Chapter 3

Perhaps he hadn't expected such a fierce, sarcastic outburst from me, leaving Julian stunned.

If he was going to stab at my heart, I would make him squirm.

That incident from years ago was a dark stain on his past!

All these years, I had carefully protected him, nurtured him with love, and never once brought it up.

Now that I’d hit him where it hurt, he would surely be furious enough to divorce me on the spot.

I had already imagined the storm that was coming, but Julian just bit his lip, motionless.

I pointed to the divorce papers on the table, hopefully offering him a pen. He didn’t take it.

He just walked towards the kitchen, annoyed.

After ransacking the fridge and finding no food, Julian’s anger finally spilled over.

“Audrey! What have you been doing for the past month? The fridge is completely empty! Are you deliberately trying to sabotage this marriage?”

I found it a little funny. Did he still think we had a marriage to salvage?

“I’ve been waiting for you to come back and finalize our divorce!”

To ensure he always had food despite his busy work schedule, I used to keep the fridge fully stocked every day.

Just now, when I hit a raw nerve, he didn't divorce me.

But now the fridge is empty—simply because I withdrew a tiny bit of my love—and he’s furious and disappointed.

My words echoed in the silent living room.

Surely, his arrogance would lead him to sign the papers now, right?

Under my expectant gaze, he angrily grabbed the pen, but then hovered over the signature line for a long time.

I even felt like joking, “Once we’re divorced, you can get even closer to your sister.”

Julian abruptly tore the divorce papers to shreds.

“So, you want a divorce because you’re jealous, huh? I’ve told you countless times, Seraphina and I are just family with no blood relation!”

Just as I regretted opening my mouth, Julian’s FaceTime started ringing.

“Daddy, I want a birthday present!”

Hearing Leo’s sweet, soft voice, my heart instantly melted into a puddle.

I craned my neck, eagerly trying to see Julian’s phone screen, but he shot me a glare and turned the phone completely away from me.

During the month I was sick, I was afraid of scaring Leo, so I hadn’t dared to video call him.

Now, just hearing his voice, I couldn't resist the urge to go pick him up immediately.

“Anything you want, sweetheart, Daddy will get for you!”

“Daddy, I want Aunt Seraphina to be my mommy! She’s way more fun than Mom!”

My soft heart instantly hardened.

I almost forgot that Seraphina was the daughter of Julian’s father’s new wife.

Technically, Seraphina and Julian were family.

And my son was currently being raised at the Sterling mansion.

Not only was Seraphina stealing my husband, now she was trying to steal my son too!

“Sweetheart, you can’t just pick any mommy! In a couple of days, your real mommy and I will celebrate your birthday with you, okay?”

Hearing Julian mention me as his mommy, my already wounded heart came back to life.

I eagerly anticipated Leo’s joyful shout.

But Leo yelled back,

“No! I don’t like Mom anymore! Grandma Sterling said Mom doesn’t love me anymore, that’s why she left me with her.”

I had only let the Sterling family take care of Leo while I was in the hospital for surgery, making up an excuse so I wouldn't scare him.

Now, after just one month, he didn’t even recognize me.

“So, I want Aunt Seraphina to be my mommy!”

Innocent words from a child, yet they froze me to the core.

Sure enough, blood is thicker than water, after all. No matter how much you raise a child that isn't yours by blood, they'll never truly become 'yours'.

What stung even more was Julian’s smiling agreement to Leo’s request:

“Since sweetheart likes Aunt Seraphina so much, then we’ll let her be Leo’s godmother!”

My emotions were on a rollercoaster.

And at that moment, I felt like I had crashed and burned.

Julian’s peripheral glance at me was full of defiance.