Chapter 3

He said he missed Theo terribly, just as Theo missed him, and he often cried secretly. He said he wouldn't leave anymore and wouldn't let Mommy work so hard anymore. But then the dream ended, and Theo saw his father. Only to hear him say: "You're just like your mother. Disgusting." Joy Astor barely glanced at Theo before looking away. He seemed annoyed, frowning as he tossed a bank card at me, saying flatly, "Take this for your precious son's treatment. A million, ten million, charge whatever you need." "Stop escorting clients for money, and don't forget to thank my honey." After speaking, he picked up Vivian and turned to leave. Theo watched his retreating figure and called out softly, "Daddy..." Then he turned back to me, holding back tears, and whispered, "Mommy, Theo doesn't want Daddy anymore." His expression was so serious, as if he had so much more to say, but he suddenly started coughing. Blood spilled out, mouthful after mouthful, staining the floor, my clothes, and the photo of Joy he clutched in his hand. I watched helplessly as he collapsed limply into my arms, hearing him murmur, "Mommy isn't dirty. Mommy is clean. It's Theo's fault for dirtying Mommy's clothes." "Mommy, get rid of Theo. Don't want Theo anymore. Don't make yourself work so hard anymore..." I listened as his voice grew fainter, watched as his eyes slowly closed, and screamed his name, frantic. I hadn't even told him... what mother in this world would ever abandon her own child? He was flesh of my flesh, born of my ten months of pregnancy. The nurses swarmed around me, taking him from my arms for emergency treatment. I forced myself to calm down and followed them. Looking up, I saw Joy Astor sprinting down the hallway. Tears streamed down his face as he trembled and asked me, "Claire... did someone just call me 'Daddy'?" I watched the heavy doors of the operating room slam shut, the red light flickering on. I collapsed to the floor, unable to speak. Joy Astor reached out to help me up. I grabbed his hand and bit down, hard, with all my strength. He didn't pull away. He endured it. I tasted blood. When I finally ran out of strength, I pushed him away, broken. Standing up on my own, I demanded in despair, "Joy, why did you come back? Why won't you leave me alone? I just wanted a clean break. I was doing fine on my own!" He gritted his teeth, cutting me off. "Claire, you ask why I came back? Don't you know? I missed you so damn much I thought I'd die!" "'Doing fine'? Borrowing money everywhere, drinking with clients, ruining yourself living in the gutter – you call that 'fine'?" "You think I want to chase after you? I just can't fucking stand seeing you suffer! Tell me what I'm supposed to do!" "Claire, you wronged me. How dare you be so cruel to me? What gives you the right to talk about a 'clean break'?" Joy Astor grabbed my shoulders, staring intensely into my eyes. He wanted an answer. So I gave him one. The year we graduated, Joy Astor had cut ties with his family to marry me. He was blacklisted everywhere, couldn't find a decent job, couldn't earn a cent. He didn't tell me. He secretly took grueling manual labor at a construction site. I remember how exhausted he was every day back then, even frowning in his sleep. But the look he gave me was always gentle and steadfast, filled with love. He said he'd work hard, buy a little house in my name, and give me a warm home. We'd marry, have children there, hold hands tightly, and live an ordinary, happy life together. Then, I got pregnant. But he had an accident at the construction site, falling from a rooftop. He nearly died. The doctors said without immediate treatment, Joy Astor might be paralyzed. I knew Joy Astor's pride. That would be worse than death for him. That day, I went to beg Joy Astor's mother to save her son. I'll never forget the disdain and disgust in her eyes when she looked at me. She said she didn't lack sons. Losing one Joy meant nothing. Even though Joy had been the golden boy, the most outstanding of the Astor family. But a Joy who couldn't inherit the Astor family was no son of hers. Why should she spend three million to save worthless trash? That was the first time I realized people could be so heartless. That day, I knelt on the ground, kowtowing until my forehead bled, begging her to lend me three million. I said I didn't want Joy anymore. I figured Joy would probably hate me forever. Oh well. Who said true love must end in marriage? As I spoke, I grabbed Joy's shirt, screaming hysterically, "You want to know whose child Theo is?" "Fine! I'll tell you! He's yours! Are you happy now? He's dying! Are you satisfied?" Joy Astor gripped my hand, tears falling one by one. He looked pained, yet furious. "Claire, how could you lie? How dare you take my child and let him suffer like this? He's dying, and you wouldn't even come to me?" I slapped Joy Astor hard across the face. Then I laughed. "Joy Astor, come to you for what? So you could abandon everything and follow me again? Do you think your mother would ever let me or Theo go?" "Joy Astor, there are things more important than love in this world. I don't want you. I just wanted a quiet life. Why did you have to come back and torment me?" "My child... he could have been cured! I didn't need your money! Even if I had to borrow, steal, or rob... I could have cured him alone..." He was so good, so obedient. He never cried during shots or medicine. The doctors said he could have gotten better. Until Joy Astor appeared, with Vivian, shattering my peaceful life once more. That day, the doctors saved Theo. He fell into a coma. No one knew when, or if, he'd wake up. I stared numbly at him lying quietly in the hospital bed, like he was asleep. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vivian smirking. She pretended to sigh, frowning reproachfully. "Sister Claire, if you'd told Joy... told me sooner... I'm not stingy. I could have let that child into the Astor family, called me 'Mommy'." "He didn't have to suffer so much. It's all your fault, pretending to be so high and mighty... you nearly killed him..." She probably thought she could finally relax. Theo was alive but as good as dead. And between Joy and me, there was now a wound that could never heal. She thought I'd never forgive Joy. That in the end, she would be the one to marry Joy Astor. She probably forgot why I left Joy before: I wanted a peaceful life. But now, everyone knew Joy Astor and I had reunited. Everyone knew our child had grown up. Plenty of people wouldn't let me live in peace. I thought, since none of them wanted me to have peace... why should anyone have peace? Vivian hadn't even finished speaking when Joy Astor coldly cut her off, telling her to shut up and get out. I watched my child silently in the bed, hearing Vivian start to cry pitifully behind me. "Joy," she pleaded, "how can you send me away for Claire's sake?" "I've been by your side all these years! I became whatever you liked! I love you more than Claire ever did! Don't you know that?" "Joy, I'll be better than Claire. I'll never betray you. Don't abandon me, please..." Listening to her, I smiled faintly. I turned to Joy. "Joy, I've changed my mind." "I want you to marry me. Take me home. Back to the Astor family." "I want everything you have now. All of it." Then I smiled and looked at Vivian, watching her face turn ashen. The next day, Joy Astor broke off his engagement with Vivian. I moved out of my cheap rental and into Joy Astor's mansion. We came and went together, openly. Someone took photos of me and posted them online. Netizens quickly dug up that I was Joy Astor's first love. Someone, anonymous, leaked that Joy Astor had once loved me desperately, but I had schemed against him while carrying his child. They said I went to his mother for three million, promised to abort the child and disappear, but secretly gave birth. Then, just as Joy Astor was about to marry, I reappeared to blackmail him.