When Wendy saw Carter and Kelly, her brows drew together instinctively, and a flicker of deep disgust surfaced in her eyes.

Her voice was cold. "Shaluna is not for sale."

Kelly's brow twitched ever so slightly, her gaze quickly shifting to the woman standing beside Wendy—Sharon.

Compared to Kelly's delicate charm, the kind you'd find in a dainty porcelain figure, Sharon had a quiet grace, a poised elegance. Her face was a perfect oval, her features soft yet defined. Her eyes, limpid and calm, seemed to hold a ripple of water. She looked just like a classical beauty walking straight out of an ancient painting.

The moment Kelly laid eyes on her, something flickered in her gaze.

She walked quickly toward Sharon and stopped in front of her, her expression tinged with a pleading softness.

"Sharon," she said gently, "is this violin your friend's? Could you ask your friend to lend it to me for a little while? Back then, Carter and I met because of the violin. I was practicing in the garden, and he was drawn to my music. That's how he found me… and how we got together. He always loved hearing me play.

"Sharon, I don't know how much time I have left. I don't even know if I can still hold a successful concert. But no matter what, I want to try—just one more time."

Whether intentional or not, Kelly lowered her head slightly, revealing the familiar necklace on her neck.

The overhead lights caught the pendant, scattering soft brilliance.

The gleam stabbed into Sharon's eyes.

Her voice was emotionless. "People die every day in this world. So what—just because someone with a terminal illness appears in front of me, I'm supposed to accommodate them?"

Kelly had clearly never heard such words before. Her eyes reddened instantly, tears pooling, trembling on the edge.

Carter's expression turned cold. "Sharon, it's just a violin. Must you be so aggressive? If you like it that much, I'll buy you another."

Sharon looked at him. "Exactly. It's just a violin. If she wants one, buy her another. Why does it have to be mine?"

Kelly pleaded softly beside them. "Sharon, what would it take for you to let me borrow it? Whatever conditions you have, just name them."

Name her price? As if the bill wouldn't end up on Carter's desk in the end?

Sharon let out a soundless laugh. "Kelly, you seem quite fond of things left behind by my mother. First the necklace, now the violin."

Kelly blinked, confused. "I don't quite understand what you mean."

Watching her feign innocence, Sharon sneered inwardly.

"This violin—Shaluna—was my mother's. And that necklace around your neck, that too was hers."

Kelly's face turned pale. "I'm sorry. I really didn't know it belonged to your mother… Last night, Theo gave me a gift box with the necklace inside. I thought it was a gift from Carter, so I wore it. I didn't realize it was your mother's…"

Sharon gave a light, cool laugh. "Well, now that you do—can you give it back?"

Kelly touched the necklace at her collarbone, bit her lip, and looked up at Carter, eyes shimmering.

"Carter, since Sharon is asking… why not just let her have the necklace? We shouldn't upset her over something so trivial—it's not worth it."

Let her have it?

Not return it—let her have it.

As if even if the necklace was originally her mother's, it wasn't hers to begin with. As if Kelly were magnanimously granting her a favor, not returning what never belonged to her in the first place.

Carter already believed that Sharon's talk of divorce was just a ploy to threaten him. He hadn't liked that. Now, as he heard Kelly's words, his expression grew colder.

"No need," he said. "Since I gave it to you, it's yours."

"But…" Kelly started.

He cut her off. "Once something's given away, there's no reason to take it back."

A trace of emotion stirred on Kelly's face—touched, grateful.

Sharon instinctively curled her fingers into a fist.

Then, as if shaking something off, she smiled faintly.

"Kelly, didn't you want to borrow the violin? Sure. If Mr. Biggs begs me for it, I'll consider it."

Kelly's pupils widened. She looked stunned.

Carter's expression darkened to something almost dangerous.

"Sharon," he said coldly, "that's enough."

Her tone turned mocking. "And here I thought Mr. Biggs would do anything for you, Kelly. But now… seems that isn't quite true."

She had once believed Carter would sacrifice anything for Kelly.

Now she realized: the things he sacrificed were always the ones that didn't matter.

Like her.

Once she understood that, Sharon felt nothing anymore. Not disappointment. Not anger. Just… nothing.

She turned to the shop manager, who'd been frozen at the side.

"If I'm not mistaken," she said, "the authorization for this violin expires today. Please remove it from display—I'm taking it home."

The manager glanced cautiously at Carter.

Sharon raised a brow. "What? As the owner, do I not even have the right to take my own violin?"

"N-no, of course not," the manager stammered. "I'll arrange the paperwork right away."

Once the handover was complete, Sharon took the violin and walked out without looking back. She didn't spare Carter or Kelly so much as a glance.

Carter's brows knit tightly as he watched her leave.

Kelly lowered her head slightly, voice tinged with guilt. "It must be because you forgot her birthday yesterday. That's why she's angry… It's my fault, I've been a burden."

"It has nothing to do with you," Carter replied, voice flat as he looked away. "Go ahead and prepare for the concert. I'll have someone send the Shaluna to you later."

A bright smile spread across Kelly's face. "Okay."

…

That night, Carter returned home on time for once.

But Sharon wasn't around to greet him with a warm meal like she always did.

When dinner time came around, Theo came downstairs as usual. But the dining room was empty, the table bare.

He looked puzzled. "Daddy, didn't Mommy cook dinner today?"

Sharon had always been the perfect wife and mother. She never argued, never made a fuss. She played her role flawlessly.

Carter had never loved her, but overall, he'd been quite satisfied.

Especially with Theo's weak stomach and picky eating habits—Sharon never left meals to the staff. She always cooked everything herself, including dinner and late-night snacks.

Thinking of what had happened during the day, Carter pressed his lips into a line, his face darkening slightly.

If this was her way of retaliating, of throwing a tantrum, then she was overestimating herself.

"Don't worry about her," he said coolly. "Let's go eat out."

Theo clapped happily. "Yay! Can Kelly come along too? I want cotton candy again!"

"Cotton candy?" Carter blinked. "Didn't your mom say you can't eat it because you're lactose intolerant?"

Theo curled his lip. "My lactose intolerance is much better now. The doctor said it's fine if I eat a little now and then. But Mom always wants to control me—make me do what she says."

That word—control—coming from a five-year-old's mouth, felt too heavy, too strange.

Carter was just about to respond when his phone rang.

He answered, and Kelly's voice came through from the other end.

"Carter, are you home now?"

"Yes."

"Sharon hasn't come back yet, has she?"

He paused for a moment. "Why?"

"I think I just saw her…" Kelly's voice hesitated. "She was having dinner with a young man. They seemed… close."

She fell silent for a beat, then carefully asked, "Is it because of what happened earlier today? Did something upset her again? Carter, maybe you should explain things to her properly."

A chill slipped into Carter's eyes.

Sharon didn't come home to cook—because she was out on a date?

His voice turned colder without him realizing it. "Where is she?"

Kelly gave him an address.

"I got it," he said, and hung up.

…

In the restaurant, John Westin looked at Sharon steadily.

"Have you really made up your mind?"

She nodded. "Shaluna was something my mother custom made just for me… and I gave it up for my family, for five whole years."

Her voice trailed off as she let out a quiet sigh. A hint of wistfulness flickered across her face.

"And now?" John's voice was low. "If you return, you'll have to perform regularly. It'll be exhausting. You won't have much time left—for your husband, for your son."

"Theo's health is fine now." A trace of irony flashed in her eyes. "Besides, he doesn't need me anymore."

"And what about Carter?" John asked. "Will he agree?"

At the mention of Carter, her gaze turned icy.

"I don't need his permission. This is my life."

John looked at her for a long moment. "But he won't allow you to be around me."

"I don't need his approval."

Her voice was steady, but guilt surfaced on her face as she recalled how she'd once distanced herself from John—just because of something Carter had said.

"John," she murmured, "I'm sorry."

But John shook his head. "Sharon, you don't need to apologize to me. It's me who should be sorry. I promised your mother I'd protect you. But I didn't have the strength to keep that promise. I let you suffer so much."

John was her senior. The two had studied violin together under her mother since childhood. Now, John was one of the most celebrated violinists in the field.

His striking features and melancholic temperament had propelled him beyond the classical music world, turning him into a heartthrob with fan followings rivaling top-tier celebrities.

Fame, fortune—he had it all. But he still couldn't compare to someone like Carter, a man with real capital behind him.

"It's not your fault," Sharon said softly. "It's mine—"

She didn't get to finish.

A soft voice cut in from behind. "Sharon, what a surprise to see you here."

Sharon turned to see Kelly, dressed in a pristine white dress.

Running into someone she disliked—twice in one day—what rotten luck.

Her voice turned cold. "What's it to you?"

Kelly smiled sweetly. "Don't be upset, Sharon. I just found it strange—Carter rarely goes home, and yet you're not there cooking dinner?"

Her tone was light, face gentle—an image of innocence and grace.

By contrast, Sharon suddenly seemed sharp, callous, and unkind.

But Sharon could hear the taunt beneath Kelly's gentle voice.

She lifted her eyes—and saw the flicker of smugness in Kelly's gaze that hadn't quite been tucked away.

She shot back, "And why is it rare for Carter to go home? Isn't it because his time is all taken up by you, Kelly? Are you really that clueless, or just pretending to be?"

Shock spread across Kelly's face. She grabbed Sharon's hand, anxious to explain.

"Sharon, wait, I didn't mean it like that—"

Before she could finish, Sharon yanked her hand away. "If you're not pretending, then you really don't know your place. And women with no self-awareness? They're very annoying."

"Ah!" Suddenly, Kelly let out a shriek and stumbled backward.

Before Sharon could even react, a tall figure caught her just in time.

"Kelly, are you okay?"

Kelly's face had gone pale. When she looked up and saw who it was, her eyes immediately brimmed with tears, as if she had suffered some great injustice.

"Carter… I'm fine. Sharon didn't mean to. Please don't be mad at her, okay?"

Carter's gaze flicked, finally locking on Sharon nearby.

His brows drew together, voice low and cold.

"Sharon, apologize to Kelly."

It wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

In the past, Sharon would've hurried to explain. "It wasn't me," "Please hear me out," "I didn't do it," "Can't you believe me?"

But Carter never took her side. He always made her apologize to Kelly.

If she refused, he'd punish her with silence.

He wouldn't answer her calls. Wouldn't reply to her messages.

He would treat her like air—not a single word, not even a glance.

Later, even Theo joined in the silent treatment.

In the end, she had no choice but to lower her head and give in.

The memory made her laugh bitterly.

"Why should I listen to you? Who do you think you are?"

Carter froze for a second, wondering if he'd misheard her.

"What did you say?"

Sharon met his gaze, calm and cold. "When I cared about you, everything you said mattered. But now? Tell me—what are you to me?"

He finally understood what she meant.

In all the time he'd known her, she had never spoken to him like this.

She had always been gentle. Always considerate.

She'd leave the lights on when he worked late.

She'd make him midnight snacks when he stayed in his study for hours.

She'd bring him tea to sober up when he came home drunk.

Even after Kelly reappeared and Sharon changed, she'd never defied him so directly.

So why now… why did his chest feel so tight?

And then, a young voice cut through the tension.

"Mommy, you taught me that when someone does something wrong, they should apologize. So… now that you've done something wrong, shouldn't you say sorry to Kelly?"

Sharon turned her head and saw Theo standing behind Carter. Though he was speaking to her, his gaze remained fixed on Kelly, worry written plainly across his face.

Since forever, even the slightest sign of trouble from Kelly would send both Carter and Theo into a frenzy of concern.

There was a time when the four of them went to a park together. No one could tell if it was a heatstroke or some sudden onset of illness, but Kelly suddenly looked as if she were about to collapse. Both Carter and Theo rushed toward her at once.

In his panic, Carter even pushed Sharon to the ground. And yet, no one noticed.

The cruelest part? Later, when Carter saw her injured and bandaged hand, he actually asked her how she'd gotten hurt.

The memory shattered as Kelly's fragile voice broke into her thoughts. "Theo, I just lost my balance. It had nothing to do with your mother."

Kelly shook her head at Theo, tears sliding down her cheeks in pitiful silence. "It's my body… it's just too weak…"

Theo pouted, lips pushing forward. "But I saw it. I saw Mommy push you."

He turned to Sharon then, his little face serious. "Mommy, you always told me that when someone makes a mistake, they should admit it and fix it. You're a grown-up… you wouldn't go back on your word, would you?"

Sharon had put everything into caring for Theo's health. But when it came to his studies, she had hardly needed to lift a finger.

At only five years old, Theo was already fluent in three languages and possessed an extraordinary gift for speech. More than once, he had left grown adults speechless.

Carter's mother often said the boy's brilliance reminded her of Carter when he was young.

And now, this little boy was using that sharp mind… against her, for Kelly's sake.

As his mother, as an adult, she knew she had to set the right example. If she couldn't live by her own words, how could she ask a child to?

Sharon looked at her husband and son, both standing beside Kelly. In that moment, she felt that they looked more like a family than she ever had with them.

She had long since stopped hoping for anything from this father and son, but still, Theo's words pricked at her heart.

Lowering her gaze to meet his eyes, Sharon said softly, "You're right. I did tell you that if we do something wrong, we should apologize. But—"

She paused, her voice calm and deliberate.

"I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I apologize?"

In the past, she would've yielded. She always did when it came to Theo.

But today, she didn't.

Theo spoke without thinking, "But I saw you push Kelly."

Sharon didn't argue. Instead, she smiled faintly.

"Just because I pushed her… does that mean I was wrong?"

"But Mom, you said hitting people is wrong…"

Her tone was light, even serene. "And I also told you that we shouldn't bully others. But that doesn't mean we should let others bully us. If someone keeps crossing the line, then—you shouldn't hold back."

For all his cleverness, Theo was still only five. He hadn't expected her to say something like that. For a moment, he was stunned into silence.

Just then, John's voice came from the side. "Theo, that's not how you speak to your mother."

Both Carter and Theo turned toward the sound, surprised. As if they had only now noticed John standing nearby.

Theo blinked. "Mr. Westin?"

Carter's expression darkened. "Why are you here?"

John — Sharon's childhood friend and senior schoolmate — was someone Carter had met many times. He'd heard about him from Sharon, too.

She once told him that John had grown up without parents, raised by his grandparents.

By middle school, he had lost even them, and was left completely alone in the world.

It was around that time Sharon's mother discovered his musical talent and took him under her wing.

But John had been a withdrawn, melancholy child who ignored everyone around him. It took Sharon three years to get through to him, for him to accept her as a friend and fellow student.

And yet, for reasons Carter couldn't explain, he'd disliked this man from the very first moment they met.

"You can meet your ex-girlfriend, but it's strange that Sharon has a meal with someone who's like family to her?"

John's tone was flat, but every word carried weight, each one slicing through the pretense like a blade.

He stripped away Carter and Kelly's carefully constructed facade with chilling precision.

Carter's eyes darkened, and his face hardened. "Sharon, come home with me."

She answered without emotion, "No. I'm still eating with John."

His voice grew cold, laced with threat. "Sharon, I'll say it one last time. Come home with me."

She knew this tone well — it meant he was furious. If she didn't yield now, it wouldn't end with a simple fight.

He would take action. He always did.

She could never forget that night, when thunder rolled through the sky and rain soaked her from head to toe. She had knelt at his feet, soaked and shivering, begging him with tears streaming down her face to return Theo to her.

He had looked down at her, cold and arrogant, and asked, "Do you admit your mistake?"

The sound of her tears had echoed against the ground like rain, and in the end, she could only agree to apologize for Kelly's fall into the water.

He always had a way of forcing her hand.

The thought made Sharon smile.

Then, calmly, she said, "No."

Carter's eyes turned icy, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Sharon, think carefully about the consequences."

She met his gaze without fear.

"Mr. Biggs, whatever tricks you've got, go ahead and use them."

Her only weakness had ever been Theo. But now, she didn't even want him anymore. Carter had nothing left to threaten her with.

Turning to John, she said, "John, the vibes here aren't great. Let's find another place to eat."

He paused for a beat, then nodded. "Alright."

Without sparing the three behind her another glance, Sharon picked up her bag and prepared to leave.

Behind her, Theo called out stubbornly, "Mommy, are you really not going to apologize to Kelly?"

She paused, just for a second — then walked away without looking back.

Carter stood where he was, watching her retreating figure. His gaze grew colder and darker by the second.

Beside him, Theo stared after her too, a flicker of confusion crossing his delicate little face.

Something about his Mommy felt different.

Noticing both of their gazes locked on Sharon, Kelly's eyes gleamed with something sharp and cold. Then, all at once, she let out a weak gasp. "Ah…"

In an instant, both Carter and Theo snapped their attention back to her.

Kelly's face was pale. Her body swayed unsteadily, as if she might collapse at any moment.

Carter's expression shifted, and without hesitation, he swept her up into his arms.