“What family of three? We’re not—”

I cut Theresa off. “All I want is a small cake, a bowl of noodles and some sugar.”

Before I could even finish, Gregory’s son suddenly ran over. He grabbed the remaining cake from the table and smashed it right into my daughter’s face.

“Stupid beggar! Who do you think you are? You don’t deserve to eat Aunt Theresa’s cake!”

Anne’s weak little body got hit by the cake plate and the sharp edge cut her forehead. Blood started dripping down and after starving for three days, she finally collapsed completely.

“Anne!”

I rushed over, holding my unconscious daughter in my arms. Theresa just stood there, not moving while Gregory was smiling proudly in the corner.

The anger in my chest burst like a volcano. “You bastards! What gives you the right to eat while my daughter starves?”

I flipped over the entire dining table.

Gregory who had been staying still and watched the entire drama, suddenly screamed. His eyes soon got red with fake tears.

“Reesa, Paul is being so mean! Cedric and I never had such good food before and now he’s wasting it!”

Theresa ran over protectively to shield him, glaring at me.

“Paulo! Have you gotten too comfortable being a rich man’s husband? Greg and Cedric have been mistreated for so long by his ex-wife! I just wanted to treat them to a good meal! How dare you flip the table?”

Gregory covered his face, pretending to cry. “Don’t blame him, Reesa… maybe we just don’t deserve good food.”

The more pitiful he acted, the more Theresa defended him.

Her expression hardened as she called the restaurant manager and ordered coldly, “Take these two to the kitchen. Make them wash every single dish tonight. They can’t leave until they’re done. If you let them go early, I won’t pay today’s reservation fee!”

The reservation cost at least $75,000. So, the manager immediately became nervous and surrounded us with staff.

I looked up at her with fury. “Theresa, are you insane? Anne has low blood sugar! At least let her eat something!”

Anne was still unconscious on the floor, weak from hunger, yet Theresa pushed me away and said icily, “If you waste food like this, then when you finish washing dishes, you can eat from the trash.”

I was too shocked to speak. Holding Anne, her forehead still bleeding, I followed the manager silently to the kitchen.

Theresa called after me, “If you apologize to Greg and Cedric—”

“No need,” I interrupted.

Anyway, we would never be a family again. I said that only in my heart, then walked away without looking back.

In the kitchen, I washed dishes alone while carrying my unconscious daughter on my back.

Perhaps to get revenge, Gregory kept ordering a lot of dish that somehow requires dozens of plates to serve each.

Normally, there were only two or three hundred dishes to clean, but because of him, I washed from 6 p.m. until midnight.

Then another large basket of dirty dishes was brought in. The manager looked uneasy and whispered,

“That man just treated all the restaurant staff to a bowl of birthday noodles.”

By the time I finally finished, it was almost three in the morning.

Before I left, the restaurant owner stopped me and handed me a packed meal. “You’ve worked hard. Take this, let your little girl eat something.”

That entire day, the only person who showed kindness to me and Anne was but a complete stranger.

I held back my tears and thanked him softly.

Outside the hotel, I sat by the flowerbed and opened the meal box.

I fed Anne bit by bit until she finally regained a little color in her face. Yet, she was still weak.

Her small head rested on my shoulder as she whispered, “I’m sorry, Daddy. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have wanted those socks.”

She was only five years old and yet she already understood too much of this mess.

Hearing her apology felt like acid burning through my chest. “It’s not your fault, Anne. Don’t ever think that.”

I soothed her gently and carried her all the way home.

As soon as I opened the door, Theresa stood up from the couch where she’d been sitting. “Where have you been? Why so late?”

She was holding a small piece of cake, her face showing a trace of regret. “The butler told me it was Anne’s birthday the other day. Why didn’t you tell me?”

I lowered my eyes. What was there left to say?

The old Theresa used to remember every special day like Anne’s birthdays, our anniversaries, even silly dates like our first kiss or the day we held hands. Now, there was no place for us in her heart.

Seeing me silent, Theresa tried to smile as she handed the cake to Anne.

“Look, Anne, your favorite cake!” But the girl who once adored her mother instinctively pushed it away and gagged.

Anne was frightened. She still remembered how Gregory’s son had smashed a cake into her face.

Theresa’s face darkened with embarrassment.

Unable to hold her temper, she snapped at me, “You’ve spoiled her! She won’t even eat cake now. What does she want, caviar? Gregory was right! Making you wash dishes was the right thing to do!”

That was the last straw. I couldn’t hold my anger anymore.

“Do you know why Anne cried? Because that cake you’re holding was what Gregory’s son didn’t finish. You gave her the leftovers!”

My voice was calm, but every word was sharp as a knife. Theresa froze, stunned.

After a few seconds, she stammered, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. Anne, Mommy didn’t do it on purpose—”

I didn’t want to hear more. Exhausted, I carried Anne back to our room and said only,

“Remember to sign the divorce papers.”

That sentence enraged Theresa further. She smashed the cake and grabbed my wrist tightly.

“Divorce? Stop being ridiculous! It’s just a piece of cake! Why can’t she eat it?”

I lost control and shouted, “It’s a blueberry cake! Anne is allergic to blueberries! Do you want her to die?”

Theresa froze, speechless. “I forgot… I’m sorry.”

She tried to take my hand. “I made a mistake, but I won’t agree to the divorce. I’ll make it up to you both. Let’s go celebrate her birthday properly, okay?”

She grabbed us and began calling a restaurant to book a table while gently stroking Anne’s hair.

Then, suddenly, Gregory came out of his room, clutching his stomach.

“Reesa, my stomach hurts!” he groaned.

Theresa immediately let go of me and hurried to him. The tiny smile that had just appeared on Anne’s face vanished again.

Theresa supported Gregory, saying anxiously, “It must be his old stomach problem. It can get serious, I can’t ignore it.”

I said nothing.

Meanwhile, Theresa was already rushing out to start the car.

Only Gregory and I were left in the hall.

Suddenly, he unbuttoned his shirt, showing off a chest full of kiss marks. He crossed his arms and looked at me with a mocking smile.

“You useless old man. Why are you still clinging to Reesa? No wonder she doesn’t want to touch you — she says you smell like an old man.”

“I’m three years younger than her, stronger, full of energy. Do you know how crazy she is when she’s with me? If you had any self-respect, you’d leave her.”

I spoke coldly, “Don’t worry. I have no interest in breaking up a pair of trash lovers.”

Gregory’s smile froze. He suddenly slapped me hard across the face.

“Who are you calling trash?!”

“Don’t touch my dad!” Anne, frightened but brave, rushed forward to block him. But at that moment, Gregory pretended to fall down the stairs as Anne accidentally brushed against him.

Theresa, hearing his scream, ran into the room. She saw Gregory lying on the floor crying and immediately lost her mind.

She kicked me viciously. “What did Greg ever do to you? You just can’t stand him! Did you tell Anne to push him? You petty, jealous man!”

“Anne didn’t do anything! We didn’t touch him!” I said, shielding my terrified daughter.

But Theresa didn’t believe me.

Gregory pulled at her sleeve, pretending to cry. “Forget it, Reesa. Paul’s just jealous because I have a son. He told us to get out. It’s fine — Cedric and I can live on the streets if we have to.”

Theresa’s anger burned hotter. “Who said you’re leaving? This house isn’t for Paulo to control!”

She turned on Anne and shouted with rage. “Kneel down! Apologize to Uncle Greg!”

Anne had already suffered so much that she got weak and sick. Worse now, she was being humiliated again.

I couldn’t stand it any longer. I rushed forward and punched Gregory square in the face.

“You scum!”

“Enough!” Theresa immediately protected Gregory while pointing at me and Anne with a furious look.

“Like father, like daughter. You’re both just cruel and jealous. You can’t even tolerate a poor father and son!”

“Butler! Stop their living allowance for one month! From now on, they can only eat the leftovers from Greg and Cedric!”

I glared at her, but Theresa just said coldly, “If you don’t eat, then starve. Report to me when you’re dead.”

That night, Gregory ordered the servants to move Anne and me into the small servant’s room in the garden.

It was November and suddenly heavy snow began to fall. Anne didn’t have a warm coat and after school, she caught a bad cold and soon developed a high fever. Seeing her burning hot face terrified me, but the butler still refused to help.

With no other choice, I carried Anne all the way to Theresa’s company to ask her for money for the hospital.

But I waited for a long time and caused the security guards stopped me at the entrance.

“I’m Theresa Bloom’s husband. Let me in!”

The guard laughed, looking me up and down. “Impossible. Lady Bloom’s husband works inside, he’s her personal assistant. They’re very close. Who are you, a beggar pretending to be him?”

Employees walking by whispered and pointed at me. My clothes were old and thin; I looked nothing like the husband of a rich CEO.

I clenched my teeth and said, “Then call him. I want to meet her ‘husband.’”

“Oh, he’s right there.” I looked up and saw Gregory, wearing a silk shirt, stepping proudly out of the elevator.

Everyone greeted him respectfully:

“Good afternoon, Mr. Mars.”