"Asher!"I jolt awake with a loud gasp, my eyes flying open, heart racing. My hands instinctively clutch my belly, fear coursing through me at the thought that my clumsiness might have harmed my baby. How could I have been so careless? Letting myself drown in panic when my Asher is growing healthy inside me.I try to slap myself, reminding myself that I have my baby with me. Right now, nobody can hurt him. No one can harm my Asher.The sound of the door opening catches my attention. My head snaps towards it, and my eyes narrow in fury. I can’t let anyone come near me. I don’t trust anyone.But then my eyebrows slowly rise in surprise. Standing there with a grin on her face is Tiara Ericson, the only daughter of the Ericson family, just 19 years old. She rushes over to the bed and jumps onto it without hesitation.“Good morning, Sister-in-law!” she chirps.“Hey, Tiara,” I say calmly, even as I move a bit to shield my belly. I’m cautious about her presence.“What’s wrong, Sissy? You loo
Dawn's POV It's sudden, but it's worth it. I've been thinking about how to break free from Travis and give my baby a better life. Now, I know exactly what I want to do. After getting off the bed and taking a cold shower, I have enough time to let everything sink in. I've returned, living the exact same life, but this time the changes are visible and perfect. I have the chance to rewrite everything, and I won’t waste it. But planning everything out calmly and carefully doesn't suit me at all. My overthinking and the trauma I felt a week ago is enough to make my skin crawl. The scenes of my son and Travis's betrayal are like sharp knives covered with blood haunts me every night like nightmares. After getting dressed for breakfast, I step out into the lounge and see Butler Uncle standing there, holding a bouquet of gardenias. Asher's favorite. “My Lady! Your bouquet! Miss Millie said you've been buying bouquets every day since last week. Here you are!” His face is warm, like a fat
Two Days Later "You changed your dressing style and hair! Any reason for that, Sister-in-law?" Dawn glances at Tiara, who is approaching her as she places the bouquet of gardenias under the cherry tree. Tiara's eyes are examining her dress and hair. "Is it looking bad?" Dawn asks. Her appearance has noticeably changed since her recent shopping spree. "No! I think it's better than before. You used to have the same taste as your sister, and honestly, I didn’t think it suited you. Not to sound judgmental, but this look suits you better," Tiara responds in an apologetic tone. "Well, I didn't like myself either," Dawn admits, touching her hair. She used to dress like her sister so Travis wouldn't forget Spring. She was forbidden to change her appearance. But now, she’s going to live according to her own desires. The sense of obligation to her adoptive parents is long gone. "Brother agreed to let you study, so we’re going to be classmates!" Tiara says cheerfully. When she notices Daw
Dawn prepares the meals like she always does. However the difference between the previous dishes and today's dishes is most of them are Asher's favorite foods. The food that she prepared for Asher the day before his death. She even prepared some cupcakes with Cresent Moon on top of the cream. Her heart keeps beating faster with every dish she prepares. As if she is waiting for her son to run from behind and hug her. Her mind is so occupied with the cooking that she smiles from time to time. Caressing her belly and whispering something on her own. However, she has no idea that Travis has been standing on the doorway with his cup of coffee, his eyes are on her, When she turns, placing the cupcakes on the tray, her attention swiftly moves to him, making her flinch. Travis as usual notices her expression. It's mixed with disgust and hatred. Within a sec, her entire expression changes like she just saw her enemy. Travis can't shake off this. Her attitude recently bothers him.
The afternoon's orange light streams into the elegant café , facing the hustling city where Dawn is sitting at a large oak bench. She appears calm, yet beneath the surface, her mind is calculating. She flips through the papers the private investigator has just delivered, her eyes narrowing as she reads the detailed report. The bittersweet taste of latte makes her mood better with the lines on the report. Spring Clinton, 24 years old. Employed at a small but growing marketing firm, barely scraping by. A history of substance abuse. Several failed rehab attempts. Friends that are enablers. A secret life she keeps hidden from her colleagues and supervisors. Living with her boyfriend - Freddie, 28, drug-addict and unemployed. and his sister - Fanny. Dawn closes the folder, letting out a slow, meaningful breath. This is exactly what she needed. She didn't know that Spring would destroy her life like this. Just then, the door creaks open, and the private investigator, Mr. Holden, ste
Instead of hanging out with his friends, Travis has decided to hangout with his father who is also his best friend. With an hour drive, Travis enters the Old Mansion where his parents reside. The five storey building has its own world. Since his parents like to have their own office here and handling all sorts of work, they practically built the house with everything available. From lavish spa room to rooftop swimming pool, ten doctors in different fields to lawyers... At least 100 people who are professional in different sectors reside here just to make a whole world for his parents. Especially his mother who is an introvert and hates people, likes to remain in her own comfortable space. She is also a billionaire with her own business. Changing his dress and wearing a sports shirt, Travis grabs a gulf club and follows his father in a spacious room. " I was surprised when Den said you wanted to visit! What's the occasion? I thought you would visit me with my Daughter-in-law
Next Day, Spring Clinton sits at her cluttered desk in the small office of the Evergreen Marketing Solutions, tapping her fingers against her coffee mug. Her eyes dart toward the clock on the wall. It’s nearly noon, and she’s already counting the hours until the day ends. The office hums with the usual sounds of keyboards and printers, while her coworkers chat casually nearby. Despite being surrounded by people, she feels more isolated than ever. Her phone buzzes on the desk, and she glances at the screen. It’s a message from Freddie, her boyfriend. She ignores it, not in the mood for his complaints or his latest half-baked schemes. He’s part of the problem, constantly dragging her down with his addictions, his messes. She stuffs the phone in her drawer and turns her attention to the report she’s supposed to finish by noon. But the numbers blur before her eyes. Her head throbs from the night before. She hadn’t planned on using, but Freddie had brought out the pills, and she coul
" Everything is set up as you want. What's your next step? Mrs Ericson!" While searching for something in her closet, Dawn looks at her phone when Mr Holden asks. She has been thinking a lot and she knows that the future is changing. " Let Ava take care of her mental health first. Make sure Jared plays his role without any trouble." She says, constantly searching for something. However she can't find it. " Is it yet to happen?" She mumbles, trying to find it. " Mrs Ericson. The Supervisor seems to have ignored the report you made. What should we do next then? They might have trusted her abilities and that's why they're overlooking it." " Don't worry about it. I will handle it in my own way. Did you investigate someone called Nancy? I want to find her as soon as possible before something bad happens!" She asks, closing the door of her closet. Pretty disappointed but she is hopeful that it's yet to happen. " Actually there is no one called Nancy Braham in Ohio with the
"Are you really taking my picture? I don't think I have a photogenic figure—" She hasn't even completed her words when he captures a picture of her. "Blue suits you perfectly!" he compliments, admiring the picture. "Let me see!" she says, looking genuinely interested. Travis hands her the phone and walks into the kitchen to grab a water bottle. Dawn sits at the table and admires how perfectly he captured the picture. She didn't know he was such a good photographer. She tries to zoom in on the picture to look closely at the necklace, but she accidentally swipes to the next picture. To her surprise, Dawn blinks twice when she notices a picture of herself standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, cradling her belly with a gentle smile on her face. It seems like a professional photographer took the photo. She swipes again. This time, she is talking to her in-laws and enjoying her time. Another swipe shows her standing by bushes of roses, holding some she later put in a vase for
Although she told Holden to investigate the sushi bar, her thoughts stay stuck on that matter. She understands that Spring is a crazy woman who would do anything to get what she wants. However, who else wants to kill her child and even her husband? Who are they? Why do they want to harm them? As questions keep creeping into her mind, her attention swiftly moves to her phone. After returning from that café, Dawn notices the group chat is lively. Since today, there are a few messages from the admin on dates and locations, nothing else. While heading downstairs to enjoy an evening with her father-in-law, she decides to check. But her eyebrows slightly rise when she notices the company’s name. She pauses for a few seconds before starting to read the messages properly. Nora Brown, one of her bullies, is the main topic and... her heart flutters when she notices a certain message from her classmates: “Nora, that bitch, has been banned from Ericson Companies!” Right below the messag
"I am going on a date this weekend!" "How nice! Is he a good person?" "Yes... He said he would take a few days off to meet me." Standing in the lobby, Travis unintentionally listens to his employees' conversation. His expression shifts to curiosity as he watches that employee's face. She looks happy about going on a date. "I never went on a date with Dawn!" he mutters, wondering what people do on a date. When he was dating Spring, he was busy with his studies and other things. He has never been on a date before. "Boss!" His assistant walks toward him. "The meeting will start after the lunch break." "Okay. Inform everyone." "Okay, Boss!" Travis takes his phone out. Usually, he doesn't call Dawn at this hour, but recently he feels a strong urge to talk to her. "Should I ask her if she wants to go on a date with me? But can a pregnant woman go on a date?" While pressing her phone number, he keeps wondering. Then he squints his eyes, thinking about searching it online.
"Reunion Party? I didn't hear anything about it!" The tranquility of the night is disrupted as Travis sneakily slides his hand into hers, intertwining their fingers. They walk through the park, holding hands, bathing in the dazzling silver moonlight. Dawn looks surprised at his gesture but stays silent, a hint of blush appearing on her cheeks. Travis has never been good with affection; his silent gestures suit him well. Still, it's endearing to see him panic before taking action. "In our previous life, I got invited but decided not to go. This time, I was added to the group for the first time. I think something changed! I wasn’t added to a group chat before!" Dawn says. "Maybe you didn’t notice. Around this time, you were a bit exhausted," Travis replies, recalling how bad her morning sickness was. Thankfully, this time, they have taken precautions, especially measures to soothe her discomfort. "That could be it. What do you think? Should I go?" Dawn asks, her tone hesitan
"Sweetheart! What are you doing?" Mr. Ericson knocks on the door as he walks into the house with a bunch of healthy snacks and fruits. He smiles, watching Dawn reading a book. "What kind of book is it? Romance?" Mr. Ericson sits on the couch across from her and grabs a box of grapes. "No, Dad. It's thriller and crime. I'm trying to figure out how to make people miserable!" she says with a serious expression, which makes Mr. Ericson struggle to hold back his laughter. "Really? I think you should watch dramas. They really know how to make things hard for each other!" He walks toward the kitchen and starts washing some grapes. "Do you need an orange too, Princess?" Dawn glances at the packets and yells, "No, Dad! But can you get me some ice cream? I think my brain is freezing!" Mr. Ericson looks at her, confused. "You should drink warm tea to prevent freezing. Should I brew some tea?" "No, Dad! You don't understand!" Dawn sits up and turns to him. "If you catch a cold, eat i
The next morning, her eyes open to a warm sensation on her forehead. She wakes up to find Travis heading out, while a tray of breakfast with her favorite freshly squeezed orange juice sits on the nightstand. "Travis?" she mutters. But Travis is already out of the room, probably heading to his company. She takes a deep breath; all the information about her previous life has been a big deal to digest. She is more wary and determined to destroy Spring's life in every aspect. As she gets off the bed, her attention goes to the food tray. A small note sticks to the edge of the tray. Furrowing her brows, she grabs it. "There are a few things I have in the refrigerator. You might like them!" Dawn's expression shifts with curiosity. She doesn’t hesitate to see what's in the refrigerator. As soon as she opens the door, a familiar smell makes her smile brighter. She grabs all the containers with different kinds of stews from various restaurants she used to like. But her expression turns
It was confirmed that behind the scenes, the truth always hides with eye-opening information.Dawn, who hated Travis for his betrayal, can't feel that way anymore. Now, when she looks at him, she feels a deep respect. Can a person truly stand firm against all the accusations and fake evidence against his wife? What was Travis thinking at that time? Was love enough to trust her fully? If he did it for love, how deeply did he love her?She stands up, feeling a heavy weight lifted off her chest. She turns to Travis with a soft smile. "Thank you."Travis knits his brows and stands up. "Why?""For working hard. If I were in your shoes, I would have left you without a second thought.""But I couldn't protect you!" Travis's voice cracks, regret never leaving him."It was inevitable. Like they said, there were masterminds behind everything. If they couldn’t get you, they would have found another way to hurt us.""Don't you hate me? I...""Stop blaming yourself, Travis!" she says, holding
Dawn is beyond shock—saying she is shocked would be an understatement. Travis, who isn’t good at explaining things except in business, said something that didn’t sound like he was making excuses. It explained everything that had happened to her throughout the six years.She is even surprised that he remembers everything thoroughly. But she is astonished after realizing how deep the level of deception was.There were some incidents that nobody was supposed to know about—not even Nancy. But Nancy knew, twisted the truth, and sent it to Travis, who patiently rejected all accusations against her.One of them is the cruelest she has ever heard.After her 23rd birthday, her in-laws sent her and Travis away for personal time after Asher's birth. Although Asher was a calm and observant child like his father, handling a baby was still difficult. So, her in-laws decided to give her a break with a three-day exclusive honeymoon suite package to enjoy time together.At first, she noticed Travis's
There is a very few people who bring happiness in your life. Certainly they can be your family or anyone from the world who you never met. And at some point, those relationships, from blood related to no blood related relationship, make life way much better and brighter than you ever anticipated. Travis was a boy of few words. Falling in love with Spring it was a fresh, understandably nice. Travis can't say that he didn't love her. Spring's fake façade when she acted innocent and perfect was the perfect type that Travis wanted. A woman who could understand him, respect his boundaries and respects his feelings the way it should be. But he was a teenage boy who fell in love for the first time. He had that rose colored glass that stopped him wondering how a person could be so perfect in every aspect of her life. Also him being a perfect person didn't make him think that another person can't be perfect. But Travis is a man with self-respect. The day Spring walked out of the engagement,