My ex-husband regretted it after I left.

My name is Clara Bennett. The day I learned that Liam 's secretary, Vanessa, was pregnant was also my seventh wedding anniversary with Liam Foster.

The sweet, cloying scent of Vanessa's perfume filled the living room, overpowering the aroma of the mushroom soup I'd been simmering all afternoon.

She was wearing my silk nightgown, the collar loose, revealing ambiguous red marks on her neck, and on her finger was my wedding ring, which I had treasured in the closet for years. The provocation in her eyes was like needles pricking.

Liam sat at the head of the sofa, a cigarette between his fingers, the smoke blurring his features.

He didn't even glance at the table full of dishes I had carefully prepared—each one of his favorite flavors from when we were deeply in love, but now they were just superfluous decorations.

He casually ordered me, his tone as if he were instructing a butler to clean up the trash: "This young lady is picky about food. From now on, you'll be in charge of preparing all three meals a day, and they can't be the same twice."

Vanessa immediately frowned in agreement, gently placing her hand on her lower abdomen: "Brother Liam, actually I'm not picky, I'm just afraid of causing trouble for Clara..."

"What are you afraid of?" Liam interrupted her, his gaze finally landing on me, but without a trace of warmth. "She's the young mistress of the Foster family, isn't it only right that she does these things?"

Then, he threw out a second sentence, like a second knife: "She's timid and needs someone to sleep with her. Pack your things and move to the guest room."

Before I could react, Liam continued, "You need to be more understanding. Vanessa's baby will call you 'Mother' someday. If you weren't infertile, why would I let Vanessa risk getting pregnant? Pregnancy is very hard for girls."

I stood there, my fingertips gripping the edge of the apron, the fabric wrinkled from being squeezed.

I remember the anniversary banquet seven years ago. Although Liam was indifferent, he still accepted the scarf I knitted, saying, "It's a bit thick, but you can use it in winter." Five years ago, when I broke my leg, he still had his driver take me to rehabilitation every day. Even three years ago, when Vanessa had just joined the company, he only said, "She's just a secretary, don't overthink it."

But now, he's even too lazy to feign politeness.

I didn't say anything, and turned to walk towards the bedroom on the second floor.

My suitcase was actually packed three days ago.

The clothes were folded neatly, and hidden inside were black and white photos of my parents, as well as my father's pocket watch that had been with me for twenty years.

My father always taught me from a young age that if a woman encounters setbacks, she should have the courage to start over.

The butler wanted to step forward and dissuade me. He had watched me grow from a young girl who married into the Foster family into the person I am today, worn down by life. He had seen all the grievances I had suffered in the past seven years, but he was just a butler and did not even have the right to say a word.

Liam sneered, stubbing out his cigarette in the sweet soup I had just served, showing no appreciation whatsoever. I had simmered that soup over a low flame in the kitchen for two hours, and now the black ash floating on the amber surface of the soup was just like my rotten marriage: "Let her make a scene. Anyway, she'll be slinking back in less than three days."

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of laughter echoed in the living room.

That's Liam's friend. She used to call me "sister-in-law," but now she looks at me like I'm a clown.

Some people even pulled out checks and slammed them on the table: "I bet a million that she'll be crying and begging Liam to open the door tonight!"

“I bet two million!” another person chimed in. “Clara has nowhere to live after leaving the Foster family. Where can she go?”

Right in front of me, they used my seven years of humility as a gamble and trampled my dignity underfoot.

But no one knew that a silver-gray Maybach had been waiting for a long time under the sycamore trees not far from the villa.

That was sent by Gregory Nicholson. He said, "Clara, if you want to leave, I'll always be behind you."

I know he's always been there for me, waiting for my every word.

I dragged my suitcase, picked up my pet dog Tuantuan, whom I've had for ten years, and walked past the group of laughing people without pausing for a moment.

I know that this time, I'm really leaving.

Just as I was about to step out of the villa, Liam suddenly called out to me, his voice carrying an undeniable command: "Clara, leave your pet dog here. Vanessa is pregnant and lonely; she needs a pet for companionship."

I stopped in my tracks and instinctively hugged Tuantuan tighter in my arms. It was a birthday gift Liam gave me when we started dating.

Over the past ten years, Tuantuan has grown from a little puppy into the gentle creature it is today, keeping me company through countless lonely days and nights.

Especially during the dark period when I miscarried and lost my child, Tuantuan stayed by my side every step of the way, supporting me through those heart-wrenching nights with its warm body heat and silent companionship.

I looked up, my eyes already red-rimmed, my voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "Tuantuan has been with me for ten years; it's my only solace."

Tuantuan was my only source of emotional support during my seven years with the Foster family.

Liam, however, didn't seem to care. He even pulled a wad of cash from his wallet and threw it at my feet, the red bills scattered on the cold marble floor: "It's just a dog, isn't it? This money is enough for you to buy ten. Leave Tuantuan here."

How much is a seven-year marriage, so lowly and base, worth? I looked at the money on the ground and suddenly found it laughable. I remembered last winter at the Alps ski resort, Vanessa said she wanted to see the snow but forgot her goggles. Without a word, Liam reached out and ripped the goggles off my face.

Finally, he took off my coat and gave it to Vanessa, leaving me to stand halfway up the mountain in sub-zero temperatures, wearing only a thin sweater.

When he took Vanessa down the mountain in the cable car, he didn't even look back at me.

That day I was frozen in the snow for three hours and almost froze to death. Gregory heard about it and rushed over, wrapped me in his coat and took me to the hospital.

Now, he wants to steal my Tuantuan, just to amuse another woman.

Seeing my silence, Liam said in a deep voice, "Clara, don't forget, are you going to leave Tuantuan here to keep Vanessa entertained, or hang your sister on the third-floor balcony to keep Vanessa entertained?"

I took a deep breath and slowly put Tuantuan down in my arms.

Tuantuan seemed to sense something, rubbing against my leg uneasily and making soft, mournful whimpers.

I crouched down and stroked its soft fur one last time, remembering the difficult times it had been with me.

Whenever I cry because I miss the child I miscarried and lost, it always gently touches my cheek with its wet nose, as if to comfort me.

I walked up to Vanessa and handed Tuan Tuan's leash to her.

She took the rope casually, showing no respect whatsoever for life.

I looked into her eyes and said, word by word, "I hope you will treat it well. It's not just a pet dog; it's family to me."

These words seemed to touch Liam, and he surprisingly gave me a way out: "Clara, as long as you behave well, Vanessa's child can call you mother in the future."

But no sooner had he finished speaking than Vanessa suddenly exclaimed, "Ouch, it bit me!"

Vanessa threw Tuantuan, whom she had just picked up, far away. The small body flew out and crashed into the wall, letting out a painful whimper.

Liam's expression changed instantly. He rushed over almost immediately and carefully picked up Vanessa, his movements as gentle as if he were protecting a fragile treasure.

He shouted sternly at the housekeeper, "Quickly! Call the family doctor! Tell him to be here within ten minutes!"

Then he turned back and glared at me: "You ungrateful beast, why don't you send it to the kitchen to make soup for Vanessa to nourish her body?"