For My Son’s Revenge, I Became the Comatose Heir’s Bride

After the court rejected my eighteenth petition for justice for my son, I applied to marry the Whitmore family’s comatose heir as a bride meant to bring him luck. Once I married into the Whitmore family, I would gain access to the only lawyer in the entire capital brave enough to take my case. I would also finally escape the husband who had personally committed me to a psychiatric hospital for the sake of his childhood sweetheart. “Mrs. Whitmore, my birth date and horoscope are a perfect match for your son.” I pushed the documents across the table, forcing my voice to remain calm. “I understand that your son is still unconscious. You have my word—once I join the Whitmore family, I’ll know my place and fulfill my responsibilities as his wife. I’ll take good care of him.” Mrs. Whitmore didn’t agree immediately. She opened the file. When her gaze landed on the section marked Marital Status, her brows drew together. “Ms. Bennett, it’s true that I don’t care about the family background of the woman chosen for this marriage.” “But your file says you’re married. How can you marry into the Whitmore family when you already have a husband?” “My divorce is being processed.” Beneath the table, I clenched my hand until my nails dug into my palm. “In seven days, I’ll have my divorce certificate.” Mrs. Whitmore studied me. “Your husband is Adrian Hayes, of the Hayes family?” Hearing his name tightened something in my throat. It took me a long moment to force out an answer. “Yes.” “His childhood sweetheart killed my five-year-old son.” “I searched the entire capital for a lawyer and submitted evidence eighteen times. But every time, Adrian used the Hayes family’s influence to bury the case.” “Now, there isn’t a single lawyer in the capital willing to represent me.” I pulled a thick stack of documents from my bag and slid it toward her. On top was a photograph of my son lying in the intensive care unit before he died. Tubes covered his tiny body. His face was colorless, and around his wrist was the braided red bracelet I had made for him with my own hands. But he never got the chance to grow up. My vision blurred. I lowered my head and bit my lip hard, refusing to let my tears fall. “Mrs. Whitmore, I don’t want status, and I don’t want money.” “All I’m asking is for you to find me a lawyer willing to take this case.” “I want the person who killed my son to pay.” “Other than that, I promise I’ll never cause you any trouble.” …… The room remained silent for a long time. Mrs. Whitmore looked at the photograph before turning her attention back to me. “I can agree to that.” My head snapped up. “But in seven days, I must see your divorce certificate,” she said sternly. “The Whitmore family may be desperate for this marriage, but we won’t allow my son to be accused of breaking up another person’s marriage.” “You have my word.” I struggled to contain my relief. “The divorce process has already been expedited. In seven days, I’ll be legally single.” Mrs. Whitmore closed the file. Before leaving, she gave me a meaningful look. “I look forward to welcoming you as my daughter-in-law, Ms. Bennett.” “I’ll send someone to pick you up in seven days.” The moment the door closed, all the strength drained from my body. I collapsed into the chair. Seven days. In seven more days, I would finally be free of Adrian Hayes. And I would finally have another chance to seek justice for Noah. Three months ago, Adrian’s childhood sweetheart, Serena Vaughn, hit my five-year-old son with her car. Noah was covered in blood when he was rushed to the hospital. The doctors warned me three times that he might not survive before they finally managed to pull him back from the brink. Serena didn’t show a trace of guilt. She even walked openly to the door of his hospital room and smiled at my unconscious son. “He got lucky this time.” “But Claire Bennett, as long as you keep clinging to Adrian, I’ll finish what I started next time.” For the next two weeks, I stayed outside the intensive care unit day and night. I didn’t dare sleep. I didn’t dare leave. I was terrified that the moment I closed my eyes, Serena would find another way to hurt Noah. Several days later, Adrian suddenly called me. He said he had been in a car accident and was undergoing emergency treatment at the hospital. I knew Noah was still in critical condition. But I panicked. I left for only ten minutes. Just ten minutes. Then I discovered that Adrian’s supposed accident had been nothing more than a lie designed to lure me away. By the time I rushed back to Noah’s room, the monitor was already sounding a shrill alarm. My son had eaten something that triggered a severe allergic reaction. He went into shock and died. I investigated like a madwoman until I finally discovered that Serena had bribed a hospital aide to bring the food into his room. But when I confronted Adrian with the evidence, he barely glanced at it. “Serena was careless. Someone sent the wrong food by mistake.” “Noah didn’t make it because that was his fate. No one else is to blame.” That was his fate. Those four words erased all five years of Noah’s life. They also destroyed the last bit of hope I still had in Adrian. Only then did I understand. No matter how many years Adrian and I had been married, even though I had given birth to his child, his heart had always belonged to Serena. But I refused to give up. I carried my evidence from one law firm to another and tried again and again to bring the case before the court. The moment the lawyers saw the defendant’s name, they either canceled our agreement or refused to see me again. After my eighteenth petition was rejected, I received several messages from an unknown number. [Claire Bennett, you were nothing more than a toy Adrian decided to keep around on a whim. Did you really think you could touch me?] [Every piece of evidence you submitted was intercepted by Adrian and sent to me to burn.] [Someone of your status thinks she can challenge the Hayes and Vaughn families?] [Know your place and leave Adrian. Otherwise, you’ll be the next one to die.] The messages had come from an unfamiliar number. But every word pointed straight to Serena. I showed them to Adrian. I thought that even if he no longer cared about me, he would at least remember that Noah had been his biological son. But he didn’t even finish reading before tossing the phone back at me impatiently. “Noah’s death was a misunderstanding. Serena didn’t mean for it to happen.” “Be more generous, and stop making up lies to frame her.” “Serena and I grew up together. If there were really something between us, do you think you ever would’ve had the chance to marry into the Hayes family?” “I think Noah’s death has affected you so badly that you’ve started imagining things.” “I’ll have someone take you to get treatment this afternoon.” I desperately tried to explain. I begged him to investigate Serena. I begged him to look at the evidence one more time. But that afternoon, he still sent four bodyguards to force me into a psychiatric hospital. No one there listened to me. Whenever I mentioned Serena, the doctors wrote worsening delusions in my medical records. Whenever I said I wasn’t sick, they claimed I was refusing treatment. They locked me away for an entire month. It wasn’t until I knelt at Adrian’s feet and admitted that everything had been a product of my imagination—until I admitted that Serena had nothing to do with Noah’s death—that he finally agreed to let me out. The day I walked out of that hospital, I had learned my lesson. When Adrian spent a fortune outbidding everyone at an auction for Serena, I pretended not to notice. When he placed the anniversary gift meant for me around Serena’s neck, I smiled and said it looked perfect on her. Even when I found them half-dressed in our marital bed, I simply closed the door and acted as if I had seen nothing. Adrian thought I had finally learned my place. Serena believed that one month of torment had completely broken me. Neither of them knew that I had been secretly collecting evidence of their affair throughout our marriage. Nor did they know that hidden inside the contract I had coaxed Adrian into signing three days ago was a divorce agreement. Adrian still believed I was the same Claire Bennett he could control—the woman who would never dare leave him. My phone suddenly vibrated, pulling me back to the present. When I saw the name on the screen, the last trace of emotion faded from my eyes. I answered. Adrian immediately began issuing orders as if they were only natural. “Serena wants the osmanthus cakes from that shop on the west side.” “Bring them to Xieshui Residence within half an hour.” Xieshui Residence. That was our marital home. It was also where he had spent the entire previous night with Serena. He hung up before I could respond. I stared at the dark screen in silence for several seconds. Then I picked up my bag and walked out. Only seven days remained until I was free of Adrian Hayes. Until then, I couldn’t let him notice anything was different.

By the time I delivered the osmanthus cakes, I was already three minutes late. The door opened from the inside. Serena Vaughn stood there in a bathrobe, its loose collar revealing the suggestive marks scattered across her neck. When she saw me, she swept her hair over one shoulder and smiled smugly. “Claire, you actually brought them?” “I only mentioned that I was craving them. I didn’t expect Adrian to make you come all this way yourself.” I didn’t respond. I simply held out the pastry box. “They’re here.” Serena took it from me and frowned slightly. “They seem to have gone cold.” As she moved, the sweet fragrance of osmanthus slowly spread through the living room. The moment I saw the neatly arranged pastries inside, my breath caught. Noah had loved the osmanthus cakes from this shop too. On his fifth birthday, he had stood in line with me for two hours. When we finally reached the counter, we were told that some powerful customer had bought out the entire day’s supply. Noah begged the clerk for a long time before we managed to buy the last box. He couldn’t bear to eat them. He took only the smallest piece and carefully wrapped up the largest, most perfect one. “Mommy, this one is for Daddy. Daddy works so hard every day. He should have the biggest one.” Adrian had promised to come home for Noah’s birthday that day. But Noah waited from early evening until late at night. Every time he heard the slightest sound outside, he grabbed the box of osmanthus cakes and ran to the door. But the door never opened. Close to midnight, Adrian finally sent me a message. [Serena just came back from abroad, and she isn’t feeling well. I’m staying with her tonight.] In the end, Noah fell asleep on the couch with the box of pastries in his arms. Adrian finally came home to change his clothes around noon the next day. Noah immediately held out the piece of cake, which had already gone hard overnight. “Daddy, I saved this especially for you.” Adrian barely glanced at it before impatiently pushing Noah’s hand away. “It’s completely cold. Who would still eat something like this?” The osmanthus cake fell to the floor and became covered in dust. With red-rimmed eyes, Noah picked it up. Then he turned around and comforted me instead. “It’s okay, Mommy. Next time Daddy comes home, I’ll save him a fresh one.” But Noah never got that next time. “They’re this cold. Who could possibly eat them?” Serena’s voice dragged me back to the present. Hearing those exact same words made my chest tighten. She picked up the largest osmanthus cake and looked it over casually. “No wonder Noah used to love these. They really do smell good.” My head snapped up. “Don’t say his name.” Serena seemed startled by my reaction. She blinked innocently. “Claire, I didn’t mean anything by it.” She glanced toward the staircase. After confirming that Adrian hadn’t come downstairs yet, she leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I heard that precious little boy of yours loved these cakes.” “Too bad he’ll never get to wait for his daddy to come home and eat them with him again.” “You didn’t know, did you?” “On Noah’s birthday, Adrian bought every osmanthus cake in the city for me.” My hand clenched at my side. Serena watched the color drain from my face, and the corner of her mouth curved upward. “Don’t be sad, Claire.” “At least by the time Noah died, he must have been used to his father never coming home.” “Shut up!” I snatched the osmanthus cake from her hand. Serena grabbed the pastry box and refused to let go, her expression still perfectly innocent. “Claire, I was only trying to comfort you.” “Ow! You’re hurting me!” She suddenly raised her voice. Footsteps sounded upstairs. The next second, before I had even touched Serena, she abruptly released the box and staggered backward. Her back slammed into the wine cabinet. Several wineglasses crashed to the floor, sending shards flying in every direction. At the same time, the pastry box fell between us. Osmanthus cakes scattered across the floor. “Serena!” Adrian Hayes rushed toward her. Without even stopping to understand what had happened, he pulled Serena into his arms. Under his shoe, the largest and most perfect osmanthus cake was crushed into pieces. My eyes burned as I stared at the crumbs stuck to the sole of his shoe. Once again, I saw Noah holding that cake in both hands, waiting for his father to come home. Adrian didn’t notice. Just as he had never noticed the disappointment in Noah’s reddened eyes. “Adrian, I’m fine.” Serena leaned against his chest as her eyes quickly filled with tears. A shard of glass had left a shallow cut across her palm. “Don’t blame Claire. This was my fault.” “I shouldn’t have mentioned Noah. And I shouldn’t have told her that you still remembered how he used to save osmanthus cakes for you.” “Maybe Claire misunderstood something and lost control for a moment. That must be why she pushed me.” With only a few sentences, she had already declared me guilty. Adrian’s expression instantly darkened. “Claire Bennett, are you out of your mind again?” “I didn’t push her.” I looked directly at him and explained each word clearly. “She fell backward on her own.” “Enough!” Adrian cut me off sharply. “I saw you holding on to her.” “Even now, Serena is still trying to defend you, but all you know how to do is avoid responsibility.” I suddenly found it almost laughable. He had only seen Serena fall, yet he had immediately decided that I must have pushed her. Whenever someone accused me of something in the past, Adrian told me that if I wanted to prove my innocence, I needed to produce evidence myself. But when it came to Serena, she didn’t need evidence. All she had to do was shed a few tears, and Adrian would convict me for her. “Apologize to Serena.” I didn’t move. Adrian’s eyes turned completely cold. “It seems your last round of treatment wasn’t thorough enough.” “Do you want to go back to the psychiatric hospital and stay there a little longer?” At the words psychiatric hospital, my body stiffened instinctively. It felt as though those freezing restraint straps were tightening around my wrists and ankles again. If Adrian sent me back there, there was no way I would receive my divorce certificate in six days. I wouldn’t be able to marry into the Whitmore family. And I would lose my chance to reopen Noah’s case. I couldn’t let everything fall apart now. After a moment of silence, I forced down every emotion and bowed to Serena. “I’m sorry.” Serena immediately shook her head. “Claire, you don’t need to apologize.” “I know Noah’s death affected you deeply. It’s understandable that you can’t always control yourself.” “I won’t hold it against you.” The more she defended me, the darker Adrian’s expression became. Then he noticed the cut on Serena’s palm, and the anger in his eyes finally broke loose. “You made her fall into broken glass, and you think one careless apology is enough?” I followed his gaze. Sharp shards of glass covered the floor. A terrifying possibility flashed through my mind. Adrian had already called to the bodyguards waiting outside. “Make her kneel and apologize.” Serena appeared startled and grabbed his sleeve. “The floor is covered in glass. Claire will get hurt.” “If she dared to push you, then she should have known there would be consequences.” Adrian reached up and gently stroked Serena’s hair, his voice softening. “You’re too kind. That’s why she keeps bullying you.” By the time he finished speaking, two bodyguards had already stepped behind me. I instinctively backed away. “Adrian, I’ve already apologized.”

“Kneel.” Adrian didn’t even look at me. As if what I was about to endure were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. The bodyguards clamped their hands around my shoulders. One of them kicked the back of my knee. My leg gave out, and I crashed down. Sharp shards of glass drove into both knees. Warm blood streamed down my legs and quickly spread across the floor. My entire body shook from the pain, but I bit down hard on my lip and refused to make a sound. Once, I had accidentally bruised my knee, and Adrian had been so worried that he carried me to the hospital. He had blamed himself for failing to protect me. Now, he had personally ordered his men to force me onto broken glass. Once a man stopped loving you, even the tenderness he had once shown could disappear without a trace. Adrian lifted Serena into his arms and turned toward the stairs. Resting against his chest, Serena looked back at me with a mocking curve to her lips. Yet when she spoke, her voice remained sweet and concerned. “Adrian, maybe this is enough. Claire is already bleeding so much.” Adrian glanced coldly at the osmanthus cakes scattered across the floor. “Wasn’t it because of these cakes that she went crazy and attacked you?” “Then she can stay on her knees and eat every last one.” “If she leaves even one piece, send her back to the psychiatric hospital.” They soon disappeared upstairs. The two bodyguards picked up the osmanthus cakes and held them in front of my mouth. The pastries were covered in dust, blood, and tiny shards of glass. “Sorry, Ms. Bennett.” I pressed my lips tightly together, refusing to eat. One man pinned down my shoulders while the other pried open my jaw and forced the crushed pastries into my mouth. Sharp fragments cut the inside of my mouth. The cloying sweetness of osmanthus mixed with the taste of blood, making me retch uncontrollably. Through the haze, I saw Noah again. He was holding out the largest osmanthus cake, his face glowing with expectation. “Mommy, this one is for Daddy.” “He’s going to love it.” But Noah had never known. His father had never treasured the things Noah had denied himself to save for him. Just as he had never treasured Noah’s life. As I struggled, the back of my head slammed into the wooden cabinet behind me. Before my vision went completely dark, only one thought remained. Six more days. If I could survive six more days, I would be free of Adrian forever. When I opened my eyes again, Adrian was sitting beside my bed. Noticing that I was awake, he filled a bowl with plain rice porridge and handed it to me. “You’ve been asleep for three days. The doctor said you should eat something light.” My expression shifted slightly, but I accepted the bowl and began to eat. Adrian stepped outside to take a phone call. Moments later, Serena appeared in the doorway, dressed from head to toe in luxury. Her gaze fell on the porridge in my hands, and her lips curved maliciously. “It looks like you really enjoyed the porridge I sent you.” My entire body stiffened. I knew instinctively that something even crueler was coming. Sure enough, Serena walked into the room, her heels clicking against the floor. A taunting light flashed in her eyes as she leaned close to my ear and deliberately lowered her voice. “How did your son’s ashes taste?” My body reacted before my mind could process the words. A violent wave of nausea tore through my stomach. I doubled over and retched weakly over the side of the bed. Serena stood above me, savoring every change in my expression. “What’s going on?” Adrian returned after finishing his call, his concerned gaze landing on me. As he passed Serena, she looped her arm through his and gave a gentle tug. His body stiffened for a moment. Then he stopped walking toward me. “Adrian! Wasn’t Noah’s body supposed to remain untouched?” I had retched so violently that my voice came out rough, but I still forced out the question. After Noah died, I had insisted that his remains be kept intact. Adrian had promised that no one would touch him. But now Serena was telling me that Noah’s ashes had been mixed into the porridge I had just eaten. Adrian frowned. “Noah is still at the funeral home. No one has touched him.” My body went rigid. I lifted my eyes toward Serena. She was staring back at me with open triumph and provocation. “Adrian, I was only joking with her. I didn’t expect her to take it so seriously.” “People from poor little backwaters are always so petty.” Adrian affectionately tapped the tip of her nose. Then he turned to me, and his gaze immediately cooled. “Since it was only a misunderstanding, let it go.” The color drained from my face. For a long time, I said nothing. I already knew that Adrian would always take Serena’s side. But I hadn’t realized there was no limit to what he would allow her to do. When Adrian and I had first fallen in love, he had never protected me like this. He had only told me, “Claire, I don’t care about your family background, but I need you to learn how to stand on your own.” “When I’m not there, you have to be capable of taking care of yourself.” Yet Serena was allowed to remain a carefree little princess whenever she was with him. A bitter smile touched my lips. In Adrian’s eyes, someone like me could never compete with a woman born into Serena’s world. No matter how complete my evidence was, all Serena had to say was that it had been an accident. That was enough for Adrian to dismiss a human life. After that incident, Adrian didn’t visit me for two days. But the rumors about him and Serena never left the trending lists. One moment, they were in Sweden watching the northern lights. The next, photographs showed them locked in a passionate kiss out at sea. Every romantic thing I had dreamed of doing with Adrian over the years, he had already done with Serena. Notifications kept appearing on my phone. I silently swiped each one away. Then I opened my conversation with the lawyer. After confirming that there were no problems with the divorce process, I forwarded the update to the Whitmore family. I also saved the contact information for the elite criminal attorney they had found for me. Noah, Mommy will make sure you get justice. When I looked up again, Adrian was storming into the room. His expression was cold with rage. “Claire Bennett, who gave you the nerve to try to kill Serena?” “She played one harmless joke on you, and you tried to take her life!” “You’re vicious!” I stared at him in confusion. “I didn’t do any of that. I only went to handle some paperwork today—” Adrian cut me off before I could finish. “Enough.” “You had Mrs. Davis deliver pastries to Serena and claimed they were a peace offering.” “But you mixed crushed peanuts into them.” “Serena is severely allergic to peanuts. Even a trace could kill her.” “Mrs. Davis has already named you as the one responsible. What else is there for you to deny?” My entire body went still. A sharp pain tore through my chest. Adrian was always like this. Whenever Serena was involved, he abandoned every trace of reason. He was the one who had taught me to stay calm whenever something happened, search for clues, and reach a conclusion only after uncovering the truth. But when it came to his precious childhood sweetheart, the truth no longer mattered. I looked into Adrian’s eyes and found no trace of love there. My throat tightened until every explanation remained trapped behind it. “Bring the cake,” Adrian ordered expressionlessly. Two bodyguards stepped forward. One pinned me down while the other grabbed the cream cake and forced it into my mouth. Sticky frosting filled my mouth. I tried to cry out and beg them to stop, but my throat began swelling shut from my allergy to the cream. After they forced the entire four-inch cake down my throat, my body began convulsing. I vomited uncontrollably. Every inch of my skin itched until I scratched the exposed areas raw, leaving blood running down my body. “Please…” “Please call…a doctor…” The moment I forced out those words, I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, it was already the next morning. Only one day remained before I received my divorce certificate. Weakly, I picked up my phone and saw three messages from Adrian. [What I did yesterday was only to give the Vaughn family an explanation.] [We’re having a family dinner tonight. Come home and cook.] [Stop targeting Serena, or you won’t be able to handle the consequences.] I stared at the first message. Years ago, I had accidentally gotten on the wrong side of a newly rich businessman. Adrian hadn’t defended me. Instead, he had said, “You need to solve your own problems. You’re an adult now.” “The Hayes family can’t become a weapon for you to use however you please.” “If you want to rise above where you came from and stop people from bullying you, then learn to stand on your own.” From that day on, I stopped relying on Adrian’s status and power. But when Serena had just returned from abroad and offended the son of a powerful government official, the man threatened to destroy her. Adrian had both of his hands broken on the spot. Then, with ruthless efficiency, he forced the man’s entire family to leave the capital that same night. Afterward, I asked Adrian why. His expression softened as he answered, “Serena isn’t like you.” “She’s the precious princess of the Vaughn family. She doesn’t need to learn how to survive on her own.” Of course. She was the moon high in the sky. I was merely someone clawing my way out of the mud. There was no comparison between us. But Adrian didn’t know one thing. Those who had dragged themselves out of the mud had the least left to fear. Perhaps because I hadn’t replied, Adrian called me directly. “Did you see the messages I sent you?” I gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment. Adrian either didn’t notice how weak I sounded or simply didn’t care. “Be at the family estate by three this afternoon. If you’re late, you’ll never see Noah’s body again.” “I understand,” I said, surrendering. At that moment, the last trace of affection I still had for Adrian disappeared. My mother had died suddenly when I was younger. Soon after her death, her creditors came looking for me. They demanded that I repay everything immediately. Otherwise, they would refuse to release my mother’s body. I had no other choice. I dropped out of school and worked five or six jobs every day, surviving on only two or three hours of sleep. It took me six months to pay off every debt. But all I received in return was my mother’s body, already decomposed beyond recognition. Back then, Adrian had held me in his arms and said with aching tenderness, “You never have to be afraid again.” “As long as I’m here, I’ll never let anyone threaten you like that again.” Now, he had broken that promise. After all the years we had loved each other, Adrian knew exactly which wound to press to make me obey. At three that afternoon, I arrived at the Hayes family estate on time. During all the years I had been married into the Hayes family, Adrian’s mother had been the only person who ever showed me warmth. That was the other reason—besides Adrian’s threat—that I was willing to return and cook one final meal for the family. Adrian and I had gotten married without telling his family. We hadn’t even held a wedding or reception. Everyone in the Hayes family had treated me like a gold digger trying to marry above my station. Only Mrs. Hayes had taken my hand while everyone else looked at me coldly. “Now that you’ve married into the Hayes family, you’re one of us.” “If anything happens in the future, come to me.” The year Noah was born, Adrian was so busy that he barely had time to sleep. Mrs. Hayes stayed with me at the hospital for three days and three nights. Whenever Noah cried in the middle of the night, she worried that the noise would disturb my rest. She would carry him up and down the hallway until morning. The day Noah died, she cried in the hospital hallway until she nearly fainted. Clutching my hand, she said, “Claire, I should have protected him better. Please don’t blame me.” After that, she became distant. I thought her grief was simply too overwhelming. I assumed seeing me reminded her of Noah, so I tried to stay out of her way. But today was different. When I walked into the living room, Mrs. Hayes was sitting on the couch drinking tea. She didn’t even lift her eyes when she saw me. “You’re here.” Only two words. She didn’t even look at me. My footsteps faltered, but I still called out softly, “Mom.” Mrs. Hayes didn’t answer. Holding her teacup, she looked past me at the television. The silence grew painfully awkward. I stood there for a while. In the end, I said nothing and turned toward the kitchen. This is the last time, I told myself. Once I finished this meal, I would have nothing more to do with the Hayes family. Whether Mrs. Hayes treated me warmly or coldly no longer mattered. Mrs. Davis was preparing the ingredients in the kitchen. When she saw me enter, she froze. “Ma’am, you’re here.” “I’ll take over.” I rolled up my sleeves. Mrs. Davis hesitated before stepping aside. As I chopped the vegetables, laughter drifted in from the living room. It was Serena’s voice—sweet and delicate enough to make Mrs. Hayes laugh aloud. “Mrs. Hayes, that jade bracelet looks beautiful on you. It makes your skin look so fair.” “You’ve always had good taste,” Mrs. Hayes replied with a warmth I hadn’t heard in a long time. “Unlike some people. Their gifts aren’t fit to be seen in public, and neither are they.” The knife in my hand paused. “Please don’t say that,” Serena said, laughter still in her voice. “Claire might be upset if she hears you.” “Why should I care whether she’s upset?” Mrs. Hayes gave a cold snort. “She crawled out of a slum. If Adrian hadn’t insisted on marrying her, I never would’ve allowed her through the Hayes family’s doors.” My fingers tightened around the knife. “I told Adrian years ago that his marriage to her should end as soon as you returned.” “But he refused to listen. He kept saying Noah was still too young.” “Now Noah is gone. It’s time she learned to step aside.” “Mrs. Hayes…” Serena lowered her voice, but I still heard her clearly. “What about Noah’s death?” “Don’t mention that child.” Mrs. Hayes’s voice turned cold. “If Claire hadn’t insisted on keeping Noah’s body, I would’ve had Adrian take care of it long ago.” “He was only a child. They could always have had another.” “Instead, she’s using his body as leverage to cling to the Hayes family and refuse to leave.” I leaned against the kitchen counter, suddenly unable to breathe. So that was the truth. From the beginning, every kindness Mrs. Hayes had shown me had been because of Noah. While Noah was alive, I was the mother of her grandson. That was why she had been willing to treat me with a little dignity. Once Noah was gone, I became nothing. The only daughter-in-law she had ever truly accepted was Serena. “By the way,” Serena suddenly asked, “you’re still wearing that jade bracelet?” “Of course I am. You gave it to me, so naturally I wear it every day.” “Adrian was the one who chose it. He said the stone was beautiful and would suit you.” “You two are always so thoughtful.” Mrs. Hayes laughed with delight. “Unlike Claire Bennett. She’s been married into the Hayes family for years, yet she’s never given me a single respectable gift.” “I told Adrian from the beginning that marrying her was a mistake.” “It’s just as I expected. A woman from a family like hers will never belong in our world.” I closed my eyes. Adrian had bought that jade bracelet at an auction. At the time, Serena had looked down on it and said, “They actually expect someone to wear jade of this quality?” So Adrian gave it to Mrs. Hayes in Serena’s name. Mrs. Hayes had worn it for years and praised Serena’s thoughtfulness to everyone she met. It turned out that in this family, I was worth less than a jade bracelet Serena had rejected. Standing in the kitchen and listening to their laughter, I suddenly felt very cold. I had believed Mrs. Hayes was the only person in the Hayes family who genuinely cared about me. But the daughter-in-law she had accepted from beginning to end was Serena. During all my years in the Hayes family, I had been nothing more than a temporary replacement for Serena. A tool who had given them a child. By the time I carried the dishes out of the kitchen, there was no emotion left on my face. Mrs. Hayes glanced at me. “Why are you standing there? Set the table.” “All right.” I lowered my head and arranged the dishes. Serena sat beside Mrs. Hayes and tilted her head as she looked at me. “Claire, you don’t look very well.” “I shouldn’t have come today. This is all because Adrian…” Adrian emerged from the study and sat at the table. He immediately placed some food on Serena’s plate. “Eat more. You’ve lost weight recently.” Serena smiled coyly. “If you’re serving it to me, Adrian, then of course I’ll eat more.” Mrs. Hayes beamed at them from beside her. I stood next to the dining table and looked at the three of them. Adrian. Mrs. Hayes. Serena. They were the real family. I lowered my eyes to the bowl in my hands. I had used that bowl for five years. Mrs. Hayes had bought it especially for me, saying, “A new bride should have a new bowl.” At the time, I had been deeply moved. I thought it meant she had truly accepted me. Looking back now, that bowl had probably been the cheapest one she could find. Because from the very beginning, I had only been a temporary substitute. Once Serena returned, it was time for me to step aside.

After the family dinner ended, I was about to leave when Serena called out to me. She took my hand and smiled brightly. “Do you finally understand the difference between us?” “Adrian has always loved me. Even if you took advantage of my absence to become his wife, you still couldn’t take his heart away from me.” I said nothing. My silence seemed to provoke her. Anger flashed across her face. “Don’t look so pleased with yourself. I’ll make you understand exactly how different we are.” “Do you dare make a bet with me?” The next second, the chandelier above us came crashing down. I realized what was happening and tried to move, but Serena suddenly threw herself at me and knocked me hard to the floor. A figure flashed past my eyes. Adrian rushed forward and shielded Serena beneath him, protecting her completely. The chandelier slammed directly into me. Before I lost consciousness, I saw Serena look at me from Adrian’s arms. A triumphant smile spread across her face. The sharp smell of disinfectant brought me back to consciousness. Staring at the stark white ceiling, I endured the pain from my injuries and struggled to sit up. The door flew open without warning. Mrs. Hayes stormed inside and slapped me across the face. “You vicious woman!” “You tried to kill someone just to get Adrian’s attention!” My head snapped to the side. The metallic taste of blood spread through my mouth. “I…” The words reached my lips, but I didn’t know what else to say. What was I supposed to explain? That none of this had anything to do with me? Who would believe me? Who could testify for me? Whenever Serena framed me, she always made sure every detail was perfectly arranged. A crushing sense of helplessness settled over me. Whatever fight I had left drained away. “Mrs. Hayes, Adrian is awake. You should go see him.” Serena’s voice immediately pulled Mrs. Hayes’s attention away from me. She turned and hurried out. After Mrs. Hayes left, Serena walked into the room. She folded her arms and looked me over leisurely. “Well, look at that. You’re still alive.” “You really are hard to kill.” Without changing my expression, I secretly activated the recorder on my phone. Then I raised my eyes to Serena. “Why did you frame me?” “Frame you?” Serena laughed and rejected the accusation. “You really do think too highly of yourself.” Her voice turned even more vicious. “I wasn’t trying to frame you.” “I was trying to kill you.” “I warned you before. If you refused to leave Adrian, I wouldn’t mind taking your life.” “Claire Bennett, do you understand the difference between us now?” “I have the Vaughn family and the powerful Hayes family protecting me.” “You’ll never be able to touch me.” I pressed my lips together. My voice came out rough. “If you hated me, why did you hurt a child?” “Noah was only five years old…” “He was nothing but a worthless little brat. Did you honestly think Adrian cared about him?” Serena’s expression filled with smug satisfaction. “Do you want to know the truth?” “We were playing Truth or Dare that day.” “And Adrian was the one who suggested running someone down with a car.” “Later, I became curious about how difficult that brat really was to kill, so I had him fed cream.” “I asked Adrian to cooperate with me and lure you away for ten minutes.” “Who would’ve thought he wasn’t nearly as hard to kill as you?” “He died after only two bites.” “How boring.” “Serena Vaughn! You’ll pay for this!” My emotions exploded. Acting on impulse, I lunged at her. The IV stand crashed to the floor, and the needle tore free from the back of my hand. Blood immediately poured from the wound. A figure rushed forward. A foot struck me hard in the chest. Adrian pulled Serena into his arms and looked her over anxiously. “Are you all right?” “Did she hurt you?” Tears gathered in the corners of Serena’s eyes as she answered innocently, “I don’t know why she suddenly became like this.” “I only came to tell her that your injuries weren’t serious.” “But she accused me of trying to steal her place as your wife and take over her home.” “Then she suddenly went crazy and lunged at me.” “Adrian, are you really going to keep her around?” “What if she loses control one day and hurts our baby?” As she finished speaking, Serena deliberately rested a hand on her flat stomach. Adrian frowned. “Claire Bennett, you never learn.” “It seems your condition still hasn’t been brought under control.” He turned toward the door. “Someone come in here.” “Take my wife back to the psychiatric hospital.” Two bodyguards rushed into the room and dragged me away. I fought them with what little strength I had left, but the two towering men still forced me into the car. Before they shoved me inside, I managed to send a single message asking the Whitmore family for help. As the car sped away, I felt my phone vibrate inside the pocket of my hospital gown. I was about to take it out when one of the bodyguards spoke. “Ma’am, forgive us.” “We’re only following orders from above.” “When you’re dead, please don’t come back to haunt us.” The moment he finished speaking, both bodyguards threw open the doors and jumped from the moving vehicle. With no one controlling it, the car sped straight into a cliff wall. Warning alarms shrieked throughout the wreckage. I struggled out through the crushed trunk, but I could no longer feel my legs. Just as despair began to close in on me, a black Bentley stopped in front of the wreck. The rear door opened. A pair of spotless, polished leather shoes appeared before my eyes.