Chapter 1

I played the ultimate doormat for Edward Grant and his son.

No matter how poorly they treated me, I catered to their every whim without a single complaint.

That all changed during a summer vacation. Edward took his little boy on a getaway with his first love, the woman he never truly got over. While they were away, the three of them got matching family tattoos.

The design perfectly covered the birthmark right over his heart.

The night they got back, I broke up with him and left Harbor City.

Three years passed before I finally saw him when I was at the absolute lowest point in my life.

Edward and his son blocked my way.

My phone screen lit up. The lock screen clearly displayed an intimate, loving photo of a family of three, me, my new partner, and our little boy.

The indifferent expressions that Edward and his son always wore instantly shattered. Their eyes turned completely red.

*****

The day Edward Grant and his son finished their vacation with his first love, Claire Sutton, Harbor City was hit by a massive evening rainstorm.

I drove to the airport to pick them up, navigating severe rush-hour traffic before getting rear-ended halfway there.

By the time I finally made it to the airport, it was already late at night.

The weather had turned chilly, and Edward had draped his coat over Claire's shoulders.

His face was as dark as thunder when he saw me.

Standing beside him, his son shoved his suitcase onto the ground in a fit of rage, scolding me with sheer annoyance, "Are you a turtle? You're so slow, and we've been waiting for almost ten minutes."

I crouched down to pick up the suitcase, trying to sound as apologetic as possible. "I left an hour early. The traffic was horrible, and I ran into a minor accident on the way. I am sorry, and I will be earlier next time."

Edward furrowed his brows in disgust, clearly unwilling to waste a single word on me.

He abandoned the pile of luggage right where it stood.

Snatching the open umbrella from my hand, he wrapped his arm around Claire and walked toward the car parked by the curb.

His six-year-old son, Nathan Grant, squeezed right between them.

The boy kept complaining under his breath, "She always messes everything up. Why haven't you kicked her out yet, Dad? Then Mom could move in and live with us."

*****

They walked away, their voices fading into the pouring rain.

I gathered their bags and hauled them to the car.

They had left days ago with a single suitcase, but they returned with three, plus a massive backpack.

They clearly had a wonderful time and did plenty of shopping.

My right hand was injured when my car was rear-ended earlier.

Dark red blood continued to seep out intermittently, leaving me weak.

It took me four trips in the downpour to load everything.

Rainwater washed over the open wound, bringing a piercing pain.

I shoved the final piece of luggage into the trunk and reached into my coat pocket, hoping to find a bandage.

The people already seated inside the car knocked impatiently on the window.

I quickly pulled my hand out, hurried around to the driver's seat, and got in.

Annoyed by the delay, Edward scoffed from the back seat, "Why not chop the suitcase in two and make two trips?"

I pretended not to understand his sarcasm.

Keeping a pleasant smile on my face, I started the engine.

His dream girl, Claire, stared at me through the rearview mirror.

After a long moment, she clicked her tongue in amazement. "I've seen her quite a few times now. Every time I see her, I cannot figure out where you found such a loyal lapdog, Edward."

Edward looked entirely unbothered. "There is nothing strange about it. I suppose being pathetic is simply built into her bones."

I drove in silence, acting as if I had heard nothing.

We arrived at the house.

Edward held the umbrella, escorting Claire and Nathan inside first.

I braved the rain to follow them, ending up completely drenched.

Without a spare moment to take a warm shower, I hastily peeled off my wet clothes and pulled on some loungewear.

I immediately busied myself drawing Edward's bath, making a hot ginger drink for Nathan, and preparing the guest room for Claire.

A thought crossed my mind, prompting me to go back downstairs.

Edward was sitting on the sofa, looking through a travel photo album with Nathan and Claire.

"Edward," I asked softly. "Will Ms. Sutton be sleeping in the guest room, or will she be sharing the master bedroom with you?"

Edward's hand froze for a second before he slammed the photo album onto the coffee table with a heavy thud.

I remembered how he often lashed out, accusing me of always mumbling his name like a complete idiot.

Sure enough, he was angry. He stood up, brushed past me, and marched straight upstairs.

Walking into the master bedroom, he slammed the door shut.

I immediately opened the door and followed him inside.

He had gone into the walk-in closet, presumably to grab clean clothes for his shower.

I quickly picked out a white shirt and offered it to him with an eager smile.

Edward refused to take it.

I forced an affectionate expression, trying to coax him. "Please wear it this one time. I have not seen you in it for so long, and you look handsome in white."

Ever since Claire returned to the country and mentioned she disliked him in white, he had rarely been willing to wear it.

Edward reluctantly accepted the shirt, casually pulling off his current top and tossing it into my hands.

That was when a massive tattoo on his firm chest suddenly appeared before my eyes.

My expression froze, and my mind went entirely blank.

It took a long moment for me to gather my senses.

I reached out, trying to rub the design away with my fingertips.

But it didn't budge at all.

My voice was hoarse when I spoke, sounding alien even to me, "Is this a temporary sticker or a tattoo?"