Chapter 1

Ten years after I traveled back to the 1980s, I was ironing a suit for the factory director, Declan Rivers.

Suddenly, Declan's son, Tommy Rivers, slammed the hot iron down on my leg.

"Who do you think you are to touch my dad's clothes?" Tommy sneered. "When my mom wakes up, you'll be kicked out."

I was sweating bullets from the pain, but when Declan rushed in, all he did was fuss over Tommy, barely even glancing at me.

At that moment, his usually dark watch suddenly lit up, flashing words that made my blood run cold.

[Mission completion rate: 99%. Next mission: Take Mary White's heartbreak to the max; achieve the boundless devotion ending.]

[Reward: The one you truly loved will awaken. Your family will finally be reunited.]

I finally realized that everything Declan and Timmy put me through over the past seven years was just to bring another woman back from the dead.

I finally let go and took off the heirloom bracelet Declan had given me.

"Don't worry, I'll leave right away. I won't stand in the way of your happy life," I said in a cool tone.

*****

Bracing myself against the wall, I forced my battered body upright and hobbled toward the door.

Suddenly, a loud crash erupted behind me, and something yanked hard at my pant leg—Tommy had clamped it with a pair of vise-grips.

Tommy grinned wickedly, flashing a look of mock amusement. "You think you can just leave? I'm not finished messing with you yet!"

Declan finally had enough and barked, "Tommy, knock it off. Take Mary to the clinic and get her patched up."

Tommy just gave a loud, annoyed "tsk" and tossed the vise-grips aside.

Declan glanced at me, not even trying to pretend he cared. "Make it quick. Don't forget you're making dinner tonight."

I'd nearly forgotten—he always made sure we sat down together for a family meal whenever he came back from a trip.

That was something Susan had insisted on from way back.

At the clinic, as the doctor cleaned up my wound, I found myself zoning out, staring at the calendar.

Tommy's mocking grin kept replaying in my mind.

I was just a kid without parents. I followed my grandma into town to sell firewood. That was how I first met Declan's parents.

They took me in for seven whole years, and I did my best not to disappoint them—managed to get myself into college.

But before I even got the chance to repay their kindness, they died suddenly, leaving the Rivers family in chaos.

It was then that Declan showed up, desperate and asking me to look after Tommy—his son, now all alone without a mother.

To honor everything his family had done for me, I gave up a shot at a promotion and took a job as a clerk in Declan's factory instead.

Declan gave me the family heirloom bracelet, but warned me never to let anyone at the factory see it.

To me, that bracelet felt more like a cage than a gift.

If it hadn't been for his mother's dying wish, Declan would've given that bracelet to Susan Linwood instead.

Declan and I had no wedding or marriage certificate, and honestly, not much love between us.

It was just a promise written on a piece of paper, but I kept it for seven years.

All these years, I really believed I'd poured my whole heart into looking after him and his son.

Turned out, to them, my devotion was nothing but a promise they could toss aside whenever it suited them.

When I got back, I was hobbling around the kitchen, whipping up dinner for them despite my injured leg.

I pushed open the door with the steaming chicken soup in my hands, but Declan and Tommy were already chowing down, not even waiting for me to sit.

"Come on and eat," Declan said flatly, not looking up from his food.

Just as I went to sit down, Tommy jerked the chair back, and I crashed hard onto the floor.

"Mom used to love chicken soup so much. Dad, when is Mom going to have chicken soup again?" he asked, face full of regret.

Declan reached out, paused for a split second, then casually withdrew his hand.

I bit down on the pain, managed to stand, and quietly settled back into my seat.

Just as I lifted my fork, Tommy spun the lazy Susan with a wicked grin. Soup splashed all over me.

"Oh, sorry, Mary," Tommy said, blinking those big, innocent eyes. "I just wanted some of that beef."

I clenched my fork, forcing myself not to react. Declan let out a sigh, sounding vaguely annoyed, but it was clear he wasn't really going to stand up for me. "Tommy, quit it."

"What did I do?" Tommy whined, tossing his fork onto the table and pouting. "If Mom were here, she'd always be the one giving me food."

Before anyone could say anything, Tommy threw his fork down and ran out of the room.

Declan quietly set his fork aside, his face unreadable. After a long, grim silence, he finally asked, "Mary, how have you been treating Tommy all these years?

"Just be straight with me—have you been mistreating him when I'm not around? Every time I come home late, I hear him having nightmares, begging you not to hurt him."

I jerked my head up, staring at him in disbelief, my nails practically cutting into my palm.

Declan's expression didn't really change, but the frustration and cold indifference written all over him were plain as day.

It felt like he was laughing at me—the past seven years hadn't warmed their hearts one bit, no matter how hard I'd tried.