The first dinner after moving back to the Whitmore house was lively.

Around the table, the family chatted and laughed, talking about business and the economy, a world Evelyn had never been part of.

She sat quietly in the farthest corner, head lowered as she pushed around the pasta in her plate, swallowing it mechanically.

Margaret picked up a tender piece of fish and placed it in Annelise's bowl. "Sweetheart, you haven't been home in so long. I had the chef make your favorite sea bass. Try it, see if you like it."

Only after speaking did Margaret notice Evelyn beside her, eating with her head down. The smile on her face froze.

She paused, then reluctantly picked up a piece of steak and placed it into Evelyn's plate. "You should eat too. Don't just have pasta."

Staring at the glossy piece of steak in her plate, Evelyn instinctively moved to push it away. "I don't want it."

The laughter around the table came to an abrupt stop.

Margaret's face went ashen, embarrassment and anger flickering in her eyes.

Under the table, Nathan gripped her hand tightly.

Only then did she realize she had said the wrong thing.

Her fork and knife hesitated midair before turning back. Fighting the nausea, she forced the steak into her mouth.

The woman who had bought her gave birth to a son the following year.

From then on, she became an unpaid servant, waking before dawn to cook, wash clothes, and feed the pigs.

At mealtimes, the woman would toss her two cold, cracked bread.

Once, starving, she couldn't help reaching for the steak on the table and took a small piece.

For that single bite, the woman hung her from a beam and whipped her over and over until she blacked out from the pain.

From that day on, she never touched steak again.

The greasy meat melted in her mouth. She gulped down water, trying to swallow it, but her vision began to darken.

In the final moment before she lost consciousness and collapsed at the table, only one thought filled her mind.

She had messed things up again. She had made everyone unhappy again.

When she opened her eyes again, all she saw was blinding white.

Margaret's eyes were red, her voice trembling. "If you didn't want to eat, then don't. Who forced you? Passing out like that… are you trying to accuse us of mistreating you?"

Richard stood beside her, holding her as his face turned grim.

Nathan looked at her coldly. "Apologize to Margaret. Now."

Evelyn's lips trembled, her voice hoarse. "Mom, Dad… I'm sorry. It's my fault."

But that apology only pushed Margaret over the edge.

Margaret shot to her feet. "Who are you putting on this innocent, pitiful act for? Do we owe you something? We should've never brought you back!"

With that, Margaret refused to look at her again and stormed out, dragging Richard along.

Nathan gave her a complicated look. "Annelise is handling your hospital bill. I'll go check on her. You… think about what you've done."

The hospital room fell silent, leaving Evelyn alone on the cold bed.

She slowly closed her eyes, a clear thought forming in her mind.

She never should have come back to the Whitmore family.

But when she thought of the bright, unhidden joy in Nathan's eyes, she forced herself to push that thought away.

For three years of marriage, she had stayed by his side through his downfall, through hardship and struggle. Yet she had never seen him smile like that, never seen him so light, so happy.

In seven days, she would leave this place behind, and she might never see them again.

The doctor put Evelyn through a full psychological evaluation.

Once the consultation room door closed, every question cut straight into the ugliest parts of her past.

Half an hour later, Evelyn walked out trembling, her eyes brimming with tears.

Years of suppressed emotions finally broke free. She instinctively threw herself into Nathan's arms, burying her face against his chest, clinging to the warmth.

Nathan stiffened for a moment, then raised his hand and gently patted her back.

His voice softened, coaxing her over and over, "It's okay. It's all over now. Don't be scared."

Annelise stood to the side, her fingers freezing midair at the sight.

A flicker of loneliness passed through her eyes, though she forced a smile. "Nathan, something urgent came up at the company. I need to go deal with it. Evelyn is in your hands."

With that, she left in a hurry.

Nathan kept his eyes on the direction she had left, only lowering his gaze after she was completely gone. Then he handed the coffee in his hand to Evelyn.

The session had dragged Evelyn back into that dark, cramped room from her past.

Fear and helplessness swallowed her whole. Only that embrace gave her a fleeting sense of warmth.

She took the warm coffee, her nose stinging. "I feel better. Thank you."

A cold voice cut in. "If you're fine, let go."

Evelyn looked up and met a pair of unfathomable eyes.

Before she could react, Nathan had already pulled away from her.

He stared straight at her. "You're jealous of Annelise, aren't you?"

Evelyn froze, the tears still lingering in her eyes, confusion filling her face. "She's always been good to me…"

Nathan let out a cold laugh. "So you take advantage of her kindness, cling to me in front of her, calling me your husband again and again, just to hurt her on purpose? And you call that being considerate?"

"No, that's not what I meant." Panic flooded her. She grabbed his sleeve. "I was just scared. I couldn't control myself. I won't do it again, please don't be mad…"

Before she could finish, Nathan shook her hand off violently.

"Take a cab home yourself."

He turned and walked away without a second thought.

The June sun blazed overhead, yet Evelyn stood frozen in place, a chill seeping from her chest to the tips of her limbs.

The therapist called, concern evident in their voice. "Ms. Whitmore, are you feeling any better? You can come back this afternoon for another session. It would really help your recovery."

Evelyn forced a bitter smile. "No, I won't be coming back."

She hung up, then threw the still-warm coffee into the trash. That sweetness had never belonged to her.

As soon as she stepped through the door, a servant approached quietly. "Miss Whitmore, Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore have gone to Westmere on vacation. They said they needed a break."

Evelyn nodded silently. "Okay."

She knew they were just avoiding her.

Night fell. Evelyn sat alone on the swing in the yard, staring blankly at the stars.

A noise came from the gate, and she looked up.

Nathan walked in with Annelise in his arms, the two of them close and intimate. When he lowered his head to speak to her, his expression softened in a way Evelyn had never seen in three years of marriage.

Their eyes met, and both froze. Nathan's hand, resting on Annelise's waist, dropped abruptly.

Evelyn looked away first, her voice calm, as if she had seen nothing. "When did you get back? I was lost in thought just now, didn't notice."

Nathan and Annelise exchanged a glance, their expressions quickly returning to normal.

Annelise stepped forward and handed her a paper bag. "Evelyn, we passed by that bakery you said you liked. I picked up a few for you."

The bag was still warm. Evelyn took it and ate three in quick succession.

She swallowed hurriedly, forcing a smile. "Thank you. They're really good. I'm happy."

Annelise looked at her in confusion, at the tear-streaked face still wearing a bright smile.

Just as she was about to speak, Nathan cut in. "You sound congested. Go take a hot shower."

Back in the bedroom.

Evelyn quietly took out a blanket and laid it on the other side of the bed, putting distance between herself and Nathan.

She had just lain down when she heard Nathan sigh behind her. "You know, don't you?"

Evelyn pulled the blanket over her head, wrapping herself tightly. "I'm going to sleep."

She didn't want to hear it. Didn't want to face it. She just wanted to run from everything.

But the next second, Nathan reached out, dragging her out from under the blanket and forcing her to look at him.

His voice was blunt and merciless, each word cutting deep into her. "Evelyn, I can play the role of a good husband in public and keep this marriage looking respectable. But remember this, I may stay here, but my heart will always belong to your sister. Do you understand?"

Evelyn lay awake all night, tears streaming down her face.

At dawn, the bedroom door was kicked open. Nathan stormed in, grabbed Evelyn by the arm, and dragged her toward the living room.

His grip felt like it would crush her bones. Evelyn looked up, confused and helpless. "Nathan, what are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" Nathan's teeth clenched, rage spilling into every word. "I thought you were innocent, kind. Turns out it was all an act."

He shoved his phone right in front of her. "Look at what you've done."

The screen was filled with glaring trending headlines.

"Annelise Whitmore—the fake heiress who took everything."

"Nathan Langford cheated in marriage with Annelise Whitmore."

"'The Other Woman' Annelise destroys her sister's marriage."

Each headline was marked with a glaring red "Hot."

The attached photos showed Nathan holding Annelise, kissing her, the two of them wrapped closely together.

Evelyn's face drained of color as she rushed toward Annelise, whose eyes were already red.

"It wasn't me." Evelyn grabbed her hand. "Annelise, I didn't take those photos, and I didn't leak them. You believe me, don't you?"

Before she could finish, Nathan yanked her away and shoved her hard to the floor.

Evelyn hit the cold tile floor.

She looked up as Nathan stepped in front of Annelise, disgust written all over his face. "I don't care what tricks you used. Stop this immediately. This afternoon, I'm holding a press conference. Everything will be pinned on you. You were jealous of your sister, so you planned all of this to ruin her."

Hurried footsteps sounded at the door as Richard and Margaret rushed back from overseas.

The moment Margaret stepped inside, she slapped Evelyn hard across the face. "You ungrateful child, do you have to tear this family apart?"

Evelyn stood there, stunned, clutching her cheek. The words "It wasn't me" stuck in her throat, refusing to come out.

"I've lived my life doing good, and this is the daughter I get? So vicious, so cruel! I should've never let you be born. Then you wouldn't be here hurting Annelise like this!"

Richard stopped Margaret, his tone firm. "Enough. The priority now is the press conference. We need to clear Annelise's name."

Nathan spoke coldly. "I've already handled the magazine that published the photos. Now we just need Evelyn to admit she's behind it. That's the only way to fix this."

"Exactly. She's Nathan's legal wife. If she takes the blame, people will believe it."

All eyes in the room turned to Evelyn.

Margaret grabbed her hand, her voice pleading. It was the first time in Evelyn's life her mother had looked at her with such urgency, the first time she had ever pulled her into an embrace.

"Evelyn, I'm begging you. Your sister has always treated you well. She protected you, gave you everything. Can you really stand by and watch her reputation be destroyed?"

Richard added coldly from the side, "Annelise is the sole heir of the company. Nothing can happen to her. If this isn't resolved, your name will be removed from the Whitmore family."

Nathan held out a contract. "As long as you step forward, fifty million dollars will be transferred to you immediately."

Evelyn slowly lifted her head, looking at the four people surrounding her, the ones she had once believed were closest to her.

Ignoring the urgency, the pleading, and the carefully hidden disgust in their eyes, the scene looked almost exactly like the one she had dreamed of as a child.

She had once dreamed of being the one at the center of their attention.

A bitter smile tugged at her lips. In front of all of them, she tore the contract into pieces. "I won't let anyone hurt Annelise."