Chapter 1

When I was 18 years old, I went against my family's wishes and married Camden Bale despite having a net worth of over hundreds of millions of dollars. Later, I gave birth to our daughter, Arlene Bale.

Camden told me that he would always be there for me, even if the sky fell down on me, and I believed him wholeheartedly.

That belief was shattered the day Ruth Carroll gave birth to his son, brought them both home, and Arlene died under mysterious circumstances.

…

"Ms. White, Mr. Bale is already a leader in his industry, and his company is going to be globally renowned soon. Are you sure that you want to divorce him now?"

My lawyer, Saul Payne, kept checking with me repeatedly over the phone about my decision to divorce Camden. However, I was determined with my answer from the very start.

"Yes. Please draft up a divorce agreement between us both, and make it snappy."

I had only just scrolled past that disgusting post on social media while standing at the entrance to the villa.

I had already made up my mind about the divorce on the way home. I refused to live the rest of my life with a man who had a baby with another woman.

However, I had to bring Arlene with me when I left.

I pushed the door open. Arlene wasn't in the living room. Instead, Camden's mother, Patricia Stone, stood there, telling the movers where to set down a couple of huge boxes in the villa.

Meanwhile, Ruth and Camden were sitting comfortably on the couch, looking like they were a family.

I chuckled coldly and forced down the bitterness in my chest. "What is she doing here? Where is Ari?"

Camden stood up at once. "This was an accident, Angeline. Ruth is very weak now after just giving birth, so she's resting here with us instead. I was just about to explain that we actually—"

I looked at him with disdain in my eyes. "What's there to explain? Are you going to come up with an excuse to tell me when you first saw each other behind my back? Or, should I be the one congratulating you instead for your newborn son and wish you and her the best?"

Patricia chuckled sarcastically. "You were married to him for ten years and couldn't even give birth to a son. And yet, look how rude you're being to him now. You're a really rare sight, you know that?"

A loud crash echoed through the room.

Ruth stood up, looking like she only accidentally pushed off the family photo frame on the coffee table. The frame fell to the floor with a crash, breaking apart as the photo slid right out of the frame.

It was a photo of me, Camden, and Arlene.

"Camden, you were the one who told me that the baby was still weak and should stay in the hospital," Ruth said coldly. "You were also the one who told me to come to your home because you said you were worried about me.

"You were the ones begging me to come. But now that I'm here, this is what you're expecting me to put up with?"

Her head was held high in an arrogant manner as she continued disdainfully, "I have my own career. I can raise my son by myself. I can even raise ten of them by myself. If this place doesn't welcome me, then I'll leave at once."

Patricia quickly grabbed Ruth's hands in a fawning manner and exclaimed, "What are you saying? The Bale home will be your future home. You're family; you don't have to worry about a thing. Just live here in peace. I'd like to see who dares to say another word against you!"

She then glared at me and said, "As a matter of fact, somebody else should be the one leaving. She couldn't even produce a son, nearly costing the Bale family an heir…"

I slowly walked over and picked up the photo from the floor. Then, I met Ruth's arrogant gaze and carefully tore off the part of the photo that had Camden in it, throwing it at her.

"Don't worry about it. He's all yours. You can stay however long you want."

With that, I went upstairs without looking back. Camden grabbed the torn photo of him and called out to me a few times, but I never turned around.

However, even after searching the entire second floor and eventually the whole villa, I couldn't find Arlene anywhere.

I began to panic. "Where's Ari? Where did she go?"

Camden glanced at me. "Isn't she in the playroom upstairs?"

"She's not!"

I was so panicked that tears blurred my vision. I roared, "Ari is missing! How could you even call yourself her father? Where is she?"

A hint of panic appeared in Camden's eyes as he also went upstairs to find Arlene.

Meanwhile, Patricia put her hands on her waist and chided, "Why are you yelling? Arlene's already ten years old! Are you saying that she's gone missing just because you didn't see her for a while?

"Camden and I were both busy bringing Ruth back from the hospital. It's not like our eyes are always glued to her 24 hours a day! Maybe she'll come back after she's bored with playing outside!"

Right after she finished speaking, someone came knocking on the door.

It was a team of police officers.

"Is this the home of Ms. Arlene Bale?

"We received a police report that Ms. Arlene Bale was struck by a falling road sign. Unfortunately, she died shortly after reaching the hospital. Can her parents please come with us to take her body back?"

The officer was speaking in a language that I knew, yet I had no idea what he was saying. I understood every word the officer said, but when put together, none of it made any sense to me in my mind.

My daughter was dead?

That was impossible!

I refused to believe it. She had been lying in my arms just last night, listening to a bedtime story before going to sleep. How could she have already left the world today?

Camden kept saying something to me, but I couldn't hear him. I also had no idea how I made it to the hospital.

But then, I saw Arlene's small frame lying peacefully in the hospital morgue.

Her body was cold, and the huge bloody hole in her head showed plainly what she'd been through just moments before her death.

She had always been afraid of the dark. She had to be very scared now.

Tears streamed down my face at once. I could feel my blood freeze in my veins, and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to kill myself so that I could keep her company in death.

Everything had happened too suddenly.

My life of happiness had suddenly plunged into hell.

First, I learned that my husband of ten years cheated on me and brought home his mistress and bastard son. Then, my smart, beautiful daughter died on the same day as well.

Was it just an accident?

Could all of this just be a coincidence?

A huge wave of resentment washed over me, finally snapping me back to my senses.

I shoved Camden aside and called a number that I hadn't called in a very long time.

"Hello, Dad? I'll agree to return home and take over the family business. But, can you please also promise me something in exchange?"