When our daughter turned one month old, my husband's enemy kidnapped her and demanded a ransom of 10 million dollars.
But my husband, Gibran Caldwell, said business was tough and he couldn't come up with the money.
Yet, he immediately turned around and bought a 30 million dollars necklace for his lover, Rosalie Davenport.
Just as I was plunged into utter despair, Gibran's mortal enemy, Miles Prescott, came to me with a checkbook in hand.
He said that as long as I divorced my husband and married him instead, he would pay the ransom.
Without hesitation, I signed the agreement. Miles, still uneasy, personally led a team of mercenaries to rescue my daughter.
At that moment, I believed he was my destined home.
But when my daughter turned five, I saw him telling her to call Rosalie "Mom."
"Miles, you suffered because of me and my daughter. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have had to marry Eliza, that disgrace and even get involved in a life-and-death matter."
"Rosalie, as long as you’re happy in the Caldwell Family, I’m content. But you must keep this a secret. If Eliza finds out that her daughter actually died long ago, she’ll go mad."
It turned out what I once thought was my salvation turned out to be the very thing that took my daughter's life.
Watching the three of them being so close, like a real family, I didn’t hesitate to dial the kidnapper’s number.
"Forty-million-dollars deal, are you in?"
——
At the amusement park, Miles gazed at Clara and Rosalie with eyes full of affection.
He was so focused that he didn't notice me standing not far behind him.
At that moment, his secretary approached.
"Mr. Prescott, tomorrow is Mrs. Henshaw’s daughter’s death anniversary. Will you be attending in person?"
Miles withdrew his gaze. "Mm, even though it was an accident, in the end, I was the one who caused Eliza’s daughter's death. But at least Rosalie successfully married Gibran."
The secretary glanced at Rosalie, who was joyfully enjoying herself in the distance and sighed. "Miss Rosalie only has Gibran in her heart. She even sees Clara as hers and his. Why make such a huge sacrifice for this?"
"If the truth comes out, not just you, even the entire Prescott family will be ruined."
Miles said firmly, "It won't come out. Back then, Eliza didn't even realize that wasn't her daughter. Now that she's raised her for five years, why would she start doubting it?"
The secretary was silent for a moment before speaking. "But Mrs. Henshaw has truly been good to you. Lying to her like this isn't fair."
Miles chuckled mockingly. "Love and affection, when has fairness ever mattered? It's not like I begged her to love me. If she really finds out and makes a fuss, I'll just give her another child."
In an instant, I felt as if I had fallen into an icy abyss.
But just then, my daughter suddenly turned around and called out to me loudly.
"Mom, come play with us!"
Everyone turned to look in my direction. Unable to dodge in time, I stumbled and fell into the fountain.
Luckily, the pool was deep enough that they didn’t see me.
The water was freezing, piercing my skin like needles, but I didn’t dare to come out.
Annoyed by the disruption, Rosalie tossed aside the cotton candy in her hand. "Why are you yelling? Can’t you see your real mom is right here?"
Clara was startled and ran away crying. "You're a bad woman! You're not my mom!"
Miles, who had always doted on her, suddenly looked stern. "Clara, apologize to your mother."
Clara cried even harder. My heart clenched and my instinct was to rush over and hold her in my arms.
But Miles’s words from moments ago echoed in my mind.
That was not my daughter.
My daughter had been killed by Miles long ago.
Not even her bones were ever found.
She was only a month old.
Miles ruthlessly handed her over to those criminals, all for Rosalie.
Even personally leading the mercenaries to "rescue" her was just part of his act and a way to keep me from realizing he had switched the children.
Yet I foolishly saw him as my salvation, naively raising someone else's child for him.
