Chapter 1

The moment Isabelle filed for divorce, a single call was all it took for Marcus to drop everything, abandoning me to rush back to her side.

I tore the pregnancy test result from my hand, walking away without a single glance back.

Five years later, we ran into each other at the airport.

She was clinging to his arm, a dazzling smile, an ethereal beauty.

A perfect family of three. The way Marcus looked at them—it was filled with a tenderness, a devotion he had *never* once shown me.

I gripped Leo's hand, wanting to leave, but we were stopped.

He looked at my son beside me, his eyes widening in a mixture of shock and something unreadable.

"Where did you get a child?"

In the crowded departure lounge, little Leo tugged at my sleeve, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially.

"Mommy, when can I have a daddy? I really envy that little girl."

He spoke softly, gesturing towards the open hall not far away.

A tall man was holding a little girl, his strong arms tossing her up repeatedly.

Then catching her safely, simulating a game of flying.

The little girl's crisp laughter, like little chimes, echoed through the entire lounge.

Every passerby who looked their way wore a warm, envious smile.

Only I, the moment I recognized that figure, felt like I was plunged into an ice storm.

Every nerve tightened, my scalp prickled with dread. One thought consumed me: *escape*.

I grabbed Leo, fleeing like a criminal, but accidentally bumped into a stranger's camera.

The man roared in distress, grabbing my coat, demanding compensation.