Athena Hall stood in the kitchen, carefully arranging the last dish on the table. She adjusted the silverware, made sure the candles were lit, and glanced at the clock once more. Her heart fluttered a little with excitement, but also with a tinge of anxiety. Lewis Belmont, her husband, was supposed to pick up their son, Dion, from his mother Bridget's place. Athena had been looking forward to this day, imagining how nice it would be to finally have them all together, just the three of them, to celebrate her birthday like a normal family. It had been far too long since they had a night like this. When everything was finally ready, her phone rang. "I'm working late. Not coming home," Lewis said, completely flat. "Lewis, today is my—" The line went dead before she could finish. She stared at the phone, the beeping tone drilling into her ears as something heavy settled in her chest. She had only wanted him to know it was her birthday. One night. She just needed him for one night after he'd already worked six days straight. Then the world exploded. A deafening blast shook the entire building. The lights went out. Heat slammed into her. She hit the floor and pain shot up her leg as a cabinet came crashing down on her shin. Flames crawled up the walls, smoke thickening so fast she could hardly breathe. Athena clawed for her phone and dialed Lewis. "The number you have reached is unavailable. Please try again later." Why wasn't he picking up... By some miracle, firefighters dragged her out alive. She later learned the explosion had come from a gas leak downstairs. Her leg was broken, and she had burns across her body. As medics lifted her toward the ambulance, she heard someone shouting in panic: "My wife is hurt! Get her in the ambulance right now!" She froze. That… was Lewis.Wasn't he supposed to be at work? Through the smoke and pain, Athena forced herself up just enough to see him—frantic, shouting at the medics… with a woman in his arms. He held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Eight years of marriage, and Athena had never seen him panic like that. Beside him, little Dion cried as he clung to the woman, sobbing, "Please help my mom! She's hurt!" One medic said calmly, "Sir, we have to prioritize the most critical patient. This lady is in danger. She needs to go first." "Lewis… it hurts…" the woman whimpered, burying her face in his chest. Lewis's expression twisted. "No one is more important than my wife!" But he wasn't looking at Athena when he said it. Dion's cries grew louder. "Please help my mom! Don't be scared, Mom—we're almost at the hospital!" A second medic stepped in. “Mr. Belmont, we'll get you arranged. Which floor are you on?" "Building Ten. Twenty-eighth floor." "And the injured lady here is from the twentieth floor, right below you. Can the two of you ride together to the hospital?" Athena's blood turned to ice. He had another home. Another life. Just eight floors above her—and her son was calling another woman "Mom." As if they were a real family. Athena pushed herself off the stretcher, wincing as pain shot through her body. She looked at the three of them—Lewis, Dion, and the woman he held—and her voice came out like ice. "Forget it. Give them the ambulance." Lewis and Dion both turned, stunned. They hadn't even realized she was the one in the ambulance. Athena finally saw the woman's face clearly. Nina Green. The maid's daughter. Years ago, Lewis's parents had forced them apart because she came from a poor background. After they broke up, he met Athena… and married her. Lewis's expression hardened. After a long pause, he said, "Nina's hurt. I'll explain later." And without sparing Athena a single glance, he carried Nina into the ambulance. Dion looked back at Athena once—hesitating for the briefest second—then followed them without a word. … Half an hour later, Athena was in the hospital when she overheard nurses whispering. Apparently Nina only had a few scratches, yet Lewis acted like she was dying. He'd pulled an ER doctor straight from a critical patient and demanded he treat Nina first. The nurses giggled about how lucky Nina was—to have a man so devoted. Athena looked down at her cast, a bitter smile twisting her lips. First her hand, now her leg. Her whole life was breaking. She wheeled herself down the hall, searching for Lewis and Dion. But when she passed an open door, voices inside made her stop cold."Athena's in the hospital too," Nina said softly. "Aren't you going to check on her?" Lewis's voice was low and cold. "Nina, you're Dion's real mother. No one is more important than you. Years ago, I made sure Athena's daughter would never live—so she could raise yours instead. My Nina is a princess. You deserve a carefree life. Athena's just a little injured. You're the one who matters." Nina's sweet laugh floated out. "Lewis, I love you." Athena felt something tear inside her. Her fingers dug into the armrests of her wheelchair until her nails bent backward. Dion isn't my child! Lewis killed my baby! My daughter—she's your daughter too, Lewis! How could you... All those sleepless nights she'd spent rocking Dion to sleep. Every scraped knee she'd tended. Every birthday she'd celebrated with him. Every moment she'd loved him with her whole heart— He'd never been hers.For eight years, she'd been nothing more than a nanny. A stand-in for the woman Lewis truly loved. She didn't remember how she got back to her hospital room. She lay on the bed, numb, hollow, barely breathing. My daughter. My little girl. I never even got to see you. The door opened. Lewis walked in, expression blank. "I just finished everything and came to check on you." Athena let out a soft, humorless laugh. "You should be checking on Nina, not me." Lewis frowned, annoyed. "Athena, what's with you? I brought Nina here, that's it. Why are you being so dramatic? I treat her like a sister. Why are you jealous?" Sister? The same "sister" you had a baby with. How disgusting. Right then, Dion burst in. He had overheard enough. His small face twisted with anger as he glared at Athena."Mom, why are you fighting with Dad? Nina is my godmother! Dad didn't do anything wrong—you're the one being mean! How dare you get mad at him?" To him, Athena was the problem. "Of course I don't blame you," Athena said quietly. "And since everything is so perfect for the three of you… fine. I'll step aside. Let's get divorced." Lewis's face darkened. "What nonsense are you talking about? Just because I brought Nina to the hospital? If that's what upset you, fine—I'll apologize. Happy now?" No apology could bring my baby girl back. Tears slipped from Athena's eyes as the weight of everything crashed down. She wished she had never saved Lewis years ago. She wished she had never met him. She hated him so much it made her shake. She wanted him to bleed for what he had taken from her. Seeing her tears, Lewis's expression softened. He stepped forward, touched her head gently, and spoke in a coaxing tone. "Athena, relax. Nina's father works for our family. I only brought her here because it was an emergency. Don't overthink it." He smiled softly, as if talking to a child. "You're upset right now. Once you calm down, we'll talk again." Dion huffed, arms crossed. "Mom, I'm hurt too and you didn't even care. Nina was the one asking if I was okay. "And you're always poking me with those needles. You force Dad to drink that awful soup you make! Your cooking is horrible. Not like Nina—her food is so good!" He stomped his foot. "I wish you were even half as good as her!" Every word stabbed deeper. He didn't know those needles kept his allergies under control. He didn't know that "soup" was herbal medicine Lewis needed for his stomach. And Athena—silently—had given everything.