Chapter 1

Amber Harper's husband went on a honeymoon with his mistress and got into a car accident. The attending doctor? None other than herself.

When Amber finished reading the medical records, she still clung to the ridiculous hope that this was just someone with the same name.

But as soon as she walked to the ward and heard the voices inside, her heart plunged into an ice bath.

"Lydia, this family photo is amazing! I'm totally going to hang it up at home."

Lydia's weak voice came through, sweet as syrup. "Good boy, you're such a darling."

Then came Marvin's steady baritone. "Thomas, don't bother Lydia. She needs to rest."

Amber dropped her gaze to the records in her hand. Marvin and Thomas—just a couple of scratches. Lydia, however? Broken wrist, in need of hospitalization.

She'd overheard an intern gossiping earlier. "Mr. Johnson and Thomas don't even need to stay in the hospital, but since Ms. Foster does, he pulled strings to get two extra beds in the deluxe ward to stay with her."

The intern had sighed like they were narrating a soap opera. "I heard Ms. Foster is Mr. Johnson's first love, and Thomas is her child too! Can you imagine? He waited six years for her to come back. Isn't that just the most romantic thing ever?"

Amber had smiled bitterly at that.

Six years. She and Marvin had been secretly married for six years.

No ring, no wedding, just six years of her playing maid to him and his kid.

And now? All she got for it was being a footnote in someone else's tragic love story.

Leaning against the wall, Amber could still hear the voices from inside.

"Lydia, I like you better. Mom just makes me study all the time, but you take me out for burgers. I wish you were my mom!"

Lydia chuckled. "Thomas, don't say that. Marvin, you should talk to him."

Marvin's voice was maddeningly calm. "He's just a kid, Lydia. I can stop what he says, but not what he feels."

That sentence, full of layered meaning, slammed the final door shut in Amber's heart.

She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and walked into the room, fully embracing the fact that she'd lost both her husband and son.

The first thing she saw was Thomas standing by the bed, clutching a family photo. Lydia stood next to Marvin, holding Thomas like she was the real mother.

They looked like the perfect family of three.

"Amber."

Marvin frowned, his voice laced with annoyance. "What are you doing here?"

Thomas stepped protectively in front of Lydia, glaring at her. "Mom, what do you want?"

Both father and son stared at her like she was a dragon bursting into their fairy tale.

Her chest ached, but she forced herself to stay calm.

"I'm your attending doctor," she said evenly.

Marvin didn't even flinch. "I'll request a new doctor."

Then, as if realizing how cold that sounded, he added, "Don't take it the wrong way. I'm just worried you're too busy to come home and cook for Thomas."

Right. Because Amber, the attending surgeon, should prioritize making dinner over saving lives.

She thought back to all those nights she'd come home after back-to-back surgeries only to find that Lydia had swooped in with takeout—unhealthy, greasy food that Marvin and Thomas seemed to love.

Thomas had even once sniffed her home-cooked meal and declared, "Mom, this tastes worse than dog food."

That had been after a ten-hour surgery where Amber lost the patient. She'd been on the verge of breaking.

Lydia, of course, had cried prettily. "It's all my fault! I thought Amber was too busy, so I brought food. I never wanted to upset her. I'm so sorry!"

In the end, Marvin and Thomas had consoled Lydia and left Amber to stew in her misery.

Amber shook the memory away. "Fine. Submit the request quickly, or I'll have to issue orders."

Her icy composure seemed to unsettle Marvin. His expression faltered briefly, a flicker of unease crossing his face.

Thomas clutched the family photo even tighter, glaring at her with all the righteous fury of a six-year-old.

"Mom, you can't take this! I'm going to hang it up at home!"

Lydia gave a saccharine smile. "Amber, don't misunderstand. It's just a random photo from the amusement park."

Thomas held the photo like it was a priceless treasure. "You're not taking it!"

Amber's face was pale, but her voice remained steady. "Okay."

"If you don't agree, I'll…"

Thomas trailed off, clearly unsure what his grand threat would even be. Before he could finish, Amber's soft tone stopped him in his tracks.

He froze, then lit up like Christmas morning. "So you're not going to change your mind!"

Amber nodded. "Don't worry. I won't."

Marvin's expression darkened as if he'd finally clued in. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Amber raised a hand and glanced at her watch.

"I'm off duty. Please submit your request for a new doctor soon."

She paused, then looked directly at Marvin. "Are you coming home tonight? I have something to tell you."

Marvin hesitated, clearly suspicious of her sudden calm. "Depends."

Amber just nodded lightly. "I'll wait until ten." With that, she turned and left.

Behind her, Marvin called out with all the warmth of someone offering a charity handout. "The driver's in the parking lot. He can take you home."

"No need. I'll ride my bike."

As she shut the door behind her, she heard Lydia's ever-sweet voice floating through the crack.

"It's all my fault. Amber probably misunderstood. Marvin, you should talk to her."

"Don't bother. She'll be fine tomorrow," Marvin replied dismissively.

Amber let out a bitter laugh.

He wasn't wrong—she'd never stayed mad for more than three hours.

But this time? She wasn't mad. She was done.

When she got home, she packed her belongings. She'd been ready to leave ever since Marvin's vision was restored.

If it hadn't been for that one fateful night at his parents' house, they wouldn't have had Thomas, and none of this would've happened.

For a while after the pregnancy, Marvin had pretended to care. There had even been moments when she believed his heart had thawed.

But now, wide awake, she realized she'd been a fool.

She left the divorce papers on the dining table. At ten o'clock, she wheeled her suitcase out the door.

When Marvin and Thomas got home at one in the morning, they were too exhausted to notice that the bed was short one person.

The next morning, Marvin woke up to the sound of someone cooking in the kitchen. He smiled.

Of course, Amber had calmed down. She always did. She'd probably even made breakfast.

After washing up, he sat at the table and saw the food already laid out. Without looking up, he called toward the kitchen.

"Make another portion. I'll take it to Lydia."

"Uh… Mr. Johnson?" The housekeeper, Nancy, poked her head out. "You didn't tell me in advance, and, uh… I already washed the pans."

Chapter 2

Marvin sat down and took a few bites, then frowned slightly.

The food was… fine, but not his favorite.

Thomas came shuffling in, rubbing his eyes. One look at the clock, and his face crumpled like the sky was falling.

"I'm going to be late for school! Mom, why didn't you wake me up?"

Silence.

Getting annoyed, he stomped into the kitchen, only to bump into Nancy, who was cleaning up.

"Hey, Thomas! Careful there! If I fall, that's one thing, but what if you get hurt? What then?"

"Where's Mom?"

"Probably went to work."

"Oh, great! If she's not here, I guess being late doesn't matter! Nancy, I want a pork floss sandwich."

"Alright, Thomas, I'll sprinkle some on for you."

"This doesn't taste right! What is this?"

"It's pork floss—I just bought it from the store this morning."

"I want the kind we used to have!"

"Well… the kind you used to have was homemade by your mom. I don't know how to make it like that."

Thomas glared at the offending sandwich, then huffed and stomped out the door. Nancy watched his tiny, angry figure vanish and turned to Marvin, confused.

"Mr. Johnson, is something going on with Thomas? He wouldn't even eat breakfast."

Marvin put down his chopsticks, getting ready to leave.

"Wait, Mr. Johnson!" Nancy called out suddenly. "There was a document for you on the table."

She opened the drawer and handed him an envelope. As a housekeeper, she didn't dare to peek inside, so she had no idea what it was.

Marvin frowned. He never left documents lying around. Could it be Amber's?

Without a word, he took it, opened it, and scanned the contents. The words at the top hit him like a ton of bricks: Divorce Agreement.

For the first time in forever, Amber woke up naturally. No alarms. No interruptions.

When she opened the door, her best friend, Emily Edwards, had already made breakfast and left a note on the table.

"Babe, everything will pass. The future's all sunshine."

Next to the note was a sandwich with a ketchup smiley face drawn on it.

Amber felt a warmth spread through her chest, and for a moment, tears threatened to spill.

She and Emily both came from a small town, but while Amber had been forced into the role of a stay-at-home wife, Emily had climbed her way up the corporate ladder and now earned millions as an executive.

Despite their vastly different lives, their friendship had never wavered.

After breakfast, Amber's phone rang.

"Mrs. Johnson, Thomas was late for school today. You didn't drop him off—any reason why?"

"Ma'am, Thomas's father and I are getting a divorce. From now on, please address these matters with him. Thank you."

"Well, you're still his mother—"

"He'll probably have a new mom soon."

The teacher awkwardly ended the call. Amber, however, didn't care. She'd already decided to let go, and she was ready to handle the fallout.

She rode her bike to work as usual. It wasn't that she couldn't handle a car—it was just that biking was faster, given the traffic around the hospital.

After finishing the morning meeting, Amber stepped out of her office and was abruptly yanked into the stairwell.

Panic shot through her, and she was about to scream for help when a familiar cedarwood scent hit her nose. She exhaled sharply, her shoulders relaxing.

"What are you doing?" She scowled, shaking Marvin's hand off her arm.

Marvin's face was stormy, his voice dark. "The divorce agreement."

"So you did come home last night."

For a moment, Marvin's expression flickered with something close to guilt. He remembered Amber's words: "I'll wait until ten."

He'd brushed it off, thinking she was just being dramatic. After all, no matter how late he came home, Amber was always there, waiting with a warm meal or even hangover soup if needed.

"You're really filing for divorce? Why?"

Amber stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "You don't know why?"

Marvin was momentarily at a loss but quickly recovered with a scoff. "Is this because of that photo?"

Amber froze.

In his mind, the cracks in their marriage boiled down to a single photograph?

She exhaled slowly, her voice cold. "Yes. Because of that photo."

Marvin gritted his teeth, his frustration mounting. "Lydia took Thomas out because he was exhausted from his classes. She was just trying to help him relax. That photo was nothing but a mistake by some theme park employee. What's there to be upset about?"

Amber felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her. How many times had she tried to explain this to him? She didn't mind Thomas having fun, but his studies needed to come first.

And yet, in all these years, every time she took Thomas out, Marvin never once joined them.

At first, he'd offered half-hearted excuses. Later, it turned into outright arguments.

Marvin seemed to realize where her thoughts had gone, his tone turning accusatory. "You just don't want Thomas spending time with Lydia, do you?"

Amber let out a bitter laugh. "Fine. I've made it clear in the agreement—I won't fight for custody. You, Lydia, and Thomas can have your little family of three."

The decision to divorce hadn't been made lightly, but it had been solidified a week ago.

It was Sophie Johnson's birthday, and the Johnson family had thrown a lavish party, inviting all their influential friends. Amber had been stuck at the hospital, covering for a colleague who couldn't perform a surgery.

The procedure had lasted eight grueling hours, and by the time Amber dragged herself home, the party was already in full swing.

When Sophie spotted her, her face soured. "Why are you here?"

Amber, caught off guard, could only stammer out an apology and present the pearl necklace she'd prepared as a gift.

Sophie's frown deepened. "I already received a Tahitian pearl necklace of much better quality. Keep this one for yourself."

Lydia chose that exact moment to appear, linking her arm with Sophie's and offering an apologetic smile. "Oh, Amber, I didn't know you were giving pearls too. I'm sorry!"

Amber had grown used to being treated coldly, so she didn't think much of it. But Lydia's words made it seem like Amber had deliberately tried to outshine her.

Marvin had had enough. "Why are you making this a big deal? She doesn't know what you're planning to give. Stop being so secretive next time!"

The public scolding left Amber frozen, her face draining of all color.

Lydia immediately teared up. "I shouldn't have come. I've ruined everything."

Sophie pulled her closer. "Don't say that! You're like a daughter to me. If you didn't come, I'd be heartbroken!"

"But I'm worried Amber's upset with me…"

Marvin's glare pinned Amber in place. "If you're not feeling well, you should've stayed at the hospital. Why bother coming home?"

Amber wanted to explain, but Thomas ran over and clung to Lydia's leg.

"Lydia, don't leave! Let Mom go—she's so annoying!"

In that moment, Amber's heart felt like it had been pierced.

She hadn't said or done anything, yet everyone looked at her like she was the villain.

For a long time, she said nothing. She didn't beg, didn't cry, didn't even look to Marvin for help.

Instead, she clenched her fists and spoke coldly.

"Ms. Foster, don't go. I'll leave. I'm the one who doesn't belong here."

Chapter 3

Marvin let out a laugh, like he'd just heard the most ridiculous joke. "You're still jealous, huh? Jealous of me, fine, but now you're jealous of what a kid says?"

Amber's expression turned colder. "I'm talking about divorce. Are you avoiding it, or are you just scared?"

Marvin froze for a second, then snapped back, clearly irritated. "If you leave me, do you think you'll have such an easy time at the hospital?"

"I've already made my decision. And this is me protecting myself."

Marvin's jaw clenched. "Are you insulting me?" His hand shot out, grabbing her chin. "Amber, I never realized you had such a sharp tongue!"

Amber chuckled darkly. "So, do you agree or not?"

"Fine. But don't regret it!"

"My only regret is not leaving you sooner."

Marvin's molars practically cracked under the force of his grinding teeth. He released her chin with a furious shove.

"Alright. I'll see you in court this afternoon!" With that, he stormed off.

Once upon a time, Marvin walking away like that would've gutted her. Amber had gone through the full spectrum—anguish, disappointment, apathy. Now, all she felt was relief.

She even laughed out loud before hurrying back to her office. She double-checked her documents and filed for leave.

Meanwhile, Marvin headed to Lydia's hospital room.

Lydia was lounging in bed, IV drip in one arm, snacks piled on the bedside table. Every so often, she'd pop something into her mouth.

"Marvin, you're back so soon? Did you clear things up with Amber?"

Marvin's expression was stormy.

"Didn't you say Amber was supposed to be my attending doctor? Why hasn't she shown up?"

"Maybe something came up. Should I go—" Lydia trailed off, sensing his foul mood. She hesitated before carefully asking, "Amber isn't still mad, is she?"

Marvin brushed it off, his tone casual. "She's threatening me with divorce."

Lydia's eyes lit up, but she managed to look appropriately distressed. "It's all my fault. Marvin, you mustn't agree! Please, go apologize to her and stop her from doing something so impulsive."

Marvin's irritation spiked. "Impulsive? I'll make her learn the consequences of acting on impulse! Even if she changes her mind and begs me not to divorce her, I won't agree!"

Lydia clutched her face, tears streaming. "I'm so sorry. I've ruined everything. I shouldn't have come back."

"This has nothing to do with you. Don't overthink it." Marvin's tone softened at her tears.

Lydia shook her head. "Can you take me with you? I want to help you talk to Amber."

Marvin hesitated. Amber's cold demeanor earlier had left him unsettled. Finally, he sighed. "Fine."

By 3 PM, Amber had been waiting at the courthouse for half an hour. She was starting to get anxious, worried Marvin might back out.

Just as she was about to call him, a sleek luxury car pulled up beside her.

Marvin stepped out, not sparing her a glance, and walked to the other side to open the door for Lydia. He helped her out of the car like she was made of glass.

Then, to Amber's surprise, Thomas scrambled out of the back seat. Marvin had picked him up early.

"If we're getting divorced," Marvin declared, "the child has a right to know." He didn't seem remotely concerned about the potential emotional trauma.

Thomas clung to Marvin's hand, looking frightened. "Dad, I don't want to live with Mom. I want to stay with you!"

Hearing that, Amber felt a strange sense of relief.

"Don't worry. I'm not fighting for custody."

Thomas stared at her, wide-eyed, the panic obvious on his little face.

Lydia quickly pulled him behind her, adopting a gentle, saintly expression. "Amber, stop making trouble. Marvin's never done anything to hurt you."

Amber raised an eyebrow, her tone icy. "Ms. Foster, do you sleep under his bed every night? How would you know?"

Lydia's face froze, and then the tears came, falling in perfect little streams. "I…"

Marvin's temper snapped. "Amber, you've gone too far! Don't come begging me later!"

Amber wasn't fazed. Instead, she smirked. "Alright then, let's see who regrets it first."

Marvin scoffed, convinced she was bluffing. He grabbed Thomas and marched into the courthouse without looking back.

As Lydia passed Amber, the saintly mask dropped. Her voice was low, venomous. "In the end, he still chose me."

Amber nodded lightly, her smile cool. "Of course. A dog never stops eating from the trash."

Lydia's face darkened. "How dare you talk to me like that!"

Amber tilted her head, her voice dripping with mockery. "I match my tone to my company. What kind of person you are determines how I treat you."

Lydia's eyes blazed. "Fine. You'll see what happens once you're divorced. You're finished."

Amber chuckled. "Careful not to grind your teeth too hard. I'm not scared of dogs, but I am scared of rabies."

With that, she strode into the courthouse, leaving Lydia fuming behind her.

Divorce mediation was about as fun as listening to nails on a chalkboard. As the mediator droned on, Amber found the whole thing unbearably tedious.

Marvin, meanwhile, glanced at her bowed head and smirked. Clearly, she was regretting her decision.

"If you'd just kneel and—"

"Can we please move this along? Stamp the papers, and we'll be out of your hair," Amber interrupted, standing up to pour the staff member a glass of water.

The mediator sighed, clearly exasperated. "Alright then, best of luck to both of you."

As the red stamp landed on the papers, Marvin's mood darkened. This time, Amber was serious.

At the final window, they handed in their documents. Amber had already waived her rights to the house, shares, and custody, only asking for two million dollars in alimony.

The clerk confirmed the details repeatedly, and Amber calmly signed off.

With her salary, earning that amount would've taken her six years of nonstop work. "No questions here," she said lightly, feeling nothing but freedom and excitement.

Marvin turned to look at her.

Maybe it was the good night's sleep, but Amber's complexion looked radiant. Her skin glowed with a soft pink hue, her delicate features sharp and striking. Her sapphire-blue eyes gleamed with warmth yet felt untouchable.

For a moment, Marvin was flooded with memories of their past—her laughter, her kindness, the way she used to look at him. A strange panic stirred in his chest.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the clerk handed over their finalized documents. "The process will take a month. Please return then to collect your divorce certificates."

Marvin froze, unable to process that it was over.

Amber, on the other hand, was smiling as she gathered her things.

"You're really happy about this?" he asked, his voice low.

Amber didn't bother hiding her sarcasm. "What else can I do? If I look sad, you'll run around telling everyone I can't get over you. That'd be embarrassing."