“Ariana, the Adam Family owes you too much.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling onto my hand as she grasped it.
“I agree. Let’s get you a divorce…”
But then she hesitated. Her voice trembled as she pleaded, “But before you go… I need to ask something of you.”
I knew what she wanted before she even spoke.
“Mom, you don’t want Christopher to know what happened eight years ago,” I murmured. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep the secret.”
At my words, my mother-in-law broke down completely, sobs wracking her frail body.
Eight years ago, the Adam Family had gone bankrupt.
Christopher’s father, crushed by debt collectors, had jumped to his death.
Their once-prosperous empire crumbled overnight.
Everyone knew how much I loved Christopher.
So when it happened, Adam’s mother had come to my home, kneeling outside my door for three days and three nights, begging me to marry her son.
In the end, I caved. My father gave his approval and I married into the Adam Family.
Not only that—my father did everything in his power to pull them back from the brink of ruin.
But that same night, I uncovered the truth behind their downfall.
It was the Goodrem Family who had orchestrated the Adam Family’s destruction.
Lisa Goodrem and her father were both involved.
But Adam’s mother didn’t want Christopher to bear the weight of that truth. She had knelt before me, begging me and my father to keep it a secret.
I understood. A mother would do anything to protect her child.
So even today, as Christopher held Lisa in his arms, pressing her beneath him, I kept my silence.
My mother-in-law pulled me into a fragile embrace, stroking my pale face with trembling hands.
“Honey… Chris doesn’t know what he’s lost. That’s his misfortune.” She wiped her tears and forced a small, bittersweet smile. “Your birthday is in seven days. After that, I’ll let you go…”
I gazed at the woman before me, her hair streaked with gray, her once-strong presence now fragile and burdened by years of regret.
Seven days.
I had endured eight years.
Seven more days wouldn’t break me.
My mother-in-law quietly left after buying me dinner, giving me one last lingering glance before stepping out of the room.
The suffocating silence settled over me once more.
Seven days.
Just seven more days.
Hotel Room…
The door to the ward had barely closed when my phone buzzed. A message from Christopher.
I hesitated before opening it.
A video.