BOOK 1

Chapter 1

For the sake of my son's piano teacher, Julia Adams, my husband ruined our family business.

He encircled Julia, commenting, "I've only brought bankruptcy to the Taylor family, not death to your kin. You should be grateful for that."

My son slashed open a cut on my hand with a knife, stood beside Julia, and complained, "I don't want to be around a murderer. I only want Aunt Julia to be my mom. You're a disgusting old woman. Get out of my house!"

I left, helpless and humiliated, like a dog being chased away.

Six years later, they once again crossed my path, imploring me to return home.

I held my infant in my arms and scornfully asked, "Who are you again?"

My reunion with my ex-husband, Chris Martin, and son happened in New York.

Chris, absent for six years, had aged significantly, with gray hair surfacing on his temples.

Despite that, his overbearing demeanor was as prevalent as before.

"Aliah? It's been six years. Do you realize your mistake now? If you kneel and apologize to Julia, I'll make an exception and forgive you. The position of Mrs. Martin is still yours."

Regrets?

I could only feel bitterness and estrangement towards them.

I sized them up with scorn, intending to bypass them and take leave, but my own son, Cole, obstructed my path.

"Mom, why do you need to put on a show? Do not worry, Aunt Julia is generous; she won't hold grudges. We are specifically here to fetch you. As long as you apologize and promise to take good care of us, I will still recognize you as my mom."

Cole was already thirteen, grown noticeably taller and sturdy, almost identical to his father in appearance. However, his irritable temperament hadn't changed at all.

"However, Mom?"

If I had heard this address before, I might have felt heartache, might have sought to stop it with fury.

Now, the sight of this father and son only makes me nauseous.

I am the heiress of JT Taylor Group, childhood friends with Chris, we grew up together.

We were a loving couple, and a year after marriage, we had our son, Cole.

Before Julia showed up, the three of us were living a happy life.

As for my son, I do everything myself, whether it comes to food or daily life. I'd never left it in others' hands, let alone hire a nanny.

Therefore, my son always clung to me. Even Chris once hugged me out of jealousy, complaining that I gave his share of love to others.

But I never neglected Chris, either. I always kept our life in good order.

I poured all my love into this family.

However, our happy days came to an end when my son was seven years old, and Julia came to be the piano teacher.

"Miss Adams plays the piano beautifully and she's kind. She really cares about Cole."

"Julia is pure and kind. Aliah, I believe you two can get along well. You could be like sisters."

Chris kept praising her in front of me. Even the title gradually changed from a distant one to a more intimate one.

Even my son, who always stuck to me and swore to protect me, began to distance himself. He would be fretful when I'm not around.

"Dad, I don't want Mom, she's always bossing me around. I want Aunt Julia, she's the best, she often takes me to the amusement park and Chuck E Cheese. It would be great if I could call her 'Mom' someday."

His words pierced my heart. To him, my repeated teachings were control, and anyone indulging him was love.

Because of this, I had a big fight with Chris. When I proposed to kick Julia out, they teamed up against me.

"You should be the one to go, not Aunt Julia, you are just our housekeeper, you should leave! You old woman!"

Chris did nothing to dismiss Cole's words, my heart was dripping blood, but I still comforted myself.

It's okay... it's okay...

My son is young, he is ignorant, he will understand it when he grows up.

But later, Julia's father died. Only then did I realize that her father was actually an employee of our JT Taylor Corporation.

Because he was discovered stealing company's confidential information, he jumped off the corporation building to avoid imprisonment.

Chris, without investigating the cause, solely relied on Julia's biased words to convict my family.

He, along with other companies, suppressed the JT Taylor Corporation. In less than a month, JT Taylor Corporation declared bankruptcy.

That day, I knelt down crying, pleading with Chris to spare the JT Taylor Corporation, to spare my parents.

With disdain, he looked down on me: "I just let your JT Taylor Corporation go bankrupt. You should be grateful that I didn't ask for your family's lives."

Julia, hand in hand with Cole, stood beside him, her voice choked with emotion: "Mrs. Martin, don't blame Chris. It's just that your JT Taylor Corporation is too greedy and has cost human lives. I tried to plead for mercy for you, but..."

"From today, she is no more Mrs. Martin. Don't mind her, your condition hasn't improved yet, let me accompany you upstairs to rest!"

Upon this shock, I reflexively reached for my son, intending to leave with him.

When I touched him, I felt a sudden pain on the back of my hand, and my pupils dilated. Blood started flowing from the wound.

Cole stood next to Julia, a small knife still in his hand dripping with blood. He glared at me with disgust and malice, "I don't want to stay with a murderer. I want only Aunt Julia to be my mother! You shameless old woman, get out of my house now!"

The servants threw all my belongings out, along with me.

The bleak cold wind blew, bringing with it desolate fallen leaves and rain. Autumn came exceptionally early that year.

I refused to give up and knelt in the rain, knocking on the door and begging loudly.

I pleaded to Chris for the sake of my family. I begged him not to be so unfeeling, considering our many years of affection.

I cried for a long time, long until the blood on the back of my hand was bleached white by the rain, long until the sun rose and set. Laughter from the family of three resounded once again from inside the villa.