Chapter 1 Chapter 1

"Mina, once Clara recovers, I'll take you both on a trip around the world. Didn’t you say you wanted to see the northern lights?" Christian Gordon said. Mina Lambert smirked. "Won’t your wife be jealous if you take me along? What if she throws a fit?" Christian scoffed. "She wouldn’t dare." I might not have dared in the past, but now that my daughter, Minnie Gordon, was gone—and I would be joining her soon—there was nothing left to fear. Clutching the urn tightly, I pushed open the door. Mina, perched coquettishly on Christian’s lap, didn’t bother restraining herself when she saw me. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Rachel, Christian says his neck is sore. You don’t mind if I give him a massage, do you?" Her eyes gleamed with open defiance, certain I would swallow my pride to keep the peace. Christian glanced at me, irritation flashing in his eyes. "I haven’t been home for days, and you let yourself look like a beggar? I know you’re angry, but I had to make a decision. Clara can’t wait any longer. I’ll make it up to our daughter next time." However, Minnie was dead. There was no "next time" for her. "I know you loved Minnie, but life is life. She was my daughter too; I wouldn’t have ignored her, alive or dead. But I couldn’t just ignore Clara’s situation. You’re being childish by making a fuss," Christian said impatiently, as if he were the one making sense and I was the one being unreasonable. But if Clara couldn’t wait, could Minnie? If Minnie had been the one to receive that surgery, she would still be alive. She would be the one recovering now. Instead, after losing her chance at a new heart, Mina sent someone to Minnie’s hospital room to tell her that Christian didn’t want her anymore. The shock triggered a heart attack, and she collapsed into my arms, gasping her final breaths. She was so young. She never even got to truly see the world. With the last of her strength, she clutched my clothes. "Is it true? Does Dad really not want me anymore?" All I could do was hold her tightly and whisper that I would always love her. Until the end, she never saw Christian. Meanwhile, Clara Lambert—Christian’s childhood sweetheart’s daughter—was thriving, her body healthy after a successful heart transplant. Hatred surged through me. I wanted them all dead. My silence must have made Christian think I had given in. "The matter ends here," he declared. "Clean yourself up. Look at you." I tightened my grip on the urn and lifted my gaze to the man I had once loved so deeply. "Christian, let’s get a divorce."

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Christian froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. 'She asked me for a divorce?' His expression darkened as he scoffed. "Rachel Simmons, did you take the wrong pill? Are you seriously asking me for a divorce?" I took a deep breath and met his gaze. "Christian, are you deaf? I said I want a divorce!" With that, I threw the divorce papers I had printed in advance onto the floor in front of him. "I don't want a single penny from you. I'll leave with nothing. My only request is that we finalize it as soon as possible. If you're free tomorrow, we'll file with the state court." The room fell into an eerie silence. Even Mina, usually quick to taunt, said nothing for once. Christian didn't pick up the papers. He stood still, his jaw tightening, the veins on his forehead throbbing. "How long are you going to keep this up?" he snapped. "Just because I didn't give the heart to Minnie? Is it really that important? Clara needed it more. Don't you understand? Rachel, you're a mother too—how can you be so selfish?" Mina, ever the actress, wiped at nonexistent tears. "If I had known you'd be this upset, I never would have let Clara take the heart—even if it meant she would die! It's all my fault. You can scold me, hit me if you want…" Christian immediately rushed to support her, guiding her to the couch. "Don't blame yourself. I made this decision. You're too weak to handle this stress. Stop crying. I'll take care of everything." Then, he turned to me, his expression ice-cold. "Do you think you can threaten me with a divorce? The heart is gone, Rachel. It's done. There's no point in making a scene! And if you really want to leave me, I swear—you'll never see Minnie again!" Without another word, he helped Mina up and led her to her room. When he reached the stairs, he paused, turning back to glare at me. "Don't bring up divorce again!" A moment later, the door slammed shut with a loud bang. I clutched the urn to my chest, holding it as if little Minnie were still with me. Since I'd walked through that door, Christian hadn't said a single word of concern for Minnie or me. He hadn't even looked at the urn in my arms, the one with Minnie's picture on it. All he saw was my disheveled state—an embarrassment to him. I glanced around the vast, empty room. Minnie and I had shared so many memories here. She used to dance in this very space, her laughter filling the air. She played here, twirling with joy. And in the end, this was where she collapsed—helpless, breathless. No matter how desperately I tried, I couldn't lift her back up. Christian had missed Minnie's final moments. And just as he had abandoned her, he would never see me again before I died.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

The next morning, I applied delicate makeup. I wanted to look presentable in the final moments of my life. I arrived at the state court and waited, but Christian never showed up. He didn’t answer my calls either. Frustrated, I called Mina. “Christian’s with you, isn’t he? Tell him to hurry up and sign the divorce papers!” Before she could respond, Christian’s angry voice came through the phone. “Rachel, don’t push your luck! If I sign those papers, don’t come crying when you regret it!” My voice remained calm. “If I regret it, I’ll write my name backward. But if you don’t show up, you should write yours backward instead.” Christian hated being humiliated. In the end, he came. The procedure went smoothly. When I held the divorce certificate in my hands, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. I refused to die with his last name on my tombstone. The thought alone disgusted me. I couldn’t contain my smile, while Christian’s face was like stone. “Well done, Rachel,” he sneered. “You’re practically glowing after our divorce! What’s the matter? Found yourself a lover already? Be as trashy as you want, but don’t drag Minnie into your mess. I’ll head to the hospital in a few days to pick her up. If you try anything, you know exactly what I’m capable of.” Mina turned and flashed me a smug smile, clearly pleased to have claimed the man I had discarded. I thought, ‘Christian, you’ll never pick Minnie up. She died the moment Clara was reborn. Maybe you should be grateful that you won’t even have to pay child support.’ Back at the house I once called home, I packed up everything that belonged to Minnie and me. I took what I could and destroyed what I couldn’t. My body felt weaker these past two days, and even something as simple as packing left me breathless. I had held on for one reason—to erase all traces of him from my life. I never wanted to see Christian again. I didn’t want anything of mine left in his presence. Even breathing the same air as him made me sick. That same day, I booked a flight and went to my best friend, Eloise Winthrop’s, house, carrying only a few suitcases and Minnie’s urn. I had considered returning to my hometown, but after marrying Christian, I had moved far away. My parents had been left behind with no one to care for them. Their health had always been poor, yet every time I called, they only told me the good news, never the bad. Then one day, they were gone. Influenza took them both. I was afraid that I would be reminded of them if I went back. Eloise sobbed when she saw how frail I had become. She cursed Christian in front of me. As the days passed, I grew weaker. And with each passing day, Eloise looked more exhausted. For the first time, I felt a twinge of regret. Maybe I shouldn’t have come. Perhaps I should’ve gone somewhere isolated, waited for death quietly, and spared her the burden of watching me fade away.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Eloise saw right through me. "I'm glad you came to me. It means you trust me. If you dare to sneak away alone, I swear I'll never forgive you." She tried to lift my spirits every day, but my health continued to decline. Late one night, I sat alone on the balcony, letting the cool breeze wash over me. When I opened my eyes, I saw Minnie. She was wearing the same oversized hospital gown from the day she died, the fabric swallowing her tiny frame. "Mom, why are you ignoring me?" she asked softly. Tentatively, I reached out and wrapped my arms around her. The following day, Eloise found my body. As per my will, she placed my ashes with Minnie's. Minnie and I must have become ghosts. We didn't know why we hadn't moved on to the other side. We could only wander, lost between worlds. Minnie kept looking at strangers in the square, her eyes full of longing. I finally asked, "Do you want to see Dad?" She had always gravitated toward people who resembled Christian. I understood why. Christian was always busy. Whenever Minnie asked about him, I told her he was doing something amazing—something that made her eyes shine with admiration. She had waited for him in the hospital, full of hope, but he never came. Now that she was gone, what harm was there in seeing him one last time? Minnie finally saw Christian in his office. She kept staring at Christian she had missed so much. However, she could not touch him, no matter how hard she tried. In his office, Christian sat at his desk, his expression unreadable as his secretary placed a cup of coffee in front of him. He took a sip, then asked casually, "How's my daughter in the hospital?" The secretary hesitated before replying, "She's fine. She was discharged some time ago." I froze. Minnie was dead. Did Christian have another daughter I didn't know about? Christian said nothing else and turned back to his work. Back at his workstation, the secretary whispered to a colleague, "Don't you think Mr. Gordon's been acting weird? Didn't he give everyone a bonus the day his daughter's surgery was successful? Why is he asking about her again now?""Now that you mention it, I remember. That was on the 8th of last month. Triple our salary!" I clutched Minnie's hand, my whole body stiff. However, Minnie's face lit up with joy. She jumped excitedly. "Dad came on the 8th? It's all my fault. If I had held on just a little longer, I could have seen him!"

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

It felt like a wad of cotton had been stuffed in my throat. Minnie had died of a heart attack on the 8th of last month. I still remember the way she collapsed into my arms, her tiny body growing colder with each passing second. That same day, Clara had received the heart meant for Minnie. Everyone thought Clara was Christian's daughter. And on that very day, while Minnie took her last breath, Christian celebrated Clara's new life by giving the entire company a bonus. There was a saying that the dead no longer felt cold, but I was freezing. It felt like I had been cast into a frozen underworld. My thoughts raced. 'Christian, while you were celebrating Clara's new life, your own daughter was in the next room, struggling for life. While you rewarded your employees with triple their salaries, Minnie was waiting for you, her heart failing with every second. You ignored all my messages. She waited for you until her very last breath. Christian, you don't deserve to be human.' Minnie had always been a sharp girl since she was young. My silence must have told her everything. She stopped whirling around Christian. That evening, we followed him home, but it wasn't the house we had once lived in—it was Christian and Mina's house. Mina greeted him as if she had always belonged there. "Clara, Dad's home!" A little girl rushed out of her room, her face lighting up with joy. I knew that face. Years ago, not long after Minnie started primary school, she had come home with a wound on her cheek. She had gone out to play with her friends, only to be attacked by another girl who hit her and called her a bstard. I called the police, checked the surveillance footage, and saw the culprit's face clearly. Back then, Christian had told me not to make a fuss over a little girl's actions. I searched for her many times but never found her. Eventually, I let it go. Now I knew the truth. That girl was Mina's daughter. Listening to their conversation, I pieced together everything. Mina had been Christian's first love. However, because her family had been housekeepers for the Gordons, she was never allowed to marry him. Instead, she had become his secret mistress. Their affair had lasted for years. And Clara… she was two years older than Minnie. Christian had only married me to appease his parents. All those years, he and Mina had played the part of star-crossed lovers, carrying on their passionate affair in secret. I raged in my heart. 'Christian, you're going to underworld.'