Hearing my words, Mrs. Monroe let out an excited squeal.

“Oh my God, Estelle, you've finally come to your senses. Even if you're married, your career is just as important.”

“This obstetrics training program will take your career to the next level and significantly expand your experience. After two years of training, you might even have the opportunity to be promoted to deputy director..."

I knew all of this perfectly well. Mrs. Monroe had told me the same thing so many times in the past that I could practically recite it by heart.

The problem was that the program would take place in the United States and last for two years. I had never been willing to leave Alaric behind, so I kept turning it down.

Now, reality had finally slapped me awake.

Alaric's heart had never truly belonged to me. The love he once had for me had long since begun to crack.

And I no longer needed to keep standing still, waiting for someone who would never come back.

Mrs. Monroe happily told me that she would help me with the application process and that everything would be completed within seven days at the latest. By then, I would have to leave for the United States immediately to begin the training program.

“By the way, I'm two months pregnant. Will that affect the program?”

I asked the question that mattered most to me at that moment.

Even though I had completely lost hope in Alaric, I had no intention of giving up my child.

After all, the baby had done nothing wrong.

Moreover, even if Alaric truly intended to leave me and be with his mistress, I was more than capable of raising my son on my own.

Mrs. Monroe replied almost immediately.

“Don't worry, Estelle. The Dream has a maternity leave policy for physicians participating in the program. If you want to take leave during the later stages of your pregnancy, I can help arrange that for you.”

“Once your maternity leave is over, you'll simply continue the training program as usual.”

Mrs. Monroe reassured me patiently before adding.

“You're one of the most talented obstetricians I've met in all my years in this profession. Don't give up this opportunity for anything, dearie.”

My eyes burned. A hot tear slipped down and landed on the back of my hand.

My voice trembled as I said.

“Mrs. Monroe, I'll cherish this opportunity.”

“But during this time, please help me keep it confidential. Don't let anyone find out.”

Hearing the emotion in my voice, Mrs. Monroe didn't ask any further questions. She simply reminded me to take good care of myself and try to keep my emotions under control.

After ending the call, I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.

I wasn't on duty that afternoon, so I returned to my own apartment and slept until I woke up naturally.

When I finally opened my eyes, exhaustion still weighed heavily on my body.

Thinking about the belongings at the Vaughn estate, I took a taxi there to pack them up.

Now that Alaric and I were divorced, there was no reason for me to leave any of my things there anymore.

Originally, I had planned to quietly pack my things and leave before Alaric returned.

However, the moment I unlocked the door and stepped into the living room, Delilah's cheerful laughter drifted into my ears.

“Get rid of this ugly table. It looks so old-fashioned. Replace it with the imported wooden table from France I mentioned earlier.”

“And these light blue curtains look completely outdated. Change them too.”

Delilah, who should have been resting in the hospital, was reclining on the sofa with a thin blanket draped over her body.

Her complexion was still somewhat pale, yet she enthusiastically directed the maids around as if she were the true mistress of the house.

Alaric sat beside her, and throughout it all, he never once objected to anything she said.

I watched as one piece after another was carried away.

Every item had been carefully chosen by me.

Every item held memories of the happiness Alaric and I had once shared in this estate.

My heart tightened painfully.

Estelle, stop caring about these things. You and Alaric are over!

Just as I was about to turn around and leave, Delilah suddenly looked over and spotted me immediately.

“Estelle..."

Like a frightened little rabbit, she shrank into Alaric's embrace. The panic in her eyes made it seem as though I were some kind of monster.

“Estelle, please don't blame me. I just felt that these things were a little out of style, so I wanted to replace them.”

“Besides, I'll be staying here for quite a while during my postpartum recovery, so I'd like to arrange the estate according to my own preferences.”

“Alaric agreed to it as well.”

As she spoke, her brows lifted slightly, the provocation in her eyes impossible to miss.

Then, as if something had suddenly occurred to her, she let out a soft gasp.

“Oh, right, Estelle. Alaric said you've already signed the divorce papers. Surely you're not shameless enough to keep staying at the Vaughn estate, are you?”

“You came back to pack your things and leave, didn't you?”

Hearing Delilah's taunting words, I lifted my head and looked straight at Alaric, waiting to see how he would respond.

Deep down, there was even a trace of hope that I hadn't realized was still there.

But he did nothing. He merely lowered his gaze and quietly avoided my eyes.

My nails dug deep into my palms. The sharp pain made my heart ache even more.

Since I had already decided to let go, there was no point arguing with Delilah anymore.

“Yes. I'm here to pack my things. Once I'm done, I'll leave.”

My voice was hoarse.

Something flickered across Alaric's face, and he seemed about to say something. But Delilah reacted even faster.

“That's good.”

“I thought you were going to act like one of those crazy ex-wives who refuse to let go of their former husbands, but you're more decisive than I expected.”

After saying that, she smiled sweetly.

“Oh, right, Estelle. Thank you for delivering my baby.”

“If you're willing, my little Jamie can even call you his godmother someday.”

“Oh, you didn't know, did you? Alaric personally chose our son's name. James. Jamie is his nickname.”

Delilah giggled teasingly. Meanwhile, I stood frozen in place after hearing that name.

The blood in my veins seemed to turn to ice, a chill spreading from head to toe.

James. Jamie.

It was the name Alaric, and I had once spent countless days choosing it for our first child.

It was also the name of the baby we had lost the night I rushed to save him and ended up being tortured by his kidnappers.

Stunned, I lifted my head and looked at Alaric, searching desperately for even the slightest trace of guilt in his eyes.

But all I saw was him busy pulling the blanket back over Delilah's shoulders after it had slipped down.

So he had forgotten. Forgotten the name of our first child.

Or perhaps, he had even forgotten that we had once had a child together at all.

How cruel could he be?

Thinking of that, I took a deep breath and became even more certain of my decision.

Alaric no longer loved me, and I no longer needed to cling to him.

I loved him, but I loved myself and the child growing inside me even more.

I didn't want to keep tormenting myself or make my son suffer because of him anymore.

Looking at the triumphant expression on Delilah's face, I replied.

“No need. I have no interest in becoming the godmother of my husband's mistress's illegitimate child.”

My voice was ice-cold as I turned and headed back to my room.

Delilah immediately put on a wounded, fragile expression. Alaric seemed to say something to me in a stern voice, but I couldn't care less.

Quietly closing the bedroom door behind me, I began packing my belongings, taking only the things that truly belonged to me.

Everything Alaric had given me, from jewelry and clothes to shoes from luxury brands, I no longer wanted any of it.

In the past, those gifts had been proof of Alaric's love, evidence of how happy I had once been.

Now, they only served as reminders of how foolish I had been in love.

I packed everything into cardboard boxes, intending to have the maids throw them away later.

Click.

The sound of the door opening broke the silence.

Someone walked in and casually sat down beside me.

“Why are you throwing all these away, darling? Weren't these your favorite things?”

Looking at the gifts he had once given me now piled carelessly inside the boxes, Alaric frowned, and his voice turned slightly colder.

My hands never stopped moving. Nor did I spare him a single glance.

“Oh, those things are old now. I don't want them anymore. I'll donate them to an orphanage later.”

The scent that belonged to Delilah grew even stronger in the air as Alaric sat down beside me.

“Stop being so stubborn over Delilah. Estelle, haven't you always been reasonable? Why have you suddenly become like this?”

“You were deliberately mocking Delilah, and he'll be very hurt by that.”

Reasonable.

Again, it was that word.

Because I had been reasonable, I had forgiven Alaric for countless affairs.

Because I had been reasonable, I had personally delivered his mistress's baby and watched her move into our estate as though she were the true mistress of the house.

I was tired of being a reasonable fool.

Pretending not to hear him, I continued packing my belongings.

“You don't actually have to move out of the Vaughn estate. I'll talk to Delilah for you..."

“I can move out, Alaric. It's good for all three of us.”

I interrupted him coldly.

In response, I only heard a quiet sigh.

“Alright, darling. Then you'll have to endure some hardship for now. I'll make it up to you later.”

Make it up to me.

He had said those words so many times that I had lost count.

I bit down hard on my lip.

Suddenly, a gentle force caught my chin. Alaric leaned closer, intending to kiss me as he always did.

But the moment I thought about how many times those lips had kissed Delilah, all I felt was disgust.

My stomach twisted violently.

Clapping a hand over my mouth, I rushed into the bathroom and retched into the sink.

“Urgh... urgh...”

The bitter, acidic taste lingering in my throat only made me feel worse.

I retched for a long time, but nothing came up. My throat burned as though it had been set on fire.

“Darling, are you okay? Why has your morning sickness been getting so severe lately?”

Alaric hurried over and gently patted my back, his voice filled with concern as he patiently checked on me.

Exhausted, I shook off his hand and walked out of the room.

Heading downstairs, I intended to find one of the maids and ask about several keepsakes belonging to my late grandfather, which I had previously entrusted to them for maintenance.

But before I could do so, a sharp smell of something burning suddenly drifted into the air.

A warning bell rang in my mind. Without a second thought, I ran barefoot toward the source of the burning smell, straight into the garden.

Amid the flickering crimson flames, I caught sight of the red cover of my late grandfather's diary, along with part of a watch that had nearly been burned to ashes. Scattered within the fire were several other belongings that had once belonged to my grandfather.

My breathing seemed to stop. The blood in my veins turned cold, and my mind went completely blank.

Then, refusing to let myself stand there in shock any longer, I rushed to grab the watering can the maids kept in the garden and frantically poured water over the flames.

My tears mingled with the water streaming from the can as the fire gradually weakened, then finally died out.

All that remained were blackened objects, some of them already reduced to ash.

I hurriedly picked up my late grandfather's watch. The scorching heat radiating from the metal instantly burned my palm, but I clenched it tightly as if I could no longer feel the pain.

Only then did the panic raging inside me finally begin to settle.

I spun around abruptly, my eyes bloodshot as I glared at Delilah, who was standing nearby with a look of satisfaction on her face.

“Are you crazy? Why did you burn my things?”

“Who gave you permission to touch them? Who gave you permission to go through my belongings?”

I had only entrusted the watch and a pendant to the maids for maintenance. As for my grandfather's diary and several of his clothes, I had always kept them neatly stored away in my closet.

So the moment I saw them in the fire, I knew it had been Delilah who had gone through my things.

“Were you never taught that you shouldn't touch other people's belongings?”

As I gathered up the remaining items and clutched them tightly in my arms, I shouted at Delilah through gritted teeth.

Delilah merely crossed her arms and casually rubbed her still-flat stomach.

“Estelle, I was only helping you get rid of some old junk. Why are you getting so worked up?”

She let out a faint laugh.

“Besides, I just gave birth. The doctor said my health is weak, and I shouldn't be around dirty things.”

“I heard your grandfather used to be a waste picker to raise you. I was worried that the things he left behind might be dirty too..."

Smack!

Before she could finish speaking, I completely lost control and swung my hand across her face with all my strength.

A bright red handprint instantly appeared on Delilah's cheek, streaked with a few smudges of black ash.

She glared at me resentfully, her eyes burning with hatred.

“You bitch..."

She screamed through clenched teeth and strode toward me.

Just as she was about to raise her hand to strike me back, she suddenly dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

“Estelle, I'm sorry. I didn't know those were your grandfather's keepsakes. I just thought they were things nobody wanted, so I burned them.”

“It's fine if you're angry, but why did you have to hit me?”

Delilah's sobbing left me momentarily stunned.

Before I could understand what was happening, a powerful slap landed squarely across my face, sending me stumbling to the ground.

When I looked up, I saw the furious expression on Alaric's face.

“How could you hit Delilah? How have you become so unreasonable and vicious, Estelle?”

Alaric looked at me with irritation and disappointment before hurriedly helping Delilah to her feet. He pulled her into his arms and carefully wiped the dirt from her face.

Delilah sobbed pitifully, tears streaming down her cheeks, yet a triumphant smile flickered across her lips as she glanced in my direction.

“Alaric, don't be angry with Estelle because of me. Maybe my moving into Vaughn Manor has made her unhappy. She probably just wanted to vent her frustration.”

“I can endure it..."

Delilah's voice was soft and pitiful. Combined with her youthful, sweet-looking face, she appeared like the most wronged person in the world.

She sounded as though she were defending me, yet every word only made the situation worse.

The way Alaric looked at me grew even more resentful.

“Delilah, you don't need to defend Estelle.”

After soothing Delilah in a gentle voice, Alaric suddenly turned cold and snapped,

“Estelle, apologize to Delilah right now!”

I tightened my grip on the belongings in my arms. The burns on my hands had already blistered, and my voice came out thick with emotion.

“Alaric, I hit Delilah because she burned my grandfather's keepsakes first.”

My eyes reddened the moment I mentioned my grandfather.

“She even insulted my grandfather, saying he was nothing more than a waste picker..."

During the years of my childhood, when my parents divorced and abandoned me, it was my grandfather who pinched every penny to raise me and put me through school.

To earn enough money for my college tuition, he had even collected scrap and recyclables, working tirelessly just to make a few extra dollars.

It was the most painful and helpless memory of my entire life, and Alaric knew that better than anyone.

He also knew exactly how important my grandfather was to me, and how much I cherished everything that had belonged to him.

Especially the diary I had once shown him.

Inside were the stories of my childhood, the record of my growing years, and countless gentle words of love written by my grandfather himself.

He knew all of it.

For a brief moment, I had thought that no matter how much he loved Delilah, he would still be a reasonable man. I had thought he would stand on my side.

But the moment he spoke, he shattered the last remaining piece of hope I had left.

“Delilah only misspoke. Stop making such a big deal out of it.”

Alaric's voice was icy cold as he lazily glanced at the belongings in my arms, half-burned and reduced to ashes, his eyes filled with disdain.

“Delilah didn't do it on purpose. She's already explained herself.”

“And besides, keep these filthy things away from her from now on. She's still weak..."

Bitterness surged up my throat, and I let out a mocking laugh.

“Alaric, how did I never realize before that you're such a bastard?”

“They were my grandfather's keepsakes!”

I practically growled the words through clenched teeth.

“Do you remember kneeling in front of him and promising that you would protect me for the rest of my life?”

“He hasn't even been gone for three years, yet you've allowed your mistress to burn everything that belonged to him and torment his granddaughter like this?”

“Do you even have a heart?”

My voice was hoarse and sharp as I stared straight into Alaric's eyes, mocking him without restraint.

For a brief moment, surprise flashed across his face. His lips parted as though he wanted to say something.

However, Delilah suddenly let out a sob.

“Alaric, ouch... my stomach hurts so much...”

“Maybe the fall earlier injured me..."

Delilah doubled over, panting heavily as she clung to Alaric's arm.

The trace of guilt that had appeared in Alaric's eyes vanished completely. Supporting Delilah, he immediately swept her into his arms.

Then he glared at me and shouted.

“The maids!”

“Lock Estelle in the storage room immediately! Until she apologizes, don't let her out!”

His voice was vicious to the extreme.

The maids rushed forward at once and grabbed hold of me so tightly that I couldn't struggle free. All I could do was desperately protect the belongings clutched in my arms.

“Alaric, how dare you? I still have to go to the hospital and work!”

I shouted in protest, but he didn't care at all.

“I'll request leave for you. Now be a good girl and reflect on your mistakes.”

He signaled to the maids before carrying Delilah away without another glance.

As for me, they dragged me off like a chicken and threw me into the dark storage room.

Thud.

The pain from hitting the floor made cold sweat break out across my body.

Then came a click.

As the door slammed shut, the room was swallowed by complete darkness.