Chapter 4

When I opened my eyes, I was in the backseat of Julian’s SUV.

He was sitting next to me.

He was looking in the vanity mirror, wiping a bit of frosting from his nose.

The warmth from the party hadn't fully faded from his face, and a soft smile lingered on his lips.

Seeing me stir, he spoke in a casual tone.

"Celeste has had a hard time raising Leo alone. I just wanted to help them out a bit."

"Elena, don't overthink it."

His tone was so indifferent.

Like he had just done a minor good deed.

I knew we were divorced. I had no right to care who he helped.

But he had no right to touch Lily's money!

I ripped the restraint cloth off my arms and threw it right at his face.

"Give me back the money, and give me back Lily!"

There was no longer any reason to leave Lily with him.

If he didn't want to raise her, I would do it myself.

I expected him to agree easily, but instead, Julian reached out and gently took my hand.

His eyes softened.

"Lily is my daughter. How could I not love her?"

"I’ve actually made arrangements to send her to a traditional boarding school upstate. They’ll teach her discipline and domestic skills. When she’s older, she can marry Leo. They’ll keep it in the family."

My heart stopped beating for a second.

I stared at Julian, desperately searching his face for any sign of a joke.

There was none.

He was completely serious.

"Are you insane? That place is a prison! You want to throw your own daughter into a house of submission?"

Without thinking, I slapped him across the face.

The slap echoed in the quiet car.

I only regretted that I hadn't hit him harder.

Julian froze.

When he turned back to look at me, his eyes were dark with malice.

"Elena, I am not asking for your permission."

"Lily is lazy. She doesn't even know how to clean up after herself. How is she going to take care of Leo in the future?"

"Sending her to that school is for her own good. She needs to learn her place early so she doesn't suffer later."

His tone left no room for argument.

Before I could scream at him again, his phone buzzed.

The name Celeste popped up on the screen, accompanied by a red heart emoji.

His harsh expression melted instantly.

He gave the driver a quick nod. The door was opened, and I was shoved out of the car like a piece of trash.

I fell hard onto the gravel road.

Sharp stones sliced into my palms and arms.

But as the blood began to seep through my skin, I felt no pain.

I pressed my hand against the wound and walked toward my apartment.

Lily was still waiting for me.

Thankfully, I made it back before midnight to celebrate her birthday.

After she blew out the single candle on her small cake, she looked at the clock anxiously.

"Mommy... can I sleep here tonight?" she whispered.

That broke me.

I pulled her into a tight hug.

"You're staying here tonight."

"And we are never going back."