I instinctively held the child tighter. “What are you trying to do?”

“How can I be at ease letting Ethan stay with you in your condition?”

“No!” I staggered back. “He’s my son! I won’t be separated from him!”

Victor’s gaze turned ice-cold as he forcefully pulled Ethan from my arms. The child wailed again, his cries piercing.

“Give him back to me!” I lunged forward, but he kicked me away. My waist slammed into the sharp corner of the cabinet, and a low cry of pain escaped my lips.

Victor hesitated for a moment, his back stiffening, but he never turned around. He helped Vanessa Bright up and left—carrying my son.

The door shut behind them. Before the last sliver of light vanished, I was consumed by darkness.

When I regained consciousness, everything was bathed in stark white.

It was the bedroom ceiling. I turned my head and saw Victor asleep beside the bed. He stirred the moment I moved, and his fingers lightly brushed my cheek. “You’re awake. Do you feel unwell?”

“I…” My throat was dry and raspy, barely able to form words.

Victor quickly held a cup to my lips. “You’ve been unconscious for a whole day and night. Why didn’t you tell me you had hypoglycemia? Do you know how scared I was when you collapsed?”

His worry and concern looked sincere—so much so that, for a fleeting second, I almost forgot he had locked me and our child in that storage room.

That gentleness nearly deceived me. Almost.

One day and one night. That meant in just four more days, I could finally leave him.

I struggled to sit up. “Where’s Ethan?”

He gently pushed me back down. “Don’t worry, Vanessa’s looking after him.”

“What?” My heart clenched. I instantly pushed him away and got out of bed.

The moment my feet hit the floor, Victor grabbed my wrist and threw me back down.

“What are you doing?” He shut his eyes, clearly trying to restrain his anger. “Claire, you need to rest now.”

Fear and fury surged through me. “You left my child with Vanessa Bright—how do you expect me to rest?”

“Claire!” Victor’s rage erupted. He paced beside the bed several times before finally snapping, “Why are you so hostile toward Vanessa? Didn’t you two used to get along?”

“Yes,” I laughed bitterly, “I once treated her like a sister. But what did she do? Have you ever asked? Have you bothered to find out?”

“You—”

A woman’s scream and a baby’s cry suddenly rang out from the next room.

I shoved Victor aside and rushed to the nursery. The sight before me turned my blood to ice.

Ethan was lying on his back in the crib, face flushed red, his tiny body convulsing with harsh coughs. Vomited milk stained his cheeks, his chest, and the sheets.

Vanessa Bright stood to the side, wiping her clothes with a baby wipe, her face twisted in frustration.

I hurriedly scooped up Ethan, patting his back anxiously. As I drew closer, I saw red rashes blooming across his forehead and chest.

Victor was the first to turn to Vanessa Bright. “How did this happen?”

I demanded, “Vanessa Bright, what did you give him?”

She shook her head. “Nothing, I just fed him milk formula.”

Victor wrapped her protectively in his arms. “Why are you blaming her? She’s still just a child!”

I stared at him in disbelief. “Yet you still trusted her to care for Ethan? Did you even check if he had allergies? Did you even look at him when you came in?”

“Enough!” Victor suddenly roared, “Vanessa did her best to care for him. And you? You’re always finding faults!”

“Claire, your jealousy and bitterness right now—it honestly disgusts me!”

I was stunned.

Disgusting?

"No," I shook my head with a bitter smile. "Victor, you are the one who makes me sick."

"Don't argue," Vanessa Bright cut in, her voice choked with sobs. "It's my fault. Sister has every right to blame me."

Victor immediately stood in front of her, shielding her, his eyes now filled with even deeper disappointment. "Look at Vanessa. Doesn’t that make you feel ashamed?"

Suddenly, I wanted to ask him something.

"Do you remember what you said to me when you proposed?"

Victor’s face went blank for a moment.

That moment made everything feel absurd. I shook my head and gave a small, self-mocking laugh. “You said I was more important than your life.”

He averted his gaze. “But you weren’t like this back then.”

“So, you changed your mind?”

“I didn’t!” His voice rose sharply, as if trying to convince himself. “Claire, of course I love you, but Vanessa’s parents saved my life, and I promised them…”

“Enough.” I turned around with Ethan in my arms. “It’s been six years. I’ve heard enough.”

At the hospital, the doctor’s expression turned grim.

"What were your parents thinking? Even if a child this young isn’t allergic to seafood, you can’t crush shrimp and mix it with milk! If you'd arrived a minute later, the child might not have made it!”

My head spun. “Shrimp?”

The doctor heard my tone and sighed. “Find a new nanny immediately. I doubt that woman has good intentions.”

Vanessa Bright.

My legs buckled as I sat down, gasping for breath.

I had almost lost Ethan.

I struggled to keep my voice steady. “Can you give me a copy of the test report?”

After getting home, I typed up the divorce agreement. In the living room, Victor hovered nervously around Vanessa Bright. “Your injury hasn’t healed yet, don’t push yourself.”

Vanessa Bright smiled as she waved a shovel. “I’m just loosening the soil around the tree. I’m fine.”

"That’s the intertwined tree you planted for me. I want it to grow strong. That way, even if I can’t stay by your side, I’ll still have it.”

Victor held her shoulders. “Don’t say that! I planted that tree for you—it means we’ll be together forever. Don’t you believe me?”

My mind went blank. A sharp ache gripped my chest.

There was a seedling growing in the best part of the garden.

Not long ago, a tree had stood there—Albizia Julibrissin—which we planted the day we got our marriage certificate. It symbolized “eternal love.”

After Ethan was born, Victor said he wanted to plant a tree for him in that spot, hoping he'd grow strong like it—so he moved the Albizia away.

It turns out that was a lie.

What he wanted wasn’t eternal love with me or a healthy future for our child.

He wanted to be with Vanessa Bright.

I drew in a deep breath, walked over, and flipped to the signature page of the divorce agreement. “I want to get an insurance policy for Ethan. Sign this.”

“Why are you here?” Victor cleared his throat awkwardly. “Don’t you already have insurance? Why get another?”

He reached for the document to read it.

Just as I moved to stop him, Vanessa Bright tugged at his sleeve. “Victor, you two go ahead—I’ll wait outside.”

“Wait, I’ll come with you.”

“No need!”

Victor shoved the agreement into my hands. “Leave it in the study. I’ll sign it after I’ve read it.”

I grabbed his wrist. “I’ve read it already. Just sign it.”

He frowned, glanced nervously at Vanessa Bright, who had already opened the door.

Then he quickly scribbled his signature and ran toward her without another word.

“That’s it.”

I stood there in a daze. Just like that, our six-year marriage came to an end—so casually, so disgracefully.

I walked into the baby’s room and kissed Ethan on the forehead.

“Baby, we’re free now.”

That night, I slept in the baby’s room while Victor stayed in Vanessa Bright’s.

On the first night after signing the divorce papers, we silently completed our separation.

In the following days, I finalized the divorce procedures and sorted out my shares and assets.

Victor still spent time with Ethan and me each day, but at night, he would return to Vanessa Bright’s bed.

He held Ethan, patting her back to burp her while talking to himself, “Once she gets better, we’ll take a family photo.”

“How about we take one every year from now on?”

I forced a smile. Not a great idea—I'm leaving tomorrow.

Victor, there is no future for us.

The night before I left, I took Ethan to the master bedroom.

Now, the only trace of me left in this house was the wedding photo on the wall.

“Sister, are you still awake?”

The familiar scent of roses drifted in. I tensed. “What are you doing here?”

Vanessa Bright stepped in holding a lit aromatherapy candle. “Victor gave me a set of these today. The scent is Albizzia—he thought you’d like it since I don’t.”

My hands quietly clenched into fists.

In the past, Victor gave me everything I liked.

When did I become someone who only got leftovers from Vanessa Bright?

Vanessa Bright smiled, but her expression was wicked. “Do you know what happened to the Albizzia tree in the garden?”

I shook my head. It didn’t matter—it had already made way for their ‘love tree.’

“Burned to ashes,” she whispered like a demon. “I saw Victor set fire to it himself.”

I told myself it didn’t matter. But my heart still ached.

Seeing that I didn’t react, Vanessa Bright dropped her smile. She stared at me for a while, then flicked her hand.

The candle hit the curtain—and flames erupted.

“What are you doing?”

She shut the door behind her, madness flashing in her eyes. “Tell me, who do you think Victor will save?”

Then she twisted her face into horror and shoved me hard.

“Claire! What are you doing?! Victor, help me!”

The flames rushed toward us. I turned my back on them, shielding Ethan.

Pain tore through me instantly.

“Ah…” I gritted my teeth and rolled on the floor to douse the flames. The pain drained all my strength.

Smoke thickened fast. Victor kicked the door open and saw Vanessa Bright first.

“Vanessa! Get up!”

“My legs… Victor, they hurt so much!” she sobbed.

“Come here, I’ve got you!”

“Victor…” I rasped, “Please… help me, and take Ethan…”

“Claire!” He finally saw me, and froze when he noticed my burned back.

“Don’t be afraid! I’ll take you to the hospital—there won’t be a scar!”

“Cough, cough… Victor…”

Vanessa Bright’s coughing jolted him.

He pulled his hand back from mine.

“There’s too much smoke. Vanessa’s throat can’t take it, Claire…”

“Victor!” I used the last of my strength to grab his hand. “Take Ethan out first! Please!”

“Victor… cough… cough…”

The panic in his eyes turned to resolve.

He yanked his hand away and turned around without hesitation.

“Claire, hang on! I’ll call someone to come get you!”

“Victor!”

The flames rose like a wall, drawing a hard line between us.

Vanessa Bright’s throat mattered more than my life or our child’s.

I should’ve known.

Clutching Ethan close, I whispered through tears, “I’m sorry, sweetheart… I failed you again.”

Just as all hope faded, the window shattered.

A tall figure stepped through the flames.

“Midnight,” the ferryman said, reaching a hand toward me. “Looks like I arrived just in time.”

From the helicopter, I watched the fire devour the wedding photo.

Now, every last trace of me in that house was gone.

Victor, we will never meet again.