After pretending to have amnesia, I, Stella Reid, deliberately asked my husband Ashton Sanders and son Nate Sanders: “Who are you?” After a moment of silence, Ashton told me: “My son and I are here to visit my wife. We got the wrong room.” Upon hearing this, Nate immediately pulled Ashton toward the next room: “Sorry, Dad and I are going to see Mom now.” The patient in the next room was Ashton’s first love, Audrey Collins. ***** After falling down the stairs, I was rushed to the hospital. Looking at Ashton and Nate standing at my door, I suddenly remembered Nate once complaining: “Mom, why are you so serious every day? You’re no fun.” Recalling that my fall was caused by Nate scattering glass marbles at the top of the stairs, I deliberately put on a confused expression and asked softly: “Who are you?” I expected to see panic or worry on their faces, but the result was completely unexpected. After a moment of silence, Ashton calmly said: “My son and I are here to visit my wife. Sorry, we got the wrong room.” I looked at Nate. Though he was young, despite his efforts to hide it, I caught a glimpse of barely concealed joy on his face. I was stunned. Nate tugged at Ashton’s sleeve, signaling him to lean down so he could whisper in his ear. Though his voice was low, I could read lips and clearly understood what he said: “Dad, since Mom has amnesia, can’t you trick her into signing divorce papers and then marry Ms. Collins? I really like Ms. Collins and want her to be my new mom.” My heart felt like it had plunged into an icy abyss, trembling with cold. I never imagined that the child I carried for ten months and nearly died giving birth to would encourage his father to divorce me. I knew his personality—this wasn’t a joke. He was serious! Before Ashton could respond, Nate was already eagerly pulling him toward the next room: “Sorry, Dad and I are going to see Mom now.” Enduring excruciating pain, I quietly moved to the door of the adjacent room and watched through the crack, silently observing everything happening inside. I saw Nate holding the woman’s hand while Ashton embraced both of them, their similar faces filled with adoration and tenderness. When I saw the woman’s face clearly, I felt like I’d been struck by lightning, my entire body frozen in place. This woman was Ashton’s first love, Audrey. They circled around Audrey, coaxing her to be happy and take her medicine, looking so humble that no one would imagine they were a business tycoon and child prodigy who dominated the corporate world. Nate said sweetly: “Ms. Collins, you don’t know—my mom lying in bed looks like a limp piece of meat. It’s disgusting to look at. When can you become my mom? Then you could replace my mom at parent-teacher conferences.” He chattered on endlessly, but my heart felt like it was being sliced by knives, bleeding profusely. I truly never expected that the two people I treasured most would despise me so much. I couldn’t bear to watch this warm family of three any longer and numbly returned to my room. The nurse saw me return and came forward with concern to support me: “You need to rest well after just waking up. The doctor said you have a mild concussion.” While skillfully treating my wounds, she chatted: “That family of three next door is really making a big fuss. The woman just has a small cut on her finger, but those two act like the sky is falling, nearly turning the hospital upside down, as if that little wound might affect the baby in her belly.” Hearing the nurse’s words, I felt extremely shocked. After finishing with my wounds, she asked with concern: “Where’s your family? Your condition is quite serious—you really need someone to take care of you.” I forced a bitter smile and said weakly: “I don’t have any family. My husband and son are both dead.” That day, I lay in the hospital for a while before insisting on completing the discharge procedures. I firmly told the doctor that my husband and child had died, and that I didn’t know Ashton and Nate. As for everything else, I remembered it all clearly. The doctor explained to Ashton that I might be experiencing temporary amnesia caused by the concussion—I might never remember, or my memory could return the next day. Ashton and Nate visibly relaxed, looking almost pleased. After showing up briefly at my bedside, they spent almost all their time in Audrey’s room. On the day I was discharged, it was that kind little nurse who escorted me out of the hospital. She looked deeply concerned about me. She hesitated for a long time before finally speaking up as I was getting into the car: “Ms. Reid, are Mr. Sanders and Nate your family? They’ve been staying with Ms. Collins these past few days. Maybe you should pay attention to that?” The nurse had overheard Ashton’s conversation with the doctor, and her expression was full of sympathy for my situation. I silently thanked her for her kindness, then said firmly: “That’s impossible. My husband and child died long ago—they perished in a fire. Ashton and Nate are nothing but strangers to me.” After saying this, I got into the car, but my thoughts drifted back to that nightmarish fire three years ago. I’ll never forget that day when I lost the child in my womb and my ability to ever become a mother again. That day, I had just discovered I was pregnant and was preparing to share the good news with Ashton. But he came home drunk and immediately started mocking me, saying I was nothing but a parasite clinging to him. Meanwhile, Nate was sick again. I was juggling caring for a patient and dealing with this drunk man, completely overwhelmed. I made Ashton some honey lemon tea and coaxed him into drinking it, then devoted all my attention to caring for Nate. After finally getting his condition to improve somewhat, exhausted from pregnancy, I couldn’t hold on any longer and dozed off beside the bed. That’s why I didn’t notice what was happening with Ashton. He had somehow found a lighter and set the living room on fire, then fell into a deep sleep. But he hadn’t completely extinguished the flame, and the embers ignited things around the house. By the time I discovered it, the fire had already spread. I carried Nate on my back and dragged the dead-drunk Ashton out of the burning house. I protected them both well, but my face was burned by the flames, and the shock caused me to miscarry. That miscarriage also took away my ability to conceive again. Afterward, Ashton blamed me for being careless. I loved him so deeply then that when he frowned and questioned me, I felt overwhelming guilt and took all the blame upon myself. If only I had stayed alert that night. From that day forward, they looked at me with disgust, their eyes filled with revulsion whenever they saw the hideous, incurable scars on my face.
I returned home to find Ashton and Nate already inside, along with Audrey. They were seated around the dining table, which was laden with an elaborate spread of food. The moment I stepped through the door, I saw Ashton peeling shrimp for Audrey while Nate eagerly competed with him, both men racing to shell the seafood. Audrey’s plate was piled high with the shrimp they’d prepared for her. I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. Seeing me return, the smiles vanished from their faces instantly, and the atmosphere grew heavy, as if I were an unwelcome intruder. Ashton frowned, his tone sharp with displeasure: “Why are you back?” Hearing his accusatory question, I almost wanted to laugh. Instead of responding, I silently changed my shoes and walked up the stairs, looking down at them from above: “This is my house. Why shouldn’t I be able to come back?” Audrey spoke up, somewhat uneasily: “Mrs. Sanders, Mr. Sanders and Nate are just concerned about my pregnancy and want to take care of me. There’s nothing more to it.” Looking at Audrey, honestly, I didn’t hate her—I even had to thank her. She had shown me the true nature of these two men I loved so deeply. Audrey was Ashton’s first love. During college, they were the perfect couple in everyone’s eyes. I’d never seen Ashton love anyone so passionately, as if he’d willingly lay the entire world at her feet. But her family wasn’t well-off. Near graduation that year, the Sanders family business hit hard times. To weather the crisis, Ashton’s father Carson Sanders brought him to my family, hoping to arrange a marriage alliance. The Reid family’s enterprises spanned both political and business circles—far beyond what the Sanders family could reach. It was just that my father had once been saved by Carson in his youth, and when I returned from abroad and fell for Ashton at first sight, the engagement was settled. Looking back on all these years with Ashton, I was like someone under a spell, devoted to him wholeheartedly. Even when he often treated me coldly, even when he maintained contact with Audrey and always rushed to her side whenever she needed him—I endured it all. I kept believing that if I just treated him a little better, I could replace Audrey’s place in his heart. So when I was sick, he stayed by the seaside with a sleepless Audrey. He missed every one of my prenatal appointments because Audrey always had some trivial matter requiring his help. Even on the day I gave birth, when Audrey had a nightmare, he stayed by her side. Looking back now, I was utterly foolish. I actually believed I could replace his first love. Ashton was right—I truly couldn’t recognize my place. But what broke my heart most was that even my child chose to stand with Audrey. When he said those words—”I want Ms. Collins to be my new mommy”—my heart died completely. Nate said with displeasure, “Why didn’t you greet Ms. Collins?” Seeing the disgust in Nate’s eyes, even though my heart had long since died, I couldn’t help but feel a sharp pang of pain. This was the child I had loved for seven Christmases. Suddenly, Nate took Audrey’s hand and said, “Ms. Collins, why don’t you stay at our house? You’re carrying my little brother or sister, so we can’t be careless. Our house is spacious and luxurious – you’ll be very comfortable here. You need to rest well, and I’m looking forward to teaching them when they’re born.” He glanced at me and added loudly, “The bedroom on the third floor is perfect – you should stay there.” The third-floor bedroom was mine and Ashton’s room. Hearing this, Ashton looked at Nate with approval. Nate’s words were exactly what he wanted to hear. Actually, on the way home, I had already investigated everything. Three Christmases ago, when that fire happened, Audrey’s parents had just died in a car accident. At that time, the Sanders family had a project that needed the Reid family’s support. So under pressure from the Reid family, Ashton couldn’t accompany Audrey to handle her parents’ funeral arrangements – he couldn’t even be by her side. That’s why Ashton got completely drunk that night, because he didn’t want to face me. Under Ashton’s deliberate guidance, Nate gradually developed feelings for the gentle and considerate Audrey. While I only checked his homework every day, never joked around, and wore outdated clothes. Thinking about this, I unconsciously looked down at my clothes and smiled bitterly. After getting together with Ashton, I discovered he didn’t like luxury, so I gave up those expensive jewelry and handbags. Later, after Nate was born, because he didn’t like being cared for by nannies and would cry whenever he left me, I had to take care of him personally, naturally having no time to focus on my appearance. Now it seemed I really couldn’t compare to Audrey, who dressed elegantly and fashionably. Seeing my pale expression, Audrey hesitated and said somewhat dejectedly, “Nate, you and your family are the real family here. I’m just an outsider – it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to stay. Besides, if I just move in like this, Ms. Reid probably won’t be happy about it.” Nate held her hand and kept acting cute, pouting as he said, “She wouldn’t dare be unhappy! Don’t worry, she always listens to Dad and me. You don’t need to worry about these things – I really hope we can become a family. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world. How wonderful it would be if you were my mother.” Nate was truly Ashton’s child – it seemed like from birth he knew I cared about him and his father, and also seemed to know I would never resist the two of them. Watching this performance they were putting on downstairs, I suddenly laughed out loud: “Did you forget that this is my house? The deed has my name on it. And who exactly are you two to dare put on this show in my own home?”
Hearing my words, Ashton shot me a cold glance. “Stella, haven’t you caused enough trouble? Audrey is pregnant, and she needs proper care as an expectant mother. Can’t you stop being so selfish?” Hearing my words, Ashton shot me a cold glance. “Stella, haven’t you caused enough trouble? Audrey is pregnant, and she needs proper care as an expectant mother. Can’t you stop being so selfish?” My gaze unconsciously fell on the spot where I had fallen. It had been cleaned spotless, and the harmful glass beads had been thrown away by the butler, Jaxon Sims. But the surveillance footage Jaxon had shown me kept flashing through my mind. I saw Nate clutching a handful of glass beads, secretly scattering them at the top of the stairs, then grinning maliciously as he shouted from downstairs: “Mommy, my head hurts so bad!” I also saw him standing there watching my unconscious body after I tumbled down, with no intention of calling for help. Only when Jaxon and the servants he had sent away returned did he put on an act of panic and rush toward me. These images were burned into my memory, making my whole body tremble. I couldn’t believe that the child I had fought so hard to bring into this world could have such a vicious heart. Before, when he favored Audrey, I always comforted myself that Nate was still young and didn’t understand. But now, I truly couldn’t deceive myself anymore. Hadn’t I been good enough to Ashton and Nate? Hadn’t I been humble enough for them? Why did they have to treat me this way? I let out a cold laugh and looked at Jaxon. “Since when do we allow strangers in this house? And they’re being so arrogant right in front of me. Throw them out. Oh, and that woman is pregnant, so be gentle—we don’t want her to miscarry and have them blame me for it.” Jaxon nodded and immediately called the security guards. Ashton’s face darkened. “What do you mean? Don’t you want to make this marriage work anymore?” I covered my mouth in mock surprise and asked sarcastically, “Who are you people? Your wife is pregnant—why are you living in my house? Is this some kind of refugee shelter?” Ashton roared, “Enough! Have you lost your mind? How dare you humiliate us like this!” I dropped the smile from my face and stared at Ashton quietly. Seven years ago, the first time I saw him at Reid Manor, I fell for him instantly. But now I realized he had become so foreign to me, so foreign that it filled me with dread. He continued, “If you hadn’t forced me to break up with Audrey back then, I would have married her and had children with her long ago.” Hearing this, I actually laughed. The security guards arrived quickly and politely escorted Audrey out. As for Ashton and Nate, they weren’t so courteous—they simply threw them out of the villa. I stood at the doorway, watching their pathetic retreat, and finally felt some of the resentment in my heart dissipate. Ashton said angrily, “Stella, after treating us like this, don’t expect me to make things easy for you.” While helping Nate up, he asked Audrey with concern if she was hurt. Audrey’s eyes darted around before she immediately clutched her belly and cried out in pain. Seeing this, Nate flew into a rage and charged at me. He moved too fast, and having just been discharged from the hospital, my body was still weak. He knocked me to the ground with one push. Sharp pain shot through me, but Nate wasn’t satisfied. He raised his fist and said viciously, “If anything happens to my little brother or sister, I’ll never forgive you.” Just as his fist was about to come down, the security guard reacted quickly and grabbed his hand. I stared at him coldly while Nate continued struggling, trying to lunge at me. I laughed bitterly in despair. “I really raised an ungrateful bastard.” After a pause, I spoke slowly, “Ashton, let’s get divorced.”
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