Xena Xander returned to the past and found herself back in 1989.

That year, she was thirty. Her husband, Julian Zane, was thirty-five. He had just become the youngest academician at the National Academy of Sciences. He was a national talent, and his future looked exceptionally promising.

They had a pair of ten-year-old twins.

Everyone said she was lucky. She was so lucky to have a good husband and sweet children.

But the first thing she did after returning to the past was consult a lawyer and prepare two divorce agreements.

She called Julian’s office. When the assistant realized it was her, the response was brief. “Xena, Professor Zane is busy. He doesn’t have time.”

She went to the research institute to look for him, but the guard stopped her at the entrance. “Sorry, Professor Zane is unavailable right now.”

After three days, she took the divorce agreement and went to see Julian’s first love.

She placed the agreement in front of Moon Jensen and calmly said, “Please have Julian sign the divorce agreement. From now on, he and the two children belong to you.”

Moon Jensen stared at Xena Xander in shock. She could not believe that the woman who had loved Julian Zane for seventeen years would willingly step aside.

She frowned. “Xena, what are you up to?”

Xena gave her a faint smile. Her eyes were calm and expressionless. “I just don’t want to live like this anymore. Since they all prefer you over me, I don’t want them either. I’m stepping aside. I’m letting you have them.”

Moon still could not believe it. She studied Xena carefully. “You’re willing to give up? Do you have any idea how many people envy your position as Professor Zane’s wife?”

“I know.” Xena met her gaze. “Moon, I don’t want it anymore. I’m giving it to you willingly.”

Moon gripped her glass tightly. The gentle expression she usually wore darkened. “Xena, no one has asked you to do that!”

There was a brief silence. Then, she let out a laugh and picked up the divorce agreement from the table. “Since you’re stepping aside on your own, this saves me a lot of trouble.

“You’re smart, Xena. This is a warning. You’re not getting anything that I’ve seized with my hands.”

“Don’t worry.” Xena smiled. “I don’t want Julian or the children.”

She really did not.

In her past life, she kept them close, yet lived a lonely and miserable life, and she died in misery.

This time, she would not make the same mistake.

Moon put on her sunglasses. Her perfect curls and elegant dress caught everyone’s attention.

Xena watched her get into a cab. Almost without thinking, she called a cab and followed.

At the institute entrance, Xena watched as the guard greeted Moon and guided her to a seat. After a brief wait, Julian rushed out, clearly anxious, and led her inside.

Xena looked down and laughed bitterly at herself.

How ridiculous! The place she had spent her whole life trying and failing to enter has just let Moon walk inside with ease.

Xena returned to the Xander family villa. She spent a long time discussing the divorce with her family and persuading them to agree.

When she returned, the house was warmly lit, and the smell of food filled the air.

Zayden Zane said from inside, “Ms. Jensen, come eat with us! Dad cooked so much!”

Yannick Zane added, “Ms. Jensen, we’ve never seen Dad cook before! You have to try this!”

Xena froze in place.

In her past life, Julian had never cooked a single meal for her.

Even after giving birth, no one had cooked at home for several days. He had just grabbed food from the cafeteria for her.

Moon said in a gentle voice, “Julian, you still remember that I like fish?”

Julian’s voice was warm, without the cold edge it usually had. “I do. Here, eat this. I took out the bones for you.”

Xena stood frozen. She instinctively dug her nails into her palm.

She remembered how much Julian hated fish.

When they first got married, she cooked steamed fish the way she liked it. Julian’s face had darkened instantly, and he had left the table.

She was startled and had spent a long time trying to calm him down. That was when she realized he hated fish so much that he could not even bear the smell.

That day, she threw the fish into the trash so that he would return to the table to eat.

For the next ten years, fish never appeared on the Zane family’s dining table.

It turned out that he had stopped eating fish because Moon had left him.

“Dad, I really like Ms. Jensen. I want her to be our mom.”

“Yeah, Dad! I don’t want to live with Mom anymore. I want to live with Ms. Jensen.”

Xena could not bear to listen to them any longer. She stepped back and turned to leave.

Rain poured down from the sky. Memories struck her like heavy drops.

In her past life, she was married to Julian for sixty years, yet she never knew happiness, even in her final moments.

His heart had always belonged to his first love, Moon. She was the woman he had loved when he was young.

Xena and Julian grew up in the same community. They had known each other from birth.

When she was thirteen, she had her first crush and fell head over heels for Julian. He was the most handsome and talented boy in the community.

But Julian was already in love with Moon, his first love.

They had been together for several years. After graduating from college, Moon suddenly decided to study abroad.

Julian waited for her for several years, only to receive a breakup letter. He was twenty-five at the time. Heartbroken and disillusioned, he agreed to marry someone else.

Xena, who had always watched the Zane family, went straight to him to confess her feelings and offer to be his wife.

She never forgot Julian’s calm, indifferent expression. “My heart belongs to someone else. Are you sure about this?”

Xena nodded eagerly. She believed her love could eventually reach his heart.

But after they were married, no matter what she did, he remained cold and distant.

It was only after Moon returned that she understood how obvious the difference between love and indifference really was.

In her past life, he had never mentioned a divorce. He gave Xena the title of his wife, but all his love was for Moon.

Even their two sons grew increasingly distant from her, just like him.

She spent her life waiting and hoping they would come back to her.

Her later years were spent in a nursing home. She could barely move, and no family ever came to visit. The staff mistreated her every day.

She called Julian and the children many times. They were always busy. They never had time for her.

Later, they stopped answering her calls.

As death drew near, she borrowed a neighbor’s phone to call Julian.

He said hello twice and left the line open.

On the other end, she heard Julian celebrating Moon’s birthday with their sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons.

It sounded so lively.

Even though her eyes had run out of tears, they still welled up.

At the very end, Xena thought that if she were given another chance, she would finally learn to love herself. She would never spend her life with Julian again.

Xena sat on a bench by the roadside for a long time. When she returned home, the house was empty. The dining table was a mess, with cups and plates scattered everywhere.

She glanced at it and walked straight past.

A signed divorce agreement lay on the vanity. Xena looked at Julian’s sweeping signature and felt a wave of relief.

She was finally ready to cast off the restraints she had carried for sixty years.

Just as she put the agreement away, someone pushed the door open.

“Mom, you’re so lazy! The table’s a mess. Why didn’t you clean it up?” Zayden glared at her.

Yannick frowned and added, “You’re so selfish! You saw us eating with Ms. Jensen and walked away. Now, you’re not cleaning up on purpose.”

Julian’s eyes were as cold as ever. “It’s only a meal. What’s there to make a fuss about? Don’t forget your duties.”

Xena said calmly, “Whoever eats, cleans up. I’m not going to serve you all anymore. You’re responsible for your own mess.”

Julian frowned and looked at her in open disapproval. “You don’t have a job. Your responsibility at home is to take care of the family.”

Zayden shouted in anger, “Fine, we’ll clean it ourselves! You don’t work, and you’re lazy! Dad won’t want you for much longer anyway. He’s going to be with Ms. Jensen!”

Yannick chimed in, “That’s right! Ms. Jensen is pretty, gentle, and knows how to dance. When she becomes my new mom, no one else will want you. When you grow old, we won’t even visit you or take care of you!”

After that, the two of them ran downstairs in a rage. Soon, the sound of plates breaking and sharp screams sounded from below.

Xena did not even raise an eyebrow. Her expression was icy.

Julian glanced at her briefly. His eyes held no warmth, as if he were looking at a stranger who was acting out.

“Xena, you’re a mother and a wife, not a kid!”

After that, he grabbed a fresh set of clothes and turned to leave. “The project is urgent. I won’t be back for the next couple of days.”

Xena watched his receding back and listened to the noise coming from downstairs. Her eyes welled up with tears.

Her knuckles went white as she gripped the doorframe, and finally, she slammed the door shut.

‘To hell with my responsibilities!’ she thought. ‘To hell with being a mother and a wife!’

Starting that day onward, she would only be herself!

The next morning, Xena went to the city hall to file for a divorce.

“All your paperwork is fine. Come back in a week to pick up your divorce certificate.”

Xena smiled and thanked them. She went to the airport and bought a ticket to leave.

From that day on, Xena stopped taking care of the household for the three of them.

She no longer woke up at 5 a.m. to make them a big breakfast.

Zayden and Yannick were thrilled. They grabbed their allowance and ran out the door in excitement.

“Who even wants to eat the nasty stuff you make? We’re tired of it anyway!”

She stopped pushing the boys to do their homework. She stopped washing their clothes and picking up after them.

The house quickly fell into a mess. Dirty clothes piled up, toys covered the floor, and the school kept calling about the kids’ grades.

She unplugged the phone.

Three days later, the school could not reach Xena and called Julian instead.

He came home with Zayden and Yannick. When he saw Xena sitting in the rocking chair and reading, his face darkened.

“Zayden and Yannick got food poisoning! How can you call yourself a mother?

“You don’t wash their clothes or cook! You can’t even provide the most basic care. Xena, why’re you throwing a tantrum?”

Xena closed her book calmly. “I’m not throwing a tantrum. I made it clear before. Everyone takes care of their own mess.”

“They’re only ten!” Julian frowned at her. His eyes were cold and full of reproach.

“They’re ten, not three! They can take care of themselves.”

She remembered her past life. Before she went to the nursing home, she woke up before dawn every day.

The three men in the Zane family all wanted different breakfasts. Making everything took at least an hour.

She handled all the chores. The house was always clean, tidy, and in order.

And what did she get in return?

She was ignored and looked down on. After a car accident broke her leg, she was sent straight to a nursing home, and she died alone.

Zayden’s eyes turned red with anger, and he shouted, “Mom, you’ve gone too far! You don’t deserve to be a mother!”

“Exactly!” Yannick grabbed Julian. “Dad, I want Ms. Jensen to be my mom! I’m sure she’ll be the best mom in the world!”

Julian said nothing. His eyes stayed on Xena. He seemed to be waiting for her to give in.

Xena smiled slightly. “Then, let her be your mom. I don’t mind.”

The room fell completely silent.

Julian’s face darkened. “Xena, do you know what you’re saying?”

“I do.” Xena took a deep breath. She was about to tell him about the divorce when someone knocked at the door.

Moon’s voice trembled. “Julian, are you home?”

The three of them froze. Then, they quickly went to open the door.

Moon rushed in and threw herself into Julian’s arms. She cried and said, “Julian, I can’t find the bracelet my mom left me before she died! I searched every single place I visited in the past few days. The only place I haven’t checked is Ms. Xander’s room.”

Xena frowned. “My room?”

Moon nodded. “I used the bathroom that day and took the bracelet off. Can I look there?”

“Go ahead! Go ahead!” Zayden and Yannick raced forward and pulled her inside. “Ms. Jensen, don’t cry! We’ll help you find it. We’ll find it for sure!”

The two boys searched the room and scattered things everywhere. The room quickly became a mess.

Julian just watched. He did not try to stop them.

“Stop!” Xena finally stepped forward as Moon smashed the third picture frame.

Moon turned, terrified. “I’m sorry, Ms. Xander. I didn’t mean to! I was just in such a hurry. I—”

Zayden stepped in front of Moon, like a little knight protecting his precious treasure. “Don’t yell at Ms. Jensen!”

Xena suddenly remembered something.

When they were three, Zayden and Yannick had fought to climb onto her lap. They had snuggled into her arms and shouted, “Mom, when we grow up, we’ll always protect you!”

Yannick stood in front of Moon. “Mom, is there a reason you don’t want Ms. Jensen looking in your room?”

Xena felt a lump in her throat.

She clenched her fists. Her voice was tense. “Do you think I stole it?”

“I found it!”

Moon held up a bright green bracelet from the drawer. Tears ran down her face. “This is it!”

Zayden and Yannick shoved Xena. She stumbled back.

“Mom, you’re a thief!”

Xena felt a jolt run through her body. She looked at the two boys in disbelief.

They glared at her with open disgust. “How could you be our mother? You’re so embarrassing!”

“Dad, I don’t want her to be my mom! Having a mother like her is a disgrace!”

Julian stood beside Moon. A heavy atmosphere settled around him. His eyes were icy as he said in a low voice, “Do you have anything else to say?”

From the looks in their eyes, they had already decided she was guilty.

Xena clenched her fists. Anger surged inside her. She wanted to question them and prove herself, but in the end, she forced out only three words.

“It wasn’t me.”

Moon suddenly grabbed Julian’s sleeve. “Julian, forget it! I found the bracelet. Ms. Xander probably didn’t mean to.”

Moon’s plea only made Julian angrier.

He took a couple of deep breaths. Then, he raised his voice. “Xena, you made a mistake, but you still deny it! How’re you supposed to set an example for the children? Today, I’ll make you admit your fault!”

Zayden and Yannick had picked up a ruler and held it out to Julian. Their eyes shone with excitement. “Dad! Use this to punish her!”

Julian took the ruler and walked toward her.

Xena stepped back on instinct. She wanted to turn and leave, but when Zayden and Yannick rushed over and held her on both sides, all her strength drained away.

A wave of helplessness washed over her.

She opened her hand and held out her palm. The ruler came down hard on it.

The impact made her skin burn in pain.

She saw the smug, taunting smile on Moon’s face. She saw the cold, indifferent look in Julian’s eyes.

She suddenly remembered her past life. After her mother died, she was left a pink diamond ring. One day, when Moon came over, the ring went missing.

Her mother had just passed away, and her hatred for Moon was at its peak. She made a huge scene and searched Moon’s bag despite the objections of the other three in the house.

She found the ring in her bag, yet she was still the one who was punished.

They all said she had put it there on purpose to frame Moon. They warned her not to use her mother’s death as an excuse to act however she pleased.

Xena’s eyes welled up.

She had thought her heart had gone numb, but it still ached with sorrow and helplessness.

“Dad, I want to hit her too!” the two boys said together. “Mom did something wrong, so we should make her admit it!”

Julian paused for a moment and handed the ruler to Zayden. “Fine. You should remember this day and learn from it. Never break the law or act without morals.”

Those words felt like a hard slap across Xena’s face. She suddenly lunged forward and knocked the ruler out of Zayden’s hand.

Her whole body shook. She stared at Julian with defiance and humiliation. She spoke slowly, emphasizing each word.

“I’ll say this again. I didn’t do this! The one without morals is Moon, and you, Julian!”

“What nonsense are you spouting?!”

Julian’s gaze turned icy. “Since you refuse to admit your mistake, you can go to the cellar and reflect on it.”

He grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the cellar door.

Behind her, Zayden and Yannick stood on either side of Moon.

“Ms. Jensen, you can come live with us!”

“Ms. Jensen, please be our mother! You’ll be the best mom in the world!”

Xena trembled all over. Her breathing grew rapid. Julian pushed her into the cellar with his own hands.

As the door shut, his voice sounded again. It was gentle but cut deep. “Moon, could you take care of the two kids for the next few days?”

Darkness swallowed Xena whole.

She curled up in a corner and wrapped her arms tightly around herself. Tears streamed down her face.

This cellar was her nightmare.

In the year after she married Julian, she went out alone and was knocked unconscious. When she woke up, she was locked inside a cellar.

She remembered darkness, the stench of rot and mold, a leering man with a crackling laugh, and rough hands covered in calluses.

It was the most terrifying moment of her life. At the last possible moment, Julian broke open the cellar door and rushed inside.

Those hands that usually held a pen picked up a stone and smashed it down on the man’s head.

The screams and the smell of blood should have frightened her, yet they made her feel safe.

That day, Julian held her gently and comforted her. She carried that memory with her for sixty years until she died.

But the Julian who had carried her out of that cellar was gone.