Chapter 2

When Charles showed up, he looked annoyed and jumped right in. "Nina Moon, are you stupid or something? How does an adult just fall into a river?

"Didn't I tell you to stay in the kitchen? Why are you wandering all over the place?

"It's Lucian's birthday, and you're causing trouble again. No wonder he can't stand you."

He kept lashing out, rendering me too ashamed to look up.

The elder lady couldn't take it anymore. She stepped in front of me and angrily reproached.

"Young man, how can you speak like that? How can you just start blaming her without even knowing the whole story? Do you even realize—"

Charles just frowned, completely ignoring her, and barked at the driver, "Are you brain dead? Move the car over here, now!"

"Charles, this elder lady—she saved me..." I tried to speak up for her, but before I could finish, Charles pulled me straight into the car.

I winced in pain, but Charles didn't even care the least.

Everything was different now.

Back in the early days of our relationship, Charles used to care about everything about me.

If I so much as got a tiny scratch on my hand, he'd freak out and curse the luck nonstop.

Now, I was drenched, my wrist bruised red from his grip, and he didn't even bother to look at me.

The elder lady was still knocking on the car door, and Charles was grumpily muttering curses.

I hurriedly rolled down the window and said sorry to her.

"I'm sorry, thank you," I said.

I wished I could repay her something substantive in gratitude, but I had nothing to offer.

Offering empty promises would be pointless, so I just stayed silent.

She looked at me, saw my red tearful eyes, seemed like she wanted to say something, but checked herself.

The elder lady let out a sigh, didn't say a word, and retracted her hand.

I just thought, "Some bonds formed by chance don't need any words to extol."

I swallowed my sorrow, sat submissively in the car, and dared not make the slightest movement.

When we pulled up to the villa, the party was already drawing to the end.

Evelyn was standing at the door, seeing guests off, looking just like the landlady of the villa.

Lucian sure knew how to please his grandma—he picked the exact woman who suited her temper.

My mother-in-law had always dreamed of having a daughter-in-law who was graceful and well-mannered like Evelyn.

What an irony.

Charles had chosen me.

He used to say, "Teachers are way too stuffy and boring. Not my thing."

As I was lost in my thought, Evelyn looked over here and waved at Charles.

Charles smiled sweetly at her, stepped out of the car, and walked over to her.

The driver coughed awkwardly, and hesitated before opening my door.

As soon as I got off the car, a loud burst of laughter rang out.

"Hey, Lucian, isn't that your family's nanny? Why is she soaked all through, looking like a wet cat?" one of the kids ridiculed.

Following the kid's gaze, I spotted my son standing under a tree, his face dark with annoyance.

Lucian didn't even grant me a glance. He retorted without hesitation.

"Why are you even bothering with the nanny? Got nothing better to do? The party's over—what, you planning to stick around and celebrate the New Year here or something?"

A dull pain shot through my chest, and I held onto the car, forcing myself to stand straight.

I recognized that kid—he was Lucian's arch-rival, Jack Rivers.

Once, my mother-in-law was busy and asked me to pick up my son at school. I rushed over without even taking off my apron, and Lucian got laughed on the spot because of me.

That was the day he called me the Lance family's nanny right in front of everyone, and from that day on, he refused to call me "Mom" ever again.

I opened my mouth trying to say something, but my son walked right past me, toward Evelyn. He called out loudly so everyone could hear.

"Mom, my birthday is your suffering day. I prepared this gift just for you."

My face went pale. I couldn't believe this was real.

I'd nearly bled to death during three days of labor to give birth to him. And now he's honoring someone else as his mom for the suffering day.

Everyone out over there was still laughing and chatting happily.

But I just couldn't bear to listen anymore.

I dragged my weary body back to my room. Surrounded by everything so familiar, I finally made up my mind.

"If my son's birthday wish is to trade me for a new mom, maybe it's time I let him have what he wants. At least then, I can say I've fulfilled my duty as his mother."