"Today was so much fun. Eliza, I want to go again tomorrow," Leon said excitedly, tugging Eliza's hand as they walked into the living room. 

Eliza reached out to pat Leon's head, her smile bright. "Of course, Leon. If there's something you want to do, I'll definitely take you. But everything I let you eat today was just the kind of stuff Oliver eats all the time. Nothing special." 

Leon pouted and started complaining, "My mom never lets me eat those things. Eliza, you don't even know how jealous I am of the other kids. Their moms are way better than her." 

Serena had just come out of the bathroom and heard the entire conversation. She walked down from the second floor, and the moment she looked up, she saw the ketchup still smeared on the corner of Leon's mouth. 

Serena asked sharply, "If you knew I don't let you eat that stuff, why did you still eat it?" 

Leon looked up at the sound of her voice. The moment he saw Serena, his face turned sour. 

Eliza spoke up, sounding apologetic, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Powell. I didn't know you don't usually let Leon eat that kind of stuff. But it's really no big deal once in a while. Oliver eats it too." 

Serena snorted, "Fast food is junk–loaded with fat and salt. It causes weight gain. Leon has a sensitive stomach. What makes you think it's no big deal? " 

Eliza's expression stiffened slightly. 

Leon shot back, "I've never eaten fast food before. It's just this once because Eliza brought me along. If you want to blame someone, blame me. Don't take it out on her." 

Leon's automatic defense of Eliza made Serena feel bitterly ironic. After everything Serena had done to take care of him, all it took was one fast food 

meal from Eliza to win him over. 

Eliza explained patiently, "Mrs. Powell, I understand how you feel as a mom. I'm a mom too. It's normal that kids like fast food. It's not like they eat it all the time. 

"Plus, Leon is fine right now. I just think maybe sometimes you don't need to be so strict with him."" 

Serena sneered, "Really? And if something did happen, would you take responsibility?" 

"Eliza would never be as stingy as you. Ollie eats this stuff all the time and he's fine. You just can't stand seeing me happy." With that, Leon wiped his tears angrily and ran upstairs. 

Seeing Leon run upstairs, Victor lost his temper and snapped, "Serena, was it really necessary to blow up over something so small? 

"Ellie was just being kind. If you didn't keep telling Leon what he can and can't eat, he wouldn't crave junk food so much." 

They all acted like it was Serena's fault. She didn't bother arguing and turned to leave. She thought, 'Since Victor, as Leon's father, doesn't care, why should I go out of my way to cause trouble for myself? 

Back in her room, Serena packed up her things and thought, 'Just a little longer. Once I get through this, I won't have anything to do with this family ever again.' 

Early the next morning, just as Serena was waking up, she heard a knock at the door. Before she could respond, the door was already pushed open. 

Eliza walked in with a smile, holding a glass of milk. "Mrs. Powell, Victor took the kids out. He asked me to let you know you don't need to prepare any meals for us today." 

Serena didn't even glance at her. She turned and sat down at the vanity, calmly taking off the bracelet from her wrist. 

"I'm not interested in any of that. You don't need to tell me. And Me, Stone, didn't anyone ever teach you to knock and wait for permission before entering someone else's room?" Serena remarked. 

Eliza's fingers tightened slightly around the glass, her knuckles turning pate. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Powell. I wasn't thinking, I just felt like maybe there's been a misunderstanding between us. 

"When I had issues with my house, Victor invited me to stay here. I didn't think too much at the time. But don't worry. Once my place is fixed, I'll leave with Oliver right away" 

Serena could hear the provocation in Eliza's words. "Eliza, there's no one else around right now. You don't need to keep pretending. Do you think that act of yours still works?" Serena turned and looked her straight in the eye. 

"Mrs. Powell, I'm not sure what you mean," Eliza said as she sat down on a stool across from her. She set the glass of milk on the table, rested her chin on her right hand, and put on a troubled expression, 

She continued, "I thought you were smart. When you saw me come back, I figured you'd know better and leave. 

"I know the Powell family has a lot of money, and you want to stay a bit longer to get a bigger cut. But think about it–do you really believe someone like Victor would give you anything?" 

Now that Eliza had dropped the act, Serena smirked coldly. She had no interest in the Powell family's money. But now, she was genuinely curious about why Eliza had come back to the country. 

Serena asked, "Eliza, if you chose to leave Victor back then, why come back now? Is it because your ex–husband broke?" 

Eliza's face darkened. Her hand clenched slightly, but after a pause, she let out a breath. "Serena, stop trying to get a read on me. It won't be long before Vic divorces you. You'd better start thinking about how you're going to live after that." 

As she spoke, the smile on her face grew wider. "I've only spent a few days with Leon and he already adores me this much. There's no way he'll choose you." 

It felt like a sharp knife stabbed straight into Serena's heart. She thought, "If even the son I gave birth to prefers another woman, then so be it. I don't want anything anymore.' 

Sensing the shift in Serena's emotions, Eliza got an idea. She stood up, walked over, and snatched the emerald bracelet Serena had just put away. 

The emerald bracelet was high–quality, clearly expensive, and easily worth millions of dollars. Eliza hadn't expected the Powell family to give Serena something this valuable. 

"You're not allowed to touch that." Serena reached out to take it back, but Eliza dodged her and stepped away. 

Eliza turned the emerald bracelet over in her hands, clearly amused. "So this bracelet's enough to make you lose control. No wonder you're clinging to the Powell family like your life depends on it. Let me help you out." 

Eliza's expression shifted instantly as she suddenly hurled the emerald bracelet to the floor. Even with carpet underfoot, the bracelet still snapped apart. 

Serena's expression changed. She rushed over in a panic, picked up the broken emerald bracelet from the floor, and looked it over carefully. Only when she saw that it was still salvageable did she calm down. 

With proper jewelry repair, it should be possible to restore it. When Serena returned it later, at least she'd have something to show for it. 

Eliza stood there, looking down with open disdain and contempt in her eyes. "You really are pathetic. Sorry. But since it's already broken, I'll throw it out for you." 

Caught off guard, Serena let Eliza snatch the bracelet away. 

The emerald bracelet was only broken into two pieces–there was still hope to get it repaired. But if Eliza damaged it further, there would be no way to fix 

Serena's eyes turned cold as ice. She stepped in front of Eliza at the top of the stairs. "Eliza, give me the bracelet." 

Eliza glanced toward the front door and heard the sound of Victor returning with the kids. 

Just as the door opened, Eliza suddenly grabbed Serena's hand. Tears streamed down Eliza's face, and her voice trembled with sorrow as she said, "Mrs. Powell, it's all my fault."

A flash of malice and calculation passed through Eliza's eyes. The next second, she suddenly threw herself backward. Her face was filled with shock and fear as she tumbled down the stairs. 

"Ellie." Victor rushed forward and cradled Eliza in his arms. "Ellie, are you okay?" 

Eliza weakly reached out and grabbed his sleeve. "Vic, don't blame Mrs. Powell. It's my fault. I shouldn't have upset her." 

Serena walked down the stairs and saw Eliza putting on a show. She said, "She broke my emerald bracelet and tried to run. I didn't push her. She fell on  her own." 

Leon started shouting at Serena like crazy, "You wretch. Why are you so mean?" 

Victor's rage exploded. He stood up and slapped Serena across the face. The sound echoed through the villa. The burning pain spread quickly across her cheek, snapping her back to reality. 

Serena's lips trembled slightly. Tears welled in her eyes but stubbornly refused to fall. "I said I didn't push Eliza." 

Looking at her expression, Victor faltered for a moment. "Seri, what's happening between us has nothing to do with Ellie. Why would you take it out on her?" 

"I told you I didn't. She's the one who broke my emerald bracelet first," Serena said. 

"Victor." Eliza looked at him through teary eyes. "Vic, don't blame Mrs. Powell anymore. It's all my fault. I accidentally broke her emerald bracelet. That's why she got so upset. Victor, I'm hurting all over." 

Only then did Victor snap out of it and remember Eliza had fallen down the stairs. He didn't have time to argue with Serena. He quickly carried Eliza out to take her to the hospital. 

In just a few minutes, the huge villa was completely empty–Serena was the only one left. 

Her cheek was swollen and red. Not a single person cared about her injury. They had all rushed Eliza to the hospital to take care of her. To Serena, the whole thing felt like a joke. 

At the hospital, Eliza lay weakly on the bed. Victor held her hand with concern and said, "Good thing the injuries aren't too serious. I really didn't expect Serena to go that far–actually pushing you down the stairs." 

Seeing that Victor had taken the bait, Eliza hid the satisfaction in her eyes and put on a gentle, understanding expression. "Victor, this whole thing is really my fault. It has nothing to do with Mrs. Powell." 

Victor replied, "Ellie, I know you just don't want me to fight with her, but what she did was way out of line. I think she really meant to get you killed." 

Eliza shook her head. "Mrs. Powell isn't like that. She was right–I broke her emerald bracelet, and that's why she got upset. But I only wanted to take it to get it fixed. Maybe Mrs. Powell misunderstood." 

Victor thought, 'Serena pushed Ellie down the stairs over a bracelet?' 

His anger flared. "Ellie, stop making excuses for Serena. I know exactly what kind of person she is. She's just mad because Leon's getting closer to you." 

"Victor, don't say that about Mrs. Powell. She'd be heartbroken if she heard you," Eliza said softly. 

Victor looked at Eliza who seemed so kind and understanding. He then thought of the way Serena had acted. He figured the contrast between the two couldn't have been more obvious. 

Victor comforted her, "Don't worry. I'll make sure Serena apologizes to you. You're not going to suffer for nothing." 

"I think I should move out," Eliza said. "As long as I stay with you guys, Mrs. Powell will keep picking fights with you. I don't want to be the reason you two keep arguing. I don't want to come between your marriage." 

She turned her head slightly, letting Victor see the tears falling from her eyes, deliberately triggering his urge to protect her. 

Victor explained, "Ellie, things between me and Serena aren't how you think. Just get some rest and don't overthink it. As long as I'm here, you'll always have a place in my house." 

After settling Eliza in, Victor headed back to the villa and went straight up to the second floor, only to find that Serena wasn't there. He turned and made his way to the kitchen. 

In the kitchen, Serena had just grabbed an ice pack to put on her face. When she turned around, she saw Victor storming in, full of anger. He walked straight up to her and slapped the ice pack out of her hand. 

"What are you doing?" Serena asked. 

Victor grabbed her hand and started dragging her out. "Ellie feels guilty because of you. She's hurt that badly and still thinking about you. Come with me to the hospital and apologize to her." 

Serena let out a laugh out of sheer rage as she thought, 'He wants me to apologize to Eliza?' 

She yanked her hand out of his grasp, the love in her eyes completely gone. "Victor, don't you see the swelling on my face?" 

"You brought that on yourself. I don't care what your reason is. You hurt Ellie, so you're coming with me to the hospital to apologize," Victor snapped. 

Serena felt like it was all a sick joke. She stepped back and finally saw Victor for who he really was. "In your eyes, no one matters more than Eliza. I've been married to you for years. 

"I'm the one who took care of you. I was the one by your side during the hardest time of your life. And now Eliza shows up and suddenly I'm invisible?" 

Victor flinched slightly at the look on her face. He thought back to how she had truly looked after him back then. It really had been her who stayed with him through the worst period of his life. 

He thought, 'Why do I feel guilty right now?' 

Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Victor pulled it out and saw a message from Eliza. 

Eliza: [Victor, maybe this isn't my place, but I can't let Mrs. Powell keep hiding this from you. Turns out, she only got close to you because your father paid her.] 

Attached below were two photos–one of Victor's father, Albert, handing Serena a check, and another of Serena passing that check to a man Victor didn't recognize. 

Everything suddenly clicked for Victor. All those memories now felt like a setup. He thought, 'And to think I actually believed I owed Serena something. Turns out I was just fooling myself. 

He demanded, "Serena, tell me–why did you approach me in the first place?" 

The question stunned Serena. She murmured, "What are you talking about?" 

Victor waved his hand and stepped toward her, his eyes bloodshot. He grabbed her shoulders tightly, his voice turning sharp. "I'm asking you-did you take money from my dad? You got close to me because of the money. 

"Everything you did to take care of me was fake. It was all for the money, wasn't it?" 

Serena's body started to tremble uncontrollably. She couldn't deny that in the beginning, she had done it for the sake of the orphanage. But over time, her feelings had become real. 

She muttered, "Victor, let me explain. I really do love you. If it was all fake, why would I give birth to Leon? I could've left once you recovered. Why can't  you believe me?" 

"Believe you?" Victor let out a bitter laugh. "I let you stay in the Powell family because I believed you. I married you because I believed you. And now  you're telling me you were only with me for the money?" 

Serena felt like something heavy had slammed straight into her chest.

Serena said, "Yes, I took the money, but I didn't marry you for it. Why can't you believe me just this once?" 

"What a joke. If you can sell yourself for money, what wouldn't you do?" Victor shoved her hard, catching her off guard. Serena's lower back slammed into the edge of the table. The pain made her eyebrows knit together, but Victor didn't care at all. 

He grumbled, "No wonder you kept going after Ellie once she came back. Turns out you were afraid she'd edge you out, afraid you'd be kicked out of the Powell family with nothing. So this was your plan all along" 

The trust he had built over the years completely collapsed in that moment. 

Back then, Eliza's departure had devastated him. But Serena's betrayal now made him feel even more disappointed, Victor thought, briefly believed Serena was just jealous. Turns out it was all about the money! 

Serena shook her head again and again. "No, it's not true. I never did any of that. Eliza framed me. Ever since we got married, I never thought about taking the Powell family's money." 

But now, Victor wouldn't believe a single word from her. He glared at Serena, his fists clenched, trying to suppress the fury boiling inside. 

He grumbled, "Serena, go to the hospital and apologize to Eliza. If you do, I'll act like none of this ever happened. If you don't, I'll divorce you and make sure you don't get a cent." 

Serena stood frozen, stunned. She thought, 'He's actually using divorce to force me to apologize to Eliza? So to him, everything we've been through over the years means nothing compared to her.' 

Serena said, "I won't apologize to Eliza. Victor, I'll say it one last time. I didn't stay for the money. And I didn't push her." 

Maybe it started with the money. But Serena had never done anything to betray Victor. And from today on, she would only live for herself. She wouldn't do anything foolish for anyone else ever again. 

Victor rolled his eyes at Serena, completely unconvinced. "Save your lies for someone else. I'm done believing you. You sold your body for money. You  make me sick. 

"You're nothing compared to Ellie. Take care of that swollen cheek. I'll have someone pick you up and take you to the hospital." 

As Victor turned to leave, Serena quickly followed. But before her hand could even touch him, he quickly stepped away. 

Her outstretched hand hung awkwardly in the air, but what he said next hurt her even more. "Don't touch me with those filthy, disgusting hands. Just looking at you makes me want to throw up," Victor snapped. 

At this moment, Serena felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. Her throat tightened as if something was lodged there. 

Watching Victor walk away, Serena didn't try to stop him. She had only wanted to clear her name. She hadn't done any of the things he accused her of. 

But then she thought, 'No matter what I say, Victor won't believe me anyway! 

The pain spread from Serena's chest to every part of her body, like countless needles stabbing into her limbs. Her vision the kitchen and cried for a long time, until there were no more tears left to cry. 

She thought, 'Wasn't I already disappointed? I've already packed my things. And Albert will give Victor the divorce papers.' 

She squatted down in.

There was nothing Serena needed to worry about anymore. She took everything that belonged to her from the villa, leaving almost no trace behind. 

Before leaving, Serena went back to the orphanage. When she pushed open the door to the director's office, she saw the director Tiana Brown, who was now well into her fifties, holding a pen and a ledger, frowning in frustration. 

Hearing the door open, Tiana looked up and saw Serena. Her eyes lit up with joy, and she quickly potted Serena down into a seat 

"Seri. What brings you back? I haven't seen you in ages. Why do you look ever skinnier? What happened to your face? Did someone you 

asked. 

Her string of concerned questions made Serena feel a wave of warmth. Serena blinked back the tears and pushed down her emotions, saying its nothing. Some lunatic mistook me for someone else. Tiana, I'm going away for a while. Take this money" 

Serena took a debit card out of her purse. It held the money she had saved up during this time. 

Tiana immediately pushed it back. "No. You've already helped the orphanage so much. I can't take your money again. You should keep it for yourself and take better care of yourself. These days, you can't do anything without money." 

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of myself. Just use this money on the orphanage. Think of it as my small way of helping out." 

"Seri, tell me the truth. Did something happen to you out there?" 

Tiana changed the subject. She could tell something was off with Serena. The sadness in Serena's eyes was hard to ignore. 

Serena replied, "I'm really fine. It's just that I got the chance to study abroad. I gave it up back then, and now I don't want to pass it up again." 

Hearing that, Tiana lit up. "You're going abroad to study? That's a great opportunity. Then I really can't take this money. Going–abroad on your own is hard enough. You can't be short on money." 

Serena smiled and pushed the debit card back again, saying, "I really still have money on me. If you don't take it, I'll have to donate it elsewhere." 

Tiana let out a deep sigh and finally accepted the debit card. "All these years, you're the only one who always thinks about this place." 

Serena pressed her lips together, then finally said what she had to say, "I divorced Victor. Tiana, if anyone comes asking about me after I leave, please don't tell them I went abroad." 

"Divorced?" Tiana's hand paused, and a look of regret crossed her face. She sighed, "You and Victor worked so hard to get married. His illness had mostly healed too, and now you're getting divorced? That's really a shame." 

Serena didn't want to talk about what had happened between her and Victor, and she didn't want Tiana to worry, so she made up a casual excuse. Tiana agreed not to tell anyone. 

After wrapping up things at the orphanage, Serena also sent her resignation letter to the company's email. She had applied in advance, so the resignation process went quickly. She didn't have any burdens left. 

As night fell, Leon clutched his stomach and whined in the hospital room, yelling, "Daddy, my stomach hurts so bad. It's killing me." 

Victor held Leon in his arms and gently rubbed his stomach, noticing how firm it felt. "Why does your stomach suddenly hurt like this?" 

"I don't know. Daddy, it really hurts," Leon said. 

Victor took him to see the doctor and found out Leon had eaten something bad and gotten food poisoning. 

Leon had to stay at the hospital with an IV drip, wincing in pain while still grumbling, "It's all that wretch's fault. I wish Eliza was my mom instead." 

Victor felt awful seeing how pale Leon looked, but he didn't know how to take care of Leon. Serena had always been the one to handle that. 

"I'll ask your mom to come take care of you," Victor spoke. 

Leon protested, "I don't want that wretch." 

Victor frowned. "Don't start." 

Afterward, Victor called Serena. But no matter how many times he tried, he couldn't reach her. 

His expression darkened. He sent her a message, only to find that he had been blocked.