The crematorium didn't allow family members to witness the process. Those were the rules. But Emma had paid extra to follow the cold metal gurney into the cremation chamber. The air felt scorching, filled with particles dancing in the sunlight. Ashes, perhaps. Soon, her baby would become just the same. Emma's black dress, though the smallest size available, still hung loosely on her skeletal frame. Her eyes, red and swollen from crying, had become strangely calm now. She reached out to touch the small, pale hand protruding from beneath the white sheet, placing two pink origami stars in her daughter's palm. "Lily, wait for Mommy," she whispered. Time was up. The attendant gently pulled Emma back and lifted the sheet, revealing Lily's face. Eight years old but still so small and thin, with visible ribs and a sunken area beneath them. Staring at that depression, Emma's tears welled up again. She hadn't protected Lily. "My condolences," the attendant said softly. "At least your daughter's kidney saved another child. That child will live happily in her place." Emma's eyes flashed with cold anger as she let out a mocking laugh. "Yes, that child is my husband's illegitimate son. Right now, they're having a grand birthday celebration for him. Did you know today is also my daughter's birthday?" The attendant froze, completely at a loss for how to comfort this desperate woman. Emma gazed at Lily and smiled weakly. "Go ahead. Don't delay the auspicious time. I hope my daughter finds a better family in her next life." The attendant sighed, shaking his head as he moved the body toward the furnace. Perhaps out of compassion, he tried to shield the process from her view. Emma wasn't afraid. Lily was free now. Free from her father's rejection. "Mommy, why doesn't Daddy like me?" "Mommy, why does Daddy like Ms. Sarah's son so much?" "Mommy, does Daddy dislike you because of me? I'm sorry, Mommy." Such a wonderful daughter! And Jason had killed her. He had promised to take Lily to the largest amusement park on her birthday eve—her dream—to spend time alone with her father. Instead, he had her taken to surgery to donate a kidney to his son. Then left her to die alone from infection. Emma, the mother, was the last to know. She could never forget rushing into the hospital room to find her daughter's stiff body. The blood-stained children's watch by the bed was pathetically still trying to dial her father. When it connected, only one sentence came through: "Don't be crazy like your mother." Then, beep... beep... beep... Hearing the mechanical tone, Emma embraced her daughter while fighting back tears, afraid that crying would frighten her precious baby. Ever since Sarah had returned with her son, publicly accusing Emma of persecution, Jason had forced Emma into the role of the "crazy woman" everyone knew about. Especially when Jason heard Sarah sobbing about giving birth to a premature baby with kidney problems while living in hardship abroad. That elegant man had looked at Emma with such viciousness. Ignoring her explanations, he had cursed: "Emma, you've harmed Sarah and my son. You'll pay double for this." Jason had kept his word. Now everything should end. When Emma emerged from her memories, she was holding a pink urn. Lily loved pink. She clutched the urn tightly. "Lily, let's go home." The wind lifted the hem of her dress as she walked, looking desolate and forlorn in the sunlight. --- Emma returned to the house she shared with Jason. She tidied up Lily's things, then sat motionless with the urn until evening. A car pulled up outside. A sharp, steady black silhouette walked in. Jason. Eight years had passed, yet he remained as he had been when they first met—distinguished, dangerous, and austere. Still acting as though she were invisible. Jason walked past her and went upstairs. Minutes later, he came back down, now wearing an old treasured suit—the one Sarah had designed for their engagement. Jason continued to ignore Emma. For eight years, this had been his form of emotional abuse. When he wanted to torment her, he'd pin her to the bed, satisfy himself, then leave without a backward glance. As for their child... he had even forbidden Lily from calling him "Daddy." Perhaps because Emma was unusually quiet today, Jason paused, though he didn't turn around. "I won't be back tonight. Tell Lily not to call me for no reason." "Mmm." Emma stroked the urn, which seemed to still hold Lily's warmth. If he had looked at her for just a second—just one second—he might have noticed the urn. Jason adjusted his cufflinks, saying coldly, "Think about what you want from the divorce. We'll finalize it in a few days. I don't want the child." "Mmm." Emma remained calm. At least Lily would belong only to her now. Jason's hand faltered, but he still didn't look at Emma.

"In the serene glow of the autumn moon, the beautiful and kind-hearted Alana fell passionately in love with the domineering CEO, Zach Howard. But their love faced relentless opposition from the cruel and spiteful original spouse, Luke Smith—a once-prominent but now-fallen star. Defying conventions, how will the budding actor navigate the intrigues orchestrated by the vengeful Luke Smith and the formidable Howard family, seeking to emerge unscathed and transformed…” The blurb was enough for Luke’s head to be flooded with dark lines, overwhelmed by the reference to himself as an outdated antagonist. Wasn’t it only logical for a spouse to resist infidelity? Setting the book aside, five minutes later, he absentmindedly picked it up again. With his phone switched off against interruptions, Luke decided to indulge in a read, its absurdity the perfect distraction. Though a self-deceptive model of propriety in the academic world, Luke Smith privately owned a deep affection for indulgent absurdities. The novel’s villainous omega, sharing his name, was portrayed as foolish beyond measure. In stark contrast, his rival was painted as a singularly pure blossom standing resolute in the wintry snow—an obvious imbalance that fueled his guilty pleasure for the scandalous. This pitiful narrative trap—only serving to amplify Zach Howard’s affection for the story’s pristine heartthrob, forcefully steering the indifferent CEO into the arms of his real rival.