My child, stay, and I’ll give you a billion dollars.
No, two billion!
At the grand Hayes Estate, Old Mr. Sterling Hayes sat hunched in a plush armchair, his gaze pleading with me. But I, sitting opposite him, simply shook my head. With a gentle push, I slid the colossal check back across the table.
“Grandpa, I’m sorry. We agreed on six years, and that time is up. My debt of gratitude has been repaid. It’s time for me to leave.”
My voice was soft, yet unwavering in its resolve.
Seeing my mind was made up, Old Mr. Sterling Hayes could only sigh. “You’ve worked tirelessly these past years. Before you go, tell me anything you wish for.”
A heavy silence stretched between us for what felt like an eternity before I finally spoke. “I want you to… approve of Asher and Serena being together.”
“You asked me to approach Asher specifically to make him forget Serena. But six years have passed, and you’ve seen it for yourself. Perhaps true love truly cannot be broken apart.”
Another profound sigh escaped Old Mr. Sterling Hayes, his eyes heavy with weariness and resignation. “Enough, enough. I’m old. I won’t meddle in their young lives anymore. Let them do as they please. As for the divorce, my child, you’ll have to tell Asher yourself.”
I nodded, bowing respectfully to the old man, then rose and walked toward the grand entrance.
Once in the car, I cast one last look at the estate.
The first time I came to this sprawling mansion, it was out of gratitude. I was an orphan from a foster home, destined to drop out of school like the other children there. But fate, or perhaps luck, intervened when Old Mr. Sterling Hayes noticed me. He sponsored my education, giving me a chance at a future.
I had talent, and I worked tirelessly, skipping grades until, at just 22, I had already earned my Ph.D. from an elite university, a feat that turned heads.
The year I achieved academic success, I specifically sought out the Hayes Estate to thank Old Mr. Sterling Hayes in person. He sat regally, his face etched with fatigue, and made a request.
“My child, the Hayes family lacks no wealth. If you wish to repay my kindness, grant me one request: starting today, and for the next six years, you will approach my heir, Asher, and bear him a child, to make him forget… his adopted sister.”
It was then I learned that Asher, the heir to the Hayes Group, had fallen for Serena, his adopted sister. He was willing to throw away his entire inheritance, defying all societal norms and family expectations, just to be with her.
He was their golden boy, groomed from childhood to be the perfect heir, yet he rebelled so fiercely for a woman. The entire Hayes family was in a frenzy. To quash his obsession, they even sent Serena abroad.
But after that, Asher plunged into a spiral of heavy drinking, a shadow of his former self.
To repay my debt, I agreed.
From then on, I began to approach Asher, relentlessly pursuing him, playing the part of a woman madly in love. Finally, I succeeded in marrying him and even bore him a child.
For six grueling years, I performed my duties diligently, without a single complaint. But the moment Serena returned, his suppressed affections reignited with a vengeance. Even our son was frequently taken to see Serena, developing an affection for her and, in turn, growing distant from me, his own mother.
It turned out, the woman he secretly cherished, the one he never spoke of, was also the one he had never forgotten.
Thankfully, from now on, none of this would concern me.
The Hayes family’s claim on me was only for six years, and the child had been born.
Finally, I was free to leave.
My scattered thoughts snapped back into reality, my gaze darting back inside the car. In the next horrifying instant, a runaway truck barreled straight for us.
Then came a series of violent impacts.
“BANG!”
The world tilted, and I felt a jarring lurch. My forehead slammed into the hard seat, a searing pain consuming my senses. My vision dissolved into black, and I succumbed to unconsciousness.
When I next awoke, the stark white ceiling and the acrid smell of antiseptic informed me of my whereabouts. A nurse, checking on me, expressed her relief upon seeing I was awake. After asking for my basic information, she marvelled,
“You’re incredibly lucky. Just a mild concussion. We had over a dozen patients from that pile-up on Bayfront Road, and you’re the only survivor.”
The nurse re-checked my vitals, letting out a relieved breath. “Nothing serious. We just need a family member to sign some discharge papers, and you can go.”
I struggled to sit up, still reeling from the shock of my near-death experience.
It took a long moment before I nodded, picking up my phone and dialing Asher’s number.
The ringing continued, unanswered. Finally, perhaps annoyed, he simply disconnected the call.
One call, two, three…
I called him over a dozen times, but he never picked up.
My gaze dropped, and I tapped on another contact: my son, Leo’s number.
Time ticked by, the call disconnected again and again. Finally, a message popped up on the screen.
[Can you stop bothering me? I have important things to do. Oh, and make sure to cook some chicken soup at home.]
His tone was dismissive, his command arrogant. If you didn’t know, who would guess those words came from the son I carried for nine agonizing months?
Outside the hospital room, nurses walked by in the hallway, their hushed voices drifting in.
“Mr. Hayes is so devoted to his wife, isn’t he? She just had a minor burn from hot water, barely a scratch, and he booked an entire floor for her! And the young master, so well-behaved, constantly running errands for her.”
“You’re mistaken. That’s not Mrs. Hayes. That’s Mr. Hayes’s adopted sister, Serena.”
Hearing her, the other nurse quickly corrected her, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “But you’re new to Riverview City, you wouldn’t know. Mr. Hayes apparently loves his sister. He even nearly gave up his inheritance for her before, causing a huge scandal. It was only after Ms. Serena was sent abroad that he married the current Mrs. Hayes.”
In that moment, I finally understood what those two—father and son—were so busy with.
I couldn’t help but smile to myself. If I had truly died in that multi-car pile-up, would there even be anyone to claim my body?
I looked up at the nurse, my voice quiet. “I’m sorry, I don’t have family. Can I sign for myself?”
Perhaps it was the first time she’d encountered someone completely alone. A flicker of sympathy crossed the nurse’s eyes, and she eventually made an exception, handing me the discharge papers.
I handled the discharge formalities alone. As I walked past a hospital room on my way to pick up medication, familiar voices drifted out.
I instinctively glanced inside and saw Asher and Leo, both at Serena’s bedside, their faces displaying a tenderness and obedience I had never seen directed at me.
I watched silently, my expression betraying no emotion, as if the people inside weren’t my husband and son.
After a moment, I shifted my gaze, turning to walk away.
Back home, I retrieved the divorce papers from a drawer. My eyes landed on Asher’s fluid signature at the bottom, and for a fleeting moment, I saw him signing it all those years ago.
His eyes had been distant, devoid of any emotion as he looked at me.
“Elara Brooks, I know you’re madly in love with me, but my heart belongs to another. I only married you because my family pressed me. From now on, if you ever want a divorce, just sign here, and you’re free to leave anytime.”
Now, I picked up the pen and, without a moment’s hesitation, signed my name in the section for the wife!
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