“Harriet, I will settle the past ten years with you!”

Bryan saw them leaving and quickly ran after them. The driver rushed over to open the car door. Richard carried Emily into the car and Bryan got in with them.

They looked like a perfect family of three.

As the car drove away, I slowly looked away. When I turned around, the cold wind blew hard, cutting into my skin. Ten years had passed, but like a leaf falling from a tree, it left no trace behind.

The servants whispered behind me.

“She’s been his wife for ten years and still haven’t had a child. Isn’t that just taking up space without doing anything?”

“Shh! Don’t let Mrs. Ford hear you!”

I ignored them, walked upstairs and called my lawyer.

“Please write a divorce agreement between Mr. Ford and me.”

“As for the property, I won’t give up a single cent.”

The lawyer sounded a bit hesitant as he said from the other end, “Everything else is easy to arrange. But the airport in the northern suburbs, that’s what Mr. Ford planned to give you as a gift for your tenth wedding anniversary. It’s almost ready to open.”

“Are you sure you want to do this now, Mrs. Ford?”

“After all, building your own airline was your biggest dream.”

Yes. Before I married into the Ford Family, I had dreams, too. But I gave them all up. It was not for love, but for the future of the Ford Family. I lived like a person without a soul. But not now.

I asked, “How long until it opens?”

“The opening ceremony is in seven days.”

I nodded. Let it be then. Besides, I wouldn’t mind waiting for another seven days.

Richard didn’t come home until the next day. I was eating breakfast when the servants rushed in.

"Mrs. Ford, Mr. Ford is back. He brought Miss Burnett and the child with him."

I didn’t say anything.

Richard came in carrying Emily. She kept her head down and leaned into his chest like she would break if anyone touched her. On the other hand, the little Bryan ran into the room and kicked me hard.

“You bad woman! You hit my mom! You’re a bad woman!”

Emily tried to stop him and struggled to get out of Richard’s arms.

“Bryan, don’t be rude. Say sorry to Mama Harriet.”

‘Mama Harriet?’ I thought to myself, wanting to puke at the mention of it.

Richard held her tightly as he gently told Emily, “Don’t move. You’re still hurt.”

After calming her down, he looked at me and said in a cold voice, like it was just a fact, “Emily and the child will live here from now on.”

The servants all heard him. All of them lowered their heads as they quietly glanced at each other. His words made it clear.

Richard didn’t care about me anymore.

I brushed the dirt off my pants where Bryan had kicked me, stood up and asked, “If they’re living here, then where am I supposed to live?”

He frowned and sounded impatient as he answered, “Don’t make a scene.”

After that, he said, "Talking too much will only embarrass you."

I asked again, “Really? But isn’t bringing your mistress into this house what’s really embarrassing?”

“Harriet!” he shouted sharply.

His voice made all the servants freeze.

Richard had always been the authority in this house. Before, he used to spoil me. It was because of that love, I had always stood tall.

“You should understand,” he said coldly.

“Emily gave me a son.”

He said it in front of everyone, like he was slapping me in the face.

Before I could say a word, Emily started crying.

She held onto Richard’s sleeve and said softly, "Richard, please don’t fight with Harriet because of me. I feel terrible for you."

She looked at me carefully and said, "Harriet, don’t worry. Bryan and I are just staying here for a little while. We won’t disturb you."

"If Bryan and I ever do anything wrong, just tell us. We’ll change, I promise."

I didn’t respond. I simply walked upstairs.

Behind me, I heard Richard’s soft voice as he spoke, “Don’t be scared. I’m here. She won’t dare to touch you.”

“You can live here peacefully.”

With those words, the servants immediately surrounded Emily and Bryan. They were all smiles and spouted words of flattery. It was a contrast compared to me.

I shut the bedroom door behind me, which blocked out the noise. Obviously, I didn’t want to hear their voices anymore. The only thing I focused on was the airport.

It was just seven more days to go until the opening of the airport. I knew that I could hold on well. I had to.

The house had become chaotic. With a child around and the servants acting like he was royalty, the living room was always noisy. I couldn’t stand it, so I asked my assistant to take me to the company.

During Richard’s memory loss, I had taken care of the group’s business. He didn’t like dealing with unfamiliar people, so everything had been left to me. But when I arrived at the office building, my fingerprint didn’t unlock the door.

Confused, I turned to my assistant and asked him “What’s going on?”

Richard’s secretary ran over, clearly nervous, as she answered, “Mrs. Ford … Mr. Ford said…”

“Said what?”

“He said the Ford Family now has an heir. He plans to personally train him.”

The people around gasped.

“An heir? Mr. Ford has a child?”

“I thought Mrs. Ford couldn’t get pregnant?”

“Didn’t you hear? That child’s his illegitimate son!”

My fists clenched.

“Open the door,” I ordered the secretary.

She hesitated before she spoke again to me, “Mrs. Ford … I can’t … Mr. Ford gave strict orders…”

I stepped closer, telling her coldly, “I said, open the door.”

Before she could reply, Richard’s cold voice echoed from behind me.

“You don’t get to give orders in the Ford Family anymore.”

I turned around. He was carrying Bryan. Without even glancing at me, Richard walked into the office and sat down at his desk with Bryan on his lap, playing with him like they were the only two in the world.

He didn’t even look up when he spoke, “Go home if you’ve got nothing to do. Your job is to handle the household now.”

The secretary and assistant stared at me, unsure of what to do. Part of me wanted to argue, to scream, to demand the respect I deserved. But instead, I turned and walked away.

Back home, it was no better. All the servants were doting on Emily again. No one even called me down for dinner.

Later that night, the lawyer sent over the first draft of the divorce agreement. We had many assets to divide and I needed time to review everything carefully. Just after midnight, I went downstairs to get some water.

The house was dark, except for Richard’s study. I heard muffled voices … and then soft crying. So, I followed the sound and peeked through the half-open door.

Emily was leaning on the desk, her back toward me.

“Richard, I’ve waited ten years for you. I was so scared I’d never get you back.”

He pulled her into his arms as he gently told her, “Silly girl. How could anyone forget you?”

“Everything that happens outside … it was just a performance.”

Emily lifted her face to his. Her lips brushed his jaw. Richard’s eyes darkened. Then, he picked her up and placed her on the desk.

I turned away the moment I heard the sound of fabric tearing. This was it, then. After all these years, I was nothing more than a performance.

Without further ado, I walked back to my room. For a while, I sat down. Eventually, I managed to sign the divorce agreement.

The next morning, it seemed that Richard was still high on romance as he actually called me downstairs for breakfast.

Richard served me bagels like he used to, even testing the temperature before placing it before me.

"Harriet," he called me with that tone of fake gentleness.

He then proceeded to shamelessly said, "I know you're upset, but you're still the wife of the Ford Family. That won't change."

"Even if Emily and the child live here, you'll be Bryan’s mother to everyone’s eyes. Do you understand?"

"If it still bothers you, I can arrange for them to live somewhere else."

My stomach turned. I dropped the spoon and stood up.

I coldly told the man, "Richard, I despise the idea of someone else’s child calling me ‘Mom.’ It disgusts me."

Richard slammed his bowl down as he said, “Harriet, don’t push your luck!”

“Five days from now is Bryan’s birthday,” he continued coldly.

After that, he said, “I’m throwing him a huge party and announcing him as my heir.”

“If you try anything, don’t blame me for what I’ll do.”

Five days? That was the day the airport was scheduled to be operational. I had no intention of attending his party. Let him do whatever he wants.

The next day, the airport manager called me for the final inspection and signing. But on the way back, a van slammed into my car. When I stepped out to check the damage, two strong men got out of the van, knocked me unconscious and dragged me away.

Before I blacked out, I heard one of them chuckle, “Too bad Miss Burnett has other plans. Otherwise, I’d have some fun with her.”

I wanted to scream, but everything went dark. When I woke up, I was in an abandoned warehouse. Emily stood in front of me, smiling.

"Harriet, finally awake? Are you surprised to see me?"

My head throbbed and my body felt weak.

Nevertheless, I still managed to ask, "Why … why did you kidnap me?"

"You’ve taken Richard from me for years," she said, snapping.

"And you have the nerve to ask why?"

"Do you really think being born into the Steinberg family makes you special? Money can’t buy Richard’s heart. He has always loved me. He always will."

Her voice got louder and more unstable. Suddenly, she slapped me so hard I fell to the floor. It was then that I noticed her leg. It was all perfectly fine.

"Your ... your leg, so it’s not broken?"

Emily scoffed. Just then, her phone rang. She answered it calmly, hung up, then turned to me with a cold smirk.

Without warning, she grabbed a brick and smashed it into her leg. She screamed in pain. Moments later, Richard came running in.

Emily lay on the floor, sobbing, as she said, “Don’t blame Harriet, Richard! She did it because she loves you too much!”

I struggled to sit up as I told him, “She’s lying! Richard, it wasn’t me. She was the one who hurt herself!”

But he didn’t listen.

His eyes were filled with rage as he stared me down and shouted, "You already crippled one of Emily’s legs. And now this?"

“Today, you pay for what you’ve done!”

Richard bent down, grabbed a heavy stone and slammed it into my leg. I heard the sickening crack as pain exploded through my body. He then tossed the stone aside, scooped Emily into his arms and left without a single glance back.

I fainted. When I opened my eyes again, the warehouse was empty. At the time, I was drenched in sweat, barely conscious. Still, I forced myself to drag my broken leg inch by inch toward the road.

A kind stranger saw me and called an ambulance. It was how I survived. Three days later, after I was discharged, I asked my lawyer to pick me up.

After that, both of us went straight to the airport.

On the very first day the airport opened, the first plane that took off was the one flying me abroad. Back in Boston, Bryan’s birthday party was in full swing.

Richard, who was desperate to give Bryan a sense of status and legitimacy in the Ford Family, suddenly thought of me, his lawful wife.

He turned to his assistant and said coldly, "Go pick up my wife. Bryan will serve her hot chocolate later."

"Tell her to behave. She must drink the hot chocolate he offers her."

The assistant quickly nodded and left.

But the assistant returned soon after. This time, she was rushing to see her boss. She looked pale and was barely breathing as if she had run a marathon.

"Sir… I-I mean Mr. Ford," she said, stammering as she handed over a document.

"This is from Mrs. Ford’s lawyer."

The assistant continued, "He said you don’t have to worry anymore. Mrs. Ford won’t be bothering you again."

"She … she’s never coming back."