Chapter 3 Five Years Later
Aviah 's POV
Five years later.
I watched my three children running toward me, and emotion surged through me.
They were conceived with that stranger from five years ago. When I found out I was pregnant, I was at the lowest point of my life and didn’t have the strength to end it.
But that wasn’t the only reason. I wanted a family. I longed for companionship. That was why I gave birth to the triplets—two boys and a girl.
Behind me, Edna McCarthy carried bags from the house to our car.
Looking at her, I felt a deep sense of gratitude. Edna had once been the Lynch family’s housekeeper. Even after the Lynch family fell, she remained loyal. My family had helped her through the hardest time in her life, and when the Lynches crumbled, she stayed by my side without complaint, helping me raise my children for five years.
Without Edna, I didn’t know how I would have survived those years.
Honestly, she had become family to me a long time ago.
Five years ago, when I stood helplessly beside my father’s body, Edna was the one who pulled me up and took me away from Lakeview.
Later, I learned that my father’s company had gone bankrupt.
I had always suspected that my father had hoped the marriage alliance would help him survive the crisis with August’s father’s support.
Because of me, that wedding became a joke.
Had my father been unable to bear everything and chosen to end his life?
I didn’t know. It was only my guess.
Edna brought me to her hometown, Bloomdale, to keep me safe.
Now my children had grown up and needed to go to school. To give them a better education, I decided to return to Lakeview.
Five years ago, I swore I would take back everything that belonged to me. But over those five years, just surviving had nearly crushed me.
I had never imagined I would learn to cook, wash clothes, chop wood, light fires, and drive. Everything I once thought I would never need to do had become part of my life.
During those years, while doing everything I could to raise the triplets, I also kept studying. I understood clearly that without my father and without money, revenge would be nearly impossible.
But I still had to do it.
Revenge had become one of the reasons I kept living.
Whenever I felt like giving up, I thought back to that dark moment five years ago and forced myself to keep going.
Using the money I had saved over the years, I bought a seven-seater car.
Once we were inside, I asked my eldest son, “Ethan, the three of you have been running to that old hut every day lately. Are you hiding something there?”
In the rearview mirror, I saw Ethan Lynch’s eyes dart around before he answered with a grin. “No, Mom. We’re just playing house there.”
I shrugged and got ready to start the car.
Just then, a strange couple walked over. They asked where I was headed and whether they could ride with us.
I had lived in this small town for five years and knew most of the locals, but I had never seen them before.
Still, I didn’t think much of it. There were a few tourist spots around here, and visitors came every year.
I figured I could earn a little money and offset the gas.
I cautiously asked for a hundred dollars, and they paid without hesitation.
That put me in a good mood. It felt like luck was finally on my side.
I started driving. About an hour and a half later, the couple suddenly asked to get out.
I reminded them not to forget their belongings.
They hurried off, looking eager to get away.
Not far ahead, I saw police officers checking cars, and a strange thought crossed my mind.
Had those two done something illegal? Was that why they were afraid of the police?
But I didn’t dwell on it. After the officers checked my information and let me pass, I continued driving.
About an hour later, an unfamiliar ringtone sounded in the car.
Edna said, “They left their phone behind.”
I picked it up and answered while driving.
“Hello, did you find my phone? It’s mine. Who is this?”
“Hello. I’m the one who gave you a ride earlier. You must have left it in the car when you got out.”
“Can you bring it back to me? I can pay you for your trouble.”
By then, I had already driven much farther and was at least fifty miles away.
We were already in Lakeview. If I turned back, I would have to drive at least another hundred miles, and I was already exhausted.
Still, they were offering money, and I hesitated.
But while I was distracted by the call, I failed to notice the car in front of me and slammed straight into a Rolls-Royce.
My face went pale instantly.
I regretted picking up those two strangers for a little money.
I regretted even more answering the phone while driving.
But it was too late.
I could only get out of the car and nervously try to negotiate.
It was a limited-edition Rolls-Royce Phantom. Even a scratch on the paint could cost me everything I had.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do it. I’ll take responsibility for the repair costs. I’m sorry for the trouble.”
I forced myself to speak, even though I knew I probably couldn’t pay it off in my lifetime.
At that moment, the window of the Rolls-Royce lowered, and the man in the passenger seat said, “Forget it. Our boss has urgent business. That thing is missing, and we can’t waste time here.”
The suited driver nodded. Then the passenger looked at me and said, “Be more careful next time.”
With that, the car drove away.
I bowed repeatedly, both grateful and apologetic, as I watched it leave.
I was thankful they didn’t pursue it. Otherwise, I truly didn’t know what I would have done.
But just before the car disappeared, I caught a glimpse of the man in the back seat.
His upper body was bare.
There was a fierce scar across his chest.
He seemed to be looking at me.
A scar.
I froze, my heart nearly stopping.
It was him.
It had to be him.
The man who had slept with me five years ago.
“You—”
Before I could finish, the car was already gone, and I could only stare after it.
I felt strangely lost.
At that moment, the strange phone rang again.
I looked at it and realized this phone had caused all my trouble.
“Why did you hang up?”
In my foul mood, I replied, “It’s too far for me to bring it back. I’ll leave it at the police station. They can mail it to you later.”
Then I hung up and drove to the police station.
After I dealt with the phone, I took my children to an apartment building.
I rented a six-hundred-square-foot apartment and paid six months’ rent in advance.
Once Edna and I settled everything, I started arranging school for the children and going to job interviews.
Because of our finances, I could only send them to an ordinary elementary school for now. Even so, one semester’s tuition came to fifteen thousand dollars.
After rent, tuition, and basic living expenses, I had only about three thousand dollars left.
That made me anxious.
A week later, I drove my three children to school, then hurried to Skyline Group.
During that week, I had sent out fifty resumes and interviewed with more than thirty companies. A few rejected me outright, but most never responded at all.
I had received only one interview invitation.
And it was from the legendary Skyline Group.
I found it strange. Small companies wouldn’t hire me, so why would Skyline Group, standing at the top of the business world, call me?
Even so, I decided to go and see for myself.
