Chapter 1

I watched my mother take my five-year-old self by the hand and walk over to Melody Xanders’ mother, Layla Lance.

After learning that Melody and I were classmates, Layla invited us to have some snacks.

She eagerly ordered an ice cream. When she noticed my mother looking at her pregnant belly, she smiled.

“My husband is being really strict with me. Since I’m pregnant, he won’t let me have anything good. I’ve been craving this so badly.”

My mother asked softly, “Are you due soon?”

“This month. It’s a boy.”

My mother smiled and said, “Your husband must be thrilled.”

“Yes, he’s over the moon. It’s our second child, but he’s still very excited about it.”

My mother said wistfully, “You two have such a great relationship.”

Layla was pleased when she heard that.

She smiled and said, “We’re okay. I actually ran off to study abroad once out of spite, and he flew all the way across the world to find me. To feed my ego, he went along with taking multiple sets of wedding photos with me back-to-back.”

I could not help but think of the loving stories my mother had told me many times about her and my father.

She had come to Harbor City for college and fell in love at first sight with a poor young man. That man was my father. After she graduated, they got married.

Their wedding photos were Photoshopped because my father did not have time to take actual ones. Immediately after they got married, he left the country.

Even after I was born, my father never came home. He never even held me.

My mother would always comfort herself by saying that he was just too busy to come home.

But when the truth finally came out, it really broke her.

Layla was still sweetly complaining to me, “My husband is so good to me. He even booked me into the most expensive postpartum center in Harbor City.

“He wouldn’t let me lift a finger. Honestly, he’s spoiling me rotten.”

My mother’s hands were trembling.

I remembered her saying that she had to return to work before she fully recovered from childbirth. That was how she ended up with chronic health issues.

She worked all year round and never allowed herself a single day off.

Layla suddenly asked my mother, “What about your husband? Can’t he even take one day off for your child on Children’s Day?”

My mother smiled bitterly. Layla seemed to understand and tried to comfort her, “Honestly, they’re all the same. While I was abroad for a while, my husband found someone else, too.

“But the funny thing is, he pretended to be poor the whole time. He was terrified that the woman would only want him for his money.

“He’s actually a CEO, yet he ate cheap takeout with her every day. I actually felt sorry for him.”

My mother forced a smile and asked, “Really? What ended up happening to that woman?”

Layla shrugged. “I think she had a daughter. He had fake wedding papers made for her. She’s probably stuck in some rundown place now.

“She’s quite pitiful, too, honestly. My husband even told her he was some kind of undercover agent. She didn’t even get a decent place to live out of it.

“I mean, what do you think she even saw in him? It couldn’t have been love, could it?”

Just then, a familiar voice came from behind us.

“Layla, are you eating ice cream behind my back again?”