Chapter 1

Robert Jensen's expression stiffened, the delight quickly fading from his face. He furrowed his brow and said, "You ought to stop being so unreasonable, Winona. You accepted the wedding gifts even though the wedding didn't happen back then, so you're still considered part of the Jensen family.

"How can you speak so indiscreetly? I have only one uncle, who has never married. If he hears you spreading such malicious rumors, he will be highly displeased with you, Winona."

I was truly rendered speechless by his self-righteous demeanor.

He and I were originally in an arranged marriage set up by our families long ago, and I had always merely done my duty as his fiancee. He actually dared to skip out on the wedding, so the Jensen family naturally had to put forward someone else to fulfill the alliance with the Mellor family.

Joshua Jensen, Robert's uncle, hadn't just given me double the wedding gifts; over the years, he had completely doted on me.

I eventually became the wife of the head of the Jensen family—the legitimate Mrs. Jensen—and Robert's aunt. Robert's parents had to treat me with absolute courtesy, so he certainly had no right to act out.

It was then that my son, Anson Jensen, tugged at my clothes, looking up at me timidly. "Who is this man, Mommy? I don't know him."

I gently ruffled his hair, paid Robert no further attention, and turned to walk toward the parking lot.

"You can't leave!" Robert exclaimed, reaching out to stop me.

Claire Lake rushed up from behind us, reaching out with her extravagantly manicured hand to pinch Anson's cheek. "I'm your mother, sweetheart, so come home with me. Your father and I will take you out for a treat."

"Get your hands off him!" I quickly pulled Anson into my embrace protectively and took two steps back.

Anson's cheek turned red from being pinched. He trembled as he pressed himself into my embrace. "I'm scared, Mommy…"

Claire's eyes welled up with tears, her voice instantly becoming thick with emotion while saying, "I'm your mother, sweetheart…"

She then turned to Robert and asked, "Did Winona intentionally teach the child not to recognize me as his mother because she resents me, Robert?"

Robert frowned and reached out, trying to pull Anson from my embrace. "You'd better not push your luck, Winona Mellor! What's wrong with Claire wanting to touch the child when she's the child's biological mother? What the hell is wrong with you?"

He still looked down on me as if he were doing me a favor. "You'd better hand him back to Claire! You and I can have another one in the future if you like children so much!"

I only felt pure revulsion after seeing his revolting expression. "You should get your eyes checked out if your eyesight is poor, Robert. Anson is clearly my son! He has absolutely nothing to do with you or Claire.

"You ought to know that the child you two abandoned back then, nameless and adaptationless, was sent to an orphanage by your parents long ago."

"That's enough, Winona!" Robert snapped, cutting me off. "I get that you're mad because Claire and I left the baby with you so that we could travel around the world, but Claire is his biological mother, so give the boy back to her!"

He shoved me aside after saying that and violently grabbed Anson out of my arms.

Anson struggled desperately in his embrace, his face flushed completely red. "You're a bad man! You'd better let go of me!"

Robert ignored him completely, simply handing him to Claire.

Claire's long fingernails left several red scratches on Anson's pale, delicate arm. She acted as if she didn't notice it, still clutching his arm tightly. "I'm your mother, sweetheart."

I could feel my heart tightening as I watched Anson weeping and resisting, but Robert firmly blocked me in place. He leaned close to me and asked in a flippant and presumptuous manner, "Did you not miss me after all these years, Winona?"