Chapter 1

One week before what should’ve been our 40th wedding anniversary, I found out that the marriage certificate between me and my husband was a forgery. And the woman he had actually legally married… was my sister!

I had been with Pete Siegel for forty long years. That day, I was just cleaning the house when I spotted our marriage certificate wedged under the leg of the wobbly table. Our son had used it to steady the furniture.

When I brought it up and told Pete we should request a certified copy, he sneered and told me I was making a big deal out of nothing.

Even our children chimed in from the side, mocking me.

“Mom, if you were as laid-back and confident as Aunt Sally, Dad probably would’ve dragged you off to get a copy of that certificate. But you’re not her. Too bad.”

I stood there, clutching the damaged certificate in one hand and, in the other, an old waiver of prosecution I had just uncovered while cleaning.

Tears streamed down my face. It turned out, it wasn’t just the marriage certificate that was fake—

even my parents’ deaths, all those years ago… had been orchestrated by my sister!

And Pete had helped her cover it up! He even forged my signature on a so-called waiver of prosecution!

I gave them forty years of my life. In return, I got nothing—not even understanding.

Fine. I’d leave. But they weren’t staying in that villa either!

The monsters responsible for this? They’d get what they deserved.

Without hesitation, I called the cops.

Finally, I handed over the forged waiver and the evidence I had uncovered in my own house.

When I walked out of the police station, I felt lighter than I had in years.

The house was sold. The money was already in my account.

That same day, I swore I’d never return to Lexington.

I bought a one-way ticket to Seattle and disappeared without looking back.

There was only one thing I wondered—if my children ever learned their beloved and admirable aunt killed their grandparents... would they still stand by her the way they did that day?

——

1

Cass’s POV

I sat numbly to the side, motionless.

“Come on, Mom.” My son Nate sneered, shoving a dirty rag into my hands. “Cleaning the house is what you’re best at. You’re not even as good as a maid. As for that marriage certificate? Just forget it. It’s not like it’s completely useless.”

He rolled his eyes and added, “You and Dad have already been married for forty years. What’s the point of stirring things up now?”

Without waiting for a response, he stood up, clearly irritated, and stalked out of the room.

I glanced toward the front door. Pete had already stormed out earlier—the moment I mentioned renewing our marriage certificate.

Even KC, my daughter, had a mix of confusion and mild annoyance on her face.

“Mom,” she said, “why are you so hung up on getting a copy of that marriage certificate? So what if it got used to prop up a table leg? It’s still functional, isn’t it? Besides, it’s not like you and Dad even need it anymore.”

She waved a hand dismissively, already halfway out the door. “Anyway, we’re off to pick out a gift for Aunt Sally. Just make sure you finish cleaning the house and have dinner ready when we get back.”

With a flutter of her dress, she flitted away like a butterfly.

I stood frozen, gripping the damaged marriage certificate tightly. All I wanted was to request a reissue, to get a copy of our marriage certificate. Was that really so absurd?

For the first time in my life, I didn’t stay behind to scrub floors and mop tiles like they expected me to. That had been my role for the past forty years.

Today, I decided to take the first step.

With the damaged marriage certificate and our ID cards in hand, I made my way to the County Clerk’s Office.

It was the first time I’d ever walked into a government office without anyone accompanying me.

Surprisingly, I wasn’t afraid at all.

Without Pete or the children constantly hovering, belittling, correcting—I felt like a bird that had finally wriggled out of its cage.

But as soon as I handed the certificate to the clerk, everything took an unexpected turn.

The young staff member glanced at the paper, then looked up at me with a soft, uncertain expression. His voice was careful, almost apologetic.

“Ma’am, I’m afraid this marriage certificate… is fake. There isn’t even an official seal on it. Where did you get this?”

My mind blanked at his words.

For a moment, I couldn’t comprehend what he was saying.

Fake? How could our marriage certificate be fake? Pete and I had been married for 40 years!

I stammered, “S-Sir, are you sure there’s not been a mistake? My husband and I—we’ve been married for forty years. How could this certificate possibly be fake?”

I refused to believe it. I pushed our identification cards across the counter.

“Look—look here. We have two grown children. We’ve lived together for four decades. How can this certificate not be real?”

The clerk sighed and took the documents from me.

After a moment of quiet typing, he looked up again, this time with genuine pity in his eyes.

“Ma’am,” he said gently, “I’ve checked. This certificate is indeed fake. According to our system, your husband is registered as married, yes, but his spouse isn’t you.”

He turned the computer screen toward me, motioning for me to look.

My hands trembled as I rubbed my eyes and leaned in to read.

It had to be a mistake. I had spent forty years with Pete. How could I not be his legal wife?

But the moment I saw the name on the screen, my legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed onto the floor.

The records clearly stated that Pete had indeed registered a marriage… forty years ago.

But the woman listed as his wife wasn’t me.

It was… Sally. My sister.

At that moment, I couldn’t stop my tears from falling.

The man I had spent my entire adult life with… The one I’d called my husband for four decades… He had been married not to me but to the woman who claimed she didn’t believe in marriage.

What did that make me? A ghost in my own life?

People nearby had begun to notice. I could feel their eyes pitying me.

This time, the sobs tore out of me, raw and broken.

I stayed at the building all day, from the scorching midday heat until night fell and the office closed.

No one from my family called. It was as if whether I lived or died didn’t matter to them at all.

By the time I stood, my legs barely held me.

But my mind was clear. And one truth echoed louder than everything else.

The home I had lived in for forty years was never mine. And the man I had loved for all those years? He never was, either.

Now that I finally understood that—it was time to go.

Chapter 2

2

Cass’s POV

I stumbled home, my steps unsteady, my face deathly pale.

The moment I stepped through the door, I was greeted by a mess—trash scattered all over the floor, and smears of cake clinging to the couch, the floor, practically everywhere.

I stopped in my tracks, stunned. Before I could say a word, my son and daughter walked straight toward me.

Nate’s face was full of irritation. His tone was harsh and accusatory.

“Mom, where were you all day? Didn’t I tell you we were going out to buy a gift for Aunt Sally and asked you to clean the house? You’re already getting old—why are you still going out to have fun? And coming home this late?”

KC stepped forward and hooked her arm around mine, speaking in a sweet, coaxing voice, “Come on, Mom just went out to have some fun, right? She’s home now, isn’t she?”

But then her tone shifted, still soft but clearly tinged with reproach. “Still, Mom, you really went overboard today. You knew it was Aunt Sally’s birthday. We’ve been running around like crazy all day, and not only did you not help, you didn’t even make dinner?”

I looked at KC—pretending to be gentle but in truth just blaming me—and forced a bitter smile.

“Why should I celebrate your aunt’s birthday?” I asked flatly. “You two are the ones who wanted to throw her a party. Can’t you clean up after yourselves?”

My son hadn’t expected me to talk back. His eyes widened, and he yelled furiously, “You stay at home all day—what’s wrong with doing some chores? And now you’re just refusing to do anything? Aren’t you afraid we’ll throw you out of this villa?”

KC shot me a look full of disappointment, as if everything was somehow my fault.

Staring at the two children I had raised with my own hands, my heart turned cold.

For thirty years, I’d given everything to raise them, even now—when they’re parents themselves—I was still helping take care of their children.

And now, just because I didn’t help prepare a birthday celebration for Sally, they were threatening to throw me out.

But none of them had ever thought about this—in forty whole years, not once had any of them celebrated my birthday.

That thought alone filled me with an indescribable sorrow.

Before I could say anything else, I heard footsteps behind me. Sally and Pete were walking side by side into the villa.

I lifted my eyes.

Sally wore a dress, looking graceful and elegant. Pete was dressed in a suit. Together, they looked like a perfectly matched couple.

And then there was me—my clothes old and worn, my face pale, my eyes swollen from a full day of crying. I looked like a beggar who had wandered in from the street.

Sally glanced at me, a faint mocking gleam in her eyes. Then she smiled and said warmly, “Cassy, don’t listen to these kids—don’t mind their nonsense. They just feel sorry for me, you know? All these years without a husband or child… I never had the kind of wonderful family you do.”

As she spoke, her expression softened, as if she was truly heartbroken.

I stared at her coldly.

Back when I married Pete, Sally claimed she didn’t believe in marriage. She said she was a firm advocate of single living.

Over the years, I tried again and again to persuade her, even encouraged my children to stay close to her—just so she wouldn’t grow old alone.

In the end, she took both of my children for herself.

And now, she had legally married Pete?!

The thought made my blood boil. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I was about to take out the marriage certificate in my hand, to confront them.

But just then, Pete finally spoke.

His eyes met mine—cold, distant, emotionless.

We had married for love, forty years ago. It had been a choice freely made by both of us.

But now… I didn’t even know when it had started, this complete absence of love in his eyes.

My chest ached with bitterness, but Pete didn’t seem to care in the slightest.

His voice was sharp and impatient. “Have you not caused enough trouble already, Cass? For forty years, you’ve been jealous of your sister—always comparing yourself to her. And now, you won’t even do the one useful thing you’re still good for?”

“Clean up this house. Right now,,” he ordered. “Otherwise, you don’t belong in it anymore.”

The moment he finished, Nate stepped forward and shoved me hard.

I stumbled straight into the pile of garbage on the floor.

As I struggled to get up, I heard Jace, my grandson, burst out laughing behind me.

“Grandma, you look like a trash lady! So dirty and gross! Yikes!”

Chapter 3

3

Cass’s POV

At those words, I looked up in shock, the pain in my chest flooding me in an instant.

My little grandson—I’d raised him with my own hands from the moment he was born. How could he say something like that about me?

I collapsed, stiff and numb, onto the pile of garbage on the floor. My eyes, wide with disbelief, stayed locked on him.

Perhaps realizing that he’d said something wrong, the child shrank back behind my son, trying to hide from my gaze.

Nate didn’t miss a beat. He immediately shielded his child, his face full of irritation as he snapped, “Enough! He’s just a kid saying whatever comes to mind. Do you really have to take it so seriously? When did you get so petty, Mom?”

He sneered, then added with a mocking laugh, “Besides, the boy’s not wrong. Just look at yourself—how are you any different from a trash woman now?”

Then he burst out laughing.

And everyone in the room followed suit. As if my misery was the most hilarious thing they’d ever seen.

My chest ached so badly it had gone numb.

Maybe I’d failed in raising them. Or maybe… it was just that something had always been wrong with Pete’s genes.

That’s the only way to explain how things ended up like this.

Spurred on by the laughter, Jace peeked out from behind my son again and asked, full of childish innocence, “Daddy, can I get a new grandma? I want my great-aunt! I don’t want this trash lady.”

His words were like blades, each one stabbing straight into my heart.

I stared at them, dazed, my mind drifting back to the beginning.

My children hadn’t always been like this.

When they were little, they used to care about me. They used to say they’d be good to me when they grew up.

When had that changed? When had they become strangers?

I felt a haze settle over my thoughts.

But I didn’t let myself dwell on the past.

No matter how good they might’ve been before… it was just that. The past.

Maybe it was everything that had happened in the last two days. I no longer even felt the pain as sharply.

I slowly reached out and handed the marriage certificate, still clutched in my hand, to Jace.

“From the start, your grandma has always been Sally,” I said quietly. “So don’t worry—you don’t need to switch.”

The moment the words left my mouth, the expressions in the room shifted.

Annoyance and impatience flashed across Nate’s face.

A flicker of guilt passed through KC’s eyes.

And Sally—the one who should’ve felt the most shame—looked absolutely smug.

Pete looked uneasy, his mouth opening as if to say something, but Sally quickly tugged on his sleeve.

“Forget it. Let me explain to my sister,” she said gently.

At that, Pete stepped back.

I stood frozen, numb, watching my sister from the same mother to see just how far she would take this.

Sally gave me a look of false pity, then reached into her bag and pulled out a silk scarf, holding it out to me.

“Cassy,” she said sweetly, “my marriage to Pete was really just an accident. I just wanted to see what it felt like to be married, so I mentioned it to him—and well, since you and he weren’t officially married yet, things ended up like this. But don’t worry, there’s nothing serious between us. It’s just that we’re soulmates, spiritually in tune.”

She smiled as she stepped forward, trying to drape the scarf around my neck.

But I recognized it instantly.

It was the same high-end scarf I’d once told Pete I wanted. But the one in her hand now? A free gift—the cheaper version.

The real one, the luxury scarf I’d long dreamed of, was around her own neck.

I reached out and shoved her away, my eyes locking straight onto Pete.

As I expected, the next second, he couldn’t hold back anymore.

He glared at me in frustration and snapped, “Haven’t you caused enough drama already, Cass? It’s just a piece of paper—a marriage certificate! Is it really that important? We didn’t have one, and didn’t we still live together for forty years?”

“Sally is trying to be nice, giving you a scarf to calm you down,” he added. “And you’re still not satisfied? You want the one on her neck too? Seriously—look at yourself! Look at your figure, your class—how do you compare to Sally in any way?”

I let out a cold laugh, lips twitching.

I already knew he wasn’t the man I’d married all those years ago, but still, hearing this—seeing it laid out so plainly—I felt like I was truly seeing him for who he was for the first time.

I wanted to ask him, ‘Is this the first day I look like this to you?’

When I first married him, hadn’t I been a slender young girl?

It was the endless chores, the emotional neglect, the noisy children, and the relentless, thankless grind that had worn me down into what I am now.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to let it all out.

But when I opened my mouth, all I could manage was a trembling whisper.

“Pete. It’s you who made me this way.”

His brow furrowed deeply, his eyes filled with disappointment as he looked at me.

“You really think blaming me makes sense?” he snapped. “Sally’s only a year younger than you, but look at the difference! You’re worlds apart! I honestly regret ever marrying you.”

He looked at me as if I was nothing but a stain on his life. As if everything was my fault.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I summoned all my strength and pushed myself off the floor, ready to confront them.

But my children rushed to block me.

Nate’s eyes were filled with frustration and rage. KC tried to talk me down, but I knew—they were no different from him. From them. In their eyes, everything was my fault.

“Mom, you’re not young anymore,” KC said, trying to keep her tone even. “Can you not make a scene over something like this? If people heard about it, it’d be so embarrassing.”

“Dad didn’t mean to hurt you. Just forgive him, okay?” she continued. “We’re going out to cool off for a bit. Why don’t you stay home and calm down? Once you’ve settled, clean the place up a little.”

With that, they shoved me back down onto the couch, as if afraid I’d lash out at Sally or Pete, and quickly ushered them away.

Just before the door slammed shut, I heard Jace’s excited voice again.

“So my grandma is actually my great-aunt? That’s awesome! From now on, she can take me to kindergarten! Then I can tell my friends that the person who picked me up before was just the nanny!”

At that, the tears finally spilled from my eyes silently.

The door slammed shut behind them, leaving me alone. And in its wake—nothing but darkness.

Chapter 4

4

Cass’s POV

After resting for half an hour, I finally gathered enough strength to stand.

When they pushed me earlier, I nearly passed out on the spot. It felt like the air had been knocked out of my lungs. For a moment, I really thought I was going to faint.

But no one cared about my condition. Not a single person checked on me. All their worried eyes were focused on Pete and Sally, as if my words alone could kill them.

I switched on the light and slowly took in the sight of this villa.

Back then, after my parents died in a car crash, all the family’s savings and gold were inherited by Sally. What she left me was just this one villa—a place she didn’t want.

In the forty years since, I poured myself into slowly repairing and renovating it. Over time, it transformed into a beautiful little villa.

And me? I had grown old and worn, a shadow of who I used to be.

Just like this home I built with Pete.

I had devoted most of my life to building this family. I thought my efforts would earn me respect from my children and companionship from my husband.

But in the end, all I was left with was endless housework, looks of contempt from everyone, and a body exhausted and aged from years of thankless labor.

Still, it’s not too late to leave.

That thought gave me strength. I pulled out my phone and slowly dialed a number.

“Is this Greenfield Properties? About the offer you mentioned last time,” I said, “I’ve decided. You can go ahead and send me the contract. I’m ready to sell the villa.”

The voice on the other end immediately lit up with excitement. “Finally, you’ve agreed, Ma’am! I told you, this money is more than enough for you to live out your later years in peace. And if you’re still thinking of leaving something to your kids, this is quite the inheritance too.”

“If my client weren’t so in love with that little villa of yours,” she blabbered, “she never would’ve offered such a high price!”

I let out a soft laugh.

Pete may have dismissed my forty years of dedication… My children may have ridiculed me…

But it didn’t matter. Someone out there still saw value in the home I took care of.

With steady fingers, I signed my name on the electronic contract, stroke by stroke.

Once it was done, I cast a dazed glance around the villa. Then, without another word, I turned and headed upstairs to pack.

I had already spent the better half of my life proving one truth: investing in others gets you nowhere.

Only when you invest in yourself do you truly see returns.

It took me a long time to learn that. But it’s not too late.

I stood before the wardrobe.

We had it made when Pete and I got married.

Back then, I had dreams of filling it with our shared life. But when I opened it now, nearly every inch was taken up by his clothes.

Mine only took up a tiny corner—just a few sparse items.

I carefully folded my clothes and important documents, packing everything neatly into a suitcase.

That was when my eyes landed on the gold ring on my finger.

It was the one Pete gave me when we got married.

He had promised to buy me a bigger one every anniversary.

But that promise broke after the very first year.

And yet, it took me forty years to see through him.

With that thought, I slid the ring off my finger, intending to sell it later. But just as I did, I caught a faint glint of silver from the inside.

Frowning, I brought it closer—and sure enough, I wasn’t mistaken.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

So the ring… was just gold-plated. A layer of gold hiding a core of silver!

This forty-year marriage had been a lie from the very beginning!

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I hurled the ring to the floor and stormed downstairs.

As I opened the front door, I found myself face-to-face with the whole family. They had just come back.

Pete frowned first, his gaze sweeping through the villa. Seeing the mess still scattered everywhere, he opened his mouth, clearly ready to scold me.

But then he caught sight of the suitcase behind me, and in that instant, something flickered in his eyes—panic..

“Cass, what now? What are you trying to pull this time?” he demanded.

I gave him a cold, silent look. Then I stepped past him and walked straight toward the door.

Chapter 5

Cass’s POV

But I didn’t manage to leave.

Instead, Nate grabbed my arm and held me in place with a crushing grip.

His face twisted in frustration as he kicked over my suitcase. Gritting his teeth, he snapped, “Mom! What the hell are you trying to do? Isn’t this enough? Haven’t you made a big enough scene already? Dad and Aunt Sally didn’t do anything! And even if something did happen between them, it would’ve been your fault in the first place!”

“Go back inside,” he barked. “Clean up the house. Just finish out the rest of your life quietly, can’t you? Are you really trying to tear this family apart?”

He dumped the blame squarely on me.

Before I could even get a word out, KC came up and started pushing me back toward the villa.

“Alright, Mom, that’s enough,” she muttered impatiently. “You know how Dad and my brother talk—they’re not exactly sweet. Just forgive them already. And honestly, the way you treated Aunt Sally just now… that was really out of line.”

“She already explained, didn’t she? She only registered the marriage with Dad because she was curious. There’s nothing going on between them,” she added.

Her explanation sounded hollow—weak and meaningless in my ears.

She didn’t think her father or her brother had done anything wrong. The only reason she wanted me to stay was because I was a convenient, unpaid housekeeper.

The realization made my gaze go cold.

“I’m not your mother,” I said, voice like ice. “And I have no reason to forgive any of you. Sally is your mother now.”

With that, I bent down to pick up my suitcase from the floor, determined to walk away.

But Sally—ever the actress—suddenly chimed in, her tone dripping with false concern.

“Cassy,” she said affectionately, “don’t fall out with Pete because of me. If it really bothers you that much, I’ll leave. I won’t come here anymore.”

As she spoke, she stood up as if she were really going to leave.

Pete immediately reached out to pull her back, his face tense with anxiety.

“Why are you even reacting to her?” he barked. “Cass is always like this—always making a scene. Just ignore her. Why should you care if she lives or dies?”

Sally looked at him with a face full of hurt, as if genuinely wronged.

“I just don’t want you two to fight because of me,” she murmured pitifully. “What if Cassy really leaves?”

Pete let out a sharp, mocking laugh.

“She’s not going anywhere,” he scoffed. “She’s already old—like a dying dog. You ever seen an old dog run away from home? Even if she did try to leave and work as someone’s maid, no one would take her. Staying here is the best luck she’ll ever get.”

My head snapped up, stunned.

Even if his love for me had long since faded, how could he humiliate me like this?

I couldn’t hold it in any longer. My voice burst out in a trembling shout.

“Pete!”

A beat later, the wailing cry of my grandson rang through the room.

I thought it was my yelling that had scared him.

But the next moment, I saw his face, and my heart dropped.

His skin was covered in rashes, his cheeks and arms red and blotchy.

Nate immediately rushed to Jace and scooped him up into his arms. Spinning toward me, he shouted, “This is your fault! Look what you’ve done to my son! I swear, I won’t let you off for this!”

His eyes burned with hate.

I stood there, my mouth trembling, the pain inside me so deep it was hard to even breathe.

Then, one by one, every pair of eyes in the room turned on me, filled with blame.

Pete glanced at me without a trace of expression and said coldly, “Have you had enough yet, Cass? If something happens to Jace, you can get the hell out.”

Even KC shot me a disgusted look.

My chest felt numb. Hollow.

I forced out a hoarse whisper. “He’s your son. Don’t you know he’s allergic to peanuts? He’s obviously having an allergic reaction—get him to the hospital now.”

At those words, all eyes turned toward Sally.

I knew. It had to be her. She must’ve given Jace something he shouldn’t have eaten.

Sally’s eyes welled up with tears. She clutched the sleeve of Pete’s shirt and looked up at him timidly.

“Pete, you know me,” she said, her voice quivering. “I’d never do something like that on purpose. Do you think…”

She glanced at me hesitantly, then continued.

“Do you think Cassy maybe fed him the peanuts herself? Just so she could stay here? What if she did it on purpose—to make you all keep Jace and not drive her out?”

Chapter 6

6

Cass’s POV

When I heard those words, I could hardly believe my ears.

It was clearly Sally who had fed Jace the peanuts—yet she pushed all the blame onto me.

I thought, surely, no rational person would believe her.

But the moment she finished speaking, Nate came charging toward me, eyes red with rage.

If KC hadn’t stepped in to hold him back, I’m certain he would’ve knocked me straight to the floor.

The thought alone made me glance at him in fear.

I never imagined that the child I had raised with my own hands would one day lash out at me—just because of a few words from someone else.

My heart, once tender and full of love, felt like it had frozen solid.

Nate roared, still struggling against his sister’s hold. “Don’t stop me! I want to ask her what kind of grandmother she thinks she is! Making a fuss and taking it out on her own grandson—what kind of monster does that make her? She’s no better than a beast!”

Everyone turned to me with eyes full of blame.

Even KC added coldly, “Mom, just apologize to him already. If you don’t, I won’t be able to stop him either.”

I stared at them numbly, my voice dry and hoarse as I said, “I didn’t do it. If you really can’t stop him, then let him come beat me to death.”

With that, I reached for my suitcase, exhausted, and made to leave.

But before I could take a step, Nate kicked the suitcase over with a loud thud. His eyes burned with hatred as he glared at me. “My son is like this and you just want to leave? Not only are you refusing to care for him—you’re running away? If you weren’t my mother, I would’ve already beaten you to death!”

I thought I would be devastated, hearing my own child threaten me like this—the same child I raised from birth.

But perhaps it was because I had already given everything I had. There was nothing left to hurt.

To my surprise, I didn’t feel a single trace of pain.

I looked at him calmly, then turned around to leave.

At this point, there was nothing left to say. I had no words left for them.

Just then, Pete shouted, “That’s enough, Nate! No matter what she did, she’s still your mother!”

He stepped forward and grabbed my wrist tightly, disappointment written all over his face.

“Cass,” he said coldly, “I thought that, at the very least, you wouldn’t stoop to such schemes against your own family. I didn’t expect you to be so completely heartless. I won’t let our son hit you—but you will face consequences.”

A sharp chill ran down my spine.

I had a terrible feeling about what was coming.

Before I could react, Pete dragged me toward the storage room and shoved me inside.

“When your grandson recovers,” he said in a voice like ice, “then you can come out.”

He turned without hesitation and reached to shut the door.

Pain shot through my limbs, but I forced myself to shout, “Pete! You know Sally is lying, and you’re still locking me in here? Are you insane?!”

His figure paused at the doorway.

But before I could see his expression, Sally called out to him, and he left without looking back.

I collapsed to the floor, too weak to even sit upright. My body ached from the fall, but the pain in my chest was worse.

Outside the door, there were muffled voices and hurried footsteps. But none of them were for me, and something about that numbed my heart.

It wasn’t until three days later, when Jace was finally discharged from the hospital, that they let me out.

Chapter 7

7

Cass’s POV

For the past three days, I hadn’t eaten a single bite or taken a sip of water.

My body was so weak I could barely move.

KC looked a little guilty. She knelt beside me and gently brought a cup to my lips.

“Mom, why haven’t you eaten anything?” she asked softly. “Why did you let yourself get like this?”

After giving me a sip, she helped me up and out of the room. But before I could ask more, she quickly busied herself again.

Only then did I notice—they were getting ready for a trip.

Nate cast a cold glance at me, not saying a single word. His indifference pierced deeper than any insult.

Once they had packed everything, KC came over and explained.

“Mom, we’re going on trip. Just stay home and take care of the house while we’re gone, okay?”

All of them—KC, Nate, Jace, even Pete and Sally—were preparing to leave.

Only I had been left behind.

Even though I’d long given up hope, the pain still found a way to sting.

They never saw me as part of the family.

Sally must have noticed the look on my face. She stepped forward with her usual fake concern and said sweetly, “Cassy, we really wanted to take you with us. But after what happened with Jace the other day, our little grandson is still scared of you.”

“For his sake,” she added, “it’s best if you stay behind this time.”

Pete gave me a blank, emotionless look.

“If you hadn’t done what you did, you would’ve had a place on this trip,” he said flatly.

Nate sneered and shot me a look filled with disgust. Then, turning deliberately to Sally, he said loudly on purpose, “Don’t waste your time on her, Aunt Sally. Someone with a heart as twisted as hers doesn’t deserve to come with us. Letting her stay home and look after the place is already too generous!”

Jace, that poor boy, was clearly brainwashed by their words. He had come to believe it was because of me that he’d ended up in the hospital.

Now, he looked at me with fear and hatred.

I stared at them calmly, saying nothing.

What a cruel joke. I was their mother, and yet they’d nearly left me to die in the storage room.

And now that they’d finally let me out, it was just so they’d have someone to watch the house while they went on a trip.

Not a single one of them cared that I was here. No one noticed my silence.

Laughing and chatting, they carried their suitcases out the door.

The moment it shut behind them, I stood there, unmoving, a cold clarity settling over me.

Well, maybe it was for the best. I had already sold this villa—at least now I didn’t have to pack up their things.

With that thought, I went to retrieve something that had long been tucked away: an old, yellowing waiver of prosecution.

It was the 40th year since Mom and Dad had passed away in that car crash. Only recently did I find out the truth.

The accident hadn’t been an accident at all.

All along, it was my sister’s fault. She was the one behind the wheel! And for god’s sake, she was drunk!

And the ones she’d killed… were our parents.

Pete had helped her cover it all up. He even forged my signature to create this so-called waiver of prosecution!

For a while, I didn’t know what to do.

But now, I knew. Some people deserve the consequences that are coming to them!

With steady hands, I picked up the phone and called the cops.

After turning over the forged document and the other evidence I’d found in the villa, I walked out of the police station feeling completely at ease.

The money from the house sale had already been transferred to my account.

From now on, I would never return to Lexington!

With that decision firm in my heart, I bought a one-way ticket to Seattle.

By the time they come back, I will have completely left here, and what will greet them will be handcuffs from the police station!