Chapter 2

Autumn Lancaster POV

Ethan and I used to be the model couple in our circle.

He doted on me endlessly.

I couldn't eat onions, so no matter how late his business dinners ran, he'd always detour to downtown to buy me cream pasta without onions.

When I had complications delivering Maya, he cried like a child outside the delivery room, swearing in front of all his friends that he'd never let me suffer again.

The year Maya was born, he posted photos of our daughter on social media almost every day.

The first photo he took after Maya was born was of a tiny wrinkled foot.

The caption read: "My life's greatest masterpiece."

Back then, Ethan's company hadn't gone public yet. He was so busy his feet barely touched the ground.

But whenever he came home, the first thing he did was hold Maya.

Once when Maya ran a fever in the middle of the night, I panicked and cried. He carried our child and paced the living room all night long.

By dawn his eyes were red, but he still smiled at me. "It's okay. I'm here."

When Maya turned two, Ethan's company hit a crisis.

To help him, I dragged myself to entertain investors despite just having had appendix surgery, drinking until I developed a stomach ulcer and ended up in emergency care.

When I woke up, Ethan was kneeling by my hospital bed, slapping himself twice across the face.

"Autumn, I swear to God, once I get through this, I'll give you my life."

He did manage to take his company public.

But he gave his life to Sylvia instead.

I discovered Sylvia's existence six months ago.

Ethan's old phone was charging in a drawer when the screen lit up.

A text from an unsaved number: "Ethan, Noah asked about you again today. He says he misses your cheese baked shrimp."

I unlocked the phone using Ethan's birthday.

Inside was just one hidden social media account.

He'd transfer money to Sylvia late at night, noting it as "Noah's medical expenses."

He'd help Sylvia pick out necklaces. When she complained about the hardship of raising a child alone, he'd reply: "Wait for me. Soon."

What pierced me most was a photo Sylvia sent of Maya.

It was from the day Ethan took Maya to the amusement park.

Sylvia commented below: "I wish Noah could be as healthy as Maya."

Ethan replied: "He will be. Noah will get better. Whatever Maya has, Noah will have too."

In that moment, the blood in my veins ran cold.

I finally understood why he'd suddenly become so concerned about Maya's health.

I finally understood why when Lancaster Industries' cash flow broke, not only didn't he help, but he pushed things along.

He wanted to drain the Lancaster family of its last drop of blood to pave his road to marrying Sylvia.

He wanted to use my daughter's bone and blood to save his beloved's son.

"Mommy?"

From the second-floor stairway came Maya's childish voice.

She hugged an old stuffed rabbit, rubbing her sleepy eyes, timidly watching us in our standoff.

Ethan's expression changed. He immediately put on a gentle smile, reaching out to her. "Maya, did we wake you? Come here, Daddy will hold you."

Maya didn't move.

She looked at Ethan, then at the suitcase in my hand.

Then she ran downstairs and hugged my leg tightly.

"Mommy, where are we going?"

Ethan's hand froze in mid-air.

"Maya, I'm just discussing something with Mommy." Ethan tried to pull her. "Mommy isn't going anywhere."

"We're leaving." I touched Maya's head, not sparing Ethan another glance.

"Autumn!" Ethan blocked the doorway, eyes red. "If you dare step out this door today, I'll immediately stop dealing with the Lancaster mess! And your brother Lucas won't have it easy either!"

I stopped, turned around, looked at his face twisted with anger, and smiled slightly.

"Fine, Ethan."

I pulled out my phone, opened a pre-drafted report email, my finger hovering over the send button.

"Want to guess what happens if I send this internal ledger documenting Pierce Corporation's tax evasion, double bookkeeping, and illegal seizure of Lancaster assets to the federal authorities? Will the position of Mrs. Pierce that Sylvia's been dreaming about still be secure?"

Ethan stood frozen, staring at my phone screen in disbelief.

"Did you think these eight years I was really just some foolish woman who only revolved around you?"

I put away my phone and pushed past his rigid body.

"Ethan, game over."