Zachary Shaw insisted I take care of his adopted sister Lily when she caught a cold. I refused, so he threw our son Alex out on the street to force me to comply. After I moved in, Alex and I were crammed into the attic, overrun with rats and mosquitoes. Zachary meticulously listed Lily’s preferences to me: “Lily doesn’t eat cilantro, so don’t put any in her food. Cut hard foods into small pieces – her stomach is sensitive.” “Don’t give her anything spicy, cold, or sour when she has a cold. She’s good at using me as an excuse to trick people, so be careful.” I silently noted it all down, agreeing to leave once Lily recovered. He halfheartedly agreed, but then turned around and bet Lily how long I would last. “This obedient dog will come running back as soon as I call.” Little did he know, when I said I was leaving, I meant never coming back. 0 “Zachary, I’m leaving once she’s better,” I said firmly. Zachary seemed taken aback for a moment. After a pause, he replied impatiently, “No one’s stopping you. Just don’t bother Lily.” He took Lily upstairs, leaving Alex and me busy in the kitchen. Perhaps as punishment, at lunch Zachary made me feed Lily. I carefully followed her preferences, alternating between spoonfuls of rice and soup. “Waaah Zach, it’s so hot!” Lily cried, ducking into Zachary’s arms. Before I could react, the bowl of soup was thrown at me. “Aria Montgomery, you knew the soup was scalding hot but still fed it to Lily. Are you trying to kill her?” Zachary snapped. I didn’t explain, but Zachary acted strangely. “Give this bowl of soup to Alex,” he ordered. He personally ladled out a bowl and handed it to our son. Before it could cool, Zachary had someone force it down Alex’s throat. I watched Alex’s face turn red, suddenly remembering the soup contained shrimp. “Zachary, stop! Alex is allergic to shrimp!” I cried. He acted like he couldn’t hear me, forcing bowl after bowl until Alex collapsed on the table, struggling to breathe. I tried to take Alex to the hospital, but Zachary had his men hold me back. “Make another batch of soup for Lily. You can leave once it’s cooled down.” I knew I couldn’t resist. Otherwise, my son’s life would be in Zachary’s hands. I obediently made four dishes and a soup, frantically fanning it to cool it faster. Lily waved her hand dismissively, complaining that dust had fallen in the soup. Over and over, I made batch after batch. She was finally satisfied and let me go. I grabbed Alex and called an Uber outside, telling the driver to get to the hospital as fast as possible. But we were still too late. Alex’s esophagus was severely damaged and required hospitalization. Before I could get Alex settled, Zachary called demanding I return. When I refused, he sent men to forcibly bring me back from the hospital. “Lily says she wasted the soup you made, so she specially made a new batch. Don’t be ungrateful.” I glanced at the still-steaming soup in the kitchen. “What do you mean?” Lily pulled me into the kitchen with fake sincerity. “Sis, I was careless earlier and Alex ended up in the hospital because of me. To make up for it, I made you a special batch. You absolutely can’t say Lily’s cooking is bad.” She stuck out her tongue playfully, giving me no chance to refuse. As soon as I touched the edge of the bowl, my hand jerked back. Lily immediately put on a pitiful act, blocking Zachary’s view. Then she pushed the bowl to the floor. “Ow! It hurts, Zach…” Before I could react, Zachary shoved me to the ground. “Aria Montgomery, what did you do to Lily?” I didn’t see any injuries on Lily, if only Zachary had looked closer. But he didn’t. My palm was embedded with shards, instantly staining the tiles red. I looked up to see Zachary already carrying Lily upstairs. Nestled in his arms, Lily flashed a smug smile. 0
Back in my room, I bandaged my hand, listening to Zachary’s voice in the hallway. “Our Lily is the best, isn’t she? Just put on some medicine and you’ll be all better. Be good, okay?” “I promise, tomorrow I’ll bring you everything you like.” In seven years of marriage, Zachary had never been so deferential. In the past when I was hurt or had cramps, he either ignored me or accused me of overreacting. My heart felt like it was being repeatedly squeezed, aching to the core. A phone call interrupted my thoughts. I glanced at the caller ID. As soon as Sophia heard my voice, she nearly cried with relief. “Aria, why did you take so long to answer? Don’t you know how worried I was?” I glossed over recent events, making an excuse that I was going to Paris to see her in three days. Sophia seemed to suddenly realize something, about to ask if I was being mistreated. The next second, Zachary barged in with a bottle of medicine. I quickly hung up. He tossed the items on the bed, his tone hostile: “I brought you medicine. Bandage yourself up quickly and go clean. Don’t hurt Lily.” I didn’t take it, just staring blankly at the bottle. Clearly Zachary had just opened it to apply medicine on Lily. But he forgot I’m allergic to erythromycin. Last time he carelessly applied it on me without checking, causing an allergic reaction that put me in the hospital. That night Zachary never came home. It was a neighbor who noticed something was wrong and called for help. The next day I saw on Lily’s social media that she and Zachary were embracing and passionately kissing amidst cheers from a crowd. “What are you doing? Does it hurt that much? Let me…” I deftly avoided his outstretched hand. He awkwardly froze mid-air, his low voice tinged with displeasure. “Aria Montgomery, you’ve had your tantrum. I’m giving you a way out, so don’t be stubborn.” “You’re a grown woman but can’t control your temper. Who are you trying to impress with that sour face?” But I wasn’t throwing a tantrum or losing my temper. “I heard you say three days earlier…” he began. I cut him off: “Sophia said she’s coming to see me in three days. It won’t interfere with you accompanying Lily.” Noticing my aloofness, a complex emotion flashed in Zachary’s eyes. I ignored him, suddenly remembering Alex left at the hospital. But I stood up too quickly, aggravating my wound. I couldn’t help but hiss in pain. Zachary pushed me back onto the bed, finally showing a hint of reluctance. “I’ve already arranged for someone to look after Alex. He can be discharged in a few days.” In the past, I would have just taken this as something he should do. But now it’s different. “Thank you,” I said softly. Zachary froze for a moment when he heard those two words, his expression a bit unnatural. “It’s fine, you can go now. Lily will be looking for you soon.” As he finished speaking, Lily appeared in the doorway wearing an ill-fitting dress. It was the custom-made dress Zachary had specially ordered for me when we got married. Afraid of dirtying it, I never wore it again after the wedding. Zachary’s face stiffened, his tone turning reproachful. “This was custom-made for Aria. Why are you wearing it?” Lily looked utterly dejected, reaching back to grab the zipper. But she couldn’t reach it. Her face instantly flushed red, tears welling up in her eyes. “Zach, don’t you remember? This is what you brought when you came to see me last time. You even said once I wore it, I’d be the lady of the Shaw family.” Ignoring my presence, Zachary wiped away her tears and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry Lily, it’s my fault. If you like it, I’ll have a hundred made for you.” Seeing Lily beam with joy, Zachary pulled her close and showered her with kisses. Then he took her back to the bedroom. The vows of the past were still fresh in my mind. But today I realized one person’s heart could be divided between two. 0
Before my hand had healed, I was rushing back and forth to the hospital. Seeing the bandage on my hand, Alex gently blew on it to make it feel better. My heart melted and I could no longer hold back my tears. Hot tears fell on Alex’s face as he looked up and said softly: “Mommy, please don’t leave me, okay?” My heart skipped a beat as I pulled him into my arms. “Mommy’s not leaving you. It’s just that if you stay with me, life will be very difficult from now on…” “I only want Mommy.” Hearing my son’s answer, a weight lifted from my heart. After a week of staying at the hospital, Alex was finally discharged and allowed to go home. During this time, I stayed with Alex while also arranging plans with Sophia. I sent Zachary a message. Lily’s cold was better and no longer needed my care. A minute after sending it, Zachary called. “Aria Montgomery, I order you to be here in 30 minutes. Otherwise I won’t hesitate to repeat what happened to Alex last time.” Remembering Alex’s flushed face, my heart trembled. “I’ve already made myself clear, Zachary. You promised to let me leave once Lily recovered.” He scoffed, his tone harsh: “Who says Lily is better? Until the doctor declares her fully recovered, you’re not going anywhere without my permission.” He added “I’ve already sent security to pick you up” before abruptly hanging up. I clearly heard Lily’s coquettish voice in the background. In the past, Zachary hated anyone interrupting his phone calls. When he had conference calls, I was never allowed to enter the room. Even if I had just showered and was freezing cold. When he chatted with friends, I wasn’t allowed to make a sound. Even if I was injured and needed his care. But now because of Lily, he had truly become someone I didn’t recognize. The memories flashed by in an instant. Alex and I got out of the car to see Zachary directing the servants to busily prepare. Seeing me, he tossed what he was holding to me. It was a guest list and menu. “Tomorrow is Lily’s birthday. I promised her a big celebration. Invite everyone on that list.” “Also, Lily says your cooking is good. You’ll make all the food tomorrow.” He commanded me like he would a servant. But after we married, even when my mother-in-law ordered me, Zachary would stand in front to protect me. Never letting me step foot in the kitchen. How laughable that he had forgotten his past promises, yet still presumed to have me handle everything alone. “Zachary, I refuse. This is not my responsibility and you have no right to order me around.” I turned to leave with Alex, but was stopped by security. “Sorry ma’am, you can’t leave without Mr. Shaw’s permission.” I calmly looked up at the guards blocking my way. They were all hired by me back when I worried about Zachary’s safety. I never imagined they would now only listen to him. “Fine, I’ll stay,” I paused for a second before stating my condition: “But after Lily’s birthday tomorrow, I’m leaving.” Zachary’s expression darkened slightly. After a long moment, he spoke: “I agree. But to prevent you from leaving on your own, I’ll look after our son for now.” With that, the guards took Alex away, completely ignoring my protests. “Aria Montgomery, you’d better not pull any tricks at Lily’s birthday.” “Be sensible and handle everything properly. Stop thinking about leaving. If Lily’s in a good mood, I might even give you some money to leave.” I said nothing, staring intently in the direction the guards had taken Alex. Zachary wasn’t wrong. With Alex here, I couldn’t leave either. I just never expected that this meeting today would be our final goodbye.
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