Chapter 1
Caroline Hamilton returned to an empty house.
Today was her birthday, and neither her husband nor her children seemed to care.
In the silence, the vibration of her phone felt jarringly loud—a message from the hospital. Still nothing from Arthur Windsor. Not a single call.
Caroline's lips curved into a self-mocking smile as she absently traced the calluses on her hands, earned from years of housework. She texted the doctor back, agreeing to pick up her diagnosis report tomorrow.
Closing her eyes, the familiar abdominal pain returned. Caroline knew the results wouldn't be good.
She practically dragged herself upstairs when the housekeeper Nina emerged, surprise and awkwardness crossing her face. "Mrs. Windsor... you're back already?"
"Where are Arthur and the children?"
"Mr. Arthur Windsor... he hasn't returned from the office yet. Mr. Logan Windsor and Ms. Windsor just finished dinner. They're playing upstairs." Nina hurriedly took Caroline's bag, nervously rubbing her hands together. "You must be tired from your trip. Let me take you to your room to rest."
"No need. I'll check on the children."
Caroline made her way to the children's room and pushed open the door.
Five-year-old twins Layla and Logan Windsor sat on the carpet in matching outfits, folding paper with their chubby little hands, completely oblivious to Caroline's presence.
Layla had big beautiful eyes—already showing signs of becoming a beauty like Caroline. Logan was sharp, understanding the origami diagrams at a glance—his intelligence clearly inherited from Arthur.
She quietly crouched behind them and wrapped her arms around both children.
Layla and Logan turned, seeing her, and called out in unison: "Mommy!" Then they promptly turned back to their project.
It had been so long since Caroline had seen her children. She kissed the tops of their busy little heads and asked softly, "Would you two spend some time with me tomorrow? It's been so long since we played together."
With the children around, perhaps she'd find the strength to keep going.
"No way! Ms. White is getting discharged tomorrow, and we promised to visit her!" Layla pushed away from her embrace.
Logan chimed in, "Yeah! We're making lilies for Ms. White today. Daddy says Ms. White loves lilies the most."
Caroline's eyes reddened as she froze in place.
"Mommy, look, isn't mine pretty? Daddy spent days teaching us how to make these," Layla said, her sweet voice filled with undisguised joy.
"Mine looks better! Ms. White will definitely like mine more!" Logan pouted, grumbling competitively.
Her children wouldn't spare even one day for her, yet they'd spent a week learning origami for Heidi White's hospital discharge.
Caroline silently lowered her arms that had been holding the children.
During their birth, she had hemorrhaged severely, nearly losing her life to bring the twins safely into the world, leaving her permanently weakened. The doctors said if it weren't for the complications from that difficult delivery, her health wouldn't be so poor now.
The irony wasn't lost on Caroline.
She stood up, her face pale, her body swaying slightly. Without another word, she left the room.
"Mrs. Windsor, your room is ready," Nina followed her to the living room. "Mr. Windsor said he won't be home tonight. He asked that you turn in early."
Caroline gestured for Nina to be quiet. Still hopeful, she pulled out her phone and called the number pinned at the top of her contacts.
The phone rang for what felt like forever, nearly going to voicemail before someone finally answered.
"What is it?" Arthur's voice was cold and deep, naturally magnetic when he spoke softly, but Caroline could hear the impatience underneath.
"Do you have time tomorrow?"
The other end went silent for a long moment before he finally replied with minimal words, "Work stuff."
The expected answer. Caroline felt as though all her strength had been drained in an instant.
"Arthur, who is it?" Heidi's voice came.
Then the sound became muffled, as if Arthur had covered the phone to say something to whoever was with him.
Caroline's fingertips turned ice cold as she gripped her phone. Hadn't he said he had work stuff? How could...
She let out a bitter laugh, feeling stupid and ridiculous. Heidi was being discharged tomorrow. Of course Arthur wouldn't miss being with her.
"If you need something, call my assistant," Arthur said coldly before hanging up.
Caroline clutched her phone, her heart aching. She had married into the Windsor family seven years ago based on her own one-sided love, yet she still hadn't managed to melt this iceberg of a man.
She had once been a medical prodigy, the star protégé of Celestial University's dean, representing her country at prestigious scientific conferences.
Yet at the peak of her career, she chose to marry Arthur, abandoning her academic pursuits to become a homemaker and essentially a nanny to their two children.
She had given her all, managing every aspect of the family's affairs—from hosting galas to handling finances, never missing a detail.
For the sake of the Windsor family's reputation, Caroline—who once only knew how to run experiments and write reports—learned to navigate complex social politics.
Those hands that had once operated precision instruments could no longer handle delicate experiments after an accident where she saved Arthur's life. Now all she did was bathe the children, prepare meals, and handle household chores.
She had sacrificed everything to become a full-time wife managing the family business. And her reward? A husband who spent time with another woman while she was sick.
Caroline suddenly felt that her entire life was a complete joke.
A sharp, twisting pain surged through her abdomen. She quickly covered her mouth and rushed to the master bathroom, only to throw up a small amount of acidic fluid streaked with blood.
The next day, Caroline took a taxi to the hospital alone.
The diagnosis read: late-stage ovarian cancer.
Though she had anticipated this result, the words still cut deep.
Before getting into her taxi to leave, she spotted familiar figures in the hallway.
Heidi, dressed in a simple white dress, appeared with the husband Caroline knew so well.
In Heidi's arms was a bouquet of carefully handcrafted paper lilies made by the twins she had nearly died bringing into the world—the same twins who had spent all of yesterday working on their paper flowers.
Arthur took the medical chart from a nurse, signing Heidi's discharge papers. Then the two of them walked toward the hospital exit, each holding the hand of one perfectly adorable child, laughing and talking as they went.
A handsome man, a beautiful woman, and two cute children—the picture-perfect family that drew admiring glances from everyone they passed.
Caroline felt her blood turn to ice.
Of course, they had said they were coming to pick up Heidi today. Arthur wouldn't miss that for the world. "Work stuff" had always been his go-to excuse. Their marriage had been a sham from the beginning.
If not for Arthur's grandfather forcing the issue, Arthur would never have married her at all.
In the past, Caroline might have confronted them. But now? Her heart had been broken too many times. She felt nothing but numbness.
"Let's go," she said to the driver.
After giving the driver an address, Caroline turned away from the foursome as the taxi merged into traffic.
This time, Caroline didn't hesitate. She opened her contact list to her lawyer friend and typed with cold, thin fingers: [I've made up my mind. Send me the divorce agreement we discussed.]
Seven years had been enough. It was time to wake up. She had never truly lived for herself. Now, with limited time left, she wanted to live for herself just once.
At the mansion entrance, she asked the driver to wait outside. She placed the printed divorce agreement in an envelope, along with her cancer diagnosis, and left it on Arthur's desk.
Then she took the suitcase she had packed yesterday and left, alone, just as she had arrived.
Caroline gave the driver a new address.
The driver pressed the gas pedal, and the car glided out of the estate and onto the highway.