Chapter 1

Seeing the shock in Caspian Hayes' eyes, I hung up and calmly said, "I was just joking. Even if I do have a family to go home to, they won't welcome me."

Only then did Caspian finally relax.

"I'm celebrating Erin's birthday tonight, and Noah is coming too."

"Do you want me to come along?" I asked and smiled.

Caspian looked surprised. In the past, I would have thrown a massive fit if he ever said anything like that, crying and screaming to stop him and Noah Hayes from meeting Erin Winslow.

But now, there wasn't a trace of resentment on my face. I even proactively offered to join them.

Even so, he coldly turned me down.

"You don't have to come along. Her parents raised you for years, but now that she's finally reunited with them, this is the first birthday party her biological parents are throwing for her. Your presence will only make things awkward for everyone."

Every word he said made it clear that I didn't belong, and I just stood there, listening in silence.

I had a foster family I could never blend into, a biological family I could never return to, and my in-laws had no place for me. I was the perfect embodiment of the word "orphan" Caspian always threw around.

I indifferently nodded. "Fine. I won't go then, but do me a favor and deliver Erin her gift."

While Caspian looked me up and down in utter disbelief, I ignored his stare and pulled out a box from the cabinet before handing it to him. It contained a pair of sparkling earrings.

He barely glanced at it before disdainfully saying, "This gift is way too basic for Erin."

I stood rooted to the spot and watched as he carelessly tossed the box onto the desk. He had no idea that this so-called basic item was the finest gift I had to offer.

Erin and I were never close, but since it was her birthday, I didn't want to give anyone an excuse to start drama. So that day, I rummaged through the cabinets and turned the house upside down before I finally managed to find that pair of exquisite, expensive earrings.

I hadn't even been able to bring myself to wear the earrings, yet Caspian tossed them aside with disgust.

Deep down, I knew that he didn't think the earrings were basic. He simply looked down on any gift that came from me, a mere housewife.

Frowning, he looked up at me and asked, "I bought Erin a necklace as a gift a few days ago. Where did you put it while you were cleaning?"

I had seen the necklace he was talking about a few days prior. It was the most thoughtful gift I had ever seen him buy in our five years of marriage.

Back then, I thought he had noticed my odd behavior. Maybe he was trying to surprise me on my birthday and make peace.

So, I tucked it away on his bookshelf and pretended to have never seen it.

As it turned out, I wasn't the rightful owner of the gift at all.