Chapter 3

Before dawn, Mrs. Gable, the housekeeper, dragged me up and pushed me into the kitchen.

“Mr. Knight ordered it. As a new bride, you have much to learn.”

I expressionlessly shook her off and began picking vegetables.

With my back turned, I tossed all the good leaves, leaving only the bitter, unwanted roots to drop into the pot.

Halfway through, a sweet, clear voice suddenly called out from behind me:

“Sera! I’ll join you.”

Celeste, in a white house robe, looked so young, despite being quite a bit older than me.

An unwelcome pang of inadequacy twisted in my gut.

She had already walked to my side, her eyes curving into a smile as she spoke:

“I’m just using you as an excuse to get into the kitchen. Otherwise, Julian always cooks for me, and I never get a chance to show off my own skills.”

The words pierced through me like daggers, leaving me momentarily disoriented.

Before, I had nothing to give Julian, so I started learning to cook.

My most frequent act was bringing him meals. He would always ruffle my hair and say:

“Thank you, my Sera. I promise to eat every bit.”

Celeste, oblivious, continued to list all the dishes Julian had cooked for her, her tone brimming with happiness.

My mind went utterly blank, a deafening roar echoing in my ears.

Those were *my* memories, *my* dishes for *him*.

My heart clenched, followed by a dense, suffocating ache.

Julian, cooking for Celeste?

The high and mighty, untouchable magnate had never done such a thing for *me*.

I forced myself to stop thinking about it, turning to boil water. Still seething, I poured an entire bottle of salt into the pot.

Celeste even came over to help, her innocent and kind demeanor only irritating me more.

I sighed, about to wave her away, when she gasped first.

“So hot!”

I frowned, grabbing her hand and plunging it into a basin of ice water.

The next second, a furious roar came from behind me: “You dare hurt her!”

Julian walked toward us, his face so dark it could drip ink. He yanked me away.

Celeste said, her eyes red, “I just accidentally burned myself.”

“Don’t speak for her.”

Julian’s gaze swept over me.

“I know exactly what kind of person she is—malicious, and she’ll stop at nothing!”

Celeste froze, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.

I stared at Julian, blinking a few times, my eyes glistening.

He was already escorting Celeste to the dining table, carefully applying ointment to her hand.

I closed my eyes, then opened them again.

Leo bounded down the stairs, calling out “Wifey!” with a vacant, innocent grin. I pinched his mouth shut.

I forced a strained, ugly smile.

In the end, Mrs. Gable finished making the meal.

But just as I was about to pull out a chair, Julian set down his utensils:

“You made a mistake, you should be punished. Do you have the nerve to sit down?”

“Take this bowl of soup, kneel, and only get up when you admit your fault and apologize to Celeste.”

I stared at the man before me. Time had left few marks on his stern face.

He used to redden at the sight of my small cooking burns, calling in the best doctors for me.

A group of housekeepers came to try and force me, but I waved them away, picking up the scalding bowl of soup myself and kneeling by the dining table.

I obeyed because of my mother.

Leo didn’t understand what was happening. He walked over, wanting to play with me.

In an instant, his hand reached for the scalding water above my head.