Chapter 1

When Shirley Elliot returned to the country, Colton Walton asked me for a divorce.

"If it weren't for that accident eight years ago, you would never have had the chance to marry into the Walton family. Since you have taken Shirley's happiness for eight years, you should be content by now. I will give you time to sort everything out, but there is no room for discussion about the divorce."

His neat signature on the divorce agreement stabbed at my heart, but what hurt more was the unwillingness.

Eight years had passed. Even raising a cat would develop some attachment, let alone a husband and wife who had lived under the same roof.

I held back the tears in my eyes and hurried after Colton, wanting to ask for an explanation. But outside the study, I heard his mother, Claire Walton's voice. "Colton, I respect your decision, but I also don't want to see you regret it later, so let me ask you this. Mira is a good girl. After so many years of marriage, do you really have no feelings for her at all?"

My hand that was about to push the door froze in mid-air. I held my breath unconsciously, a tiny spark of hope flickering in my chest.

"Mom, I understand what you mean." Colton's tone carried no trace of reluctance. "I have thought about it seriously. Toward Mira, I feel gratitude, and I feel pity, but I absolutely do not have romantic feelings. I have always been waiting for Shirley to come back."

Whatever was said after that, I could no longer hear clearly. All that remained was my heart, shattered completely.

In the end, I had hoped for too much.

During these eight years, the occasional gentleness Colton showed me was perhaps all directed at another person through me.

Even the nights he stayed up with me when I had a high fever were probably because, in the darkness, my face resembled Shirley's.

The divorce papers slipped from my hand together with my tears. At that moment, the people inside opened the door and saw me standing there in a daze. His face instantly filled with disgust. "Mira, you're supposed to be the Elliott family's daughter, yet you stoop to eavesdropping like someone with no manners! No wonder your parents never liked you!"

The words struck right at my deepest wound. My body swayed, nearly losing balance.

Claire reached out to steady me, her lips moving for a long time before she finally chose to defend her son. "Mira, don't take it to heart. Colton... he didn't mean it that way..."

I gave a self-mocking smile and was about to explain when my phone suddenly rang urgently.

It was the caregiver in charge of my mother's daily care. "Miss Elliott, your mother's condition suddenly worsened. Please come quickly."

Without caring about anything else, I wiped my tears and immediately drove to the nursing home.

Along the way, my mind was in turmoil, memories flooding back uncontrollably.

Not long after my mother gave birth to me, my father got involved with his secretary and had Shirley.

From then on, loving the house and its crow, Shirley became the daughter he cherished most. Under constant instigation and targeting from Shirley and her mother, my father grew increasingly cold toward me and my mother.

I never had a complete family, never experienced a father's love. Even a mother's love became a luxury.

After my father repeatedly proposed divorce and emphasized that his marriage to my mother was merely a business alliance without real affection, my mother blamed everything on me.

In my memory, after every fierce argument, my mother would cry hysterically and curse me. "It's all because of you! Everything is your fault! Before you were born, we clearly still loved each other so much! You jinx! Why don't you just die!"

To avoid stimulating her, I silently endured it all.

Until eight years ago, when the marriage between the Walton and Elliott families was imminent, Shirley willfully ran away from the wedding.

Both families desperately needed the marriage to strengthen their businesses. Left with no choice, I took her place, only to be thoroughly hated by my father. "You really are your mother's daughter. Just like her, always fighting and grabbing. You won't even let Shirley have her happiness! She was forced away by you!"

In his fury, my relationship with my father was completely ruined.

Not long after, I met Colton for the first time.

With cool detachment he said to me plainly, "Shirley is the love of my life. My heart will always belong to her. As for you, you're only needed for the family alliance. So I hope you behave yourself and simply play the role of Mrs. Walton in public."

Remembering my parents' marriage, I was filled with fear and tried to cancel the substitute marriage. But my mother threatened me with her life. "I already lost to that whore, but you cannot! You must marry Colton. Hold on to him. Don't give that woman's daughter any chance! Otherwise I'll die right in front of you!"

Marriage became my grave.

In these eight years, I once held hope for Colton, thinking perhaps he could redeem me. But at this moment, I was utterly disappointed.

A man who did not love me was not worth holding on to.

However, my mother probably would not accept it easily, so I decided to keep the divorce from her for now.

Thinking of my mother, I sighed. Her health had never been good, and now her condition had suddenly worsened. Medical expenses would be another huge burden.

So at a red light, I called my friend. "Jonathan, I want to ask you to help me auction off that jewelry set I designed before. As soon as possible."

The person on the other end sounded very surprised. "Many people offered high prices before, but you refused to sell, saying it had special meaning. Why the sudden urgency now?"

The car behind honked urgently. I instinctively stepped on the gas.

The next second, my car violently crashed into the luxury car in front.