Sevlene’s POV
I turned my head just in time to catch the flicker of tension in his eyes.
Curling my lips in a half-hearted smile, I said casually, “My friend’s husband cheated on her. She’s filing for divorce.”
Cortey’s steps faltered. A trace of discomfort flashed across his gaze.
“You shouldn’t waste your attention on things like that. If her husband strayed, then she simply chose the wrong man.”
A cold laugh echoed in my heart, though I kept my expression calm. I countered evenly, “Then tell me—did I choose the right man?”
Cortey answered without hesitation, almost too quickly.
“Of course. Haven’t you seen how much I love you? Everyone around me thinks I’ve gone crazy. I’d do anything for you.”
As he spoke, he reached for my hand, his voice shifting to a rare moment of tenderness.
“I admit what happened today was reckless. But it was because your mom’s life depends on Charlee’s. You don’t want anything to happen to your mom, do you?”
I opened my mouth to reply. But before I could, his phone rang.
The caller ID read only three words.
[My Good Daughter]
At once, he dropped my hand and picked up the phone.
The next second, Charlee’s cries came through.
“Daddy, my head suddenly hurts so bad. Do you think I might be dying? I’m so scared… Can you come keep me company?”
Concern immediately swept over Cortey’s face. He turned to me and muttered a quick, “I’ll just go check on her. I’ll be right back,” before rushing out.
But he didn’t return.
Not until I was discharged from the hospital did I realize he hadn’t come back at all.
I signed my own papers, settled the bill, and took a taxi home alone.
The moment I stepped through the door, a nauseating scene awaited me.
Charlee sat perched on Cortey’s lap, adjusting his tie. Their faces were so close that if either of them leaned forward even slightly, their lips would meet.
“Daddy,” she cooed sweetly, “you look so handsome today. You’ll definitely outshine everyone at the party.”
Cortey chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately.
“You and that sweet little mouth of yours.”
Her eyes sparkled mischievously.
“Then shouldn’t you have a taste? Only then will you know just how sweet it really is.”
Bile rose in my throat. I gagged audibly.
Startled, Cortey instantly pushed Charlee away and hurried to my side.
“What’s wrong? Do you feel unwell?”
I slapped his hand aside when he tried to touch me, my voice distant and cold.
“Don’t touch me.”
A flicker of hurt passed through his eyes. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Charlee suddenly cried out anxiously, “Daddy, the birthday party’s about to start. We have to go, now.”
It was Edna’s birthday today.
Cortey had already prepared a dress for me. I slipped into it, and without wasting time, he escorted me straight to the party hall.
The moment Charlee spotted Edna, she hurried over, fussing with concern. Edna, in turn, smiled warmly at her, treating her with the intimacy reserved for a beloved daughter-in-law. Their closeness made it seem as though they were truly family.
Welp, soon, they would be.
After all, the cooling-off period for the divorce was almost over. Once I walked away, no one would be able to stop Charlee from replacing me.
I approached Edna with the gift I had carefully chosen. But she didn’t accept it. Instead, she looked me up and down with her usual scrutinizing gaze.
“I’ve invited all the most distinguished young ladies here tonight,” she said. “They all admire my son. If he marries any one of them, the benefits they’ll bring to this family are things you couldn’t give in ten lifetimes.”
Her words came out of nowhere, yet cut like a blade.
My hand froze mid-air, the gift box suspended awkwardly. I tried to speak, but no words would come.
Cortey noticed my embarrassment and stepped forward, about to speak on my behalf. But before he could, Charlee let out a dramatic gasp.
“My ankle! I twisted it! Ah! It hurts!”
Without the slightest hesitation, Cortey turned away from me and rushed straight to her side.
Edna looked at me like I was a clown, her eyes glinting with mockery.
“Pathetic. You can’t even compete with that kind of trash. I told you long ago—you don’t have what it takes to be my son’s wife.”
To be fair, she wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t hold that position. Back then, I was too full of myself. I thought that just because her son and I were in love, it would last forever.
Just then, the chandelier above us crackled ominously.
A screw loosened, and in the next instant, the massive two-meter-wide light fixture came crashing down.
In the corner of my eye, I saw Cortey rush forward—not toward me… but to shield Charlee. He wrapped her tightly in his arms, using his body to block the shower of falling glass.
Meanwhile, I was shoved in the chaos, stumbling and crashing to the floor. Shards pierced my skin, scraping bone, each stab of pain making my body tremble uncontrollably.
The last thing I saw before consciousness slipped away was Cortey’s bloodshot eyes as he carried Charlee in his arms, striding out without once looking back.
My vision blurred. My chest twisted with agony sharper than the glass embedded in my flesh.
Watching their retreating figures, I forced out a hoarse, broken cry.
“Help… me…”
