Chapter 5

Stella's POV

In my small apartment, I picked up my paintbrush again.

Before marriage, I had been a highly talented jewelry designer in the industry. For Ethan Hunt's single phrase "I'll take care of you," I gave up my career to become a housewife. Now, I needed to find myself again.

I no longer woke at five in the morning to prepare his breakfast, no longer made hangover soup in the middle of the night, no longer worried about the children's education and nutrition.

I devoted all my time to myself.

After hanging up, my hands trembled slightly.

To say I didn't care about the children at all would be a lie. They were my children, after all.

But when I remembered Lucas saying "we don't want you bossing us around," when I recalled Emma saying "you're a bad mom," my heart turned to stone.

I couldn't keep pining for them, couldn't let them use family ties to manipulate me, only to end up in a pathetic state.

However, fate always seemed to love playing jokes on me.

A few days later, while pulling an all-nighter at my studio working on design drafts, I caught a severe cold that triggered a high fever.

My temperature spiked to 103 degrees. My whole body ached, and I didn't even have the strength to stand. The apartment was empty. I tried to pour myself water, but my legs gave out and I fell heavily to the floor.

My phone was nearby. I struggled to crawl toward it. Through blurred vision, I accidentally pressed Ethan Hunt's number.

The phone rang for a long time before someone answered, but it was Lucas's voice.

"Hello? Why are you calling?" Lucas's voice was impatient.

"Lucas..." My voice was so weak it was barely audible. "Mom has a fever. I can't get up... Can you let Dad answer the phone and call an ambulance for Mom..."

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, then Emma's voice came through. "Brother, Sophia said that woman is always faking illness to trick Dad! We shouldn't pay attention to her!"

Lucas immediately said, "Stop pretending! Sophia took us to the amusement park today, and Dad's here too. We're having so much fun! Don't think you can use this excuse to trick Dad away!"

The call was hung up mercilessly.

I lay on the cold floor, tears silently falling.

A family of four.

So in their hearts, Sophia Warren was the real mom. And I was just some bad woman who faked illness to deceive people.

The high fever made my head spin in waves, and breathing became increasingly difficult. I knew if I didn't save myself, I might die here.

With my last bit of survival instinct, I bit through my lip, using the pain to keep myself conscious, and tremblingly dialed emergency services.

When the ambulance arrived, I'd already fallen into semi-consciousness.

In the hospital emergency room, the doctor hooked me up to fever-reducing medication. The cold liquid flowed into my veins, yet it couldn't match the chill in my heart.

The TV in the hospital room was on, playing an entertainment news segment.

"Today, netizens spotted Hunt Corporation CEO Ethan Hunt at a major amusement park. Mr. Hunt was accompanied by his first love Sophia Warren and a pair of children, all four wearing matching Mickey Mouse headbands and smiling sweetly like a happy family. It seems the rumors of Mr. Hunt's marital problems with his wife are not just rumors..."

On the screen, Ethan held Emma with one arm while his other hand held Sophia's. Sophia held Lucas's hand. All four were laughing so brilliantly in front of a carousel.

In Ethan's eyes was a relaxed affection I'd never seen before.

I watched the screen quietly. I didn't cry or make a scene.

I just felt tired. A weariness that went deep into my bones.

I reached out and pulled the IV needle from the back of my hand. Blood gushed out, but I didn't even furrow my brow.

A nurse rushed over in alarm. "What are you doing! You still have a fever!"

"I'm fine now." I pressed a cotton swab to the needle mark, my voice calm. "I want to be discharged."

From this moment on, my last thread of attachment and hope for Ethan Hunt and those two children completely vanished.