I've gone to the church to pray for my son, Robert Scott. On the way home, my carriage is overturned because the horses suffer from a shock.

When I wake up, I look at my family gathering around my bed. Then, I decide to pull a prank on them.

"Sorry, but who are you?"

I do my best to suppress the smile that threatens to appear on my face. I want to see how my family is going to comfort me now that I have "amnesia".

Will Mom and my husband, Jeremy Scott, take my hands comfortingly? Or will Robert lunge at me while crying out to me?

What I don't expect is to see my family breathing sighs of relief after their initial shock has faded away.

Mom is the first one to speak up with a hint of relief coloring her tone.

"Since you've already forgotten all about us, then it's fine. Maisie, you're actually the adopted daughter of the Liddell family. Amber is the actual heiress of the Liddell family."

Jeremy points at me while telling Robert, "Robbie, you must address her as Aunt Maisie."

Before I can recover from my shock, I see my own son, whom I'm willing to sacrifice my life to protect, running over to hug Amber Liddell, the fake heiress, happily.

"Mom, I've spent the whole day playing outside! Oh, I miss you so much!"

So, it turns out that my case of amnesia is exactly what this family wants.

In that case, I might as well abandon this farce of a family.

"Robbie, from now on, you must listen to your mother. Don't cling to Aunt Maisie anymore."

Jeremy Scott looked at me. His expression was complicated and unreadable, but there wasn't the slightest trace of guilt or shame to be found.

My son, Robert Scott, peeked out from Amber Liddell's arms, stealing a cautious glance at me. Then, in a clear, childish voice, he called out, "Aunt Maisie."

Two words, spoken in such an innocent tone, pierced straight through my heart. A sharp pain spread through my chest.

Amber walked over to my bedside, her tone reproachful. "Maisie, Jeremy and I are constantly busy. We only asked you to look after Robbie for one day, and you couldn't even manage something that simple?

"Thankfully, he's fine. Otherwise, could you bear the responsibility? Honestly, I don't know what else you're even capable of!"

The moment she finished speaking, the woman I had spent my whole life trying to please, my very own biological mother, immediately agreed.

"Amber, don't be too harsh on her. After all, she isn't of the Liddell blood. She's not like you, intelligent and exceptional in everything since childhood. I suppose that's just fate."

As she spoke, she let out a soft sigh and reached for Amber's hand, her eyes filled with affection.

My heart turned cold. I was the Liddell family's real daughter. And Amber was the daughter of the nanny who had stolen more than 20 years of my life.

Back then, that woman had switched us at birth so her own daughter could live in wealth and privilege. And I grew up at her side, enduring her constant beatings and scoldings.

She used to always say, "Look at the Liddell family's daughter. That's a real princess. You're not even worthy of cleaning her shoes. Know your place!"

When the truth finally came to light, I was brought back into the Liddell family. I thought my suffering had ended. But I never imagined that once my biological mother, Christine Roth, became convinced I had lost my memory, she would discard me so easily.

"Maisie Walter, are you even listening?" Jeremy's cold voice snapped me back to the present. "Robbie already said it himself. When the carriage went out of control, you only cared about saving yourself and completely ignored him. If he hadn't been incredibly lucky, how would you take responsibility?"

I stared at Robert in disbelief.

The instant the carriage went out of control, I had instinctively pulled him tightly into my arms. My forehead slammed into the wooden frame, and splinters cut into my arm. He hadn't suffered even a scratch.

"That's not true!" I struggled to sit up, but the movement tugged at my wounds. The immense pain caused me to suck in a sharp breath.

"Would a child lie?" Jeremy's voice rose abruptly, the disgust in his eyes threatening to drown me. "Maisie, how did I never realize you were this shameless? You can lie so easily without even blinking."

I forced a bleak smile. "Why wouldn't he? He's so good at lying."

Amber gasped in shock. "Maisie, how can you say that about Robbie? He's just a child! Did you deliberately put him in danger so you could take over both the Liddell and Scott families' fortunes?"

What an absurd accusation.

Christine's face darkened instantly. She pointed at me, her tone sharp. "Maisie Walter! I'm warning you. You'd better stop dreaming. Remember who you are, and know your place!"

"Know your place."

Those words again.

They followed me like a curse, haunting me since childhood. I first heard them from my adoptive mother, and now my biological mother was saying the same thing.

All the strength drained from my body. I lowered my head, unwilling to continue this meaningless argument.

Staring at the tangled lines in my palm, I remembered a wandering fortune teller from my childhood. He had said I was born with little fortune and shallow ties with my family.

I was too young then to understand what he meant. My adoptive mother, Zelda Armstrong, had laughed it off and said, "This girl really is unlucky."

The first half of my life had unfolded exactly as he foretold, but I still never believed in fate. Later, after marrying Jeremy and giving birth to Robert, I felt unimaginably fortunate. How could I possibly be someone without fortune?

It wasn't until today that I finally began to understand that some things in this world simply cannot be forced. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I held them back with everything I had, refusing to let them fall.

After taking a deep breath, I smiled. "Since you're all so afraid that I'm scheming for the family fortune, then I'll sever all ties with the Liddell family."

Instantly, Jeremy and Christine both froze, staring at me in disbelief. Only Amber's eyes lit up with undisguised joy.

"What did you say?" Christine was the first to react, her voice turning shrill. "Sever ties? Maisie, you… say that again!"

Amber immediately hooked her arm through Christine's, cutting in urgently. "Mom, don't get upset. She's probably been thinking about this for a long time.

"She may only be an adopted daughter, but our family never mistreated her. We fed her, clothed her, and gave her everything. Yet, she never showed even a shred of gratitude. What an ungrateful brat."

Christine's already wavering resolve was completely swayed by Amber's words. She shot me a cold, disappointed look. "Fine. Very well. Cut ties then! Just don't regret it later!"

I smiled bitterly. With a family like this, what would there be to regret?

Jeremy, who had remained silent the whole time, finally spoke. His tone softened, laced with a hint of reassurance. "Maisie, don't be so impulsive. Mom is just angry. Families don't hold grudges. Why say things so absolutely?"

I sneered coldly. "Jeremy, why pretend to be a saint now? As if you weren't just berating me moments ago."

His face turned red with fury. "Maisie, don't be ungrateful! I'm trying to help you. What kind of behavior is this?"

"Daddy, Aunt Maisie, please don't fight." Robert's timid voice cut in. He tugged gently at Jeremy's sleeve and looked up at him. "Does that mean Aunt Maisie won't live with us anymore? And I can always stay with Mommy and Daddy?"

Jeremy didn't answer. He only looked at me in silence.

Amber bent down and kissed Robert's forehead, her voice tender. "Of course. From now on, it'll just be the three of us. No one else!"

As she spoke, she cast me a deliberately provocative glance.

Watching Robert jump with excitement, a wave of unbearable bitterness surged through me. This was the child I had been willing to die to protect.

Seeing that I had no intention of stopping any of this, Jeremy's expression grew even darker. He said coldly, "Maisie, it seems you truly need to properly reflect here at this retreat. For the next few days, don't return home, and don't see your son either. Once you've figured things out, you can come back."

I laughed out loud. "Jeremy, what are you even saying? What son? Didn't you just say I'm only his aunt?"

Jeremy's face flushed in an instant. Every word he meant to say lodged in his throat. In the end, he could only glare at me before storming out.

In the suddenly silent room, I noticed a piece of pine nut candy by my pillow. Jeremy must have left it there while I was unconscious.

So, he still remembered. Whenever my heart felt heavy, I craved something sweet. Perhaps I'd suffered too much bitterness in the past, which was why I craved just a little sweetness, never growing tired of it.

The candy wrapper rustled softly between my fingers, stirring my memories.

Growing up starved of love had taught me that earning someone's genuine affection was the hardest thing in the world. I didn't even know how to love someone properly. That was why, when faced with Jeremy's devotion, my first response had been fear.

But he was patient. Slowly, he melted my frozen heart with his warmth and tenderness.

He walked 99 steps toward me, making me believe that there was someone who could truly love me in this world, enough for me to take the final step myself.

I once believed that step would lead me to a lifetime of peace, until the day I was brought back into the Liddell family.

I was never a magnanimous person.

Zelda tore me away from my birth family for more than 20 years and treated me terribly that whole time. I had always harbored resentment toward her. Naturally, I could never bring myself to feel close to Amber, the one who had benefited from it all.

Back then, Jeremy had remarked, seemingly offhandedly, "What did Amber do wrong? She was unaware of it all back then too."

I had sulked over that for two whole days. In the end, he came to pacify me with a packet of candy, and all was forgotten.

Looking back now, that moment seemed to have been the dividing line between us. Life went on as usual, but only now did I realize that we had already stepped onto different paths from that moment on.

I placed the candy into my mouth. It melted on my tongue, sickeningly sweet.

I summoned my most trusted maid and handed her a sealed letter. "Send this to Kingstown at once. Deliver it to Ms. Simon."

The letter was for my best friend, Giselle Simon. She was the only one in Bergdorf who had seen through every one of my disguises and still chose to treat me with sincerity.

Three years ago, she moved to Kingstown with her family, and since then, we had kept in touch only through letters.

In the letter, I wrote, "Giselle, I intend to get a divorce and leave for Kingstown. I will never return here again. But I will need your help to make it happen."

When she reads it, she would likely be shocked at first, then relieved.

On the day my injuries finally healed, I returned home from the retreat without informing anyone. When I pushed open the gates of the Scott residence with unsteady steps, I heard laughter drifting from the living room.

My breath caught, and I froze in place.

Outside, the bright moon hung high, gently spilling light over the four figures inside. They looked warm and harmonious. Not a shred of that warmth reached me. Only I was cold and alone.

When they saw me, the laughter came to an abrupt halt. The air instantly froze.

I smiled slightly and asked coolly, "May I ask where my room is?"

Christine's expression stiffened, while Amber immediately stood up and pointed toward a small door at the outer edge of the estate. "Maisie, your things… We've already packed them up for you. They're all over there."

It was a small and cramped maid's room. In just a few short days, every trace of me had been erased, swept clean, and shoved into that tiny corner. Meanwhile, Amber's vanity and belongings had openly taken over the bedroom that Jeremy and I once shared.

I let out a self-mocking laugh. "I thought you all were working together to deceive me. But seeing where I'm meant to live now, I suppose it confirms that I really am just an adopted daughter."

"Maisie…" Embarrassment was written all over Jeremy's face as he stepped forward. "Why didn't you tell us that you're well now? I could've gone to pick you up."

I looked at him coldly and sneered. "And trouble my brother-in-law? How would I dare trouble the great Mr. Scott with such a task?"

The moment those words left my mouth, Christine's face darkened. "Maisie, what kind of attitude is that? Amber kindly helped pack your things, and instead of being grateful, you're being sarcastic!"

Amber's eyes instantly reddened as she hid behind Christine, looking utterly wronged. Seeing this, Robert shouted at me, "You bad woman! Don't bully Mommy! Get out of our house!"

At that moment, I couldn't help but laugh. The pain in my chest spasmed violently, and my entire body began to tremble.

Jeremy had remained silent until now. Finally, his unfathomable gaze locked onto mine as he asked slowly, "Have your memories returned?"

I looked at him and suddenly laughed bitterly. A flicker of unease appeared on Christine's face. Amber, however, still stood tall, righteous and unyielding.

Robert seemed to piece something together from the adults' reactions. He screamed at me viciously, "I don't want you as my mommy! You're not my mommy! You should never remember anything. Leave our family forever!"

"Robbie, that's enough!" Jeremy shouted.

Noticing my terrible expression, he reached for my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Maisie, Robbie is still young. He didn't mean it. Children's words shouldn't be taken to heart."

I withdrew my hand and said with a smile, "He's not that young anymore. He knows right from wrong. Do you really think words like that can be brushed off as thoughtless?"

Seeing Jeremy begin to waver, Amber's face turned pale. She immediately collapsed weakly into his arms. "Jeremy, I feel so dizzy…"