Chapter 4

I frowned, refusing to answer her question.

"How did you know I was here?"

Mia Winthrop's voice was hoarse.

"I checked your bank card transactions."

It suddenly dawned on me that shortly after our marriage, she had taken complete control of our finances. Every expense of mine and our daughter's was scrutinized, and all bank cards were under her name.

This card couldn't stay either.

What puzzled me was why she wasn't at home taking care of Julian Valentine. What was she doing here?

Mia suddenly softened her stance, reaching out to grab my hand with an uncharacteristic gentleness.

"I know you're still upset about last night."

"This morning, as soon as Julian felt a bit better, I sent him home. Don't worry, I made him sleep on the couch."

I was stunned.

She never used to explain herself. Whenever I argued about such matters, she would call me petty, saying my mind was so dirty that I saw filth everywhere.

Now that I stopped caring, she was the one chasing after me, babbling incessantly.

I pushed her away in annoyance. "Are you done? I have an interview to attend."

I had sent out numerous resumes recently, and several major companies had already extended invitations.

As I turned to leave, Mia grabbed my sleeve, tears streaming down her face.

"Liam Evans, do you have to be so harsh?"

"Julian and I grew up together. I just want him to have a better life. Is that wrong?"

"Besides, haven't I been good to you and our daughter?"

"All these years, haven't I paid for everything you needed?"

"How can you treat me like this after all I've done?"

Her self-righteousness was utterly ironic.

She only gave me and our daughter two hundred dollars a month, which wasn't even enough for food, let alone tuition and transportation.

To make sure our daughter didn't go hungry, I had to take on three part-time jobs after work. That's why I couldn't even scrape together the ten thousand dollars for her surgery, and I had to watch her die on the operating table.

Mia's eyes were filled with tears as she whispered, "Liam, stop this. Let's take our daughter home and live as a family, okay?"

Her pitiful act only made me laugh.

Why should I be at her beck and call like a dog?

Seeing my cold expression, she finally relented.

"Fine... I'll increase your and our daughter's allowance to five hundred dollars!"

"Our daughter has always wanted to go to the beach, right? Let's go today, okay?"

"Look, I even bought her the swimsuit she's been wanting."

She looked at me expectantly, as if she had bestowed some great favor that I couldn't possibly refuse.

I smirked coldly. "You want to take our daughter to the beach, huh?"

"Then come with me."

Mia, oblivious to what was about to happen, thought I had forgiven her. She followed me into the car, smiling and saying, "We're an old married couple. What's with the surprise?"

"Alright, I'll humor you and see what you've got."

But when I parked the car in front of our daughter's grave, Mia looked confused.

"Liam, aren't we going to your mom's to pick up our daughter?"

"Why did you bring me here?"

The next second, when she saw our daughter's photo on the tombstone—

The brand-new swimsuit in her hand fell to the ground with a thud.