bChapter /b1

In the empty room, Jessica Atkinson held a paintbrush in her hand, listening to her mother’s weary voice over the phone.

Ste bGrant /bsaid, “Jessi, bhave /byou thought about what we talked aboutst time? Your grandfather’s seriously ill. You’re the only child your dad and I have. bAre /byou really still noting home to take over thepany?”

In the dim light, Jessica added the final stroke to a painting of a family of three.

Just as bSte /bthought she’d failed to convince her daughter again, Jessica suddenly spoke, “Okay,”

bSte /bfroze, clearly caught off guard. “Y–you’re saying yesb?/bb” /b

b“/bbYes/b.” Jessica’s voice was calm. “I’ll do it. But I need some time to wrap things up here. I’ll be back in 15 days.”

bAfter /ba few more words, she ended the bcall/b.

Jessica stepped out of the room and looked down at the three people in the living room.

Her eyesnded on the man sitting on the couch–Brian Atkinson. His features were striking, sharp without being harsh.

He had ba /bquiet, restrained kind of presence. His shirt and cks were perfectly tailored, the cor buttoned all the way to the top. He looked every bit the picture of elegance and control.

This was Jessica’s husband, the man she had insisted on marrying even though it meant turning down her family’s arrangement and cutting ties with them.

In Hartdale, Brian held tremendous power and was always serious and distant. People around him saw him as cold and untouchable, yet now he bwas /bspeaking to another woman in a gentle tone.

Beside them, a boy around five years old with délicate features, Jacob Atkinson, threw himself into the woman’s arms. Blinking his wide eyes, he said sweetly, “Maddie, I want fish casserole. Will you make it for me?”

Madeline Houghton tapped his nose with a fond smile. “Of courseb./bb” /b

Jacob’s eyes lit up, clearly thrilled. He remarked, “Maddie, you’re the best. Not like my mom–she never lets me eat too much.” As he spoke, he even pouted a little.

Madeline smiled and gently coaxed him, “Then you’ve got to eat a little bextra /btoday, Jake.”

Jacob nodded with a warm chuckle. “Maddie, I wish you were my real mom.”

Madeline’s smile deepened,

Upstairs, Jessica felt a dull ache in her chest. She always thought kids tended to overeat when they liked something. She only watched Jacob’s diet because she didn’t want him to get sick. That was all.

Jessica didn’t feel like watching any longer. That was her husband and her son, but somehow, the three of them looked more like a breal /bfamily. She bwas /bthe one who seemed out of ce.

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She turned around and went back into the room.

Not long after, footsteps came from outside. Madeline walked in. Her makeup was wless, her smile gentle. “Jessi,e downstairs with me. Let’s celebrate Jake’s birthday together.”

Madeline used to be Jessica’s intern. She came from a poor background and was barelypetent.

Jessica had once listened to Madeline cry about her bpast/bb, /bsaying that if she still couldn’t find a job, she would have bno /bchoice but to go back to her hometown and get married.

Jessica had felt sorry for her and brought her into thepany. She never imagined she’d end up bringing in the very woman who would destroy her family.

Madeline had studied herb, /bmimicked herb, /band tried to take her ce–to be the new Mrs. Atkinson. By the time bJessica /brealized bit/b, Madeline had already made her way into the household, getting along perfectly with her husband and son.

Jessica had long seen through the mask Madeline bwore /band had hated herself for bringing trouble into her own home. Jessica said coldly, “I’m not feeling well. I’m not going.b” /b

Madeline spoke bwith /bfeigned innocenceb, /b“Jessib, /byou’re Jake’s mom. It would mean a lot to him if you said happy birthday to him.”

Jessica frowned, about to turn her down again. But then something crossed her mind, and she let out a sigh.

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5.57 AM d

She figured this was between her and Madeline, Jacob was still bjust /bba /bchild who shouldn’t be affected by it. As his mother, Jessica felt it bwas /bonly right to wish him a happy birthday.

With that thought, she set down her paintbrush and walked downstairs, brushing past Madeline’s shoulder,pletely ignoring her.

For ba /bsplit second, Madeline’s smile froze. A flicker of malice passed through her beyes/bb, /bbut she quickly followed after.

When Jessica saw Brian and Jacob, she paused.

Ten byears /bago, she’d joined the Atkinson Group to challenge herself and met Brian there. They’d fought, teased, and fallen into marriage. She had rejected her family’s carefully bid /bns and insisted on marrying Brian, even cutting ties with them to do it.

For the past bten /byears, she’d never once regretted her decision. Her husband was rich, handsome, and he treated her well. Their son was smart and adorable. She had once truly believed she had a happy life.

But then, Jessica looked at Madeline, who was smiling attentively as she served food to Brian and Jacob. Madeline’s presence had changed everything that once felt so perfect.

bJessica /bsilently picked up her fork to eat, but then a wave of nausea hit her. She quickly put the fork down and rushed to the bathroom, gagging

over the sink.

Brian stood up, looking concerned, about to follow her, but Madeline stopped him in a flurry of panic.

She clutched his sleeve, her eyes wide with worry. “Mr. Atkinson, what’s going on with Jessib?/bb” /b

Brian spoke gently, trying to reassure her, “She’s been like thistely. bIt’s /bnothing. Don’t worry.”

After saying that, he turned to look at Jessica and sneered coldly, “What’s the excuse this time? A cold? Or bis /bthe food bat /bhome not good enough?”

Jessica didn’t respond. She wiped the corner of her mouth with a tissue and thought, ‘If bI /bsaid I was pregnant, would they even believe meb? /b

i‘/iForget it. I’m leaving soon anyway. Why bother telling them? No need to ruin the sweet little bond between my husband and his mistress.

Even as ba /bsecretary, Madeline still dared to chide her bossb, /bspeaking in a syrupy tone, “Mr. Atkinson, don’t say that about Jessib. /bMaybe she really isn’t feeling well. She’s lost a lot of weighttely.”

Then she stood up, made a cup of hot chamomile tea, and handed it to bJessica/b. b“/bbJessi/bb, /bare you okay? Here, have some chamomile tea.”

Still nauseous and not wanting to see Madeline’s bface/b, Jessica bgrew /birritated and pushed her away.

She hadn’t even used much force, but Madeline let herself fall with the motion, and the hot chamomile tea spilled onto her own hand.

“Owb!/bb” /bMadeline cried out.

“Maddie,” Brian and Jacob called out at the same time. They instantly rushed to her side, their eyes full of concern as they looked at her hand which bwas /bscalded red.

Jacob’s eyes welled with tears, feeling sorry for her. “Maddie, does it hurt a lot?”

Madeline forced a smile and tried to look strong. b“/bbIt’s /bokay, Jake. I was just being careless. It doesn’t hurt.”

Brian red bat /bJessica, his eyes zing. His voice was like bice/b. “What bare /bbyou /btrying to pull nowb?/b”

Jessica was overwhelmed with sadness and disappointment. bShe /bcaught the smug look in Madeline’s eyesb, /bthen bsaw /bher own son standing in front of Madeline like a little protector. Jessica shut her eyes in despair and said, “I didn’t do anything.”

But Brian didn’t believe her. When the family doctor arrived, Brian helped Madeline sit down, letting her lean against his chest. There was disappointment in his deep–set beyes /bas well.

He said usingly, “Jessib, /byou’ve changed. You were never the kind of person to do something like this out of jealousy.”

Jessica thought, I’ve changed? Yeah, I bhave/bb./b‘

Ten years ago, she wouldn’t have had stretch marks from childbirth. Her skin wouldn’t bhave /bgone dull from staying up all night.

And she definitely wouldn’t bhave /bquit her job and be a bhousewife /bjust because of Brian’s bwords/b–only to be reced by another woman.

Jessica suddenly felt exhausted. She held back the exnation she almost bgave /band turned to head upstairs.

Right before entering her room, she looked back down at the chaotic bscene /bbelow and gave onest nce at the husband and son she had once loved with everything she had.

Brian and Jacob bwere /bstill the same, hovering around Madeline, the three of them tangled up like they couldn’t bear to be apart.

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Jessica gave a bitter smile and shook her head. Then she gently touched her belly and set a countdown on her phone. Without a trace of hesitation, she turned and went back into the room.

From this moment on, she wouldn’t disturb them again.”