Seven years into my marriage, I discovered my husband had a six-year-old son. I hid behind the kindergarten slide, watching Alexander bend down to pick up a little boy, laughing and playing with him. “Daddy, you haven’t visited me in ages.” My husband ruffled the boy’s hair. “Be good, Leo. Daddy’s busy with work, but you have to listen to your mommy, okay?” My world imploded. I froze, my mind going utterly blank. Daddy? Mommy? The two figures, one large, one small, shared a striking seven-tenths resemblance. Everything screamed that the man who’d sworn to love me for eternity had been cheating on me all along! We had grown up together, our love a story whispered through the years. I’d taken a knife for him, a wound that cost me our unborn child and left me infertile forever. Back then, Alexander had knelt beside me, his eyes red-rimmed, saying, “I don’t care about children, Eleanor. I only need you!” His trembling voice still echoed in my ears, but the scene before me now ground those vows into dust! I stumbled backward, my heart feeling like it was being sliced into a thousand pieces by a sharp blade, bleeding profusely. I couldn’t bear to look anymore. I was terrified I’d rush over and confront Alexander, even more terrified I’d make a pathetic fool of myself, weeping and despised. I turned and fled. Outside the kindergarten, my best friend, Serena, had been waiting for me. Seeing my pale face, she rushed out of the car. “Ellie, what happened? Max said you forgot something and went back to get it. What’s going on?” Max was Serena’s son. She had insisted I accompany her to his parent-teacher conference today. My face was ashen, tears welling in my eyes. “Serena, help me find someone.” “Who?” “Alexander…” My throat tightened, and I spoke in a hoarse voice. “He has a son.”
【Baby, I won’t be back for another week. Do you miss me?】 I stared at the message from Alexander, tears streaming down my face like a broken dam. Every July, he’d go on a two-week “business trip” to inspect overseas branches. For six whole years, I had never once doubted him. But reality had just slapped me hard across the face, mocking my utter stupidity. Alexander wasn’t on a business trip; he was off with his mistress and his illegitimate child! If not for this unexpected incident today, I would still be completely in the dark. I scrolled through the photos on my phone, torturing myself. Outside, the rain poured, and occasional flashes of lightning illuminated my paper-white face. Perhaps, I should have seen this coming. The Harrington family, with its deep-rooted legacy, would never accept an infertile woman as the mother of their heirs. Unless… they had planned everything all along! So what role did Alexander, the man who supposedly loved me so deeply, play in all this? My heart twisted in agony. Alexander and I had grown up together. Everyone always said we were destined to be together forever. When I was eight, I fell from a tree while playing. He instinctively shielded me, breaking his arm, yet he just smiled and said it didn’t hurt a bit. At twelve, I got my first period and stained my dress. Even though he knew what it was, he was so scared he cried and swore he’d die with me. At eighteen, he secretly participated in an underground race, barely surviving to win a ring and propose to me. He said, “Eleanor, I’ll love you for all my life.” The love of a young man, pure and fervent, had long since captured my heart. Later, just before our wedding, his enemies kidnapped me. I was held for three days and three nights, found barely clinging to life. Alexander broke three ribs saving me, and it was then that I took a knife intended for him, losing my ability to have children. When Mrs. Harrington learned of this, she tried to break us apart. But Alexander, despite his injuries, knelt for three days in the family chapel, refusing food, declaring, “I’d rather lose the Harrington legacy than live without Eleanor!” That’s what finally forced his mother to relent. After his recovery, we quickly married. All of high society had once celebrated our epic, undeniable love. Yet, in the end, he still betrayed me. My phone rang. The screen displayed “Husband,” a word that now felt so utterly sarcastic. I numbly pressed answer. His gentle voice came through: “Baby, are you eating well at home alone? Do you miss me?” Normally, I would be drowning in the sweetness of his love, eager to respond. But now… I was afraid if I spoke, the sob in my throat would betray me. “Baby? Is something wrong? Don’t be scared, I’ll come back to you right now!” Alexander’s voice was anxious. He immediately got up, intending to return. But I couldn’t bear to see him now. “I’m fine.” I tried my best to control myself, but my voice was horribly hoarse. “I’m fine. Work is important, don’t come back. I just have a bit of a cold.” It was the first time I had ever lied to Alexander. He seemed oblivious, his attention drawn away by something, but he still worriedly reiterated a few instructions: “Then get some rest soon. Remember to call me, don’t make me worry.” I softly “hmm-ed” in agreement. Just as I was about to hang up, I heard a woman’s seductive whisper from his end: “Alex, Leo’s asleep. We can…” I keenly sensed Alexander’s breathing grow heavier, and then the call abruptly ended. I gripped my phone, my knuckles white, unable to suppress the chill seeping into my heart. He and that woman, they were together… I couldn’t bear to think about it! I started to whimper uncontrollably, a sound beyond my ability to suppress, like a huge hand clutching my heart, a pain so unbearable it could be fatal. I had thought, perhaps, Alexander was forced into this because of the child. But now, it was clear he was a willing participant! Serena, sensing something was wrong, immediately pushed the door open, only to see me looking utterly defeated, as if all life had drained from me. Usually so impulsive, she hesitated to approach. “Ellie, he’s not worth it.” Tears dripped onto the photos, making a soft pattering sound. Serena’s heart ached for me. She pulled me into a fierce hug, cursing through gritted teeth, “Ellie, Alexander is a piece of trash! He swore all those sweet words when he proposed, and now he dares to keep a mistress and child behind your back!” I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall freely, my mind already made up… The next morning, the rain had cleared, and the sun shone. I hadn’t slept a wink. I had spent the entire night thinking. I had seen love in its purest form; how could I tolerate a heart that had changed? I was Eleanor who deeply loved Alexander, but I was also Eleanor Hayes, the proud eldest daughter of the Hayes family. I couldn’t stand even a speck of dirt in my eye, especially not in love. With that thought, I called my father. “Dad, I remember the Hayes Group wanted to expand its business in the UK. Serena’s husband is from British royalty, and I’m bringing Max back in half a month. I’d like to go with them and take a look.” Mr. Hayes was puzzled. “Did Alexander ask you to inquire?” “No, this time I want to go myself.” I forced a bitter smile. Everyone assumed Alexander and I were one entity, even my own father. Mr. Hayes was surprised. His daughter had always been inseparable from that Harrington boy; why this sudden urge to go somewhere so far? “Ellie, did Alexander do something to you?” Mr. Hayes’s tone immediately became serious. I pursed my lips, eventually choosing to keep it hidden for now. “Dad, please don’t ask for now. I’ll tell you everything after I get to the UK.” The Hayes and Harrington families had been close for generations, their ties growing even stronger through our marriage. I didn’t want the Hayes Group to suffer any damage because of me. Mr. Hayes couldn’t argue with me and finally agreed. “Alright, then. Come to Hayes Group later today to familiarize yourself with the relevant matters.”
I nodded, hung up the phone, and got up to wash. Looking at myself in the mirror, my eyes swollen like walnuts, a bitter taste filled my mouth. The lawyer had already drafted the divorce papers and sent them over, but I still hadn’t figured out how to tell Alexander. After so many years of shared history, it wasn’t easy to simply let go. I used makeup to cover the traces of my tears, changed into a sharp business suit, and left the room. Downstairs, Serena was having breakfast with her son. My appearance yesterday must have given Max quite a scare. “Auntie’s awake!” Max, with his little legs, scampered over to me, taking my hand and blowing on it. “Mommy said Auntie’s heart hurt yesterday, so if I blow on it, it won’t hurt anymore!” Six-year-olds were truly innocent. I stroked his cheek. “Good boy, Max. Auntie doesn’t hurt anymore. Go find Mommy.” Max nodded innocently, then happily ran into Serena’s arms. I remembered Alexander and that child’s joyous laughter yesterday. I thought, if our child had still been alive, they would probably be a bit older than Leo. I took a deep breath, forcing down the bitterness in my heart, quickly said goodbye, and left. But as I stepped out of the villa, I saw a figure standing beside a Maybach not far away. Alexander looked exhausted, lightly biting on a cigarette, smoke swirling around him, making him appear indistinct. I was startled. The information stated that both Cassandra and her son’s birthdays were in July. Cassandra’s birthday was over, but the son’s was yet to come. Why would he suddenly be back? As if my gaze was too intense, he belatedly turned a searching look towards me, but the moment he saw it was me, his previously dull eyes suddenly lit up. He strode over to me, pulling me into his arms. His embrace was still warm, but at that moment, it felt so hot it made me tremble. “Is your cold better? I heard your voice wasn’t right, so I rushed back last night.” “I came home and found you gone. I figured you must be here with Serena.” Alexander’s voice was full of concern, and his expression didn’t seem faked. To this day, I still didn’t understand why the man who loved me to the bone would so comfortably have an affair and a child with another woman. My lips trembled slightly. I swallowed hard, trying to hold back the pain in my throat. I wanted to question him, but in the end, I just said numbly, “I’m fine. I was just about to go home.” Alexander sighed in relief. “Next time you’re sick, remember to tell me, or I’ll worry myself to death.” His voice was gentle and low, creating a momentary illusion of peaceful serenity. But in my peripheral vision, I saw a slender figure not far away. Cassandra stood under a tree, talking on her phone. The next second, Alexander’s phone rang… He glanced down at his phone, his face showing a troubled expression. “Something urgent came up at the office. I need to go deal with it.” My breath caught. I wasn’t blind. I’d seen the name flash across the screen: Cassandra. The bitterness in my heart was overflowing. I forced myself to speak, my voice tinged with a sour ache. “Alright, you go ahead. Company matters are important.” Alexander’s eyes held a hint of guilt. He kissed my forehead before getting into the car and rushing off. As soon as Alexander drove away, Cassandra hung up her phone. She swayed her hips as she approached. “Miss Hayes, hello. I’m Cassandra. I’m…” She trailed off, seeing my tightly pursed lips, and a knowing look crossed her face. “It seems Miss Hayes already knows about Leo and me. Then just wait for the show.” I hailed a taxi and followed Cassandra. At the hospital, I stood outside the patient room, watching everything unfold inside, feeling a sharp pain tear through my heart. I bit down hard on my lip, not daring to make a sound. Inside, Alexander’s son was on an IV drip, his small face pale and drawn, looking terribly pitiful. Alexander was frantic, pacing back and forth in the room, letting out a furious rant. “What are you all doing?! You can’t even cure a child’s fever!” The busy doctor beside him, I recognized as Alexander’s good friend, Dr. Ben Carter. “Your son has a cold and a fever because he caught a chill. If you can’t take care of him yourself, don’t you dare yell at my colleagues!” “Alexander, I really don’t know what you’re thinking. Didn’t you say you’d pay that woman off and get rid of her after she had the child? Now you dare to call me for a simple cold? What if Eleanor finds out?” After a long silence, Alexander’s voice came, tinged with fatigue and helplessness. “What can I do? A mother’s heart is tied to her child. Every time I tried to send Cassandra away, Leo would cry endlessly. I can’t just let the child keep crying, can I?” “Hmph, is it the child you can’t bear to part with, or her? You know the answer yourself!” Dr. Ben Carter scoffed. Hearing this, Alexander grew even more irritated. He rubbed his throbbing forehead forcefully. “Don’t talk nonsense. I will only love Eleanor my entire life. But the Harrington family can’t be without an heir. You absolutely must keep this from Eleanor. I don’t want to hurt her.” “As for Cassandra, she did bear me a child, and I can’t treat her badly.” It was only then that Cassandra pushed the door open, her face tear-streaked like a weeping willow. “Alex, it’s all my fault for not taking good care of Leo. He got a fever after you left last night and kept crying for you. I was afraid of disturbing you and your wife, so I didn’t say anything sooner…” Alexander stroked the child’s feverish face, sighed, and his heart softened. He pulled the woman into his arms to comfort her. “Don’t cry, Cassandra. I’m not blaming you. Leo is our child; it’s me who’s an unfit father.” Cassandra tugged at Alexander’s shirt, her fingers brushing across his chest. “Alex, I know I can’t compare to Miss Hayes, but I just can’t bear to see our child suffer…” Alexander’s brows furrowed. “Who dares to make my son suffer?! You, on the other hand, need to take care of yourself. Look at your face, all tear-streaked.” He raised a hand and gently wiped a tear from her eye, their intimate pose piercing my heart. I squeezed my hands tightly, letting my fingernails dig into my palms, leaving crescent-shaped red marks. I felt no pain at all. Or perhaps, any physical pain was nothing compared to the heartache. The pouring rain started again, and I left the hospital like that. I walked numbly in the rain, letting it drench me.
Rainwater streamed down my face, blurring my vision, but it couldn’t wash away the overwhelming feeling of shame and humiliation in my heart. By the time I reached Hayes Group, my ankles were already raw and bleeding from my high heels, a vivid red mess. The receptionist gasped in shock at my appearance and rushed forward to help me. “Miss Hayes! What happened to you? Do you need me to call Mr. Harrington? If he sees you like this, he’ll be heartbroken again.” My heart ached numbly. Yes, everyone assumed Alexander loved me, without exception. But they didn’t know how much deceit and betrayal was woven into that ‘love.’ I gently pushed away her helping hand, my voice hoarse. “I’m fine. It just started raining suddenly on the way. Please buy me a clean change of clothes and bring them here.” I handed her my black card, then locked myself in the nearest meeting room. The door closed, and I could no longer control my agonizing sobs. I had thought that after seeing those photos, I was already immune to reality. But seeing that family of three appear before me, the deepest scar in my heart was repeatedly ripped open, a bloody, raw wound. My heartbroken wails echoed through the large conference room. I wanted so badly to ask Alexander why he was the one who made grand vows back then, and why he was also the one now sharing intimate moments and a child with another woman… It wasn’t until a knock on the door that I snapped out of my sorrow. The person at the door had already left, leaving a new set of clothes and the black card, along with a cup of hot water. Under the cup was a handwritten note: “Miss Hayes, don’t worry, I didn’t contact Mr. Harrington. I know you’re afraid he’d worry.” A mix of emotions swirled within me. In the end, I tore the card into pieces and threw it into the trash. I took the clothes into the washroom to change. A moment later, I was back to being Eleanor Hayes, the formidable heiress. Nothing could scare me. I walked in my heels to the CEO’s office, and that’s where I stayed, working tirelessly all day. Throughout the day, Alexander sent me many messages, but I didn’t read or reply to any of them. It wasn’t until evening that I dragged my exhausted body back to the villa, planning to pack my bags and leave tomorrow morning. But as I opened the door, childish laughter drifted from the living room, and Cassandra stood right before my eyes! The woman was wearing a maid’s uniform from the Harrington family estate, and not far away, a little boy was making a mess in the living room. Seeing me enter, Cassandra stood up from beside Alexander, smiling gracefully and gently. “Madam is back. I’m the maid sent from the family estate to look after young Master Leo.” I instinctively bit my lip, even my breathing felt difficult. How *dare* Alexander? How *dare* he bring these two into our home! Seeing my expression change, Alexander quickly explained, “Baby, I messaged you this afternoon, you probably didn’t see it. Leo is a child Mom brought back from an orphanage. She said he had a special connection to our family.” All the heartbreak had already been vented in that empty conference room. Now, only a surging anger filled my chest. These people were treating me like an utter fool! “Alexander, are you deliberately trying to hurt me?” My voice trembled slightly, clearly furious. Hearing this, Alexander frowned slightly, surprised by my strong resistance. He hastily explained, “Baby, don’t be angry! You know the Harrington family needs an heir, and I saw how much you grieved for our lost child, so I agreed to Mom’s request.” “If you don’t like him, I’ll send him away immediately!” Everyone knew Alexander loved me deeply; my well-being was always his top priority. Just like now, if I didn’t like him, he would even send away his own biological son. But this kind of “favoritism” filled me with an inexplicable disgust! I was about to speak and clear the air, but the child, Leo, pursed his lips and burst into loud sobs. “You’re a bad woman! Daddy, why are you with this bad woman? Don’t you want Leo anymore?” The child’s cries were piercing, giving Alexander a splitting headache. He immediately snapped, “Leo, who taught you such disrespectful things?!” “Are you all dead?! Get young Master Leo back to his room right away!” Several maids rushed forward, flustered, and took the wailing Leo back to his room. Cassandra also seemed panicked, repeatedly apologizing. “Mr. Harrington, it’s all my fault. Please don’t blame young Master Leo.” As she spoke, she cast a lingering, tender look at Alexander, a look of grievance enough to make any man’s heart ache. Alexander sighed, his tone softening slightly. “I’m not blaming him. He’s just a child; what does he know? You go take care of him.” I took all of this in, my heart growing colder. I pulled away from Alexander and walked straight upstairs, closing the door on him who had followed. Alexander stood outside the door, incredibly frustrated, but still patiently tried to soothe me. “Baby, it’s all my fault. I’ll send that child away first thing tomorrow morning.” “You don’t have to let me in. Just get some good rest. We can talk about everything tomorrow.” I leaned against the door, sitting on the floor, listening to his receding footsteps. My heart was long past aching, numb and unresponsive. What was the point of sending him away? Blood is thicker than water, and those ties can never truly be severed. Ultimately, I was the one who needed to leave! I didn’t reply, locking the door. Alone, I slumped against the cold door, listening to his footsteps fade, no longer able to hold myself up, sliding to the floor. I just felt so incredibly tired, physically and emotionally drained. I don’t know how long passed, but my phone chimed. I numbly slid open the screen and saw a friend request from a stranger. It was Cassandra. 【Mrs. Harrington, if you kick Mr. Harrington out of your room, don’t blame him for coming to mine.】 My pupils constricted. I got up and walked out of the bedroom, immediately spotting a faint light from the study at the end of the second floor.
The door was ajar. Through the crack, I heard a woman’s seductive voice: “Alex, you’re hurting me?” The man grunted, his tone laced with a hint of ruthlessness: “Afraid of pain, yet you still lured me here? You truly can’t behave, even with a child.” Suddenly, a chill ran through me, like falling into an icy chasm. All the blood in my veins turned cold. I hadn’t expected Alexander to be so impatient! The sounds from inside continued. Cassandra suppressed a moan: “Alex, I just saw you were upset after Madam kicked you out, so I wanted to make you happy on her behalf.” “Don’t make excuses for your own wild behavior. Remember, if you want Leo to stay in this family, don’t you dare upset my wife.” I couldn’t listen anymore. I didn’t even know how I managed to leave. Back in my room, I immediately rushed into the bathroom, leaning over the sink, throwing up bile. Until a cramping pain seized my stomach, I slowly straightened up, looking at my pathetic self in the mirror. My tears had long since run dry. I was Eleanor Hayes, the proud heiress of the Hayes family, I should be better than this. I don’t know how long I stayed in the bathroom. It wasn’t until the sky began to lighten that I slowly got up and lay back on the bed. This time, *I* was the one who didn’t want him. The next morning, when I went downstairs, I saw Cassandra standing by the dining table, arranging tableware. After a night of effort, she had successfully changed out of the maid’s uniform and was wearing a figure-hugging, elegant dress that showed off her curves. Her face had a faint resemblance to mine. No wonder Alexander had picked her.
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