Chapter 7

The voice came from the room on Allison's left. She stopped and turned toward it.

The door was slightly ajar, giving her a clear view of everything inside.

Camila was propped up against the raised hospital bed while Philip leaned over the mattress, clutching both of her hands. Daniel sat in a chair nearby, watching them with a warm smile.

Anyone who didn't know better would have thought they were a happy family of three.

Camila looked at Philip fondly and let him shake her arm. "I'm fine, darling. I'm sorry I made you worry about me."

She leaned down and gently kissed his forehead.

Philip didn't pull away. Instead, his cheeks turned pink, making him look even more adorable. But what he said next sent a chill through Allison.

"This is all Mommy's fault! She didn't even know what was going on, but she came in and ruined everything. She upset you so much that you ended up in the hospital. I hate her. If she doesn't apologize to you, I'll never talk to her again. I'll never forgive her!"

Camila's eyes widened, as though she hadn't expected Philip to say that. Her eyes filled with tears; she looked both hurt by what had happened and touched that he was defending her.

Daniel finally cut in, his tone stern. "Philip, that's enough. This is between the adults."

Philip pouted. "No. Mommy was awful!"

Then he let go of Camila's hand and walked over to Daniel. With a completely serious expression, he said, "Daddy, divorce Mommy. Then Camila can really be my mommy, okay?"

"What?" Camila gasped, looking stunned. "Philip, what are you saying..."

"Philip." Daniel's expression hardened. "Who taught you to say that?"

Daniel wasn't just a professor who supervised graduate students. He also ran a technology company with more than a thousand employees. When he turned serious, his presence alone was enough to silence the room.

When he saw how angry Daniel was, Philip burst into tears and threw himself into Camila's arms.

Even though he was scared, he still refused to back down.

"I don't care! I like Camila, and I don't like Mommy! Camila does experiments with me and teaches me things the other kids don't know. Even Grandma and Aunt Kimberly said you deserve someone smart like Camila."

"That's enough. Stop talking nonsense!"

Daniel shot to his feet and strode over, reaching for Philip.

Camila immediately held Philip tighter. "Don't be so hard on him. He's still young. He doesn't understand what he's saying. He needs patience and guidance, not punishment."

Daniel looked at Philip sobbing in Camila's arms, and his frustration flared again. "Allison can't even teach her own son how to behave. What can she do right?"

Even though Allison had already made up her mind, his words still cut deep.

"Please don't say that about Mrs. Hall. No one knows everything, and everyone has their limits. I'm sure she's done the best she can. It's just..."

Camila trailed off when she looked up and saw Allison standing outside the door. Her expression immediately stiffened.

"M-Mrs. Hall..."

Philip lifted his head from Camila's arms and spotted Allison, too. "Mommy?"

Daniel stayed where he was, staring at Allison. The irritation in his eyes faded slightly when he saw her.

His voice, however, remained cold. "I'm glad you finally came to your senses. Come in and apologize to Camila."

Allison paused. Daniel clearly misunderstood and assumed she came to apologize.

The moment Philip heard that Allison was going to apologize, he jumped off the bed and ran into the hallway. Before she could say anything, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the room, just as he had shoved her away and ordered her to leave at the wedding.

"Mommy, you upset Camila so much that she ended up in the hospital. Hurry up and apologize! Good people admit when they're wrong."

Philip pulled Allison to a stop beside Camila's bed and looked up at her expectantly.

Camila's face went pale. She quickly waved her hands, looking flustered and anxious to explain.

"You don't have to apologize. I'm the one who owes you an apology. Please don't misunderstand Professor Hall. He was only trying to help because my family was pressuring me to get married. The wedding wasn't real."

Then, as if something else had just occurred to her, she quickly added, "And the kiss wasn't part of the rehearsal or the plan. I don't know why the emcee added it during the ceremony. I swear I'm telling the truth. Please don't blame Professor Hall because of me. I'd never forgive myself."

Daniel watched his student force herself to explain despite how weak she was, all for the sake of defending him.

Allison, meanwhile, stood there without saying a word.

Daniel's expression hardened.

"Camila, you don't need to explain anything to her. She overreacted and made a scene. She's the one who should be apologizing to you."

Allison let out a bitter laugh and looked at him coldly.

"Fine. Let's say I overreacted. We've been married for seven years, Daniel. We never had a wedding, and we don't even have wedding photos. So how about I find another man tomorrow and have a wedding with him instead? Would that be okay with you?"

Daniel frowned, his patience wearing thin. "That's not the same thing. Stop being ridiculous."

Allison nodded. By then, she felt completely numb.

"Fine. Then let's talk about something that actually matters. Tomorrow is Monday. Let's file for divorce."

At the mention of divorce, Daniel instinctively glanced at Philip, then at Camila. Only then did he step toward Allison, his expression warning her not to push him any further.

"I'm running out of patience. Stop making a scene."

In the past, whenever Daniel became angry or impatient, Allison would immediately grow nervous and uncertain.

Not that he often showed her much emotion. Most of the time, he treated her with cold indifference, as though she wasn't worth the effort.

But this time, Allison didn't back down. She remained calm and repeated herself with even greater certainty.

"You were the one who brought up divorce this morning. I agreed."

Daniel froze for a moment, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.

For the first time, he looked at Allison as though she were a stranger.