The memory made my whole body tremble.

It wasn't until Jacob handed me a tissue that I realized my face was already wet with tears.

I had thought I had let it all go, but reliving those moments still brought the same ache, and the tears came whether I wanted them to or not.

Back at the lab, I organized my report. The divorce was nearly finalized. Once I completed one last task, I would be ready to say goodbye to this city for good.

My grandfather had loved painting in oils. Before he passed away, he had lent his proudest work to the local art museum for exhibition. Now, I was going to reclaim my grandfather's only keepsake.

However, I hadn't expected to run into Chloe on my way back.

She blinked those big, innocent eyes. "Oh, it's you, Aunt Sarah. Uncle Lucian went to buy me milk tea and told me to wait right here."

I ignored her and tried to walk around, holding the painting tightly, but she stepped in front of me and snatched it out of my hands.

For a girl her size, she was shockingly strong.

"What's this? Let me see." Chloe tugged the canvas from its case.

Alarm bells rang in my head. I didn't dare grab for it outright. Pulling it too hard might tear it in half.

"Give it back," I snapped, glaring hard at her.

Chloe only smiled, then suddenly pointed behind me and shouted, "Uncle Lucian! Come help me!"

The second I glanced back, she pulled out a marker and drew a large, bright red scribble right across the center of the painting.

White-hot fury flashed through me, and I snatched the canvas from her hands.

She instantly dropped to the ground in an exaggerated fall, crying dramatically. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Please don't push me!"

Lucian came running at the sound, his voice sharp and accusatory. "Sarah, why did you push Chloe?"

Then, he saw the painting in my hands and the look on my pale face. It didn't take him long to piece it together. "Your grandfather's painting is ruined?"

His anger seemed to freeze solid. After a moment, he said slowly, "How much? I'll pay you back."

"No need," I said calmly, slipping the canvas back into its case.

I didn't yell or make a scene. I was so calm, even I could barely believe it. All I wanted now was to leave as quickly as possible.

For reasons I couldn't guess, Lucian, who usually avoided me, actually followed me and caught my hand. "Sarah, what's going on with you?"

Even though he was trying to keep his voice level, I still heard a faint thread of unease in it.

I didn't look back. I pulled my hand free and headed straight toward the subway station.

"Chloe's just a girl from the countryside. She hasn't seen much. I'm sure she didn't mean it," he said, still trailing after me. "I have a friend who does restoration work. Give me a week and I'll get you one exactly the same."

He kept talking, following me down the stairs.

Maybe I really had let it go. The bitterness and resentment that used to gnaw at me had gone still, like dead water that no longer rippled.

Soon, the subway arrived.

"It's fine. Don't bother," I said.

There wasn't even a week left anyway.

Those were my last words before I stepped through the subway doors.

Lucian reached out to grab me, but he was too late. Through the glass as the train pulled away, I thought I saw panic flicker in his eyes.

Maybe it was just my reflection. Or maybe I was imagining it.

Two days later, I got a call from Lucian.

He stayed silent for so long that I thought he had dialed the wrong number and was about to hang up when he finally spoke. "Tomorrow is Ryan's birthday."

I was stunned.

In the past, I had handled every detail of his birthdays—baking the cake, buying gifts, decorating the house—all for the joy of seeing his surprise.

But this year, I had forgotten entirely.

"Oh," I replied indifferently.

The air between us instantly turned cold again.

"Come home for dinner. Ryan misses you," Lucian said, his voice rough. Then, he added, "Chloe will be at her tutoring class tonight, so it'll just be us. And... I'll cook."

After some hesitation, I answered, "Alright."

Maybe it would be the last birthday I'd spend with Ryan. He might not like me anymore, but I had carried him for nine months and brought him into this world. This could be my final act of motherhood.

That evening, when I opened the door, Ryan ran up just like he always had on his birthdays, holding out his hands for a gift.

I handed him the toy car I'd picked out. He lit up, clearly wanting to hug me, but I let the moment pass, leaving his little arms suspended awkwardly in the air.

Lucian emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron, setting the dishes on the table.

For a moment, my nose stung.

During dinner, Lucian placed some of my favorite braised beef onto my plate.

Ryan asked me to help him light the candles. As he closed his eyes to make a wish, Lucian reached over and took my hand. "Sarah, Chloe is just an outsider. You're my wife."

Moisture clouded my eyes. While Ryan blew out the candles, I quickly wiped away the tears.

For a brief while, the warmth almost made me forget Chloe even existed.

But near the end of the meal, Lucian finally said, "You should keep your distance from Jacob."

I looked up, puzzled.

"I heard your parents' old project is being restarted. Jacob's name is on the research team. You didn't know? He's using you to get information about your parents' work."

"He wouldn't do that," I replied.

Lucian's temper flared. "Sarah, who's your husband here? Is there something going on between you and him..."

"That's enough!" I slammed my hand on the table. "Do you think everyone is as filthy as you?"

"Watch your mouth!" he snapped back, his voice rising.

The fragile warmth of the evening shattered instantly.

Ryan burst into tears. "Mommy, Daddy, please don't fight!"

Breathing hard, Lucian waved a hand. "Forget it. We're going to Feanland with Chloe tomorrow. We'll talk when I get back. But remember, don't get involved in any research with Jacob, or you're not coming back here."

The dinner ended in tense silence.

When I returned to my apartment, I saw a text from Jacob. "The flight's at 8:00 am tomorrow. Shall we go together?"

I simply replied, "Okay."

The next day, I grabbed my suitcase and headed to the airport.

As the plane climbed into the clouds, the city I had lived in for eight years slowly disappeared from view.

It was the day I entered the classified research facility, and the director, Jonathan Hanson, told us we could make one last phone call home.

Around me, colleagues pulled out their phones, saying their goodbyes to family.

I figured that since we had once been husband and wife, I should at least say a parting word, so I dialed Lucian's number.

But the voice that came through wasn't Lucian's—it was Chloe's bright and cheerful voice. "Hi, Aunt Sarah. Do you need something?"

I frowned. "Where's Lucian?"

In a sweet tone, she said, "Uncle Lucian's taking us on the Ferris wheel right now, so he can't answer your call."

I pressed my lips together, not saying anything.

She seemed to sense my silence and mistook it for irritation, because her voice grew even more smug. "So, this is where you got married, huh? It's so pretty. Uncle Lucian promised to bring me to see the fireworks here in Feanland. He said these were your favorites. Such a shame you can't see them."

I drew in a deep breath and said evenly, "That's fine."

Then, I hung up, almost laughing at how I'd managed to make a fool of myself again.

I removed the SIM card from my phone and tossed it into the trash. There was no going back now.

…

In Feanland, Lucian lasted only a week before growing restless.

Revisiting the place felt emptier than he'd expected. Seven days felt like a year.

Ryan tugged at his sleeve, his eyes wet. "Daddy, I kind of miss Mommy."

Lucian frowned, realizing that the tight, suffocating weight in his chest was because he missed me.

He picked Ryan up and asked gently, "How about we go home and find your mommy?"

From the couch, Chloe pouted, still playing with her Barbie doll. "But we agreed to stay a whole month. Why go back after just one week?"

Lucian's face showed hesitation. Then, Ryan burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. "No! I want Mommy! I want her now!"

Ryan's tantrums could outmatch Chloe's any day.

Driven by instinct, Lucian made up his mind. "We're going back tonight."

They began packing immediately, picturing me waiting at the airport with a smile when they landed.

But when they returned home, I was nowhere to be found.

Lucian had the housekeeper bring in the luggage, then tried to sound casual. "Has Sarah come back yet?"

The housekeeper shook her head. "Not yet."

Lucian was about to ask more, but Chloe grabbed his hand and said sweetly, "Sarah's an adult. She can't just get lost. Come on, let's do the puzzle we bought in Feanland together."

Hearing her call me by my name made his already sour mood worse. He shook her off and headed upstairs.

Chloe stumbled back a few steps, almost falling, then began crying pitifully. "Uncle Lucian, did I say something wrong? Are you really going to treat me like this over an outsider?"

Lucian stopped in his tracks.

Chloe thought he would turn back to comfort her, but instead, he looked over his shoulder and said coldly, "Who exactly are you calling an outsider? You'd better remember your place."

He had never spoken to her like that before.

Chloe's face went pale, and she sank to the floor.

Lucian ignored her. Thinking back, he realized it had been his parents' dying wish that had made him care for Chloe.

In all that time, I had treated her with unconditional kindness, caring for her as if she were my own child. Yet, Chloe showed no gratitude. Now, she even called me an outsider.

As Lucian's wife, I had endured years of being pushed aside for Chloe.

The thought left Lucian with a heavy, guilty ache in his chest.

When he opened the door to my room, he found it empty. My belongings were gone.

He remembered seeing me reclaim my grandfather's oil painting, and a strange wave of fear washed over him.

Agitated, he pulled out his phone. After hesitating for a moment, he dialed my number.

But no matter how many times he tried, it came up as disconnected. Even the messages he sent got no reply.

Lucian's hands trembled. Something had slipped completely out of his control, and everything was falling apart.

Out of options, Lucian called Jonathan.

When Lucian asked when I'd be back, Jonathan sounded genuinely surprised. "What? She didn't tell you? Once she takes an assignment like that, she's not coming back."

Lucian's grip faltered, and the phone slipped from his hand, clattering to the floor.

His mind went blank. The voice on the other end called his name several times before he finally managed to respond. "What do you mean? What assignment?"

"She's been sent overseas for a closed research project. Didn't Sarah tell you about it?"