Chapter 1
My husband and I were both remarried, each of us bringing a child into this blended family.
I had my daughter, and he had his son. I really thought we could finally live a peaceful life together.
That day, when I got home from my five-day business trip, I opened the door and saw only my stepson there.
"Where's your sister?" I asked.
Ryan lowered his head and didn't say a word.
My husband came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands, and said casually, "I sent her to an orphanage. They'll look after her there, so she won't be a bother around here."
That's when I realized that he never wanted a blended family. He just wanted a brand-new home without any extra baggage.
*****
Julia Evans stood at the doorstep, her suitcase in tow.
The key slid into the lock with a crisp click.
Five days away on business, she was exhausted.
But just picturing her daughter Chloe's smiling face made all that weariness vanish in an instant.
The door opened.
The living room was quiet. Only the sound of cartoons from the TV broke the silence.
Ryan, Julia's stepson, was sitting on the couch, completely absorbed in the show.
"Ryan, I'm home."
Julia slipped into her slippers, her face lighting up with a gentle smile.
Ryan glanced back at her for a split second, then quickly turned away, not saying anything.
Julia was used to his distance and didn't take it to heart.
She set her suitcase down and looked around the living room.
But that little figure of Chloe was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Chloe?" she asked.
Ryan hunched his shoulders, burying his head even deeper.
Julia's heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding rose in her heart.
The sound of running water came from the kitchen, and her husband, Mark Evans, walked out.
Apron on, suds still clinging to his hands as he wiped them with a towel.
"You're back?" Mark said, his tone flat, as if asking something unimportant.
Julia nodded, pressing down the unease in her chest. "Where's Chloe? Is she napping?"
Mark paused, his hands still mid-wipe.
He tossed the towel over his shoulder and looked at Julia. His eyes showed no emotion.
"I sent her to an orphanage," he said.
He said it like he was just talking about the weather.
Julia's mind went blank with a buzzing sound ringing in her ears.
She couldn't believe what she'd just heard.
"What did you say?" Her voice trembled.
"I said, I sent her to an orphanage," Mark repeated, sounding like he couldn't be bothered. "They'll take care of her there, food, clothes, everything. No more getting in the way here anymore."
In the way?
Those words pierced Julia's heart like burning needles.
She stared at the man right in front of her.
A year ago, this same man held her hand and said, "Julia, marry me. Bring Chloe with you. From now on, Ryan and Chloe will be like real siblings. I swear I'll treat her as my own."
Those promises still rang in her ears.
But now, he was saying her daughter was "in the way."
Julia felt the blood drain from her whole body, cold from head to toe.
She thought about this marriage.
They were a blended family. She brought her daughter Chloe, and he brought his son Ryan.
To make this family work, she gave up her decent job and became a full-time housewife, taking care of their meals and daily needs.
She believed that pouring her heart and soul into this family would earn their genuine love in return.
The clothes and shoes she bought for Ryan were always more expensive than those for Chloe.
She kept trying new recipes, always making sure to cook whatever Ryan liked best.
She honestly believed that as long as she worked hard enough, this family could truly come together.
But it had all been her wishful thinking.
To him, her daughter was nothing but baggage, someone he could throw away whenever he felt like it.
He never wanted a real family in the first place.
All he ever wanted was a free nanny to take care of his son, and a brand-new home without extra baggage.
Julia's suitcase was still standing in the entryway, still bearing the shipping sticker of where she'd traveled for work.
She felt just like that suitcase, labeled, used, and then tossed aside without a second thought.
She looked at Mark's calm face, and the last bit of warmth in her heart vanished.
There was no hysterical outburst.
Nor any tearful breakdown.
In that moment, something inside Julia just died.
Slowly, Julia straightened up, her gaze drifting away from Mark's face and settling on the wedding photo hanging on the wall.
In that photo, she was all smiles, looking so happy.
How ironic.
She withdrew her gaze and fixed it on Mark.
Her eyes were colder and more unfamiliar than ever.
"Mark," her voice was frighteningly calm. "I'm going to bring Chloe home right now. And then we're getting a divorce."