Chapter 4

The car door opened, and Christian held his hand above Nancy's head while extending his other hand toward her. The moment their fingers intertwined, Talia turned around.

Faced with this heartbreaking scene, she remained unexpectedly calm. Perhaps because she had figured things out, but she appeared very composed right then.

In the past, she would have cried her heart out. But at that moment, she just wanted to ask Christian what he meant by Nancy being a more suitable mother than she was.

"Christian, what do you mean by that?" Talia's lips trembled slightly, and her voice changed pitch.

Nancy got out of the car, her hand resting on Christian's arm the entire time. Under the moonlight, their two shadows stretched long across the pavement.

Christian acted as if he hadn't heard Talia speak and walked toward Jubilee Manor with Nancy. Talia could no longer remember how many times she had been ignored like this.

Talia's heart was already riddled with holes, but when it came to her daughter, she couldn't let go. So she stepped forward, grabbed Christian's wrist with unexpected strength, and shouted at him, "Christian Lane, answer me!"

Finally, Christian stopped and turned around. He looked at Talia with cold indifference in his eyes.

He twisted his wrist and easily pulled his hand free while saying, "You're busy with work, and Yvonne is still young. She needs someone to look after her. Once you're pregnant with the second child, Nancy will take care of Yvonne, too."

Christian had always been like this. He never consulted Talia on his decisions and always spoke to her in a tone that sounded like an order.

But this time, Talia refused to let him make decisions arbitrarily. When she had decided to go to the neighboring state for her fellowship, she had already found a qualified nanny to care for Yvonne.

It wasn't until last month that she discovered Christian had dismissed the nanny long ago. During the six months of Talia's fellowship, Nancy had moved into Jubilee Manor, living the sweet life of a family of three with Christian and Yvonne.

Talia hadn't wanted to make a scene because she still held onto a sliver of hope that Christian recognized her as his only wife. But without her realizing it, her daughter had been taken away from he, too.

How could she leave gracefully now?

When it came to who would take care of her daughter, Talia lost her composure. Her tone became agitated as she said, "I can take care of my own child. I don't need outsiders."

Christian completely ignored Talia's attitude and simply issued his command. "It's decided."

Talia grew angry. Her usual good-natured demeanor vanished as she loudly protested, "I said I can take care of her myself."

The atmosphere grew tense. Nancy, who was standing behind Christian, sensed the situation getting out of hand and said quietly, "Chris, you and Ms. Stewart should talk first. I'll head inside and check on Yvonne."

After Christian nodded in agreement, Nancy walked toward Jubilee Manor. At that moment, Talia called out to stop her. "Nancy York, stop right there."

Nancy had just turned around when a slap landed on her face. It was Talia who had hit her.

When Christian realized what had happened, he stepped forward and pushed Talia away. He supported Nancy and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

Nancy covered her face as tears rolled down, making her look pitiful and wronged. Christian was extremely worried, fussing over her and examining her face. But Talia didn't think that Nancy was wronged at all.

After all, what kind of woman would get involved with a married man who had a child?

Naturally, it would take two to tango, and Christian wasn't exactly innocent either. Just as Talia was about to speak, a small figure came running out of Jubilee Manor.

Yvonne ran frantically, barefoot, and when she got close, she hurled herself at Nancy.

She hugged Nancy's legs and looked up to ask, "Nancy, does it hurt? Let me blow on it for you, okay?"

Yvonne had been ready for bed, but she saw Christian's car through the window. She knew that he must have brought Nancy back, so she came downstairs to greet them.

Just as she reached the door, she saw Talia slap Nancy. She quickly rushed out and even lost her shoes in the process.

Talia stood to the side, watching her husband and daughter tenderly comfort an outsider. At that moment, it felt like she could hear the sound of her own heart breaking.

Still, Talia refused to believe that the daughter she had raised would turn against her like this. She reached out with trembling hands, murmuring, "Yv—"

But before she could fully call out Yvonne's name, the young girl angrily turned around. She rushed up to Talia and kept hitting her with her hands.

"Bad Mommy! Bad Mommy! You hit Nancy! You're a bad mommy! I don't want a bad mommy like you!"

Talia stood frozen in place, her face instantly pale. In that moment, she suddenly realized that the custody she had desperately wanted to fight for was nothing more than her own wishful thinking.

Christian and Yvonne didn't need her. Standing here now, she felt like a complete fool. What was even more ridiculous was that she had actually gotten pregnant with a second child for a man who didn't love her at all.

Talia lost track of how long Yvonne kept hitting her or what else she said. That phrase "bad mommy" was enough to shatter all her hopes.

Talia stood there in a daze for a while, then let out a bitter laugh. Without looking at Christian and Yvonne again, she turned and walked away. Behind her, Christian and Yvonne surrounded Nancy with care and comfort, completely unaware that Talia had left.

When she turned the corner, Talia couldn't help but look back at the two people she had treasured most over the last five years.

The two figures, one big and one small, each held one of Nancy's hands as they walked toward Jubilee Manor together. They looked so warm and harmonious, as if they were the real family of three.

Talia smiled. She felt bitter and wanted to cry, but not a single tear would fall. These five years had drained all her energy and spirit. She had always put them first, but not anymore.

Leaving Jubilee Manor, Talia walked alone down a long road. Looking back on the past five years, she realized she had long known she shouldn’t have exhausted herself in such a relationship. She just hadn't been willing to face the truth.

But now she understood that she should only love herself properly from now on. Talia took a cab back to Elmwood Estate, where she drafted a new divorce agreement in the study.

His assets would be split 50-50. As for her daughter, she would give up custody. Talia drove back to the neighboring state, Moonbright, that same night after neatly placing the completed divorce agreement on the desk.

After resting for the night, she went to the hospital early the next morning. The doctor working in the obstetrics department that day was her university classmate, Monica Walker.

Monica knew a thing or two about Talia's marriage situation. But when she heard Talia's firm decision to terminate the pregnancy, she was somewhat surprised.

"It wasn't easy for you to conceive this child. Why don't you want it anymore? Even if there are issues with your marriage, you could still keep the child without the father."

Talia sat across from Monica, completely calm. "Monica, I'm a woman, and the most responsible thing a woman can do is not to bring children into the world recklessly. What's more, my life matters too.

"I've made my decision. Please schedule the procedure for this morning."

The old Talia was gone. From now on, she would only invest in herself and people who actually cared about her. As for those who didn't love her, she was done with them.