Chapter 9

~Adeline~

The call ended the moment Adrian finished speaking.

I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at the blank screen for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.

I didn’t want to go back.

I truly didn’t.

I wanted to be done with that father-and-daughter pair—to stop caring about them entirely.

But it seemed that if I wanted that freedom, I would have to endure this one last time.

Sighing again, I swung my legs over the bed and walked to the closet.

I threw on a pair of sweatpants and a crop top, slipping a jacket over them before heading downstairs to hail a taxi.

Twenty minutes later, the car pulled into the courtyard of the Carter mansion.

I paid the driver, stepped out, and made my way toward the entrance.

Just as I reached the door, I paused.

Three pairs of shoes sat neatly by the entrance.

One was the pair I had bought for Zora a few months ago.

The second belonged to Adrian.

And the third… a woman’s.

Elizabeth.

The realization came instantly.

So she was here.

And Adrian still had the audacity to order me around in the middle of the night like I was some servant.

A quiet scoff left my lips.

Without hesitation, I nudged Elizabeth’s heels out of the way with my foot.

What an eyesore.

I stepped inside, my gaze sweeping across the house.

I had only been gone for a day, yet I could already see traces of Elizabeth everywhere.

Flowers placed in spots Adrian had once scolded me for decorating.

Brighter colors in the kitchen.

Small changes that made the space feel… unfamiliar.

Nothing like me. Nothing like him either.

He'd really been letting her come over now that there was nothing to stop him.

“Ah, Mrs. Carter.”

Lucia, who had just stepped out of the kitchen, spotted me and hurried forward to greet me.

I raised a hand slightly, stopping her.

“Where’s Adrian?”

Lucia parted her lips to respond, but hesitated. Her gaze flickered toward the stairs, her expression turning uneasy, as though she had just remembered something she wasn’t sure how to say.

“He’s… he’s in the little one’s room.”

I nodded and turned to leave, but she called out quickly.

“Uh, Mrs. Carter…”

I paused, one foot on the stairs, my hand resting on the banister as I glanced back over my shoulder.

“Mhm?”

She opened her mouth, then closed it again. The same motion repeated, her expression hesitant.

Even without her speaking, I already knew what she wanted to say.

“It’s fine,” I said gently, offering her a small, reassuring smile. “I’m fine.”

With that, I turned and continued up the stairs.

As I approached Zora’s room, I slowed, then glanced inside.

She lay on the bed, a damp cloth resting on her forehead, her cheeks flushed from the fever.

For a brief moment, motherly instinct took over and I almost rushed forward—to check on her, to comfort the child I had carried for nine months.

But then—

“Daddy, now that Aunt Beth has moved in, when is she going to become my mommy? When are you going to marry her?”

I froze.

Elizabeth had… moved in?

Before I could process it, Elizabeth stepped into view, holding a fresh damp cloth.

She walked over to the bed, sat beside Zora, and gently replaced the one on her forehead before pinching her nose playfully.

“Don’t say things like that, Zora,” she said softly. “You’ll give your father the wrong idea. He and I… we’re just close friends.”

But I didn’t miss the way her gaze flicked toward Adrian, who was seated nearby, scrolling through his phone.

“But I want you to be my mommy,” Zora insisted. “I don’t like my mommy. She’s mean and uncool. I wish she wasn’t the one who gave birth to me.”

Even with her fever, she pushed herself up and wrapped her arms around Elizabeth’s waist.

“I want you to be my mommy,” she added softly.

I stood there, watching the scene unfold.

My nails dug into my palm, a faint sting grounding me—but inside, there was only a dull, quiet numbness.

Did I really risk my life to give birth to a child who could say something like this?

Inside the room, Elizabeth let out a soft laugh at Zora’s words. Then her gaze shifted toward the door.

The moment her eyes met mine, a flicker of something—mischief—passed through them before she called out sweetly,

“Lina, you’re here.”

Adrian looked up from his phone.

For a brief second, something flashed in his eyes as they met mine, but it disappeared before I could make sense of it.

Not that I cared to.

I loosened my clenched fist and stepped into the room, my gaze moving from Adrian to Zora.

“You called me back to take care of a child who seems perfectly fine,” I said blandly, before turning to Adrian.

“She’s only fine because Elizabeth has been doing your job—taking care of her for the past three hours,” Adrian replied, his tone edged with reprimand. “What kind of mother leaves her child to be cared for by another woman?”

“Well,” I said calmly, “since she’s already moved in—and Zora clearly prefers her over me—wouldn’t it be better for me to step aside and let her take over completely?”

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you even listening to yourself, Adeline Carter?” he asked, his voice laced with disdain.

I met his gaze without hesitation.

“Did I say anything wrong?”

His frown deepened, but before he could respond, Elizabeth reached out and gently held his hand.

“Addy, it’s fine,” she said softly. “I already see Zora as my own, so it’s really not a problem.”

Hearing that, I let out a quiet scoff and walked over to the bed.

Elizabeth stepped back slightly as I approached.

Reaching Zora’s side, I lifted my hand to feel her forehead, but she turned away.

“No,” she said, pulling back. “I don’t want you. You’re mean. I don’t want you.”

Her voice, once reserved for me, now carried rejection without hesitation.

“Aunt Beth! Aunt Elizabeth!”

She called out in the same tone she used to call me.

Elizabeth immediately stepped forward.

The next second, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she nudged me aside.

I took a step back, watching as she wrapped Zora in her arms.

“It’s alright,” Elizabeth murmured gently, soothing her.

Then she looked at me.

“Children at this age tend to gravitate toward the person they feel safest with,” she said softly.

A faint smile touched her lips as she added, “Don’t take it to heart… Zora’s mom.”

The mockery in her tone was unmistakable.

I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to stay still.

Every instinct in me screamed to reach out and grab her right there—but I held back.

She was playing a dangerous game.

And sooner or later, she would burn for it.

“Tch.”

Adrian clicked his tongue.

“Can’t even do your job right,” he muttered under his breath.

I turned to him, holding his gaze for a few seconds before speaking.

“You’re the one who forced me to come,” I said calmly. “I came because you promised to divorce me. Don’t go back on your word.”

For a moment, Adrian looked both stunned and irritated, his brows drawing together.

“You—”

“Adeline, please,” Elizabeth cut in before he could continue. “Don’t bring up divorce in front of Zora. She’s still a child.”

She paused, then added softly, “Even if you’re eager to be with that man… you should at least consider her feelings.”

My eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing through them.

“You—”

I had barely taken a step forward when Adrian grabbed my arm and pulled me back, pushing me away from Elizabeth.

I staggered slightly before steadying myself, momentarily stunned.

Then I turned to face Adrian.

“You never fail to disappoint me, Adeline,” he said, his eyes blazing with anger. “I should have known from the start that trying to turn you into someone like Elizabeth was a lost cause. After all, women like you only ever marry a man to trap him for his money.”

For a split second, everything went still.

Money?

This bastard actually believed I married him for money?

That pieces of paper were the reason I had thrown away half my life—reducing myself to an unappreciated wife and mother?

My jaw tightened, anger rising fast and sharp in my chest.

I had endured countless insults in silence.

But this…

Reducing everything I had given—my time, my love, my sacrifices—to something as shallow as greed, that was where I drew the line.

“You think I married you for money?” I asked, my voice low.

Adrian didn’t hesitate.

“If not for money, then why else would you crawl into my bed and trap me with a child?”

This time, the words didn’t just land, they stung.

“I see…” I murmured, more to myself than to him. “So that’s how you’ve always seen me.”

I lifted my gaze, meeting his eyes without hesitation.

“Fine. If that’s what you've believed, then mark my words, Adrian Carter,” I said, a cold edge slipping into my voice as I held his gaze, eyes unwavering.

“I’ll make sure I take everything you owe me in this divorce. Every last penny!”