Chapter 1

The day after Lucas Foster went to prison, I was kicked out of the house by the Foster family.

Seven months pregnant, I had nowhere to go.

To provide for my daughter, I set up street stalls, washed dishes, and lived in a tiny partitioned cubicle of just a few square meters. For four whole years, I held on solely through the love letters Lucas sent from behind bars.

He promised that once he was released, he would marry me and give our daughter and me a real home.

Yet, the day before his scheduled release, I saw him dressed in a sharp suit, dining warmly with another woman and child.

As it turned out, he hadn't spent a single day in prison!

For four years, he enjoyed domestic bliss, while my daughter and I endured endless humiliation.

The next day, I still took our daughter to wait for him at the prison gates.

With red-rimmed eyes, he wrapped his arms around me, swearing he would never let me suffer again.

I leaned into his embrace with a smile, but only one thought echoed in my mind:

Lucas Foster, this time, I’m taking our daughter and vanishing completely—where you will never find us.

Chloe Lin POV

Everyone in New York knew that Lucas Foster, in a fit of rage over a man harassing me, crushed the man's groin and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Because of this, the Foster family despised me to the bone.

The day after Lucas went to prison, I was driven out of the house, seven months pregnant.

Susan Foster pointed right at my face and snarled, "My son is in prison because of you! That little bastard in your belly doesn't deserve to be a Foster!"

Because of her words, not a single hospital dared to admit me the day I went into labor.

In the end, I gave birth to my daughter in a dingy alley clinic, nearly bleeding to death on the table.

George Foster went even further, declaring publicly, "The Foster family will never acknowledge any child that woman bears. She has nothing to do with us."

Consequently, in the entire city of New York, not a soul dared to help me complete my daughter's legal registration.

From the day she was born, my daughter had no legal identity.

Lucas’s sister, Victoria Foster, hated me with a passion and never missed a chance to make my life hell.

She splashed paint across the door of my rented place, terrifying my landlord into terminating my lease.

I had no choice but to move with my baby into the cheapest partitioned cubicle I could find.

Victoria even sent thugs to cause trouble at the convenience store where I worked, forcing the owner to fire me.

Unable to find decent employment, I barely kept us afloat by selling handmade jewelry on the street.

Yet every time business picked up, someone would come along and trash my stall.

Through relentless torment and persecution, the monthly letters from Lucas in prison were my only lifeline.

Near the end of almost every letter, Lucas wrote with unwavering certainty:

[Once I get out, I will marry you and give you and our daughter the very best of everything.]

So I endured it all, over and over, reminding myself that these hardships were only temporary.

Once Lucas came home, everything would be alright.

Clinging to that belief, I gritted my teeth through the dark, endless days, and four years slipped by in the blink of an eye.

Four years later, the day before Lucas’s release.

That afternoon, I was washing dishes in the back kitchen of an upscale hotel.

My daughter suddenly asked, "Mommy, are we really going to see Daddy tomorrow?"

I looked down at her with a gentle smile. "Yes, sweetie. Are you happy?"

Dotty blinked her clear, bright eyes and asked innocently, "Does that mean I'll get to eat lots and lots of meat, and drink lots and lots of milk from now on?"

A sharp ache pierced my heart.

Over the years, I couldn't provide her with a decent life; having meat was the rarest luxury for us. Chronic malnutrition had left her looking far smaller and frailer than other kids her age.

Swallowing the bitter lump in my throat, I said softly, "With Daddy back, you can have whatever your heart desires. Today is payday, so after my shift, I’ll take you to buy some brand-new clothes. Tomorrow, we’ll both dress up pretty to go pick up Daddy, okay?"

"New clothes for me? Yay! I love you the most, Mommy!"

Dotty beamed with pure joy.

I, too, was eager to wrap up my work early so I could use my paycheck to buy her an outfit and prepare for Lucas’s homecoming.

Wiping my hands dry, I kissed her little cheek. "Wait here for me, okay? I’m going out front to clear the tables, and I’ll be right back."

I settled her in the kitchen with a puzzle, pulled on my face mask, and headed out to collect the dirty dishes.

As I pushed the bussing cart past a private dining room on the second floor, I glanced inside purely by chance.

That single glance froze me dead in my tracks.

Six people sat around the lavish table.

Lucas Foster occupied the head seat, impeccably groomed in a tailored suit, looking breathtakingly handsome.

Beside him sat an elegantly made-up woman, cradling a little girl around three or four years old. The child wore a lovely pink dress and a sparkling hair clip.

Lucas’s parents and his sister were also at the table.

The family atmosphere was warm and lively, as if they were celebrating a joyous occasion.

My mind went entirely blank. For a second, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

Isn't Lucas supposed to be released tomorrow?

Why is he sitting here right now?

Did he get out early? Then why didn't he tell me?

And who was the woman beside him? Who was that little girl?

"Lucas, are you really going to see Chloe Lin tomorrow?" Victoria Foster set down her cutlery, her voice laced with disgust. "After all these years, you still haven't let her go?"

Susan Foster sighed, chiming in, "Lucas, your child with Yvonne is already this big. You can't let her down."

George Foster swirled his wine glass and drawled, "If you feel indebted to Chloe Lin, just give her a check and send her packing. As for the child she bore, we can pay child support, but she will never step foot inside the Foster household."

Lucas leaned back against his chair, his eyes sweeping across everyone at the table.

"I’ve told you, the only woman in my heart is Chloe. Drop this subject," he said. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an undeniable weight of authority. "As for Yvonne, I’ve stayed by her side for four years, and I will compensate them generously—that was our agreement from the very beginning. So tomorrow, I am going to find Chloe. None of you is allowed to mention a single word about this in front of her. If any of you lets her find out that I deceived her for four years, don't blame me for disregarding our family ties."

Silence fell over the table for several seconds.

The woman smiled gently, reaching over to place a piece of fish onto Lucas’s plate. "Lucas, don't be upset. I never intended to come between you and Chloe. Having you for these past four years has been more than enough for me. Don't worry, I won't say anything to her that I shouldn't."

Lucas looked at her, the coldness in his eyes softening just a fraction.