Butler Uncle

It feels surreal to be back in time where everything feels normal. Yet I haven’t been able to walk through the living room or step into Asher’s room, now standing empty and silent. Every time I try, my chest tightens. The pain, the shock, and the freshly carved trauma inside my brain keep pulling me back, stopping me from functioning properly. My breaths turn shallow before I even reach the doorway. The only place where I feel secure is the garden, where my son used to play in his previous life, where his laughter once echoed freely.

I open the trunk of the old car I own. The new car Travis gifted me before—I can’t even bring myself to look at it. My fingers stiffen at the thought. Just imagining my son hiding inside the trunk and dying there makes my stomach twist violently. The car I once loved so much now feels like a silent witness to my greatest nightmare.

I grab the shopping bags containing twenty-five hydrangeas and gardenias. Asher’s favorite. The weight of the bags pulls on my arms, grounding me slightly. I want to plant a few flowers so that by the time he returns to my embrace, he will have his own place, something waiting for him.

As I walk toward an empty spot with proper sunlight, my steps slow instinctively. Quiet footsteps approach me from behind. I tense for a brief moment before turning around, only to find Butler Uncle standing there. He has been with me since I moved into this house.

He wears that familiar gentle smile, the kind that always warms my heart no matter how cold everything else feels. My lips tremble. “Uncle,” I whisper, my voice cracking as tears sting the corners of my eyes.

In my previous life, he was diagnosed with cancer and died soon after Asher was born. He was the only one who stayed unaware of everything, including Nancy’s betrayal. The memory flashes painfully through my mind, making my fingers curl tightly around the bag handles.

If he had been diagnosed earlier, nothing would have happened.

Now, since I have a second chance to begin everything, I will start by saving him first.

“My Lady. Master will be back soon. Won’t you prepare the meals today?” he asks politely, his eyes flicking briefly to the shopping bags in my hands.

Before I can respond, he reaches out with a precise and swift movement, gently snatching the bags from me. “Are you planning to plant them now?”

I nod quietly, a small smile tugging at my lips despite the heaviness in my chest. “Yes, Butler Uncle. Can you help me with this?”

“Absolutely. But isn’t it your time to start preparing for dinner? Master will be back soon,” he reminds me, his tone careful.

The mention of Travis makes my shoulders stiffen. A flicker of unease crosses my face before I shake my head slowly. “Not today. Everyone else will do it. I will plant them now.”

He must have noticed my reluctance to step into the kitchen or show any enthusiasm about Travis’s return. I used to be thrilled, used to look forward to his arrival. We would share warm tea, exchange small talk, and have an intimate dinner together. Just thinking about it now makes my throat tighten.

But now I know whatever he has been doing is all fake. He is only filling the emptiness left by my sister with my presence. Once she is back, he will discard me like trash, like leftovers he no longer wants.

Butler Uncle helps me plant the flowers properly. He kneels beside me, patting the soil gently while I press the roots into place with careful hands. Dirt stains my gloves, and sweat beads lightly at my temples. By the time we finish, I am certain Travis must be close to arriving.

Just as we stand up, brushing soil from our clothes, I notice a servant walking toward us. Her brows are knit together, and she looks both puzzled and agitated as she approaches. “Madam! The dinner preparation?”

“Please do it yourself. Today, I won’t cook.” I say calmly, dusting off the soil from my gloves, my movements deliberate. “Butler Uncle and I will go shopping.”

“Excuse me?” she whispers politely, blinking in confusion. “What about evening tea?”

“Everything is canceled,” I reply, lifting my chin slightly. “And tell your master when he arrives that I am not attending the afternoon tea party this evening.” My words are chosen carefully, firm and final.

Both Butler Uncle and the servant freeze, surprise clear on their faces. Butler Uncle’s eyes widen slightly, and the servant’s lips part in shock. Certainly, I have never raised my voice, skipped an evening tea party, or failed to cook his favorite meal. But now, my priorities are different. I dread facing the man who abandoned me and my child.

I will no longer waste my precious time on someone who abandoned us.

“My Lady. Is everything alright? Have you fought with Master?” Butler Uncle asks softly, concern creasing his forehead as he studies my face.

“We barely talk, Uncle. How could we fight?” I respond quietly. Then, after a brief pause, I soften my expression. “I just want some time for myself. Will you accompany me for shopping? We could also go for a health checkup. I noticed you’ve been coughing lately.” I point it out gently, watching his reaction closely.

He looks uncomfortable, shifting his weight and avoiding my gaze. He brushes it off with a light wave of his hand. “It’s just seasonal flu. Please don’t mind.”

I know it isn’t. The beginning of his lung cancer has already started. My fingers curl slowly into my palm as determination settles in my chest. If we can stop it at the root, he will survive, and I need him to survive—for my son’s sake.

I didn’t acknowledge his negligence in my previous life, but now I won’t lose him again.

Despite noticing the shock among the servants—those who know that every weekend I used to rush to prepare perfect dinner plans, bake fresh cookies, or buy new tea leaves for our quiet evenings together—I choose to leave for shopping first.

I have never bought anything for myself despite being the wife of a billionaire. Whatever he bought for me, I accepted without question. Now, I need to do what I want.

My so-called parents used to warn me not to take anything from Travis. If he gave me money, I would send it to them. Now I know what they truly are to me, what they had been planning from the beginning.

On the way, I glance out of the car window, staring at the passing city. Buildings blur together as my reflection flickers faintly on the glass. The pain in my chest is still as fresh as the moment I was killed. However, now it feels strangely calm. The throbbing ache in the core of my heart feels like a distant memory, slowly being replaced with hope.

My hand gently rests on my belly, my fingers pressing lightly as if trying to feel Asher’s existence. The warmth beneath my palm steadies me.

As I settle back into the seat, I turn toward Butler Uncle, who is driving. “I need a favor, Uncle,” I say calmly, my voice steady despite the storm inside me.

“What is it, My Lady?” He glances at me briefly through the rearview mirror before focusing back on the road.

“Can you investigate Spring’s whereabouts? I need to know where my sister is and how she is doing,” I mutter, carefully maintaining a tone of fake sisterly concern.

He shifts slightly in his seat, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. Everyone knows Spring is a sensitive topic in our lives, like a ghost lingering in the air, preventing everything from moving forward, only to appear when she finds the chance.

“My Lady. Master won’t—”

“There’s no need to inform him, is there?” I interrupt gently. I offer him a polite but broken smile. “You know that from the beginning, I have been nothing but a replacement. If I can find her information, maybe I can finally understand my own place.”

He looks troubled, his jaw tightening, fingers wrapped firmly around the steering wheel. Hesitation is clear in his eyes. Yet my resolve does not waver. I will find her whereabouts, no matter what.