Chapter 2

"Are you okay, Helen? Why are you spacing out?" Charles asked.

I snapped back to reality and caught Charles's probing gaze.

"It's nothing. I just hurt myself when I fell," I said.

Charles breathed a sigh of relief. He urged the family doctor to clean my injuries and then tended to them himself.

Who wouldn't envy a woman with a rich and attentive husband like that?

But I only found it laughable.

I'd played this part for so long that I almost started to believe my own lies.

For three years, I'd been completely blind to how fake and empty this whole family really was.

After I lay down, he brushed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

Every night before I fell asleep, he'd do the same, and back then, it made me feel wrapped in warmth and happiness.

Now, I couldn't help but feel sick to my stomach.

Thankfully, Ryan burst in, putting an end to the phony affection.

He threw himself wildly into my arms, sobbing. "Mommy, how did you get hurt? Did that evil woman pick on you too?"

Charles frowned, his voice icy. "Ryan, what happened to your manners? Since when did a Weston kid start acting like a common street brat?"

Ryan cried even harder, burying himself deeper in my arms.

In his little voice, he started babbling about everything that happened at the villa today.

"Mommy, don't make me play with that bad woman ever again," he said.

Normally, whenever he cried, my heart would ache so much that I'd want to lay the whole world at his feet.

But now, a storm of conflicting emotions raged inside me.

My thoughts kept drifting back to my other son, the one who was snatched away before he'd even had a chance at life.

He was so little, and he never even got a glimpse of the world.

I reached out to wipe away Ryan's tears, and he rubbed his little cheek against my palm, seeking comfort.

Acting like I was just making casual conversation, I glanced at Charles and asked, "So, what exactly happened today?

"This 'evil woman' Ryan was talking about... Was it Ms. Lane?"

Charles, looking flustered, mumbled, "Yeah, she just happened to pass by, said hello and left. Who would've expected Ryan to act up like that?"

"No, I didn't. She's really an evil woman. She tried to force me to call her 'Mommy,'" Ryan protested.

With a sharp slap, Charles struck Ryan hard across the face.

Instinctively, I forced myself to sit up and pulled my crying son into my arms, holding him tightly.

"I can forgive you for almost anything, but you can't say a single bad word about Jessica," Charles snapped.

With that, he turned and walked out.

I let out a bitter laugh. So, not even Jessica's own son was allowed to say a single negative word about her.

The nanny took Ryan away.

I finally fished out my phone to reply to the kidnapper.

[See you at the villa in two days.]

I can't bear being next to Charles—not for one more second.

The next morning, I was coming downstairs when I ran into Charles, who was wearing that classic unhappy look on his face.

He totally ignored the fact that I was still hurt and just grabbed my phone, digging through my call log and texts.

Watching him get all worked up, I sneered to myself.

Once he was done snooping, he shot me a complicated look. "Have you been talking to anyone you shouldn't have lately?"

I pretended to look clueless. "What do you mean? Who exactly are you talking about?"

Standing there for so long had me sweating, and only then did Charles remember I'd sprained my ankle. He rushed over, helped me onto the couch, making sure I was comfortable.

There was a long silence before Charles finally sighed, "I get it. The kidnapping left its mark on you. But you're my wife now, and I won't let anything like that happen again. If you want something, just talk to me, okay?

"Anyway, those who took Ryan are already behind bars. Even if you were hoping to get even, it's already over."

Even now, he was still lying through his teeth.

The whole kidnapping story was just a sham. There was never anyone to catch.

My son was already dead, but he still dared to talk about protecting us.

Just looking at his face made me want to puke.

To help Jessica climb higher, he'd cross any line and even kill my son.

I'd make them pay for this.

On the surface, I was as gentle and graceful as ever, even while chaos raged inside me.

"Charles, you're always so good to us," I murmured.

He took out an elegant bracelet and fastened it around my wrist.

"I got this just for you," he said.

I glanced at my wrist, unable to stop myself from scoffing inwardly.

This bracelet was just a freebie for anyone who stayed in the presidential suite at Harbor Hotel.

Of course, Charles never bothered to book the rooms himself, so he had no clue about these little details.

He dated Jessica and still found time to bring me back a "gift."

That was hilarious.