Chapter 5

Pain ripped through Jennifer's chest. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face, and it took a long time for her to calm herself. Just then, her phone rang. It was the airline confirming her ticket. "Ms. Jefferson, your one-way ticket to Nimbus City has been issued. Would you like to select your seat?" "Just get me a window seat, please." Jennifer quickly wiped her tears as she spoke in an almost inaudible voice. The call had barely ended when the door opened. Leonard stepped in with his usual composed demeanor, wearing a pristine, tailored suit. "Who were you on the phone with?" he asked calmly. Jennifer set the phone aside. "A friend." Leonard didn't press further. Standing by the bed, he looked down at her and said flatly, "About last time, it turns out it was Samantha who gave them mango juice." He spoke in an incredibly casual tone, "But she didn't know. Let's just move on from this." Jennifer's heart ached so much that she could barely breathe from the pain. When he believed she was to blame, he was ready to tear her world apart. But the moment it turned out to be Samantha's fault, he dismissed it with a careless excuse. She opened her mouth, wanting to question him, to scream, and to pour out every ounce of suffering and humiliation she had swallowed. But when the words reached her lips, all that came out was a whisper. "Okay." It was like every last bit of strength had been drained from her. She was too exhausted to even argue. All the nights she had tossed and turned with resentment, all that silent anger that had festered for years… they had all melted into a bitter, self-mocking smile. So this was the difference between love and indifference. It was just that simple. Leonard seemed a little surprised by her lack of reaction. After a pause, he added, "The kids are going to summer camp next week. Samantha and I will accompany them. Make your own way home." He waited for Jennifer to cry and plead to him like she used to, but Jennifer only nodded calmly. "Got it." He frowned, noticing something was off. But his phone rang at that moment. Glancing at the caller ID, he said, "Work's calling, I need to leave now." Once the door closed, Jennifer finally unclenched her fists, revealing the bloody gouges left behind by her nails. In the following days, her phone buzzed nonstop. Every message was from Samantha. It was photo after photo, video after video of the summer camp moments that were filled with laughter and joy. In one video, Yannick and Yvonne proudly introduced her to their classmates. "This is our mom!" There were many gasps of admiration from their classmates. "Your mom's so pretty!" "Your dad's handsome and your mom's beautiful. You're so lucky!" "Then who's the one who usually picks you up from school?" someone asked curiously. The camera showed the two kids freezing for a second. "That's… our nanny." Jennifer's hand trembled, and the glass she was holding slipped and shattered on the floor. She knelt down slowly, staring at the broken pieces, before she suddenly laughed. So, all these years, she had just been a free nanny. But that was okay. She wouldn't be one much longer. From now on, they could have their beloved "mom" take care of them. A week later, Neil dropped Yvonne and Yannick back at the villa. The moment they entered, they rushed into the kitchen with smug, delighted looks on their faces. Yvonne shouted in a shrill voice, "Mom! Did you know? Aunt Sam twisted her ankle during the parent-child sports day! Dad was so worried!" Yannick cut in excitedly, "Dad rented out the entire hospital for her and even canceled all his meetings to stay with her!" Jennifer stood in front of the oven, silently listening to the children brag as she slipped on her oven mittens. Yvonne stomped her foot. "Mom, are you even listening? Dad treats Aunt Sam so well compared to…" The oven dinged, cutting her off mid-sentence. The sweet aroma of cake instantly filled the kitchen, and the kids' eyes lit up as they rushed over. Yannick stood on his tiptoes. "Cake! I want some!" Jennifer pulled out the tray and noticed that the edges were slightly burnt. She frowned and dumped the whole cake into the trash. Yvonne shrieked. "Why did you throw it away?" "It's burned, so it can't be eaten," Jennifer replied calmly. Yannick kicked the trash can in a huff. "You're lying! You did it on purpose! You're still mad about what happened last time, so you won't let us eat it! You're a bad mom!" Yvonne's face turned bright red. "We don't want a mom like you!" Jennifer removed her oven mittens. It felt like her heart was being crushed. She looked at the two children she had nearly died giving birth to. At that moment, they felt like utter strangers. She said softly, "Perfect, because I don't want children like you either. From now on, you should go to Samantha instead." After that, she turned and walked toward the stairs. Behind her, the children screamed hysterically, "We hate you! We'll hate you forever!" Jennifer paused for a moment, but didn't look back. Just as she stepped onto the third step of the stairs, a violent shove slammed into her back. "Just die!"