Chapter 1The Name We Gave Our Son

Arthur Sterling wanted to divorce me for his delicate, white-lotus first love.

Even our child had taken a special liking to her.

When I heard him carefully call that woman "Mom," my heart went completely cold, and I signed the divorce papers.

Years later, I returned to the country for a gathering.

A strange young boy timidly called me "Mom."

My daughter asked curiously, "Is he Evelyn's big brother?"

I shook my head. "Mom only has one child in this life, and that's Evelyn."

* * *

Everyone was thrilled to see the little blonde girl by my side.

Madison nudged me with her elbow. "Where'd you kidnap her from? She's so cute."

Someone chimed in, "Yeah, seriously. Chloe, I didn't expect you to become a human trafficker after a few years abroad."

I unceremoniously flicked them both on the forehead. "What kind of nonsense is that? This is my daughter."

I squatted down. "Don't we look alike?"

Evelyn played along, obediently pressing her little cheek against mine.

The private room instantly went dead silent.

I knew this news was a bit too shocking for them.

My marriage to Arthur had only ended a few years ago. And my intense, high-profile pursuit of him back in the day was something everyone here had witnessed; many had even helped me strategize.

I had kept my life abroad very private, so they all assumed I was still single.

Or at least, not married with a kid.

Madison looked like she wanted to swear, but seeing Evelyn, she swallowed the words.

She turned around and made a phone call.

"Yeah, tell the guys they don't need to come over. Tonight's not the right vibe."

I held back a laugh, looking at my old friends. "What? Are married women not welcome here?"

My friends recovered from their shock and bombarded me with questions:

"Who'd you marry? Is he handsome?"

"Chloe, how could you snag a hot foreign guy and not tell us?!"

"What's your name, little one? Want Auntie to play with you?"

"Hannah, stop talking in that gross baby voice."

"Screw off, leave me alone."

...

I rubbed my temples helplessly.

A decade later, and they were still just as noisy.

Thankfully, Evelyn wasn't shy. She happily played with my old friends.

Madison pulled me aside for a drink. "Are you really over Arthur?"

I smiled, showing her the ring on my finger. "What do you think?"

She smacked her forehead. "Right, stupid question."

"Arthur was so dead-set on marrying that fragile little flower back then. Now he's regretting it."

I raised an eyebrow. "He regrets it?"

I hadn't kept tabs on them since I went abroad, but Arthur regretting it was genuinely surprising.

He loved Lily Evans to death back then. He was willing to fight the whole world to marry her.

Madison nodded. "The white lotus is pretty, sure, but being Mrs. Sterling is too much for her to handle."

The title of 'Mrs. Sterling' didn't just mean being Arthur's wife; it carried significant responsibilities.

"The Sterling family has a massive empire. It's not easy to manage," I said.

"You have no idea. When the white lotus first married Arthur, she couldn't do anything right. She messed everything up. Arthur was patient at first, but patience doesn't equal time. Eventually, he just got sick of it. Men, right? Typical."

Madison's tone dripped with sarcasm.

She never liked Arthur to begin with. Ever since she took over her family's business, she had cut off many of their partnerships with the Sterlings.

In her eyes, a man who couldn't keep his personal life straight couldn't possibly run a corporation well.

Madison waved her hand. "Whatever, let's not talk about that dog."

Just as she finished speaking, the door to the private room suddenly opened.

A strange boy, looking to be around ten or eleven, walked in.

Madison looked toward the door impatiently. "Who's that?"

"Whose kid is lost?"

The boy scanned the crowd frantically before his eyes locked onto me.

Those beautiful eyes gave me a strange sense of familiarity.

Someone in the crowd murmured, "Isn't that Arthur's oldest son?"

Madison reacted faster than I did. "Oh, it's Chloe's kid! Arthur... Arthur what again?"

A friend reminded her, "Arthur James Sterling."

Evelyn, who was playing happily, seemed to sense something. She looked left and right, her big eyes darting around.

The boy walked toward me and called out timidly, "Mom."