I still got up early and prepared breakfast for the family.

At the dining table, Olivia said, "Lily is pregnant with a Spencer heir, Mateo. You should give her that villa you prepared for Phoebe, since it's bad for a pregnant woman to stay in such a humid house. Let Lily stay there for the time being for the sake of the baby."

During our second year of marriage, Mateo had bought a piece of land in the suburbs to build a villa for me. It was supposed to be our private getaway—a home that was supposed to be ours alone.

It had just been renovated not long ago, yet the first person to move in wasn't me.

Mateo tried to reason with me and said, "Lily is expecting. You should let her move in and stay there for a while, Phoebe. Don't worry, the villa will still belong to you once the baby is born."

Feigning consideration, Lily chimed in, "It's alright, Mateo. It doesn't matter where I stay, as I can endure the humidity; I'll only be making my unborn child suffer with me. Besides, Phoebe is your wife."

Her eyes quickly welled up with unshed tears. She brushed them away and continued with a sob, "I'm just so unlucky. If Maverick hadn't passed away so early, I'd have my own home, and I wouldn't be bothering you guys. I'm the one to blame for all of this."

Mateo's guilt surged upon hearing Maverick's name. He grabbed Lily's hand and said solemnly, "I won't let you be mistreated, Lily. I paid for that villa, so I'm the one who gets to decide who lives in it. I'll even let you move in tomorrow! Let's see who dares to stand in your way!"

Lily sniffled. "It's a newly renovated place, so the formaldehyde might be too strong. I'm just worried that the baby will be affected."

"I hadn't thought of that," Mateo muttered, his brow furrowing in frustration.

"Isn't the solution obvious?" Olivia interjected. "Let Phoebe move in and stay there for a few days. Once the formaldehyde has mostly dissipated, Lily can move in safely."

Mateo looked torn, his conscience clearly putting up a faint, final struggle. He, however, folded the moment he met Olivia's unyielding gaze.

I remained silent as they bartered away my safety. It never even crossed their minds whether I would be harmed by the formaldehyde or whether I would suffer once I moved into the newly renovated villa.

Mateo turned to me and said, "You should move into the villa and stay for a few days first, Phoebe. You're not pregnant, so you don't need to worry about the formaldehyde. Lily can move in once the place is aired out."

I tightened my hold on my cutlery and rose from the table. "I'm fine with that. I'll even move out today."

Mateo froze for a moment. "You don't have to be in such a hu—"

"Then thank you, Phoebe," Lily cut him off. "I was so worried that the formaldehyde would harm my baby. It's such a relief to have you there to 'breathe' it all in for me. Once the baby is born, I'll make sure it recognizes you as its godmother."

Olivia beamed, her voice dripping with malice. "You should be thanking Lily instead, Phoebe! After all, if it weren't for her, you'd never have a child in your life! "

I left halfway through the meal and went back to my bedroom to pack. I took only the things that belonged to me, leaving behind every single item that didn't.

Mateo came to see me before I left. He looked rather troubled, saying, "I'm sorry for putting you through this, Phoebe."

I didn't feel aggrieved in the slightest, knowing that my release was finally within reach. I packed my luggage, turned to him with an empty gaze, and said indifferently, "I want a divorce, Mateo."

Mateo froze, his expression shifting rapidly from shock to a simmering rage. "How could you bring up divorce just because I asked you to move out for a while, Phoebe? Have you forgotten why Lily became alone and helpless? I owe her for this!"

I knew he owed her, yet I was the one paying the price for his guilt. I didn't say it out loud, though, since I knew it would all be over soon.

Once I moved out, Lily became even more unrestrained. She insisted that Mateo stay by her side at all times, forbidding him from seeing me.

I didn't mind. Being alone meant fewer things to worry about. It was just that the villa was newly renovated, so the sharp, biting scent of paint gave me a constant migraine.

Mateo unexpectedly appeared as my departure date drew near. He looked at me with a remorseful expression. "I know you've suffered lately, so as an apology, I've booked us a trip to the beach. I want us to have some quality time together, just the two of us, Phoebe."

He had just said that when his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the screen, and the mask of guilt immediately shattered, replaced by a smile of genuine, tender affection. He answered the phone and said, "Got it, Lily. I'll head back this instant."

He had just stepped out of the door when he suddenly recalled our supposed trip. He looked slightly sheepish as he said, "You'll have to go to the beach alone this time since Lily wants to go shopping today. I'll go with you next time, Phoebe."

"Alright," I whispered as the last of my affection for him withered away.

It didn't matter to me at that point, as I knew that there would never be a "next time".

…

Third-Person Point-of-View

It was several days later, and Mateo noticed that Phoebe still hadn't come home. He also realized that she wasn't answering any of his calls. For the first time, a flicker of genuine concern started to gnaw at him.

Olivia was visibly displeased. "How could a grown adult like her forget to return home after having some fun outside? That irresponsible woman could never fulfill the duties of a daughter-in-law. Not that it matters, since she can't even bear a child anyway."

She then turned to Lily, her voice dripping with affection. "You're the most sensible one here for bearing an heir for the Spencer family. You should continue to bear children for us and help the Spencer family thrive in the future, Lily."

Lily giggled and said, "You can rest assured that I'll keep the grandchildren coming year after year for you as long as my body allows it, Olivia."

Mateo remained uneasy. He noticed that none of the messages he sent Phoebe had been replied to, and a sense of foreboding crept into his heart. It wasn't like Phoebe to stay away this long.

He drove to the suburban villa. Once he stepped inside, he found that all of Phoebe's belongings were gone, which he found rather odd. It seemed rather unnecessary for someone to pack so much for a short trip.

Lily followed him in, covering her face with her hand to shield herself from the paint fumes. "Do you think Phoebe is refusing to come home because she's jealous that I'm the one carrying your child, Mateo?"

Mateo, filled with doubt, suddenly spotted the handbag Lily was carrying. He recognized it instantly. It was Phoebe's birthday present from the previous year. She was practically inseparable from that handbag, yet this time, she had pointedly left it behind.

He pointed at the handbag and asked, "Where did you get that? That belongs to Phoebe."

Lily lifted the handbag and looked at it before replying, "Phoebe left a whole wardrobe full of handbags behind when she moved out."

Mateo, for some reason, felt an inexplicable sense of unease rising within him, his doubts intensifying. He took out his phone to call Phoebe again, only to see a news alert in his notifications.

"Flight C200 Crashes with Zero Survivors."

He suddenly felt a sharp pang of dread seize his chest. That was the exact flight Phoebe was supposed to take for her return trip.