When I first met Hallie, she wasn’t yet known as a legendary genius.

She was just seen by the neighbors as a troublesome child with a quiet and strange personality.

No friends and no family. Her parents didn’t like her simply because she was a girl.

After their divorce, they passed her around like an unwanted burden.

Nashville’s winter was freezing cold.

Wearing only a thin undershirt, Hallie trembled in the stairwell. Feeling sorry for her, I brought her home.

While her father was playing games, he happened to notice her incredible skill in math.

From that moment, Hallie’s life completely changed.

At ten years old, she won the International Mathematical Olympiad and by fourteen, she entered Phoenix University without needing to take the entrance exam.

At sixteen, her published work gained global attention, earning her many awards.

The parents who once didn’t want her now fought over her custody, but she knelt before my father and bowed three times.

"I know in my heart who truly cares for me and who really loves me."

"From now on, you and Calla are my real parents."

"I’ll take good care of you and Byron."

After that day, Hallie kept pushing forward, never once thinking of leaving me.

When I was being recommended for university admission, she asked the school to lower the required score for me.

When I decided to stay and teach at the university, she requested a position through her student connection.

I often worried that I couldn’t keep up with Hallie, but she looked at me and said, "When I was eight, my parents divorced and neither wanted me."

"I sat alone in the stairwell from sunset to sunrise and you were the one who took me home."

"From that moment, I promised myself that I would never leave you."

"Byron, without you, there wouldn’t be who I am today. No matter how far I go, I will never leave you behind."

That’s the kind of person she was, unbelievably stubborn. Once she decided on something, she would hold onto it tightly.

Even when doing research projects, chasing after me and even when she cheated on me.

“Cheated?”

Hearing that, Cooper’s eyes went wide in shock.

“You two grew up together, childhood sweethearts, such a close bond and she still cheated?”

“Who’s the other man? A second-generation heir? A good-looking guy?”

“Or one of those scheming flirts from TV shows who love stirring trouble?”

Neither of those.

Hallie’s affair partner was a dark-skinned, skinny, plain-looking flower farmer. By that time, Hallie had already reached great success in her career.

She no longer chased after money or fame. She began putting more of her time into personal interests.

She didn’t care for stocks or investments, didn’t care for beauty or fashion.

But one day, she suddenly became interested in flowers. Imported, cheap, ordinary, rare, she liked them all, bringing every kind to her small garden.

Among all of them, her favorite was the iris I once gave her for her birthday.

"It was this flower that made me fall in love with flowers from all over the world."

"Such a simple seed, with a little human care, can grow into something so beautiful."

"The whole process amazes me."

She said she loved flowers, but what she loved even more was watching them bloom.

In that small world of hers, she was like the ruler of everything.

Flowers opened and faded, died and grew again. It all depended on her.

What Hallie said, I couldn’t really understand. To me, a flower was just a flower; it bloomed when it wanted and faded when it was time.

Why worry too much?

Lifting his head while moving the flowers, Harrison suddenly spoke. “Professor Walker is right, I feel the same way.”

“How well the flowers grow depends completely on how much care the grower puts in.”

“Look at this iris, it’s thriving because I’ve taken good care of it.”

That autumn, when the irises were in full bloom, the two of them met.

Because of the flowers. And also because of me.

After that, Hallie started ordering flowers from Harrison often. Roses, magnolias, lilacs.

Soon, our villa looked almost like a rooftop garden.

Their connection grew stronger and deeper.

Then one day, Hallie suddenly said she wanted to sponsor Harrison’s education.

“He’s just a young man, smart and hardworking. It would be a shame to waste his talent.”

Harrison nervously rubbed the rough calluses on his palms.

On his dark face, a worried yet eager smile appeared. “Byron, I’ll study hard.”

“My grades are good. My mom got into a car accident, so I had to quit school to take care of my family.”

“As long as you give me a chance, I won’t let you down!”

His young face already showed tiredness and lines beyond his years. When I looked into those honest eyes, I remembered something.

At eight years old, Hallie had sat on the stairs, lost and helpless.

My heart softened again.

For a long time, I treated Harrison like my own little brother. I bought him clothes and tutored him.

I taught him how to live and how to behave.

He always called me “brother,” saying I was the best person he’d ever met. If ever he had the chance, he would repay me.

And he really did.

He was accepted into the same school where Hallie and I worked.

On the night he got his acceptance letter, he climbed into Hallie’s bed.

That day, I had gone home early on purpose, wanting to make a special dinner to celebrate.

When I got home, what I saw was…

The two of them, messy and hugging. Their bodies were pressed together.

Right then, I completely lost control.

I threw the cake at them.

I broke every flower and plant in the house.

Hallie stood in front of Harrison, coldly watching me. “Byron, if you’re done, close the door.”

“You’re shameless, but Harrison isn’t.”

Between me and Harrison, she chose him without any hesitation.

I couldn’t take it anymore and forced Hallie to give me an answer.

She frowned at me. “Byron, you’re still my husband. As long as you don’t act out, Harrison will never replace you.”

Harrison then dropped to his knees in front of me with a thud.

“Byron, I know I’ve done wrong, but Hallie and I truly love each other.”

“We’re soulmates, the two people who understand each other the most in this world.”

“Please don’t worry, I’ll never forget your kindness.”

“I don’t care about titles or status and I won’t fight you for anything. Just let me stay by Hallie's side!”

That year, I was only in my early twenties.

At that age, being young and hot-headed, I couldn’t stand even a small insult.

I wrote a complaint letter to the school.

I wanted to reveal the dirty and improper relationship between the two of them, but reality quickly gave me a harsh lesson.

The school would never expel Hallie, their strongest professor.

Instead, to calm her down, they gave me a warning and a punishment.

Hallie even made a public statement, asking the other professors to take good care of Harrison.

“This is my student. He’s smart, hardworking and serious.”

“For my sake, I hope you’ll all go easy on him.”

“He used to be a flower farmer; he’s suffered a lot to get here.”

“Harrison may not be the best or the brightest, but in my eyes, he’s the most precious one, my biggest pride.”

Hallie even openly admitted that Harrison’s entry into this top university was all thanks to her help behind the scenes.

She knew it wasn’t right, but she didn’t care.

All she wanted was for Harrison to have a good future.

And me? What about me? What am I? A joke?

At home, I hid away, crying night after night.

As I turned over in bed, all I could see were the cruel and mocking faces of the people around me.

Meanwhile, Hallie kept taking care of her irises.

“Byron, don't you understand?"

“Your work, your name, your place, all of it comes from me.”

“Without me, you’re nothing.”

“I already told you, Harrison won’t threaten your place. Can’t you be calm and just live quietly with me?”

No.

I couldn’t stand the thought of my wife, the woman I lived with every day.

She kept thinking about another man. I wasn’t some plaything that Hallie supported.

My love and self-respect were never for sale, not even for fame or fortune.

I began shouting and yelling, losing control completely.

Driven by anger, I took wild revenge on that disgusting pair.

When Hallie gave a speech, I switched her slides with explicit photos of her and Harrison.

While they were being interviewed, I suddenly rushed in to expose their dirty affair.

I wrote many letters of complaint and recorded many videos, but what I got back was only a diagnosis of mental illness.

Hallie was far too smart.

She pushed me to the edge, then used the video of my breakdown as proof against me.

Her mind, her influence and how well she knew me, all of it made it easy for her to destroy me completely.

In the end, I was expelled, fired and stripped of my degree.

Hallie was the one who sent me to the mental hospital.

I spoke calmly, but Cooper’s eyes were already red.

He started crying and asked, “And then?”

After that, Hallie got pregnant. It didn’t matter if the baby was mine or not.

What really mattered was that she needed someone respectable to be the father of the child she carried.

Because of that, Hallie took me back.

She held my hand and said, “Byron, I did make mistakes, but you shouldn’t have acted so rashly.”

“Your Dad and Mom have aged overnight because of you and now people whisper and gossip about them whenever they go out.”

“You’re not young anymore; please, stop being so stubborn.”

Then, she placed my hand on her lower stomach.

Half begging, half warning. “Think about this baby. Think about your parents.”

Tears rolled down into my palm.

That time, I gave in. After everything that happened, my heart was deeply hurt and all my strength was gone.

Each day, I wandered like a walking corpse, spending my time in that flower-filled house, lost in thought.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Hallie came home to keep me company, taking her unborn child with me to early education classes.

Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays were different; those were the days she spent with Harrison, enjoying their sweet and passionate romance.

Even with her stomach issues, she still followed Harrison to every trendy and new restaurant.

Milk tea, coffee, barbecue and ice cream.

Whatever Harrison liked, Hallie accepted without a second thought.

This same woman once thought wasting even ten minutes of her life was shameful.