My six-year-old daughter, Avalynn Baldwin, couldn't eat spicy food due to a stomach condition. But on her birthday, my husband's first love, Megan Ellsworth, deliberately brought over a pot of Chili con Carne.

They claimed they wanted to "fix" Avalynn's picky eating habits and forced her to eat the chili laced with capsicum oleoresin.

Avalynn immediately felt unwell, but they insisted she was just putting on an act and went out shopping.

By the time I got home, Avalynn was barely clinging to life.

"Mommy, I'm so happy... Daddy finally spent my birthday with me..."

It wasn't until Avalynn passed away in my arms that I got a call from my husband, Crowley Baldwin.

"Tell your picky, lying daughter to apologize to Megan right now! She pretended to be sick and ruined Megan's day. I'm going to make her eat ten packets of chili at every meal as punishment!"

Tears streamed down my face. I said nothing. Deep inside, I swore I would make those who killed Avalynn pay!

——

After handling Avalynn's funeral, I brought her ashes back home.

As I passed by a print shop, I went in and printed out a divorce agreement.

I stumbled back home, but Avalynn didn't come running up to me with her usual bright smile.

That was when it really hit me. I realized that my little Avalynn was truly gone.

I cried for an entire day and night.

It wasn't until the cake on the table had melted that Crowley finally showed up.

"Where did that little brat go? Is she playing dead again? Megan was kind enough to cook for her, and she was still so picky, almost pushing Megan into a depression! You better take her to apologize to Megan!"

I thought, "You still don't know, do you? Avalynn is really gone now.

She's gone from me... forever."

Crowley tossed a bag of leftovers onto the table.

"See how kind Megan is? She worried you two might be hungry and insisted I bring this food back for you."

I glanced at the food he had brought back.

All of it was blazingly spicy.

When I opened it, the chili fumes made me cough uncontrollably.

I covered my mouth and nose and pulled out the divorce agreement.

"Crowley, let's get a divorce."

Crowley stared at me for a few seconds, then furiously flipped the table over.

Hot chili oil splattered all over me, burning my skin.

"What makes you think you have the right to ask for a divorce? I haven't even held you accountable for turning Avalynn into such a liar. Now she is just like you!"

His cruel words cut deep into my heart.

Tears welled up as I looked at Crowley.

"What's wrong with Avalynn not liking spicy food? Don't you know she had a stomach problem? Just to please Megan, you forced her to eat all that chili. Do you have any idea that she'd already..."

"Enough!" Crowley cut me off impatiently.

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Avalynn was already spoiled by you. How could a kid have a stomach problem? A bit of chili wouldn't have killed her, but if Megan's depression flares up, she might just end her own life."

My heart ached so badly it felt like I couldn't breathe.

All Avalynn ever wanted was for Crowley to share a meal with her.

But Crowley was always too busy with work or with catering to Megan's fake depression.

He was hardly ever home.

Whenever he was home, I'd make sure to prepare all his favorite dishes.

I respected his preferences. But as a father, he didn't even know Avalynn couldn't eat spicy food because of her condition!

Maybe he knew, but he just didn't care.

"If you care so much about that mistress, why not just divorce me? You could stay with her all day and wouldn't have to juggle both sides."

"Jealous shrew!"

At my words, calling Megan a mistress, Crowley nearly raised a hand against me.

He glared at me with disgust.

"I don't have time for your nonsense. Think carefully. Without me, would you have this happy life? Fine, divorce it is, but don't even think about getting the house, the savings, or Avalynn. No man would take in an old, divorced woman like you!"

I never cared about the money. All I ever cared about was Avalynn and Crowley.

But now, Avalynn was gone.

And Crowley was no longer worth holding onto.

There was nothing left in this home for me to cherish.

Seeing that I wasn't responding, Crowley angrily kicked the food containers scattered on the floor, grabbed his coat, and stormed out without looking back.

He knew I loved him deeply, which is why he always hurt me so recklessly.

Every time we fought, I would always swallow my pride, apologize, and beg for his forgiveness.

But not this time.

I picked up the divorce papers stained with greasy food and signed my name.

After that, I held Avalynn's ashes and left that house for good.

As I was sitting in the car, my hands were trembling badly. I quickly rummaged through my bag and swallowed a fluoxetine pill.

I had been secretly in love with Crowley for four years. The day I married him, I was diagnosed with mild depression.

I traded this marriage with the lives of my entire family.

Years ago, a severe traffic accident happened in the city. Crowley was seriously injured and rushed to the hospital.

As a surgeon, the department chief had initially assigned me to save the patient in the next room.

But I was so worried about Crowley that I volunteered to perform surgery on him instead.

The operation was a great success, and Crowley survived.

However, the patient in the next room lost their life because of the delay in treatment.

The patient in that room was my father.

My mother was devastated. She stormed into the Baldwin Villa, demanding compensation from the Baldwin family.

In the end, under pressure from the elders, Crowley reluctantly married me as compensation.

My mother passed away the night before my wedding, her gaze fixed on me in her final moments.

"Don't forget, this marriage was bought with your father's and my lives..."

My mother harbored both hatred and love for me. Even in her last breath, she was thinking of giving me a good future.

Everyone envied me for marrying into a wealthy family.

The Baldwin family's servants gossiped behind my back, saying I'd stop at nothing to marry into money.

I knew that no matter what choice I made that day, it would've been wrong.

I couldn't just stand by and watch Crowley die in front of me, but I also couldn't accept my parents sacrificing their lives for my sake.

If I could, I'd gladly trade my own life to bring them back.

I was consumed by guilt and self-blame.

I hated myself.

I couldn't take the pressure of using the scalpel again and could only stay by Crowley's side, being his wife.

We never had a wedding ceremony.

On the day we got married, Crowley spent the entire night smoking in front of Megan's photograph.

The way he looked at me was filled with contempt and loathing.

"Don't forget, this marriage was bought with lives. You've caused Megan to fall into depression and leave the country. I'll make sure you never have a happy day!"

I thought he was just angry in the heat of the moment.

I believed that if I treated him well enough, he would eventually accept me.

So, I made Crowley my everything.

I managed the household for him, and I gave him a sweet, adorable daughter.

But Avalynn's arrival didn't bring Crowley any joy. He even left me while I was in difficult labor.

It was because Megan had come back.

From then on, his heart was always with Megan.

Megan stole my depression diagnosis report and used it to bind Crowley tightly to her.

All I could do was wait at home with Avalynn for him to return.

My daughter grew up gradually, only to end up dying at home.

After Avalynn's death, every single family member connected to me by blood had died because of Crowley.

Apart from this nominal marriage, I had nothing left.

And now, I didn't want this marriage either.