Chapter 1

At our family dinner, my eight-year-old daughter, Nicole, suddenly decided to hold an award ceremony for everyone.

Cedric Marshman walked up first. He took his "Best Dad" certificate with a proud smile, and she handed him a hand-knitted scarf.

My father-in-law, Vince, and my mother-in-law, Helen, followed right after. Both of them were grinning from ear to ear as they accepted their "Best Elders" award.

Even our Golden Retriever got one. Nicole called him up and announced he was the "Best Family Guardian."

I stayed in the background the whole time. I brought out Nicole's favorite dishes one by one, set them neatly on the table, and stood off to the side without saying a word.

At one point, she glanced up at me. Then she quickly looked away and pulled a piece of paper from behind her back.

She held it up. Across the page, in big, bold letters, it read "Worst Mom of the Year."

Then she started listing the reasons, her voice loud and clear. "You nag all day. You're always in a bad mood. You don't make any money, and you don't even know how to dress.

"You can't even run the house right. You're a total failure as a parent."

*****

I stared at the paper in her hands. Steam from the hot dishes rose up in front of me, blurring everything. I could barely see.

I could not believe what I was hearing. This was the child I had almost died to bring into the world, and these were the words she had prepared for me.

My nose tingled, and I just stood there, frozen.

Cedric suddenly reached over and snatched the paper out of my hands. "What are you staring at? Don't make that face. It looks awful."

My throat tightened. I could not speak. I could not even swallow.

He glanced over the page, then burst out laughing. "This is actually pretty creative. Nicole, how did you come up with something like this?"

He reached out and ruffled her hair, smiling. "But your mom is sensitive. She can't take a joke. Go give her a hug before she really gets mad."

His tone was light, almost playful, but every word felt sharp. Each one landed like a needle in my chest.

I had hoped, just for a moment, that he would say something for me. Instead, he made it worse.

Was this supposed to be funny? It wasn't funny at all.

Helen leaned over to take a look at the paper. Instead of frowning, she smiled with clear approval. "Nicole is so smart. She just says things the way they are."

Hearing that, Nicole lifted her chin even higher. "Am I wrong? Mom, all you do is stay at home. You don't make money. You're useless."

I stood there, unable to move. It felt like the blood in my body had turned cold.

So this was how she saw me.

When I was pregnant with her, I had just gotten promoted. My career was taking off. I had plans. I wanted to keep working.

But then I felt that tiny, fragile heartbeat inside me. I imagined her little arms around my neck and her calling me "Mommy."

I could not let that go.

I quit my job and devoted all my time to my family.

When Nicole was a baby and cried through the night, I was the one who stayed up until sunrise, holding her and walking back and forth until she finally fell asleep.

Vince and Helen were in poor health. Cedric always said he was too busy with work to help.

I suggested hiring a nanny, but they refused. They said they didn't trust outsiders.

So I did everything myself. I woke up early every morning to cook, clean, and take care of the house and everyone.

No matter the weather, I was always at the school gate on time to drop Nicole off and pick her up.

When she started struggling with her studies, I studied the material ahead of her. I stayed up late every night, going over her lessons, helping her memorize everything.

Slowly, her grades improved. Her teachers began praising her, saying she was bright.

But in the end, to her, I was just useless.

Helen sat on the sofa, frowning impatiently. "It's Christmas. Why are you making that face? She's just a kid. She says whatever comes to mind. Don't take it so seriously."

Cedric checked the time and frowned. "Stop standing there like that. The food is going to burn. Bring it out. Alina will be here any minute."

I did not move.

There was still a tiny piece of hope inside me, refusing to die.

I looked at Cedric, my voice barely above a whisper, "Am I really that useless?"

Cedric frowned, clearly annoyed. "Are you done? Are you making a scene because Nicole told the truth?"

He saw my face go pale, then waved his hand as if it did not matter. "Fine. So what if you are useless? It's not like I can't afford to support you."

He patted my arm, rough and careless. "It's Christmas. Don't ruin it with that attitude."

Something inside me dropped all the way down.

So he thought the same thing.

Just as I was about to speak, the doorbell rang.

Cedric immediately straightened his shirt. His expression softened, turning warm and welcoming.

I did not need to guess. Alina was here.

A soft, gentle voice came from the doorway as she walked in, carrying a luxury handbag.

She wore an expensive cashmere coat, and her wavy hair fell neatly over her shoulders. As she stepped inside, a faint, elegant perfume filled the air.