spotted Siena. "Ms. Siena Gallegos... and Mr. Daniel Carter?"

Siena nodded slightly.

The fan gushed, "I'm a huge fan of you two! That news story was so sweet, like a rom-com. Are you back together?"

Daniel glanced at Kimberly, then met Siena's hopeful eyes.

He nodded and hummed.

The fan cheered. "Five years apart, you're back together! That's true love!"

Siena smiled, "I failed him before, but I will cherish him from now on."

Daniel gazed at her, happiness brimming in his eyes.

After the fan left, Henry beamed, "Dad, you and Siena are together? Does that mean I have a new mom?"

Daniel quickly covered Henry's mouth, signaling him to stop.

Looking up at Kimberly, he stammered, "It's just a kid's talk. Don't take it to heart."

Getting no reaction from her, he added, "And I said that for Siena's career."

Kimberly remained expressionless. "I get it. No need to explain."

Daniel felt uneasy at her calm tone, but Siena grabbed his arm and urged, "Eat up. The food is getting cold."

His face softened as he lost himself in her charm and forgot about Kimberly.

After dinner, they crossed the street to the parking lot, when suddenly a car sped from an intersection.

Daniel reacted fast, pulling Siena and Henry to safety. Kimberly was left alone on the road.

In the next instant, the car braked sharply, and Kimberly collapsed.

Daniel panicked, letting go of Siena and rushing to her. Kimberly curled up, convulsing. Sweat beaded on her forehead.

His voice quaked. "Kimberly! Are you okay? I'm taking you to the hospital."

Kimberly tried to speak, but pain silenced her. She reached for his hand to ease his worry, but Henry cried out, "Dad, Siena is gonna faint! Help her!"

...

Daniel turned, his worry for Siena intensifying with every passing second.

"I'm fine," she muttered weakly. "Just a dizzy spell from seeing blood. Don't worry about me. Kimberly needs you more."

"But your face is bloodless," Henry shouted. "Dad, hurry! Let's get her to the hospital. The car stopped in time. Mom's just acting to get your attention."

Daniel's gaze shifted to Kimberly, doubt creeping into his mind like a shadow. He was torn until Siena groaned softly.

Losing reason, he rushed to her side, helped her up, and headed to the car. Passing Kimberly, he covered Siena's eyes and looked away.

His conscience gnawed at his heart with every step he took. He stammered, "Siena has always been frail. I can't risk her health. I called 911. Help is coming. Hang on."

Their footsteps faded into the distance, leaving Kimberly alone and abandoned on the cold, hard ground.

She tried to laugh at the irony of the situation, but blood trickled from her lips.

When the stretcher arrived, her vision blurred. The medics muttered incredulously, "What kind of people call an ambulance and leave the injured alone?"

Kimberly woke up in a hospital bed.

A doctor came to check on her. "Car accident? You've got scrapes and a mild concussion."

Kimberly nodded.

The driver had braked in time, but the impact still lingered in her body and mind.

She asked, "How soon can I leave?"

"Don't think about leaving for now. With a concussion, you need at least four days of rest and observation," said the doctor seriously.

Kimberly counted the days left before the contract ended. By the time she was discharged, there would be only one day left.

She exhaled, feeling freedom closer.

Nurses gossiped nearby. "Hey, did you hear? Siena Gallegos is in our hospital. Her rumored boyfriend is here too."

"Really?"

"No joke. Mr. Carter was frantic, carrying her to the VIP ward."

"He got a top specialist for her checkup."

Kimberly gave a bitter laugh and hobbled to the VIP ward, leaning on the wall.

Through a door crack, Siena was seen lying on the bed. Henry clutched her hand, and Daniel fed her soup, his eyes tender in a way Kimberly had never known.

They looked like a sweet couple, while Kimberly, outside, felt like an intruder in their joy.

A nurse came to check on Siena, mistaking Kimberly for a fan. She muttered, "You think they're sweet, huh? Mr. Carter was so worried, like he wished he'd fainted instead. With concern like that? The news must be true."

Kimberly croaked, "Yeah, they are sweet."

She returned to her ward where her phone stayed silent. There wasn't even a text from Daniel or Henry asking about her situation.

Their care for Siena was a stark contrast to their indifference toward her.

Only an urgent email from a foreign publisher awaited her. A contest loomed on the horizon, and she needed to submit her work soon.

Losing no time, she had Hannah bring her laptop, and in her quiet private room, she turned off her phone, set the laptop offline to focus, and started typing away.

For five years, she had fully devoted herself to Daniel. Rarely writing, she had forgotten the feel of the keys beneath her fingers. But now, it all came back to her, familiar and comforting like an old friend.

She immersed herself in her writing and lost track of time.

Till a nurse came with the notice that she could leave, she finally realized that four days had passed.

Luckily, her essay was complete.

After sending it off, she turned on her phone and saw 99+ missed calls and texts from Daniel.

...

Kimberly wondered why Daniel, who rarely messaged, had called so much.

With the question in mind, she headed home.

A maid greeted her warmly. "Madam, you're back! Mr. Carter has been a mess these past few days. None of our cooking suited him."

It looked like Daniel only missed her meals, not her. But he would need to adjust, as no one would cater to his tastes anymore.

Kimberly changed her shoes and entered the living room, where Daniel sat on the couch with a sullen face.

He heard her footsteps and looked up. His eyes were bloodshot, but they shone the moment he saw her.

He stood up and sulked, "Where have you been? I called so many times. Why didn't you answer?"

Kimberly walked to the sofa and sat down. "I was in the hospital. I just got out today."

Daniel froze, guilt hitting him like a tidal wave. He'd been consumed with Siena, forgetting the accident, and believed Henry's claim that Kimberly had faked it for jealousy.

He had assumed minor injuries, but the truth was she had been severely injured and hospitalized.

"You're not mad about that day, are you?" he fumbled. "I didn't think it was so serious. Siena's condition could be life-threatening. I had no choice."

Kimberly snorted at his double standards.

He had overlooked her scrapes and bleeding but had taken Siena's dizzy spell seriously. Nothing could be more ridiculous than that.

But she didn't dwell on it.

Love explained the difference, and theirs was just a contract.

She hummed and started to rise. Just then, Daniel noticed her manuscript. "When did you get into writing?"

Kimberly's gaze cooled.

Each anniversary, she had written him a poem, only for him to stash them away in storage, unnoticed. He never cared to learn about her passion.

"Just something I scribbled," she said flatly.

Daniel didn't press. "I haven't eaten well lately. I'd love some spicy beef."

Kimberly pointed to the fridge. "There are no ingredients."

Daniel blinked. "I'll go with you to buy some."

Siena came downstairs with her luggage, with Henry following, full of reluctance.

He grabbed her hand and pleaded, "Siena, can you stay? My dad and I don't want you to leave."

"Don't worry, Henry," she said, patting his head. "We'll see each other at the gala tonight, right?"

Then she turned to chat with Daniel.

Henry tugged his hand. "Dad, don't just stand there. Drive Siena home."

Daniel hesitated, gesturing to Kimberly. "But I..."

Kimberly cut in. "Go take Ms. Gallegos home. She needs you."

Panic gripped Daniel's heart, and he pulled her aside, whispering, "This winter, let's take Henry to the Northen land for a family trip. You've always wanted to go, right? Just us."

His tone was rarely so gentle, but Kimberly glanced at Siena and Henry, who were laughing like a pair of mother and son.

"We'll see," she said.

By then, she would be long gone.

Henry shouted for him to get in the car. Daniel fought back an uneasy feeling and drove off.

Kimberly watched without feeling anything.

She checked the calendar and smiled. After that night, she would leave the Carter family for good.