Chapter 5

Before handing over the divorce agreement, Elise had imagined countless possible reactions. However, she had not expected Aaron to toss the gift aside without even opening it. "I don't care what she brought. It's not like she could give me anything good," he said. Elise looked at the gift box lying forgotten in the corner. A bitter smile tugged at her lips, but she said nothing. It was alright. One day, they would understand. Although it was supposed to be Aaron's birthday party, everything from the decorations to the food had clearly been chosen to suit Alicia's tastes. From morning until now, Elise hadn't had a sip of water or a single bite to eat. Even when the cake was finally served, no one thought to offer her a slice. She glanced toward the buffet, hoping to find something to eat, but every dish was seafood. She happened to be allergic. After all these years, she still wasn't sure if Alexander or Aaron even knew that. Even if they did, they probably wouldn't care. After hours without food, Elise felt dizzy and weak. She had low blood sugar and could barely hold on. To avoid fainting in front of everyone, she took a bite of a cookie that sat beside the cake. Just then, Aaron ran up to her and slammed into her stomach. His face was flushed with anger. "Who said you could touch that? Alicia made it for me!" Elise had not expected such fury over a bite of cookie. Pain shot through her abdomen, and she lost her balance, falling heavily against the champagne tower behind her. With a loud crash, the entire tower collapsed. She fell into the broken glass, soaked in wine and blood. The flying shards also cut Alicia's cheek. Panic immediately spread across Alexander and Aaron's faces. "Alicia, are you hurt anywhere?" Alexander asked. "Daddy, we have to take Alicia to the hospital now!" Aaron urged. Without hesitation, they rushed off with Alicia. No one spared a glance at Elise, who lay crumpled on the floor like discarded debris after a storm. The people around her stared with fear, disgust, and pity. Even though she had long understood how heartless Alexander and Aaron were, feeling it again so clearly made her heart ache sharply. It felt like something was squeezing her chest, making it hard to breathe. She didn't know if the physical pain or the emotional pain was worse. The pain was overwhelming, and she lay there for a long time. Eventually, she forced herself up and called for an ambulance. When she woke, she was in the hospital. Her arms bore stitches. She could only imagine how much worse it would have been if she had arrived any later. The IV drip was empty, and no nurse had come to change it. She struggled to sit up and pressed the call button several times. After ten minutes with no response, she saw blood flowing back into the tube. She had no choice but to remove it herself. She struggled to stand and walked toward the door. Just then, a nurse rushed by on her way upstairs. Elise stopped her and asked what was happening. The nurse looked frustrated. "You won't believe it. Mr. Bennett from the VIP floor called every doctor and nurse on this level to take care of Ms. Yale. His son insisted she have the best care, so this is what happened." She shook her head. "They are spoiling Ms. Yale far too much. The injury is small. It would have healed by now if she had come a little later." The nurse looked at Elise's wounds. "You are seriously hurt. Why is no one taking care of you? Where's your family?" Elise gave a faint, bitter smile. "The Mr. Bennett and his son you mentioned are actually my husband and my child."