Chapter 2

Megan dragged her suitcase out of the Reid family villa, pulled out her phone, and dialed a number.

"Hello, this is Megan Whitmore. About your company's previous offer for me to work as the CEO's translator—is that position still available?"

An excited voice came from the other end: "Of course! Our CEO said if Ms. Whitmore is willing to come, he can cover all expenses for you, your husband, and your child."

"That won't be necessary." Megan looked up at the night sky, her tone calm. "I'll be coming alone."

After hanging up, Megan went to her sister's house.

Her sister Madeline Reid listened to the whole story and got so angry she slammed her cup down hard on the coffee table: "Is Tristan out of his mind? Bringing his first love home to live with you and making you sleep in the guest room? What does he think you are?"

"It doesn't matter anymore." Megan smiled bitterly. "We're getting divorced soon anyway."

Madeline stared at her for a moment, then sighed: "I hate to say it, but if you'd listened to Mom back then and married into the Morgan Group, would you be putting up with this crap now?"

Megan lowered her head in silence.

Back then, she was the famous second daughter of the Whitmore family in high society circles, fluent in four languages, a rising star in the translation world.

She was supposed to marry Julian Morgan, the heir to the Morgan Group. The two families were perfectly matched—everyone thought it was an ideal match.

But she fell in love with Tristan instead. Against her mother's objections, she insisted on breaking off the engagement with the Morgan family and married Tristan, who was just a small company manager at the time.

For seven years of marriage, she used all her family's influence to support Tristan. To let her husband focus on his work, she even gave up her own career to be a full-time housewife.

And what did all that get her?

Megan waved her hand dismissively, her face bitter: "Why bring up the past?"

Madeline gave her a meaningful look, then quickly frowned again: "But what about Ivy? Are you going to fight for custody?"

Megan frowned. Just thinking about her daughter hiding behind Sophia made her heart feel like it was being twisted by a knife.

"I don't know."

Megan sighed. Her phone suddenly rang—it was Ivy's school calling.

She immediately answered: "Hello?"

"Ivy's mom, Ivy has been vomiting at school and looks really pale. We've already taken her to City Central Hospital. Can you come over?"

Megan's heart sank. She immediately stood up: "Yes, I'll be right there!"

She hung up, grabbed her bag, and rushed out.

Megan found the nurse's station and gave her daughter's name. She was told Ivy was already in a room, had just gotten a shot, and was asleep.

She pushed open the door and saw Ivy lying in the hospital bed. Her small face was deathly pale, her lips dry and cracked, as if she'd been through terrible suffering.

Megan walked to the bedside and gently touched her daughter's forehead—it was burning hot.

"Ivy..." she murmured softly, her eyes reddening with heartache.

No matter how the child treated her, she had carried her for ten months and brought her into this world at the risk of her own life.

Seeing her like this, Megan felt terrible.

Just then, a doctor walked in. Seeing Megan, he asked: "Are you the child's mother?"

"Yes. Doctor, what's wrong with my daughter?" Megan asked anxiously.

The doctor flipped through the medical records: "The child is losing her baby teeth, so her teeth are already quite sensitive. According to the test results, she's consumed too much sugar in the past couple of days, causing severe blood sugar fluctuations. Combined with her already weak digestive system, this triggered acute gastroenteritis."

Megan's brow furrowed slightly.

She remembered the box of chocolates Sophia had given her daughter during the day. Her fingers clenched tightly.

Just then, the hospital room door was pushed open again.

Sophia rushed in. When she saw Megan, she stopped in her tracks, looking somewhat awkward: "Megan, you're here? Is Ivy okay?"

Looking at her pitiful, innocent expression, Megan's emotions, suppressed all day, finally exploded. She slapped her across the face.

Sophia took the slap squarely, her face full of shock.

"Megan, what's the meaning of this?" Sophia asked coldly, suppressing her anger.

"What's the meaning?" Megan stared at her. "You knew perfectly well that Ivy is losing her baby teeth and can't eat too many sweets, yet you gave her a whole box of chocolates. What are you up to?"

Sophia's gaze shifted away. Gone was her earlier affectation, her eyes now full of coldness: "Sorry, I have depression. I forgot Ivy couldn't eat sugar..."

Megan was furious. She stepped forward: "You're a grown woman who knows about avoiding sugar and antioxidants for yourself. How could you not know children can't eat too much sugar? Sophia, I don't care if you have depression or not—if anything happens to Ivy, I won't let you off!"

Sophia was about to argue back when she caught sight of something behind Megan. She immediately put on a wronged expression, tears falling as her voice choked up: "Megan, you've misunderstood me. I really didn't know Ivy couldn't eat sugar..."

"Megan!"

Before Megan could react, a cold male voice came from the doorway.

Tristan strode in, pulled Sophia behind him protectively, and glared at her sharply: "What are you freaking out about now? Sophia kindly came to the hospital to see Ivy. What gives you the right to talk to her like that?"

Watching her own husband defend another woman, Megan's heart grew gradually numb with cold: "What gives me the right? The chocolates she gave put Ivy in the hospital!"

Tristan frowned and looked at Sophia.

Sophia quickly explained: "Tristan, I really didn't know Ivy couldn't eat too much sugar. I just wanted to make her happy..."

"Stop pretending!" Megan cut her off. "Sophia, you're using my daughter as a tool. You think if you win her over, you can take my place, so you'll stop at nothing, right?"

"Enough!" Tristan snapped. "Sophia isn't well. Stop making a scene. Ivy got sick, and you as her mother aren't exactly doing a great job either."

Hearing this, Megan found it utterly ridiculous.

For seven years, she'd given up her career, given up her social life, and devoted all her energy to this family.

Every time Ivy got sick growing up, she was the one who stayed up all night watching over her.

This woman used just one box of chocolates to steal away her daughter's love completely, and even her husband was taking her side.

"Mommy..."

Just then, a weak voice came from the hospital bed.

Ivy had woken up. Her gaze rested on Megan for only a second before moving to Sophia, her voice soft: "Aunt Sophia..."

Sophia immediately ran to the bedside and held Ivy's hand: "Ivy, are you feeling better? Auntie was so worried about you..."

Ivy shook her head and smiled weakly: "I'm not uncomfortable anymore. Don't cry, Aunt Sophia..."

Then she turned to look at Megan, her tone tinged with displeasure: "Mommy can't talk to Aunt Sophia like that. Ivy wanted to eat the candy herself. It has nothing to do with Aunt Sophia."