Dad attends a banquet with his ex-girlfriend, and they make headlines. Everyone mocks Mom for this, saying that she hasn't gotten anything out of her relationship with Dad.

They make fun of her for giving up her successful career for his sake to end up with nothing—she can't even tell a homewrecker off.

Mom looks at me tiredly after bawling her eyes out. "He let me down first, so I don't want him anymore. Do you want to leave with me, Rosie?"

Just then, my phone pings. I've received a text from my boyfriend of seven years. "I'm just going through the motions and registering my marriage with someone else, Rosalie. You'll still be my girlfriend!"

After a brief silence, I nod and tell Mom I'll leave with her.

On the day of the double weddings, Mom and I disappear after a fire at our villa.

I hurried home when I saw the trending topics.

My mother, Cassandra Fisher, sat by the window and stared at the roses outside—she and my father, Oscar Gray, had planted them together.

"He lied to me, Rosie. He told me he would marry me once he'd gained control of the Gray family. What have I gotten after waiting for 30 years? The news of him marrying Lori York," she said brokenly.

I crouched by her side and held her hand. "Those are just rumors the paparazzi made up. We don't know what the truth is.

"Dad refused to leave you when Grandpa and Grandma threatened to take their lives, didn't he? Why would he abandon you now that they've passed on?"

Mom picked up a wedding invitation and handed it to me with a bitter smile. "Michael gave this to me and told me to prepare for it. He also reminded me not to cause a scene.

"Your father felt bad for Lori because she had a son without his knowledge. But did he stop to think about how I gave up everything for him?

"I willingly spent the past 30 years as his wife without our relationship being legalized, and you've been called an illegitimate daughter all your life! Now, all I get is a warning not to cause a scene!"

A son? Was that why Dad had betrayed Mom and insisted on marrying Lori?

Because she'd given him a son who could inherit the family business? Was that why he wanted to bear this so-called responsibility and make Mom suffer the consequences?

Mom wept and wrapped her arms around me. "He betrayed me, yet he thinks we can continue as we always have. But I'm not a mistress, and you're not an illegitimate child."

She stroked my face. "Do you want to leave with me, Rosie? Or do you want to remain in Jeldon City with the chap from the Shaw family?"

I checked a message on my phone at the mention of Christopher Shaw. "I'm just registering my marriage with someone else, Rosalie. I don't see why you can't still be my girlfriend."

I returned Mom's hug and said, "I'm not staying. I'm your daughter, so I'll go wherever you go. There's nothing between Christopher and me anymore, anyway."

Mom dried her tears and looked at me worriedly. "What happened? You and Christopher have already been together for seven years. Why have you…"

I smiled bitterly and hid Christopher's message. "You can cast Dad aside after 30 years together—what does my seven-year relationship matter?

"The Shaw and Green families are working together on an important project, and Christopher has agreed to form an alliance with the Green family through marriage. The wedding is on the 15th of this month. As for our relationship, he said we can continue as usual."

Mom became angry when she heard that. "Continue as usual? That means he wants you to be his mistress, right? How dare he! It's all my fault—you can't even have a proper relationship because of me."

Tears streamed down her face again, and she held me tightly while apologizing. I comforted her, but my tears started flowing, too.

I said, "We're not at fault in this, Mom. In fact, it's good that we've discovered the truth before it's too late. What do you think about leaving this place and starting afresh somewhere new?"

…

After calming Mom down and taking her back to her room, I hurried back to my apartment. As soon as I opened the door, I saw Christopher standing in the living room. Hannah Green was by his side.

"You're back, Rosie. I knew you couldn't bear to give up on our relationship," he said.

My gaze landed on his engagement ring, and I smiled mockingly.

"You're wearing your engagement ring, and you have your fiancée by your side. Then, you came in here without my permission. Don't tell me you expect me to be nice to you."

When Christopher heard the mockery in my tone, he hurriedly tried to explain himself.

"Why don't you get it, Rosie? I've told you this many times—this marriage with Hannah is only temporary. I can't call the shots on this collaboration between my family and hers. Besides, Hannah has made it clear that she's willing to accept you."

Hannah stepped forward and looked at me somewhat arrogantly.

"Chris is right. You might not realize this, Ms. Fisher, but I've seen plenty of people like you in our circle. As long as you don't cause too much trouble, I won't get my parents involved.

"I can also put in a good word or two for you with the Shaw family. I should say there really is a disparity between those who carry the Gray surname and those who only carry the Fisher surname."

She was obviously insulting me. I picked up a glass of water from the coffee table and splashed it at her and Christopher. She screamed, and he hurriedly grabbed some tissues to wipe the water off her face.

Then, he snapped, "Have you lost your mind, Rosalie?"

"You two are the insane ones, if you ask me!" I looked at them icily and curled my lips. "Are you deaf or just stupid, Ms. Green? Christopher and I dated for seven years—why would I need you to tolerate and accommodate my presence?

"You might want to put on a show before me, but did you bother asking whether I wanted to watch it? Get the hell out of my apartment right now!"

Hannah lunged at me, seemingly infuriated by my words.

"What gives you the right to act so smugly, Rosalie? Your mother has bowed and scraped her way through life at the Gray residence for decades, yet she doesn't even have a marriage certificate to show for it.

"Now, your father is marrying Lori—that makes your mother nothing but a mistress! Like mother, like daughter.

"You're destined to be a mistress and homewrecker too! If not for Christopher speaking up for you, you wouldn't even deserve to step foot in the Shaw residence! You—"

I slapped her with all my might before she could finish. In the next second, Christopher shoved me aside, making me ram against the table. I cupped my wounded forehead as my head spun.

"Don't take this too far, Rosalie!" he snapped at me while holding Hannah, looking his heart ached for her.

"Have you yet to accept reality? Once Oscar marries Lori, you and your mother will become nothing more than a mistress and an illegitimate daughter.

"It would be a disgrace to have someone like you as a lover, but Han was generous enough to tolerate your existence, seeing as you and I have been together for so long. Don't blame me for getting nasty if you continue acting like this!"

"You'll get nasty, huh?" I chuckled and got to my feet. Then, I grabbed the glass from earlier and smashed it on his head. Blood trickled down his face as the glass shattered.

Hannah let out a piercing shriek before clamoring about calling the police. However, she shut up when I gave her a sharp look.

"You brought someone to my apartment without my permission, Christopher. This is private property, so I should be the one calling the cops.

"Also, I don't need her generosity. I'll just act like I wasted the past seven years of my life on a piece of trash!" I snarled.

Christopher's head was spinning from my attack, but he wanted to keep the tough act going.

Before leaving, he growled, "You're wrong if you think you're worthy of becoming my wife, Rosalie. I can't wait for the day that you come running and begging!"

As soon as the door slammed shut, I fell to the floor again. Tears streamed down my face.

Christopher and I had known each other since childhood, and we'd dated for the past seven years.

He'd remembered all my likes and dislikes, and he'd never missed an anniversary. He would also show up whenever I needed him.

I thought I'd met someone I could spend the rest of my life with—I'd imagined what life would be like after marrying him.

He knew I hated mistresses and homewreckers, yet he'd tried to force me to give in to him by using that as an excuse. His behavior had turned everything we'd been through together into a joke.

Once upon a time, he'd told me I was exactly who he wanted and that nothing else mattered to him. Yet now, he was telling me to reflect on whether I deserved to be his wife.

At that thought, I got to my feet again and looked around the apartment. Everything in it, from the photo frames to stuffed toys, were items that Christopher and I had picked out together.

He'd told me that he wanted to decorate this place like it was our home. He'd asked me countless times about the things I liked and bought them one by one.

"Rosie, no matter how angry you get at me in the future, you have to give me another chance, alright? Do it for the sake of my sincerity in decorating this apartment." That was what Christopher had once jokingly told me while holding me in his arms.

However, I'd said seriously, "It depends on what you've done to upset me. I won't forgive you for life if you do or say anything related to what I hate the most."

He'd held me tighter and said confidently, "No way in hell will I do anything related to that. I'll jump into the sea where we made things official to repent for my sins if it happens! Then, you can set me on fire and discard my ashes wherever you want!"

My heart twisted painfully as I thought about the past. Then, I grabbed my phone and made a call. "Yes, I want to sell this apartment. The faster, the better."

I prepared for Mom and I to leave. I booked us flight tickets.

However, Dad's assistant, Michael Smith, found us out. After that, Dad sent bodyguards to watch us day and night. Even on his wedding day, he forced Mom and me to attend.

Everyone was surprised to see us there.

"It's Mr. Gray's wedding day. How can this mother-daughter duo have the nerve to show up here?"

"It goes without saying, doesn't it? They must have shamelessly followed him here."

"Don't tell me a starlet like Cassandra really thinks she can marry above her station."

"Her daughter is one who has no shame, too. She thought she could latch onto the Shaws, but Christopher was only fooling around with her."

"I heard about that, too. In fact, Christopher is also getting married today."

"That's the way it should be. Hannah is the perfect match for him—why would he be interested in an illegitimate daughter?"

The crowd started talking amongst themselves and insulting Mom and me. Their disdainful gazes landed on us. I looked at Mom in concern, but she held my hand gently yet firmly. "Don't worry about me, Rosie.

"Wasting 30 years to see a person's true colors is a steep price to pay, but at least I'm awake now. From now on, we only have to live the way we want."

At that moment, the banquet hall's doors swung open. Lori made her entrance in a lavish wedding gown. She made her way down the aisle, and Dad stood at the end, looking at her tenderly.

Then, their son, Lionel Gray, placed Lori's hand in Dad's. He said, "I'll leave Mom in your hands from now on, Dad. She suffered a lot to raise me, so I hope you can treat her well."

A hint of pride flashed across Dad's face.

He patted Lionel's shoulder and said, "Teaching your own father a lesson, huh? You should worry more about yourself—you need to work hard because you'll need to manage the Gray family's businesses in the future."

Everyone was touched when they saw the happy family of three.

Dad turned to look at Mom and me, but his words were still directed at Lionel.

"Cassandra has spent so many years by my side, so you shouldn't be too rude to her in the future. What's meant to be yours will always be yours—I won't be dumb enough to give other people more than what they deserve."

The guests could sense the warning in his words. Their scornful and accusatory looks landed on Mom and me again.

I held Mom's hand tightly. Just then, my phone pinged. I checked it to see that I'd received a video. In it, Christopher and Hannah looked lovingly into each other's eyes as they said their vows.

Christopher turned to face Hannah's parents. "Mom and Dad, rest assured that I'll take good care of Han in the future. I won't make her sad or let her suffer."

I took a deep breath and stood up.

Then, I said, "You don't have to sound so sarcastic, Mr. Gray. If my mother were the greedy sort, she wouldn't have wasted 30 years of her life on you. I'm not interested in the Gray family fortune, and neither is my mother. You can leave everything to your precious son."

A trace of anger flashed across Dad's face. It seemed he didn't expect me to cause a scene in public.

"How dare you kick up a fuss on such an important day! Get the hell out of here if you don't want to be here, and take your mother with you!"

A group of bodyguards dressed in black surrounded Mom and me. They dragged us out of the banquet hall and stuffed us into the car. Then, they took us back to our villa and locked us up.

Once they left the house, I calmly pulled out my phone and called Mr. Jones. I asked him to divert the bodyguards.

Many years ago, his wife and child had been gravely ill. Mom and I had paid the medical bills for him, saving their lives.

Later, he'd become one of the Gray family's bodyguards to thank us. I wouldn't have expected him to help us like this, though.

A news broadcast on Dad's and Christopher's weddings played on TV. I turned to look at Mom when the grooms kissed their brides.

She would've been upset in the past, but I didn't detect any hint of sorrow in her eyes now.

She smiled calmly at me and picked up her suitcase. "Let's go, Rosie."

I nodded and had the car I'd prepared brought around. I turned to look at the villa one last time—I'd spent over two decades there, after all.

Then, I left without another look back.