Talia didn't want to look at "Naners" post, but she clicked on it out of habit. The post showed only one image of Christian crouched in front of Nancy.

The caption read, "Had a few drinks and caught a chill. One phone call and you came right over. Having you here with me feels so good."

Seeing this, Talia felt a pang of heartache. Since the woman and Christian loved each other so much, shouldn't she be more generous and let them be together?

If she divorced, she would only want Yvonne and her fair share of the assets. Apart from that, she wanted nothing else. She put her phone away and stepped into the living room.

The housekeeper, Emma Wright, saw her and was stunned for a moment before calling out, "Mrs. Lane?"

"Where is Yvonne?"

"Ms. Yvonne is upstairs playing with her dolls."

As soon as Emma finished speaking, Yvonne's surprised voice suddenly came from upstairs. "Mommy?"

Not having seen Yvonne for so long, Talia felt a pang of sorrow. So, she hurried upstairs to hug her. She crouched in front of Yvonne, cupped her face, and showered her with kisses.

After kissing Yvonne, she was about to speak when Talia saw Yvonne lift her hand and keep wiping her face until her skin turned red before finally stopping. Talia's heart sank, and she swallowed the words she had been about to say.

She looked at her daughter with teary eyes, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

But before Talia could say anything, Yvonne quickly said, "Mommy, you came back at the perfect time. I was just about to call you. I'm starting kindergarten soon, and I want to go to Sunshine Kindergarten on East Street."

When talking about Sunshine Kindergarten, Yvonne's eyes lit up.

Talia was a little confused, but since her daughter insisted on going there, she didn't want to refuse her request. Besides, it was just kindergarten. She figured that they could always switch if it didn't work out.

So, she agreed, "Then let's go with Sunshine Kindergarten."

Hearing this, Yvonne jumped up with joy. "Thank you, Mommy! You're the best!"

Seeing her daughter happy, Talia couldn't bring herself to bring up certain topics. She unconsciously touched her belly, and when she looked up again, she asked Yvonne in a serious tone, "Yvonne, would you like to have a younger brother or sister?"

Yvonne seemed eager to return to her room, but she still thought seriously for a moment before she answered, "I want a younger brother."

Talia felt a sharp stab of pain. With tears in her eyes, she asked, "But what if I'm scared?"

Although the risks from her amniotic fluid embolism had long passed, she had never gotten over the trauma.

Yvonne looked at Talia and replied very seriously, "Then you shouldn't be so selfish. Didn't you have me, too?"

The words hit Talia like a bolt from the blue, leaving her frozen in place. Her face was as pale as a sheet, and she was unable to move.

After a long while, she opened her mouth and stammered for a long time before finally managing to ask, "Aren't you afraid of losing me?"

Since Yvonne's birth, Talia had cared for her day and night—feeding her, coaxing her to sleep—and had barely slept through a whole night in the past four years.

At this moment, she just wanted to ask her daughter if she still loved her. But Talia clearly saw Yvonne furrow her brow. "Come on, Mommy. I need to go to bed now."

After saying that, Yvonne ran back to her bedroom and closed the door. Talia stood frozen at the top of the stairs, a chill running through her entire body.

Soon, Yvonne's cheerful voice came from the bedroom. "Nancy, I can go to the kindergarten on East Street! You can come pick me up directly after work now, so it'll be easier for you.

"And Nancy, please don't have a baby brother or sister with Daddy. I heard Mommy say that having babies is very dangerous. There's a lot of blood, and it can even be life-threatening.

"Let Mommy do the baby-making. She already had me, so she won't be scared.

"I miss you so much, Nancy. I want to hear you tell stories and cuddle with you..."

Standing outside the door, Talia thought about how her daughter had recoiled when she kissed her just now. Her heart felt like it was shattering into pieces.

She had thought that even if she and Christian divorced, her daughter would still be hers. But she never expected that her daughter would follow Christian's lead in choosing outsiders over her own mother.

It turned out that in her marriage with Christian, her sacrifices and devotion were nothing but a joke. No one cared about what she had done in the past.

After a long while, Talia finally dragged her exhausted body down the stairs. Emma saw her dazed state and approached to ask something, but Talia waved her away.

As soon as she left Jubilee Manor, Talia called Christian. She dialed his number several times with no answer, but she didn't give up and continued to try to reach him.

Normally, if she called once or twice and he didn't answer, she wouldn't call again. But that night, she persistently called his number as though she were possessed.

Finally, Christian picked up. "I'm busy. What do you—"

Before Christian could finish speaking, Talia interrupted. "I need to see you. Right now."

Talia was shouting and roaring at Christian like a madwoman through the phone line. Her unrestrained screaming made Christian furrow his brow.

After Talia calmed down slightly, Christian said, "Whatever it is, we'll talk about it when we meet next month."

After saying that, he hung up on the call without ceremony. Listening to the dial tone, Talia found she couldn't even cry anymore.

This was just like Christian, leaving her with no outlet for her anger. The past five years had drained Talia completely. This marriage was something she had to end, no matter what.

Still, she had to fight for her daughter's custody. Even if Yvonne was closer to Nancy now, Talia knew she had to try her best.

After all, she had given birth to Yvonne and raised her through countless sleepless nights. She would never give her up so easily.

Just as she made this resolution, Christian's Rolls-Royce came to a stop in front of Jubilee Manor. Talia looked toward the sound and, through the windshield, saw Christian in the driver's seat with Nancy in the passenger seat, holding a bouquet.

Christian spotted her, too. They stared at each other in tense silence. In the past, Talia wouldn't have dared cause a scene about Nancy's presence, but now, she couldn't even be bothered to care.

After a long stretch of silence, Christian finally got out of the car. Pretending as though he hadn't seen Talia, he went around to open the passenger door for Nancy.

But Talia still called out to stop him. "Christian, let's talk."

Christian ignored her and continued reaching to open Nancy's car door, but Talia rushed over in a few steps.

She slapped his hand away angrily. "Christian, you can be with anyone you want, but Yvonne is my daughter. What right do you have to let an outsider interfere between me and my child?"

Finally, Christian looked at Talia. He looked down at her with contempt and said in a low, heavy voice, "Nancy is more suitable to be a mother than you are."

After saying that, Christian pushed her aside and opened the car door. Talia stood there in shock. It took her a long time to process the deeper meaning in his words.

She wondered if he was planning to replace her with Nancy as Yvonne's mother.

The car door opened, and Christian held his hand above Nancy's head while extending his other hand toward her. The moment their fingers intertwined, Talia turned around.

Faced with this heartbreaking scene, she remained unexpectedly calm. Perhaps because she had figured things out, but she appeared very composed right then.

In the past, she would have cried her heart out. But at that moment, she just wanted to ask Christian what he meant by Nancy being a more suitable mother than she was.

"Christian, what do you mean by that?" Talia's lips trembled slightly, and her voice changed pitch.

Nancy got out of the car, her hand resting on Christian's arm the entire time. Under the moonlight, their two shadows stretched long across the pavement.

Christian acted as if he hadn't heard Talia speak and walked toward Jubilee Manor with Nancy. Talia could no longer remember how many times she had been ignored like this.

Talia's heart was already riddled with holes, but when it came to her daughter, she couldn't let go. So she stepped forward, grabbed Christian's wrist with unexpected strength, and shouted at him, "Christian Lane, answer me!"

Finally, Christian stopped and turned around. He looked at Talia with cold indifference in his eyes.

He twisted his wrist and easily pulled his hand free while saying, "You're busy with work, and Yvonne is still young. She needs someone to look after her. Once you're pregnant with the second child, Nancy will take care of Yvonne, too."

Christian had always been like this. He never consulted Talia on his decisions and always spoke to her in a tone that sounded like an order.

But this time, Talia refused to let him make decisions arbitrarily. When she had decided to go to the neighboring state for her fellowship, she had already found a qualified nanny to care for Yvonne.

It wasn't until last month that she discovered Christian had dismissed the nanny long ago. During the six months of Talia's fellowship, Nancy had moved into Jubilee Manor, living the sweet life of a family of three with Christian and Yvonne.

Talia hadn't wanted to make a scene because she still held onto a sliver of hope that Christian recognized her as his only wife. But without her realizing it, her daughter had been taken away from he, too.

How could she leave gracefully now?

When it came to who would take care of her daughter, Talia lost her composure. Her tone became agitated as she said, "I can take care of my own child. I don't need outsiders."

Christian completely ignored Talia's attitude and simply issued his command. "It's decided."

Talia grew angry. Her usual good-natured demeanor vanished as she loudly protested, "I said I can take care of her myself."

The atmosphere grew tense. Nancy, who was standing behind Christian, sensed the situation getting out of hand and said quietly, "Chris, you and Ms. Stewart should talk first. I'll head inside and check on Yvonne."

After Christian nodded in agreement, Nancy walked toward Jubilee Manor. At that moment, Talia called out to stop her. "Nancy York, stop right there."

Nancy had just turned around when a slap landed on her face. It was Talia who had hit her.

When Christian realized what had happened, he stepped forward and pushed Talia away. He supported Nancy and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

Nancy covered her face as tears rolled down, making her look pitiful and wronged. Christian was extremely worried, fussing over her and examining her face. But Talia didn't think that Nancy was wronged at all.

After all, what kind of woman would get involved with a married man who had a child?

Naturally, it would take two to tango, and Christian wasn't exactly innocent either. Just as Talia was about to speak, a small figure came running out of Jubilee Manor.

Yvonne ran frantically, barefoot, and when she got close, she hurled herself at Nancy.

She hugged Nancy's legs and looked up to ask, "Nancy, does it hurt? Let me blow on it for you, okay?"

Yvonne had been ready for bed, but she saw Christian's car through the window. She knew that he must have brought Nancy back, so she came downstairs to greet them.

Just as she reached the door, she saw Talia slap Nancy. She quickly rushed out and even lost her shoes in the process.

Talia stood to the side, watching her husband and daughter tenderly comfort an outsider. At that moment, it felt like she could hear the sound of her own heart breaking.

Still, Talia refused to believe that the daughter she had raised would turn against her like this. She reached out with trembling hands, murmuring, "Yv—"

But before she could fully call out Yvonne's name, the young girl angrily turned around. She rushed up to Talia and kept hitting her with her hands.

"Bad Mommy! Bad Mommy! You hit Nancy! You're a bad mommy! I don't want a bad mommy like you!"

Talia stood frozen in place, her face instantly pale. In that moment, she suddenly realized that the custody she had desperately wanted to fight for was nothing more than her own wishful thinking.

Christian and Yvonne didn't need her. Standing here now, she felt like a complete fool. What was even more ridiculous was that she had actually gotten pregnant with a second child for a man who didn't love her at all.

Talia lost track of how long Yvonne kept hitting her or what else she said. That phrase "bad mommy" was enough to shatter all her hopes.

Talia stood there in a daze for a while, then let out a bitter laugh. Without looking at Christian and Yvonne again, she turned and walked away. Behind her, Christian and Yvonne surrounded Nancy with care and comfort, completely unaware that Talia had left.

When she turned the corner, Talia couldn't help but look back at the two people she had treasured most over the last five years.

The two figures, one big and one small, each held one of Nancy's hands as they walked toward Jubilee Manor together. They looked so warm and harmonious, as if they were the real family of three.

Talia smiled. She felt bitter and wanted to cry, but not a single tear would fall. These five years had drained all her energy and spirit. She had always put them first, but not anymore.

Leaving Jubilee Manor, Talia walked alone down a long road. Looking back on the past five years, she realized she had long known she shouldn’t have exhausted herself in such a relationship. She just hadn't been willing to face the truth.

But now she understood that she should only love herself properly from now on. Talia took a cab back to Elmwood Estate, where she drafted a new divorce agreement in the study.

His assets would be split 50-50. As for her daughter, she would give up custody. Talia drove back to the neighboring state, Moonbright, that same night after neatly placing the completed divorce agreement on the desk.

After resting for the night, she went to the hospital early the next morning. The doctor working in the obstetrics department that day was her university classmate, Monica Walker.

Monica knew a thing or two about Talia's marriage situation. But when she heard Talia's firm decision to terminate the pregnancy, she was somewhat surprised.

"It wasn't easy for you to conceive this child. Why don't you want it anymore? Even if there are issues with your marriage, you could still keep the child without the father."

Talia sat across from Monica, completely calm. "Monica, I'm a woman, and the most responsible thing a woman can do is not to bring children into the world recklessly. What's more, my life matters too.

"I've made my decision. Please schedule the procedure for this morning."

The old Talia was gone. From now on, she would only invest in herself and people who actually cared about her. As for those who didn't love her, she was done with them.

When Talia woke up again, she was already lying in a hospital room. Monica came to check on her condition, instructing her to rest well for two days before being discharged. After discharge, she would need to properly recover for a month.

Talia agreed to everything. She had already decided that she would take a full month to recover. Her body was her own, and she needed to take care of it.

After Monica left, Talia picked up her phone to check it. As expected, there wasn't a single phone call from Christian.

What happened last night was perhaps just a minor incident for them. But for Talia, it was a significant turning point in her life.

She realized that seeing them for who they truly were was actually a good thing. She figured that it was better than endless internal conflict and struggle.

She mindlessly launched her Instagram app, and Nancy's post appeared at the top of her feed. Above the username, it read "Suggested for you".

In the post, Nancy was holding a child's hand. From the back, Talia recognized immediately that it was Yvonne. The caption read, "It feels so good to be needed".

The background of the photo was the living room of Jubilee Manor. Perhaps out of habit, Talia just smiled faintly, then tapped the three dots and selected the option "Not Interested". The days of secretly checking Nancy's posts were finally over.

After being discharged, Talia hired a home health aide for herself. She rested for an entire month. A month later, she settled the health aide's wages, changed into a clean long dress, applied light makeup, and drove toward Jarrowind.

That day was her ovulation day again—the day for her and Christian's routine attempt at a second child. In truth, when it came to intimacy, Talia hadn't had any particularly satisfying experiences. Christian always went through the motions with her, eager to finish quickly so he could see Nancy.

But that night, she wasn't returning to try for a second child. She planned to have a proper discussion with Christian about divorce.

She arrived at Elmwood Estate at 7:00 pm. Jane saw her return and prepared dinner for her. Afterward, Talia went upstairs to the study.

The divorce agreement lay on the desk, exactly as she had left it last month—untouched. Clearly, Christian hadn't come back at all this month.

Talia waited until after 9:00 pm. Just as she was getting impatient, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. When the door opened, it was Jane who entered.

"Mrs. Lane, Mr. Lane just called. He said that he has something to do tonight and won't be coming home. He wants you to come back next month instead."

Hearing this, Talia just let out a bitter laugh. Next month? She might have been able to come back this month, but next month was uncertain. She was tired of being trapped in this cage.

After hesitating for a moment, she stood and said to Jane, "The next time he returns, remind him that I left something for him on the desk."

Jane lowered her head and replied, "I understand, Mrs. Lane."

Talia picked up her bag and left Elmwood Estate. She didn't know where to go, so she drove aimlessly until she noticed many young men and women walking out of a building called "Jarrowind Concert Hall".

Soon, the crowd dispersed, but the last three people to emerge caught Talia's attention completely. Christian and Nancy were holding Yvonne's hands on either side, all three of them smiling at each other.

"Nancy, you were so dazzling just now, and so beautiful, like a fairy! Your piano playing was wonderful. When I grow up, will you teach me how to play too?

"Please, Nancy?" Yvonne shook Nancy's arms with both hands, acting cute.

Nancy wore an elegant white evening gown, looking like a star fallen into the night, radiating brilliance.

Her expression was gentle as she leaned down slightly in front of Yvonne, her finger lightly tapping Yvonne's nose as she laughed and said, "I'll definitely teach you if you want to learn."

Yvonne jumped up happily, then turned to ask Christian, "Daddy, isn't Nancy amazing?"

Christian's eyes held a trace of a smile as he nodded in response. He hummed in agreement.

Although he was sparing with words, that simple hum carried deep joy and admiration. Yvonne became even happier. "When I grow up, I want to be just as amazing as Nancy."

Talia witnessed the entire scene through the windshield of her car. She had never been on the receiving end of her daughter's admiration.

But when she gave it some thought, she realized that it made sense. After marriage, she had devoted herself entirely to Christian and Yvonne, gradually becoming unkempt and abandoning her former hobbies.

In Yvonne's eyes, she was just a woman who only knew her way around the kitchen, while Nancy was a perfect, untouchable figure. The thought made Talia's heart ache.

At the concert hall entrance, Yvonne spread her arms wide, jumping and fussing. "Nancy, I want you to hold me!"

Christian intervened in time. "Yvonne, Nancy is wearing an evening gown, and it's not convenient to hold you. Wait until we get to the car."

Hearing this, Yvonne's face drooped, clearly unhappy. Nancy quickly bent down to pick her up and smiled at Christian beside her. "It's okay. I'm fine with it as long as Yvonne wants me to hold her."

Christian smiled, his eyes filled with deep affection. Nancy then carried Yvonne down the steps while Yvonne snuggled against her, nuzzling and cuddling. Christian followed behind, holding up the train of her evening gown.

The man who commanded respect in the business world and never bowed to adversity was now bending down to hold a woman's dress train. The trio then got into the car together, and the vehicle drove away.

So this was what her husband meant when he said he had "something to do". Talia couldn't help but laugh.

After sitting in the car for a long time, her phone suddenly rang. It was a call from the hospital.

After answering, Talia politely said, "Dr. Williams."

Talia had studied pediatric surgery. After spending four years as a full-time mother before returning to work, she was among the most junior doctors at the hospital.

On the other end of the line, the department chief, Ryan Williams, said, "Your fellowship may end early. You can return to work at the hospital next week."

Talia hesitated before asking, "Doesn't the hospital have an opening for someone to go to rural areas to provide free health screenings for children? I'd like to apply."

Ryan was somewhat surprised. "Going to rural areas is tough work, and it won't do much for your career progression. The hospital has the opening, but no one is required to take it..."

However, Talia had made up her mind. "Dr. Williams, I'm willing to go. Consider it a vacation for me."

Given her firm attitude, Ryan stopped trying to dissuade her and finally agreed. "Alright. Then go for two months."

…

Soon, another month had passed. Yvonne had also been in kindergarten for a month.

After two consecutive months without conceiving a second child, Christian was once again under pressure from his family. So he returned home earlier than usual on the day Talia was supposed to be ovulating.

He was already at Elmwood Estate before 6:00 pm. Jane was quite surprised to see Christian arrive first. "Sir, you're so early today."

Christian didn't offer any explanation. As he walked toward the second floor, he instructed Jane, "When Mrs. Lane comes back, tell her to come find me in the bedroom."

Jane acknowledged his order and watched Christian head upstairs. Passing by the study, Christian didn't even pause and headed straight to the bedroom.

He had come back solely for the purpose of conceiving a second child. So he didn't need to go anywhere else.

After showering, Christian waited in bed. Three hours had passed, and it was already 9:00 pm. Talia still hadn't returned.

Just as Christian was growing impatient, footsteps finally sounded outside the door.