But at the same time, the soft and tender voices of two children rang in my ears again.

“Mom, I like Dad so much. He is the most handsome father in our kindergarten.”

“Mom, we miss Dad so much. Will he come back to accompany us today?”

“We love our mother first in the world and our father second.” 

“Mom, please don’t quarrel with Dad because of us. It's because we are naughty and disobedient," were the last words they said to me before they lost consciousness when I rushed into the school to rescue the children.

I took a deep breath, ignored Jordon, walked straight to the bed and sat down.

Seeing that I did not speak for a long time, Jordon looked a little angry. He threw me on the bed and locked my hands tightly above my head.

“What are you talking about now? Didn't you ask your sister to call me back?”

As he spoke, he leaned over to kiss me. I was unable to struggle free and could only bite his lips hard.

Jordon felt pain and suddenly let go of me and sat up.

“Diana! Are you out of your mind?

“Just looking at you makes me sick. You fool Grandpa with that innocent act, don’t you? You dragged me back here just to play hard to get—how ridiculous.

“It’s your hypocrisy that’s rubbed off on my daughters. They’ve been raised under your influence and look where that’s gotten them.”

I bit my lower lip tightly until I tasted blood, then I spoke softly to interrupt Jordon, “The children are dead.”

Jordon's expression suddenly froze, but after a moment he sneered, “Diana, you really dare to say anything nonsense. Didn't you just find out today that Annette is pregnant? Do you really have to make up such nonsense?”

After saying this, Jordon stood up and walked towards the door.

Before reaching the door, Jordon halted and added coldly, “Since you’ve rejected me, don’t even think about running to Grandpa to complain that I’m ignoring you. That would only make me despise you more.”

After Jordon left, the room became quiet again. I rushed into the bathroom and brushed my teeth vigorously, trying to brush away the scent of Jordon that remained on my lips.

Jordon and I were once in love.

On the day of my coming-of-age ceremony, eighteen-year-old Jordon stood in front of me, his ears red with shyness.

“Diana, I want to be good to you. I don't want to be just your brother."

The boy's cheeks flushed, but the determination in his eyes was intoxicating and my heart instantly softened into an ocean.

In the following years, Jordon almost held me in his hands and I did my best to treat him well.

It was not until we were twenty-two that the old man called us over.

“You are both of marriageable age, Diana. Your grandfather saved my life and I am worried about you marrying into another family. What do you think of Jordon?”

From then on, Jordon's attitude towards me took a sharp turn for the worse and all that lingering love seemed to have disappeared overnight.

I did not know what happened and Jordon would not tell me the reason.

I got pregnant successfully one year after getting married. Since then, Jordon has been partying every night and almost never stays home, openly showing off his first love in public.

I had argued with him before, but Jordon just looked at me coldly, as if he was looking at a mentally ill lunatic.

"You got what you wanted—you became the Howell Family's daughter-in-law and even bore them a child. So why are you still making a scene?

"Spare me the act of being wronged. It’s nauseating."

From then on, I no longer asked for the reason and just focused on taking care of my two children.

I accepted the fact that Jordon did not love me or my two children.

Fortunately, the children were well-behaved and sensible. I always thought that I would be happy as long as I could accompany my children as they grew up.

But nowthen, I had lost my child.

Early the next morning, the child was successfully cremated and buried. I stood in front of the funeral home holding two small urns.

They were two tiny babies when they were born, lying quietly in my arms. How come five years later, they had become even smaller and lighter?

My eyes felt sore, but I bit my lower lip tightly to prevent the tears from falling.

My sister- in-law looked at me with worry in her eyes.

“If you feel uncomfortable, just cry, don't hold it in.”

I did not answer my sister-in-law, but just looked at the old man who was getting ready to get in the car to go to the cemetery.

“Grandpa, the children will not be buried in the Howell Family tomb. I want to change the surnames of the two children. They are not the children of the Howell Family, but my children, Diana Jospeh.”

The old man looked at me deeply, then spoke angrily, “Where is that rebellious son? Where on a day like today could he be?”

My sister-in-law shrank back, looked at me and spoke in a low voice, “His phone is turned off and I can’t get in touch with him.”

The old man closed his eyes tightly and when he opened them and looked at me again, his eyes had become clear.

“They are the ones you gave birth to after risking your life, so just do as you say.”

I knelt before the old man, bowing three times in solemn respect.

The weight of a parent's grace was immeasurable, but it was not a burden my children should bear. I would not let them endure any grievances, even in death.

After grandpa left in the car, my sister-in-law gently helped me up from the ground.

“Diana, I’m sorry."

I looked at her with a smile, then took the two urns and went straight home in a taxi.

I want to take the children's things with me. That house was not a home and I did not want them to stay in that cold house.

But as soon as I opened the door, the obscene sounds of lovemaking came into my ears.

“Oh, I'm newly pregnant and the doctor said I can’t do this.”

The man's voice was hoarse with lust as he spoke, “Sweetheart, I'll be gentle, don’t worry. After all, how could I hurt our baby?”

After a while, the sounds of the man and woman making love filled the whole house.

They were making love in the bedroom and I could not go in to pack my things. I could only stand at the door in a daze, listening to those unbearable sounds in self-torture.

I did not know how long it took, but the two finally walked out of the bedroom.

The moment Annette saw me, her eyes gleamed with pride as she said, “Oh, Diana, you’re back? Why didn’t you say anything? We had no idea!

“It’s all Jordon’s fault. I told him I didn’t want to come, but he insisted. What could I do?”

Jordon stood beside Annette and grabbed Annette's waist as he sneered, “Why bother explaining to her? Who the hell is she?

“Let's go, sweetheart. We have an appointment with the doctor for a prenatal checkup today. Our baby must be healthy and safe.”

From beginning to end, Jordon never looked at me, his eyes were only on Annette.

I moved aside and calmly made way for them.

As he passed by me, Jordon finally saw the two urns in my arms.

“What kind of garbage did you pick up? It's so dirty, throw it out as soon as possible.”

After saying this, Jordon hugged Annette and left home.

I stared down at the urn in my arms and said, “Dad is not talking about you, don't be sad, you are mom's babies, you are not garbage.”

After carefully putting the urn down, I began to pack my child's things one by one.

Clothes, toys, cutlery and paintbrushes.

I then moved to the small desk in the children's room. There was a family photo on the desk, but there were only me and my two daughters in the photo, not Jordon.

I took the photo out of the frame.

The daughter drew a man on the photo with a paintbrush and wrote three words in her childish handwriting next to it.

Dad loves mom and there was a small heart drawn behind it.

I could not hold it in any longer and burst into tears while holding the photo.

In the five years of taking care of the children alone, no matter what happened between Jordon and me, I never said a bad word about Jordon in front of the children.

But children were the most sensitive. They could clearly see that their father did not love their mother.

It was not until nightfall that I finally finished packing the children's things.

I watched the movers load several boxes onto the truck.

“Miss Diana, is there anything else?”

I shook my head, then turned back into the house and placed the divorce agreement with my signature on it on the coffee table.

I left home, hugging the two urns tightly and suddenly felt a sense of calm in my heart.

After a long silence, I pulled out the phone card, broke it in half and threw it out of the car window.

Meanwhile, at Howell Hospital, the old man and my sister-in-law, having received the news, rushed in and intercepted Jordon and Annette during their prenatal checkup.

The moment he saw the old man and his sister, Jordon's face darkened instantly. 

He sneered, “Diana, you’re truly disgusting. You acted all magnanimous at home, staying silent, yet you secretly called them to complain and had them rush here? Pathetic.”

Before Jordon could finish his words, the old man slapped him hard in the face.

“You rebellious son! You killed your own children and you still have the nerve to bring your mistress to the hospital for a prenatal checkup. How could my Howell Family produce such a heartless and rebellious son like you?!”

Jordon staggered and almost fell as he heard that scold.

“You... what did you say?”