I walked out leisurely only after I was done putting on my pearl earrings.

Emily seemed a little uncomfortable when she saw me coming downstairs. "Mrs. Palmer, I—"

"It's fine, Emily, just move in here. I know it takes you three hours just to commute here by bus daily." I took the shoes from the household staff before continuing, "You don't need to feel guilty. I'm happy that you're back too."

Julian was taken aback. He was aware that I would tear up whenever Yohan drunkenly called for Emily's name in the past.

It wasn't his first time seeing her when she first came to our house last month. He found a photo of her which Yohan had carefully kept in his drawer, and had heard Yohan mumbling her name whenever he was drunk.

It gave him the perfect weapon to punish me. However, he was surprised to find that this weapon had lost its effectiveness.

"I want ice cream! Get me two—no, I want 10 of them!" Julian screamed. Yet, the only reply that came back was the slam of the door.

I had been looking like a mess during my hospitalization period. Now that I was finally discharged, I need to visit the beauty salon for some skincare treatments.

The chauffeur had been waiting outside for some time.

Meanwhile, Julian's expression returned to normal as he stood in the living room.

"Your ice cream is here, Mr. Julian." A household staff had taken some ice cream out of the fridge in a hurry.

"I don't want them!" He threw the ice cream onto the ground, glaring at the door that remained shut.

Julian started to wonder if I truly had forgotten about him.

…

Cynthia Lambert, Yohan's mother, found out that Emily had returned from overseas and was now Julian's piano teacher. She then rushed over with several bags of luxury goods.

She took Emily's hand as they sat on the couch. "You've had it tough, my darling Emily. Yohan would have helped out with Walker Corporation if only you had been together with Yohan from the start. Your family wouldn't have gone bankrupt then."

Emily anxiously replied, "You shouldn't say that, Cynthia. The past is already set in stone, and I'm grateful enough that Mr. Palmer is willing to offer me a job now."

"There's nothing that can't be said. I feel completely at ease having Julian under your care now." Cynthia patted Emily's hand with satisfaction.

She then continued softly, "Do you know that Yohan is getting a divorce now? He wanted it as soon as you're back—isn't that telling enough?

"Don't worry, even Juli is very fond of you. You won't be mistreated in our family, and Yohan will help to turn things around for the Walkers."

Despite knowing that I was at home, Cynthia did not inform me when she came over. I was tactful enough to not go out and interrupt their catch-up.

Not only did Yohan and Julian like Emily, but even Cynthia was very fond of her.

Emily came from a prestigious family, and her background was a good match for the Palmers. When Yohan happened to fall for her at first sight, Cynthia was beyond overjoyed. She immediately started thinking of the arrangement for a wedding between the two families.

Unfortunately, Emily did not like him. She turned him down without hesitation and went abroad to further her music studies.

Although Cynthia found it regretful, she grew even fonder of Emily. She saw Emily as an ambitious woman with her own goals.

Meanwhile, I came from a humble background. I was vain and driven by the desire for wealth and status, and I would stop at nothing just to marry Yohan.

I could tell that Cynthia held disdain and even disgust toward me, but her good manners kept her from showing it too openly.

Sometimes I would wonder if everything would work out the best for everyone if Emily was the one who married Yohan from the start.

…

My phone vibrated, and I opened it to have a look. The message notification indicated that the accident insurance payout had come through.

I thought I would gradually forget about what happened during the car accident out of fear, but it all felt like it happened just yesterday when I closed my eyes.

It was raining heavily on that day. Yohan and I were on the highway. Someone called him, and I could hear the voice on the other end clearly.

"A group of debt collectors are heading to the Walker residence to cause trouble. They're going after Ms. Walker now."

Yohan turned and glanced at me. I knew he wasn't asking for my permission—he was informing me that he would be heading to the Walker residence to look for Emily.

We were currently heading in the opposite direction of the Walker residence.

I softly said, "Just drop me at the service area up ahead. I'll take a taxi back on my own."

Even though I quickly opened my umbrella, I was still soaked through as soon as I got out of the car. The black Bentley sped past, splashing water all over me.

It seemed ironic that our expired relationship was met with a rainy day.

The old taxi I happened to be in started to skid on the highway. The moment the car lost control, a chill ran through me and I quickly buckled my seatbelt.

My heart was racing, and my mind went blank. With a loud crash, my head slammed into the car window from the violent impact.

Time seemed to slow down at this moment. I couldn't help but recall past moments of my life, but all I could think of were memories tied to Yohan.

When I was 10, my parents took out a loan to purchase a villa in the most exclusive neighborhood in Jyndale—and that was when I met Yohan.

My parents told me that he was the heir to the Palmers in Jyndale. They warned me to be extra careful and make sure to get on his good side.

Yohan was very good-looking, and I was happy to spend time with him. I ended up trailing behind him for seven years.

When I was 17, I seemed to fall for him, but he despised me. During the year when my feelings for him were at their peak, I was called a "bootlicker" by his circle of friends, and the people around me started calling me "Ms. Clown".

When I was 18, Yohan fell for Emily. I watched from the sidelines as he doted on her, and then watched him fall into a slump after she turned him down.

When I was 21, he pinned me against the bed and kissed me while he was drunk, yet the name he kept calling for was Emily's. I was supposed to push him away and slap him, but I hesitated.

Dad's company was struggling with cash flow and needed a large sum of money. Plus, getting together with Yohan had been a dream for me and my parents for the past decade.

I quietly endured everything—Yohan had called for Emily for as long as he was messing with me.

Yohan's grandfather soon found out about our affair. As the Palmers had always been a traditional family, he insisted for Yohan to marry me. In the end, I got what I wanted and became his wife.

When I was 22, I got pregnant. The pregnancy was incredibly tough on me—I had severe morning sickness, and my labor had complications.

…

My memories were tinged with pain. I found myself lying in the hospital ward when I opened my eyes again. My whole body ached, and my head was pounding.

When I was 27, I was lying on the hospital bed when my son called Emily "Mommy" right in front of me, and my husband did not deny it.

I pretended not to care, but the countless instances hurt me.

The people I couldn't bear losing were hoping for me to leave quickly. I chose to stay silent—perhaps happiness was never meant for me.

I was tempted to ask Yohan and Julian if they would speak harshly to the people they loved. But I would have gotten my answer when I saw the way they looked at Emily.

Yohan fell for Emily at first sight, and Julian also took a liking to her as soon as they met. It was his first time showing affection to others.

People often clung to the things they chose at first sight.

Julian was starting to resemble Yohan more and more—be it in his looks, personality, or his tastes. They both liked Emily.

I never saw her as the third wheel. That was because I was the one who stole what was hers from that night on.

People suffered because they chase after the wrong things. I figured this was the end of our marriage. It was time to return Yohan and Julian back to Emily.

In fact, Yohan had already drafted the divorce agreement on the day of Emily's return. He had been wanting to get a divorce for the longest time, then tried to pursue Emily again.

As he wished, I contacted Joshua Ziegler, the Palmers' lawyer, and went to Yohan's company.

"I agree to the divorce," I said as I looked at him calmly.

Yohan seemed surprised.

Joshua handed out a copy of the divorce agreement to the both of us. I was quick to put down my signature on the agreement.

However, Yohan hesitated just as he was about to sign it. His fingers went white from gripping the pen so tightly.

Joshua slowly said, "You can take some time to think it over before signing it, Mr. Palmer."

I understand how Yohan felt. It was possible to get attached to a pet dog—what more to me when I have been trailing after him for the past 16 years?

"Julian will stay with me," he said as he looked at me tentatively.

I nodded—I no longer wanted anything to do with the both of them. Meanwhile, Yohan looked at me intensely, as if trying to find any traces of sadness, hurt, or reluctance. However, he found none on me.

He tightened his grip on the pen, signing his name forcefully with obvious anger. Meanwhile, I was only focused on the asset settlement agreement.

I then left Yohan's office feeling satisfied.

Joshua tensed up in the quiet and empty office. He could feel the iciness radiating off Yohan. "Should we make news of your divorce public, Mr. Palmer?"

"No need. She's just throwing a tantrum." Yohan seemed to be relieved hearing his own words—even his furrowed brows relaxed. "Keep this under wraps—my wife will return on her own."

He figured that it was because I lost my memories that I had forgotten about him and Julian—surely I would remember them soon since I loved them both so much.

The doctor had said that the memory loss was only temporary. He was sure that I would come back crying once I remembered everything, begging for him to take me back.

Yohan deemed the divorce as a punishment for the way I had forgotten all about them so easily. He would forgive and remarry me once I came back crying and apologizing to him.

His frustration faded immediately as he picked up the coffee on the desk and took a sip.

Joshua was sweating profusely. He took out a tissue to wipe the beads of sweat off his forehead.

He wasn't so sure that I was only throwing a tantrum when I had even signed the divorce agreement and split our assets.

…

I thought I'd feel sad as I was about to leave the house—it was where I had stayed for the past six years after all. But instead, I felt a surprising sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

I was not someone's wife and mother anymore. I no longer needed to please anyone or worry about people not liking me.

While Yohan and Julian were both out, I called three trucks and spent a small fortune hiring three moving companies.

I had all my luxury goods packed—bags, clothes, jewelries, skincare products—and took them with me.

I also grabbed my baking supplies, an entire cabinet of carefully chosen designer cutleries, several pieces of furniture I was used to, and all the decorations I had bought.

I even packed away the expensive gifts I bought for Yohan and Julian. They have never liked the gifts and they'd been stored away in the back of the closet—they wouldn't even realize the gifts were gone.

If that was the case, they were better off being sold second-hand, so they can still serve their final purpose. After all, we were divorced, they might feel off-putting if they were to see these things again.

There was a lot to pack, but luckily I hired three moving companies with enough manpower. Everything was packed and loaded in less than two hours.

The house felt empty all of a sudden. Yohan would probably find the house much cleaner and tidier when he came back later. He never liked having too many things around, and now they were all gone.

I thoughtfully left plenty of space for his future wife who would be moving in soon.