Amanda stared in shock at the boy who looked exactly like her three sons.
This was her eldest!
A searing pain gripped her chest, and she gasped sharply, her whole body weak as she looked at the boy in the corner—his big eyes lifeless and dull.
The butler had said… he couldn’t see.
She never dreamed she would find her son so soon.
The mix of joy and anguish surged through every fiber of her being.
In the soft morning light, tears streamed down her pained face like a broken dam.
“What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to get out?!”
Mark’s handsome little face was full of fury. After not eating for three days, his lips were cracked, and he looked extremely frail.
Amanda walked toward him step by step, suppressing her heartache as she gently tried to hold him.
The sudden embrace was light, but strangely warm.
Mark struggled a bit, then stopped.
He liked this feeling—it was warm, and she smelled nice.
“Baby, if you don’t eat, Daddy will worry… and Mommy will worry too.”
At the word Mommy, his expression grew colder, his emotions spiking as he shouted,
“I don’t have a mom! And my dad doesn’t want me anymore! So what’s the point of living?”
Tears silently rolled down Amanda’s face.
She tightened her hold on her son, her heart aching so badly she could hardly breathe.
Wiping her tears, she held her long-lost child close. At this moment, all the pain was worth it.
“You have a mother. Of course you do. She just… had no choice but to leave you.”
Mark froze.
He had a mother?
She left him because she had to?
It took a while for his emotions to settle.
Then, turning his head slightly, he asked in a cold voice, “Who are you?”
Amanda hesitated, unsure how to answer.
How could she explain to Mark… that she was his mother?
“Mark, I’m Amanda. Don’t worry, your dad will be okay. You’ll be okay too. Once you’re better… you’ll get to see your mom.”
That should give him a reason to hope.
Boom!
Something exploded in Mark’s mind.
He was stunned, his little face full of confusion and disbelief.
“Mommy”—that word was so foreign to his world.
And now someone was telling him… his mom might come back?
Amanda saw his small body tremble slightly.
Her heart ached even more.
“I don’t have a mom! She’s dead!”
Mark shouted angrily, like he was throwing a tantrum. He even pushed Amanda away.
She bit her lip.
She knew he’d be upset.
She also knew… he wouldn’t recognize her.
“Mark, how about I cook something delicious for you? Your dad’s going to get better. And your mom… she’s coming back. Trust me, okay?”
Her voice was soft, gentle.
Suddenly, Mark blurted,
“My dad… he’s really going to be okay?”
It was both a hope—and the reason he kept living.
“Mark, believe me. I’ll save him. I’ll wake him up within ten days. And within half a month, I’ll fix your eyes too.”
“But you have to trust me—and don’t tell anyone that I can do medicine, okay?”
“You really can heal my dad? And my eyes too?”
His voice trembled with emotion, eyes wide even though they saw nothing.
He was serious—desperate for hope.
His father had taken him to many doctors, but none could fix his eyes.
Amanda nodded solemnly, her throat tight with emotion.
“Mark, trust me. Wait here. I’ll go make you something delicious.”
This time, Mark didn’t refuse.
If his dad could live—then he couldn’t die.
He listened to the sound of her footsteps fading into the distance and hugged himself tightly.
Would Mommy really come back?
Did that woman just now… know where Mommy was?
He wanted to get better.
He wanted to find her.
And ask her—what was her reason for leaving?
The small boy curled up into a ball, sadness engulfing him.
Half an hour later, Amanda brought up the food she had prepared.
Just as she reached the door, she heard harsh, taunting voices from inside.
“Hey, blind kid—how’d that mud taste earlier?”
“Oh, that’s right. You’re blind, so even if we fed you mud, you wouldn’t know! Just stay hidden in this little wing and starve to death.”
“Heh, my dad said your dad’s dying anyway. Great-grandpa’s already picked out a new stepmom for you. Stepmonsters are scary. You’ll probably die too. Soon, the whole Schmidt family will belong to my dad!”
Bang!
Amanda kicked the door open.
Inside, three kids turned to look at her in shock and terror.
Fanny: [Amanda, that bastard Micheal refuses to divorce me.]Amanda glanced down at her phone and “bang”—she put down her chopsticks heavily.The loud sound caught the attention of both Mark and Benjamin, who looked over at her.Amanda was focused on typing a message, unaware of their gazes. This was her habit when she was angry.Her slender, fair fingers flew over the screen.[Why won’t he divorce you?]Fanny: [He went to the hospital this morning, got checked, and was diagnosed with a disease.]Amanda smiled slowly, a bit schadenfreude shining in her eyes like stars.“Scumbag, serves him right!” she muttered softly.Benjamin: “…” This woman actually talks to herself.Who was that scumbag anyway?Amanda: [Don’t drag it out with him, just do whatever needs to be done.]Fanny: [I’m stunned too. Cindy and the Terry found tons of evidence against Micheal. With this, there’s no worry. Her mom will have to beg me; the kids will be fine.]Amanda: [Alright.]Amanda put down her phone and rea
Before returning to the country, she had already set up the whole gambling trap. Evelyn’s obsession with gambling was no secret—Amanda had long understood her adoptive mother’s vices and had crafted this show just for her.She came back for revenge. Whatever they did to her back then, she would return it tenfold now.They had stolen the Condensed Fragrance Pill recipe and profited handsomely for years.But soon, they would learn what it meant to wish they were dead.What it meant to have nothing.She had clawed her way out of hell, her body torn by pain, her face bloodied and disfigured, dragging a body filled with hatred, step by step, to where she was now. Even just recalling it made her tremble uncontrollably.To be born human—Evelyn was not worthy of the title.As for Barry, he repaid kindness with betrayal—unfit to be called human.That blind fool… One day, she would make him kneel and beg for mercy.Bitterness churned in Amanda’s heart, her peach blossom eyes filled with icy hat
Aside from Amanda, everyone was stunned by Emma's sudden madness.Seeing Emma rushing to hit Mark, Jeremy stepped forward quickly and tripped her. She fell with a loud thud, her plump body collapsing right at Amanda’s feet.Amanda lowered her gaze to look at her, her expression frosty, her bearing proud. Her delicate features were filled with fury, and her shimmering eyes flickered with cold fire. She was determined to avenge her son.She stepped back slightly and asked in a low voice, “Where did you get the poison?”Not far away, Kevin frowned slightly, casting a thoughtful glance at Amanda.“hm…” Emma let out a strange laugh. “It was a very beautiful young lady who gave it to me. Her name was…”Suddenly, she stopped mid-sentence.Amanda's expression changed abruptly. She looked at every bodyguard in the room.She swiftly crouched down, grabbed the back of Emma’s head, and stabbed a fine steel needle into a critical point.“She’s dead!” She had actually died at the crucial moment!Am
After leaving, Amanda quickly contacted Tara to pick her up and prepare everything she needed. Cindy had taken the children to accompany Fanny through the divorce today, but Amanda hadn’t heard any updates yet and didn’t know how things were going.After arriving at the building, she changed clothes and applied her makeup. Moving with the utmost urgency, she rushed to the café, where Brad was already waiting.She smiled as she approached. Brad looked at her—dressed in an elegant black dress, she appeared composed and mature.He quickly stood up and walked toward her.Amanda glanced at Brad. A white shirt and straight-leg trousers—simple attire, but it only made his noble and refined temperament more pronounced.If this man weren’t gay, he’d have every fan girl swooning.Brad said, “Samantha, I’ll have to trouble you again today.”His voice was gentle and refined, like spring rain softly soaking the earth—soothing and warm.Amanda smiled. “It’s no trouble at all. I have time. Let’s go.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, the three or four servants standing under the tree immediately fell silent.Seeing that it was Amanda and the young master, their faces tensed with unease.Amanda also spotted Emma among the group.Emma, upon seeing her, wore a mocking smirk on her aged face. She was still cracking sunflower seeds, deliberately spitting the shells on the ground with exaggerated force—clearly putting on a show for Amanda.Amanda had expected something like this to happen. People were always so fickle. When you were poor and without status, those who looked down on you would treat you like dirt. But the wealthy were always fawned over and worshipped.“What were you saying?” Mark’s cold, childish voice pierced through the air, eerily similar to Benjamin’s tone.The servants lowered their heads, not daring to speak. This was the moment Emma had been waiting for to shine.“Young Master, we were just chatting idly, nothing important. Are you hungry? I can go make you s
Amanda already knew what she was going to cook today.She would make chestnut claypot rice, steamed fish, boiled shrimp, chicken soup, and pork meatballs with cabbage—enough for the three of them.In the spacious kitchen, everyone was busy with their own tasks, and no one dared provoke Amanda lightly.Everyone had assumed that once Benjamin woke up, he’d kick Amanda out. To their surprise, they were the ones almost out of a job—Benjamin now relied on Amanda for all three meals a day.Aunt Amanda walked over with a smile, watching Amanda prepare hand-made meatballs. She asked cheerfully, “Amanda, do you need help?”Amanda glanced at her and replied calmly, “I wouldn’t dare trouble you, Aunt Amanda. You’re practically half a master of the Schmidt family, while I’m just a newlywed. I wouldn’t dare burden you.”She was Benjamin’s legitimate wife, and they had a marriage certificate to prove it. While she didn’t plan to stay in this house forever, the fact that Aunt Amanda always called he