Chapter 1

The day my five-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease, I heard my husband talking with his mother.

"It'll cost a fortune, and there's no cure. What's your plan?" Judy, my mother-in-law, asked.

"I never intended to treat her,"Liam replied, his tone devoid of emotion. "She's going to die regardless.”

A considering pause.

"True. If the illness takes her, it's just fate. You should file for divorce from Sarah soon. Serena is pregnant now. Your heir is secure. She's waited for you all these years. Don't disappoint her."

Serena? Judy's adopted daughter?

I forced my hands steady, pasted on a calm face, and walked back into the living room as if I'd heard nothing.

Don't be afraid, my Lily. Even in the deepest dark, Mommy is here.

I sat on the living room sofa, replaying the day's events in my mind.

My five-year-old daughter had suddenly fainted at kindergarten.

When I rushed to the hospital, a doctor delivered a sentence instead of a diagnosis: a rare genetic disorder.

Back then, Liam had held me, his voice a pillar of false strength.

"Sarah, we'll get through this. Together."

"If she's sick, we treat her. Our savings will be enough to cover Lily's treatment."

If I hadn't overheard that conversation tonight, I might have still believed him.

I might have still loved the man I'd shared a life with for seven years.

From Judy's tone, it sounded like Liam had been cheating for years.

How utterly laughable.

Lost in thought, Liam's voice sliced through the silence.

"Sarah? You're back? I thought you were at the hospital."

I looked up at the sound, catching the fleeting flicker of guilt in Liam's eyes.

I forced a faint smile. "Just grabbing a few things for Lily."

His gaze scanned my face, searching. Finding only exhaustion, his shoulders loosened a fraction.

Just then, Judy walked out of the other room.

"Sarah, you're back just in time. There's something I wanted to discuss with you."

My heart sank, bracing myself for what Judy would say next.

"Look, Liam and I consulted a specialist today. The chances of curing this disease are slim, and it's going to cost a lot of money."

"You've scraped together what, a few hundred thousand? Tossing it into a black hole for a chance isn't practical. It's financial suicide."

"Think of your future. What if you pour everything into this...and still lose her? You'll be left with nothing but debt and grief. Could you live with that?"

I didn't answer Judy, just looked directly at Liam.

"Is this what you think too?"

Liam looked a little embarrassed but still sat down beside me, feigning tenderness.

"Sarah, I've thought about it. Mom isn't wrong."

"Lily is only five. Even if we beat this, what about ten years from now? A bottomless pit."

"We've worked so hard for our stability. There's no need to-"

I couldn't stand to hear any more. I stood up and walked towards the stairs.

"Liam, that's your daughter! How can you talk about her like a ledger entry? Do you even hear yourself?"

"If you won't treat her, give me the money. Every cent is marital property. Half of it is mine by law."

"As long as there's even a sliver of hope, I will not give up on my daughter!"

At my words, Judy instantly flared up, blocking my path.

"Yours? What is yours? What the hell have you ever contributed?You haven't earned a red cent in this marriage!"

"You want to waste our future on a lost cause? Fine. Liam will divorce you!"

"You couldn't even give him a son. You owe this family, and this is how you repay us?"

I ignored Judy and tried to walk past her, heading upstairs.

"Then we divorce."

"And Liam leaves with nothing."