His Late Wife's Shadow

At Desmond's birthday dinner, I accidentally wore his late wife's dress.

His ten-year-old son, Carson, shoved me into the champagne tower in front of everyone.

Desmond stood to the side, watching coldly as I struggled on the floor, covered in blood.

The boy's expression was exactly like his father's.

"Don't think that just because you put on my mom's dress, you can be her!"

"You're just my dad's assistant. I'll have him fire you!"

The ice-cold wine dripped down my body. My heart had gone completely cold, too.

I lay on the floor, staring at the child I had raised single-handedly for ten years.

"There's no... need. I'll hand in my resignation letter tomorrow."

***

Ten-year-old Carson glared at me like a blade, cold and sharp.

I took the shawl the housekeeper handed me and turned to go back to my room to change.

With a loud rip, the hem of the dress caught hard on the corner of the table, tearing a gash in the fabric.

"You vicious woman—this was my mom's favorite dress!"

Carson, who had just been enjoying the show, instantly turned into a furious little lion.

He glared at me, his eyes bloodshot with rage, his small face full of hatred.

I looked at him, unable to describe what I felt. "Carson, you're lying."

His mother had always loved flashy things. She wouldn't have even given a plain dress like this a second glance.

Caught in his lie, Carson looked a little guilty.

He stomped his foot hard and stormed off in a huff.

I didn't chase after him to coax him like I usually did, just letting him throw his tantrum.

After all the guests had left, I returned to my room alone.

As soon as I pushed the door open, a pale, lifeless dog hung stiffly right in front of my eyes, startling me.

Blood dripped onto the floor, drop by drop, staining my shoes red and soaking Cotton Candy's soft fur.

Before I could even process what I was seeing, Carson's piercing laughter exploded behind me. "Serves you right! You made me lose my mom, so I'm going to make you taste what it's like to lose the thing you love most!"

He made a face at me and ran off triumphantly.

I stared at the pool of blood on the floor, unable to speak for a long time.

That year, I had arrived in this city all alone, carrying nothing but simple luggage.

The Hastings family hired me.

But this massive house was like a gilded birdcage. None of the people living inside it were truly happy.

They stripped away all my hobbies, leaving me with nothing but a child who needed care and a prized dog.

I spent ten years raising them both.

Losing them took only an instant.

Sighing, I caught a whiff of a familiar cedar scent.

I looked up to see Desmond standing right in front of me, completely silent.

The father and son were cut from the exact same cloth—just as arrogant, just as dismissive of everyone else.

He spread his arms, waiting for me to step forward and change his clothes, saying, "I heard about what happened today."

"Maren, you were the one at fault first."

Seeing that I didn't react, he frowned, clearly displeased.

He glanced at the glaring pool of blood on the floor, and his tone softened slightly. "Carson is only ten, and he just lost his mother. Couldn't you be a little more accommodating?"

Desmond shot a look at the staff, and someone immediately came over to scrub the blood off the floor, inch by inch.

No one called the police. No one held him accountable.

Only later did I find out that this incident was written off as "the child misses his mother too much" and stuffed into a stack of psychiatrist records.

The lights were dim, and shadows flickered around the room.

Cotton Candy, who used to circle the table, seemed as if he had never existed at all.

Just like me. I had taken care of them day in and day out for a decade, yet I hadn't left a single trace in the hearts of this father and son.

Now changed into fresh clothes, Desmond sat down on the sofa and tapped the tabletop, gesturing for me to pour him a drink.

I did so instinctively.

The moment I stepped close, he yanked me into his arms.

His fingertips trailed lightly over my face, his voice low. "Tonight is your birthday, so you don't have to take the pill. If you get pregnant, consider it my birthday gift to you."

His warm breath brushed against my neck, but I felt completely frozen.

Desmond had a high sex drive.

During my very first month in the Hastings household, I found out I was pregnant.

Before I could even feel happy, he had his private doctor schedule an abortion appointment. The booking slip was placed in front of me, leaving no room for negotiation.

"I will only ever love Caroline in this life. And I will only ever acknowledge Carson as my child."

"If you have a child of your own, you'll inevitably get other ideas, and you won't be able to take proper care of Carson."

From then on, he always ordered the private doctor to prescribe my birth control pills and hand them directly to me.

Ten years. I hadn't missed a single day.

Today, faced with this "blessing" from Desmond, I was supposed to feel overwhelmingly flattered and serve him well.

But for the first time, I dodged his touch.

"Mr. Hastings, the ten-year agreement has expired. Tomorrow, it's time for me to leave."