Estelle was always dressed gorgeously, looking like a rich lady.

She bowed her head to greet me.

At the same time, she unintentionally revealed the jade pendant around her neck.

It was an emerald pendant, made from the same material as the earrings I was wearing today.

I also had an emerald hairpin, but I didn't wear it today.

That hairpin was a birthday gift from Armand, but I actually didn't know it was a set.

It had been four years, and it turned out that Armand and Estelle's bond was even deeper than I had imagined.

What was ridiculous was that I trusted Armand wholeheartedly.

Before I could speak, Estelle knelt in front of me.

She cried with tears, "Mrs. Alwyn, please. I won't ask to marry into the Alwyn family. But Doran is my everything. I just want to stay by his side and watch him grow up."

She kowtowed repeatedly, and I seemed to be able to feel the pain just by listening to the sound.

Coincidentally, Armand hurriedly arrived.

When Estelle raised her head again, there was already blood on her forehead.

She looked so pitiful.

Estelle called out, "Mr. Alwyn..." Then, she fainted.

Armand furrowed his brow and immediately caught her in his arms.

"Call the doctor over! Now!"

Armand scooped Estelle up and turned to leave.

He completely ignored me.

"Stop! Armand, do you really need to hold her by yourself?" I asked.

The servant saw me angry and quickly reached out to take Estelle over.

But Armand said reluctantly, "She is my woman after all..."

Seeing my cold face, Armand shut up and handed Estelle over to the servant.

Then, he regained his composure and sighed, "Mildred..."

I asked with a sneer, "Do you think I mistreated your beloved one?"

Armand immediately defended himself, claiming, "Of course not. Mildred, you know what kind of a man I am."

Then, he grabbed my hand and put it on his cheek, looking at me affectionately.

Seeing him like this, I softened my attitude for a moment.

I asked, "But why did you hide it from me?"

Armand replied, "I don't want this matter to affect you. If it weren't for Doran, I wouldn't have even given Estelle a glance. Don't you know who I have in my heart?"

He seemed to think that I didn't believe him, so he made a promise again. "I promise I will never take a concubine, and Doran will be registered as your son. You will be his legitimate mother, and he will take care of you when you get old."

He made a promise so solemnly.

The look in his eyes was as genuine as ever.

He acted as if nothing had happened, and it was me who was making a fuss just now.

Seeing that I was moved, Armand grasped the opportunity and changed the subject, talking to me about politics.

This was what we did every day. I used all my knowledge to help Armand become a prime minister.

Armand would instinctively discuss matters with me when he had something that he couldn't figure out in the government.

He said I was different from other women.

I used to think so too.

But everything changed on the day of the recognition banquet.

They held a banquet in the mansion, and many distinguished guests had been invited.

Everyone spoke flattering words, and no one questioned where the child came from.

It seemed as if it was normal for me to have a son like Doran.

I sat aside, watching the lively scene silently.

Suddenly, someone handed Doran to me and said, "He wants his mother!"

I snapped out of my thoughts and instinctively took Doran over.

As soon as Doran was in my arms, he started crying. I hurriedly soothed him.

But suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my chest, and I instinctively let go.

As a result, Doran fell to the ground.

The maid beside me quickly caught Doran and asked pitifully, "Mrs. Alwyn, how did the child offend you? Why did you drop him like this?"

I covered my chest and found that this maid was actually Estelle.

Her face looked gentle, but her eyes were full of venom.

Estelle lifted Doran's clothes and raised his arm.

There were several pinholes on Doran's tender skin.

The hall suddenly fell into silence.

Then, the guests began to whisper.

"Well, well. I didn't expect the child's legitimate mother to be so malicious towards him."

"Well, I'm not that surprised. After all, he's not her biological son. She pricked the child with needles and dropped him on the ground, obviously wanting the child dead."

I knew that I was set up.

That needle was probably somewhere on me. It just pricked me.

There were so many people in the hall, and I couldn't prove my innocence by taking off my clothes.

Besides, who would believe that a three-year-old child would be part of this scheme?

I straightened my skirt and looked at Estelle, saying calmly, "I've been sick recently, and I'm still weak. I just couldn't hold the child steadily. Why did you frame me by saying I deliberately dropped him?

"Besides, he is my son. He was just bitten by mosquitoes. You're just a maid. Who do you think you are to make a fuss and accuse me at the banquet? Guards, get her out!"

Estelle quickly knelt down and kowtowed, apologizing, "I...I'm sorry. Please spare me, Mrs. Alwyn!"

Estelle dared to cause trouble for me in public, but she didn't dare to admit in front of everyone that she was Doran's birth mother.

With her current identity, she couldn't afford the consequence of damaging the Alwyn family's reputation.

But I forgot that there was a person who dared to.

"Mildred! How dare you! You, kneel!"

Cheryl walked out of the crowd, looked at Doran's wound with concern, and asked her maid to call the doctor over.

Then, she turned to look at me coldly.

I stood up and bowed slightly, saying, "I don't know what I did wrong, let alone why I should kneel."

Cheryl was strong-willed, but I refused to comply with her order in public.

This made her feel embarrassed and angry.

Cheryl snapped, "You harmed an innocent child, you malicious woman. Why can't I punish you and make you kneel? Besides, you've married into our family for so many years, but you still haven't got pregnant. I can directly let Armand divorce you if I want!"

Since I married into the Alwyn family, I had taken care of everything in the mansion perfectly all along.

When Cheryl was seriously ill, I tried to ask a highly skilled doctor to treat her five times.

But Cheryl didn't appreciate that. She even thought I was malicious and blamed me.

Ignoring the curious gazes around me, I straightened my back and said, "No."

"Good! Good! Very good! You don't even listen to my words now, huh? Kneel down! Now!"

Cheryl's chest heaved, and she was so angry. Estelle supported her, trying to let her calm down. "Madam Alwyn, don't get angry. It won't do any good for your health."

The guests all spoke up.

"Madam Alwyn asked you to kneel. You should listen to her," a man said to me.

"This is really an eye-opener for me. Mr. Alwyn's wife doesn't respect the elderly, and she even wants to harm a child," a woman remarked.

At this moment, I became the target of everyone's criticism.

Standing in the crowd, I felt so hurt in my heart.

Suddenly, Armand came to hold my hand and stood in front of me.

He instructed Cheryl's maid directly, "Madam Alwyn needs some rest. Send her back to her room."

Then, he turned to face the guests, apologizing, "My son was just bitten by mosquitoes. Sorry to make you misunderstand it."

With just a few words, Armand solved the problem and settled the commotion.

After the banquet, I made Estelle kneel in the courtyard and had a servant slap her.

Armand hurriedly came.

He tried to persuade me, saying, "She's Doran's birth mother after all. She suffered a great deal during childbirth, so she has always been very weak. You don't have to punish her like this, do you?"

I was unmoved and said, "If you didn't come today, I would be the one to be punished."

Armand sighed helplessly, "Mildred, when did you become so heartless?

"Forget it. You can't give birth, so you naturally don't understand the pain of having childbirth, and you don't care about the child as much as his real mother does."

Hearing Armand say so, I looked at him in shock and disbelief.

I couldn't believe that he would actually say something like that.

"Do you think I really did those things at the banquet?" I asked.

Armand took out a silver needle from my robe and threw it on the table.

With disappointment in his eyes, he said to me, "You should calm down. I'll give you a moment."

Then, ignoring my call, he got up and left.

He also took Estelle with him.

That night, Armand sent someone to inform me that he would sleep in the study.

In the evening, I looked at the pinhole with blood on my chest.

I felt helpless.

After that day, I stopped taking fertility decoctions.

Recently, I had been absent-minded a lot. Sometimes, I would wonder, Am I really wrong?

A lady, who was on good terms with me, advised me.

"Your husband is so handsome and capable. What's there for you to be dissatisfied with?

"He doesn't have any concubines, and he respects you. He even lets you be his only child's legitimate mother.

"You don't know how jealous I am towards you. You know, my husband has taken six concubines already.

"What do you think we women want the most? It's our men's love and our status. You already have both, so you should be content."

I asked myself in my heart, Should I be content?

I was a bit confused.

One morning, I took the initiative to present my respects to Cheryl.

Just as I walked to the door, I saw a joyful scene inside.

Doran had an innocent smile on his face as he asked Armand, "Dad, why can't Mom sit next to me?"

Armand replied in a gentle tone, "Doran, there is also a hierarchy in a family. Your mom can't sit with us."

But Doran pouted, "Dad, just let Mom sit. She's been standing all the time. She must be very tired."

Armand was somewhat moved.

Cheryl laughed loudly, "Good, good, good. Doran is filial. We surely can get another pair of tableware for your mom. Estelle, just sit down."

"Thank you, Madam Alwyn."

The four of them were like a harmonious family.

Estelle served dishes for Armand, and Armand ladled soup for Estelle.

There was an indescribable tacit understanding between the two of them.

No one noticed me standing outside the room.

I returned to my place in a daze and sat there all afternoon.

When night fell, I finally came to my senses.

I stood up and went to find Armand.

I had a lot to ask Armand about.

But when I got to Armand's place, I saw Estelle leaning against Armand's chest.

Estelle looked up at Armand with tenderness in her eyes and said, "Armand, thank you for giving me and Doran a home."

Armand smiled, "This is what I should do. You don't need to thank me."

Then, he seemed to have thought of me and sighed, "Although Mildred is my wife, she is more like my aide. There is not that much love between us."

Estelle giggled and asked, "Then what about me?"

Armand pinched Estelle's nose gently and said, "You're quite attractive to me, especially in bed. I can't have enough of it..."

"Stop it, Armand!"

Estelle blushed and buried her head in Armand's arms, giggling with happiness.

But I felt so chill in my heart.

I didn't need to ask Armand anything anymore.

I had already understood everything.

After I returned to my room, I instructed, "Brenda, go to the temple and invite Master Alvarez over."

Before Alvarez arrived, Armand got the news and came first.

"Mildred? Are you doing those superstitious things again?

"Are you doing this because you're angry with me? Trying to get my attention?"

I looked at Armand's exceptionally handsome face and saw impatience in his eyes.

There was no deep affection in his eyes as he had for Estelle.

It was not until now that I noticed he no longer loved me.

I said calmly, "Didn't you ask me to calm down? I've already calmed down.

"I agree to let you marry Estelle."

Hearing my words, Armand had a moment of astonishment.

I thought he would happily accept. But he actually refused.

"I promised you that I'll never take any concubines."