Chapter 1
It was 1:00 am.
Estelle Summer suddenly came across Susan Lynch’s post on Instagram. She tapped on the photo and read the caption.
“Thank you for the gifts, Mr. Grant and little Tobias! The mug was even handmade by Tobias himself!”
A necklace and a handmade mug came into her view, and she could make out the words etched on the mug’s surface. It read, “Happy Birthday, Mom.”
Estelle glanced at the dining table. The meal on it had long gone cold, and the birthday cake sat untouched with its unlit candles. A self-deprecating smile played on her lips.
Estelle recalled a recent news notification on her phone.
“Confirmed! The Enigmatic and Untouchable High Society Elite, Julian Grant, Has Been Secretly Married for Years—And He Has a Five-Year-Old Son!”
In the photo, a tall, handsome man was walking through an amusement park, holding hands with a slender, beautiful woman and a little boy. Susan was gently stroking Tobias Grant’s head with a smile. Meanwhile, Julian gazed at her silently with a focus and gentleness that Estelle had never seen before.
A handsome man, a beautiful woman, and a little boy who bore a striking resemblance to Julian made them a picture-perfect happy family of three.
Today was Estelle’s birthday, and it was also her fifth wedding anniversary with Julian. And yet, it seemed like Susan was the one being celebrated instead of her.
Not only did her husband and son spend the day with Susan on her birthday, but they even gave her Estelle’s gifts. Estelle was hardly surprised because she was already used to it.
Susan was Julian’s first love, and she was terminally ill, with only a year left to live. Her dying wish was to see Julian one last time.
Julian told her that he wanted to do something for Susan in her final days, and he hoped that Estelle would understand. She didn’t want to agree to it, but she also knew there was no stopping him as it was the first time Julian had spoken to her so solemnly.
There was a hollow and aching void in Estelle’s heart as if a piece of it had been carved out. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there in the dark. Suddenly, she heard the sound of the front door being unlocked.
Julian walked in with Tobias in tow. When Julian noticed Estelle sitting at the dining table, he clearly paused for a moment. He looked at her in surprise, seemingly having forgotten what day it was.
“Why are you still up?” Julian asked.
Estelle said coolly, “I need to talk to you.”
Julian frowned slightly and glanced down at Tobias. “Tobias, go upstairs and get some rest.”
Tobias rubbed his eyes and yawned as he passed Estelle. Then, as if remembering something, he stopped.
“Happy birthday, Mom.” Tobias looked up at her with eyes that were remarkably similar to Julian’s. He added, “Dad and I didn’t forget your birthday on purpose. It’s just that we still have plenty of time together as a family, but Ms. Susie only has six months left to live. You won’t be mad at us over something so small, right?”
Estelle didn’t know what hurt more. Was it being forgotten on her birthday or being remembered but deliberately ignored?
After Tobias left, a heavy silence hung in the air. Julian was the first to break it, and he asked, “What did you want to talk about?”
He was dressed in a white dress shirt and black trousers, his features sharp and defined. Julian’s presence was cold and distant, like the moon on a winter’s night—just as aloof and indifferent.
Estelle took a deep breath and said, “Julian, let’s get a divorce.”
A flicker of emotion surfaced in Julian’s otherwise calm gaze. It disappeared quickly.
He said, “Estelle, I didn’t forget your birthday. I even had your gift prepared a while back.”
“A gift?” Estelle chuckled. “Didn’t you give Ms. Lynch my mother’s necklace?”
That necklace was a keepsake from Estelle’s mother, Gloria Patton, left to her before Gloria passed. But Estelle lost it on the day she gave birth to Tobias, and Julian had promised to help her find it. He kept his word and found it, only to give it to Susan instead.
Julian’s expression remained indifferent, showing no trace of embarrassment at being exposed. The only change was in his eyes, which grew even darker.
“I only lent it to Susan. We’ll return it to you after a while,” Julian said.
“And how long is ‘after a while’?” Estelle countered. “The day she dies?”
“Estelle!” His cold, sharp voice cut her off. Julian’s eyes flickered with a rare hint of anger, a stark contrast to his usual aloof and distant self. “That’s enough.”
Indeed. It really was enough.
Estelle was done with a husband who loved another, a distant child, and days of being looked down on by her in-laws.
Julian said, “Susan only has six months left to live, and even Tobias knows to be understanding. Why must you be so unreasonable?”
At that moment, Estelle no longer wanted to endure.
She heard the ice in her own voice as she questioned, “What does it matter to me how much time she has left? She’s nothing to me, so why should I tolerate her?”
Julian didn’t seem to have expected Estelle, who had always been so gentle, to say something so harsh. His gaze turned icy as he said, “Estelle, I thought we had an understanding.”
Estelle chuckled. “Susan wanted to relive the sweetness of her first love, so I am to stand by and watch you rekindle your romance with her. She wanted to experience a wedding, so you gave her our wedding that I had spent months preparing. I had to watch as you held Tobias’ hand and walked down the aisle with her instead.”
Estelle continued, “She wanted to see the world’s most beautiful sights, so you took her on a tour around the world. If she asked for the moon, you would probably find a way to bring it down for her, wouldn’t you?”
She and Julian had been married in secret for five years, and there had never been a wedding.
One day, Tobias suddenly asked her what she would look like in a wedding dress. It was only then that Julian decided to finally give her a wedding. He had let her plan every detail according to her wishes.
She had spent six months carefully planning it, only for Susan to snatch it away with a single sentence.
Julian’s gaze turned ice-cold as he warned, “Estelle, you’re crossing the line.”
She was crossing the line…
Estelle’s chest tightened, and she closed her eyes in disappointment. For years, she had tried her best to be a good wife and mother. Yet no matter her efforts, Julian had always remained distant.
She had thought that was simply his nature. It wasn’t until Susan’s return that Estelle had a moment of realization.
The man the world saw as cold and untouchable was actually capable of such passion.
She picked up the divorce papers she had prepared in advance.
“I’ve already signed them. You should sign them soon too. If you can make Susan your wife before she dies, I’m sure she’ll be even happier,” Estelle said.
Julian’s lips were pressed into a thin line, his expression frosting over. This was a clear sign of his extreme displeasure. He asked, “What about Tobias?”
Estelle’s voice was soft. “He stays with the Grant family.”
Just as Julian was about to speak, his phone suddenly rang.
“Julian, something’s wrong! Susan collapsed. We’ve rushed her to the emergency room!”
