Chapter 1: Goodbye, My Angel Baby

After one fateful night with Oliver, heir to the White family, Alison's life spiraled into a nightmare. She stared in despair as her daughter Natalia was reduced to ashes, while Oliver White hosted a grand party for the woman he truly loved. But fate gave Alison another chance. Alison vowed to make everyone who had hurt her pay a heavy price. She decided to sever all ties with the White family and no longer yearn for Oliver’s cheap love. Everything that Jenny Black took from her, Alison would make sure Jenny suffered for it and returned everything. Alison made a decision: she would stop loving anyone else and start loving herself. The moment Oliver realized Alison no longer loved him, panic set in. In the end, Oliver lowered his proud head, praying to God to bring Alison back into his life. --- Inside the crematorium, Alison stood silently, watching her little girl, lying on the metal frame, being wheeled into the cremation furnace. According to the crematorium’s rules, family members were not typically allowed in the cremation chamber. But Alison had used some special methods to be there. The heat from the furnace blasted against Alison’s face, filling the air with the smell of dust—perhaps from the ashes of the previous client. In no time at all, Alison’s beloved daughter would be reduced to the same. Dressed in a long black dress, the sunlight reflected faintly off Alison, making her appear even more frail. Her eyes, though seemingly calm, were bloodshot and devoid of emotion, her face expressionless as if she were made of wood. She gently stroked Natalia's cold, stiff hand, now hardened by death. From her bag, Alison pulled out two small star-shaped trinkets, no bigger than a fingernail, and placed them on her daughter’s chest. “Natalia, take your time. Soon, we’ll be together again.” At the appointed time, two workers dressed in blue uniforms gently moved Alison aside and pulled back the white cloth covering Natalia’s face, revealing her now frail form. Despite being seven years old, Natalia looked malnourished. The most alarming thing was the sunken area on her left abdomen, where a large portion of her body had collapsed inward. Seeing this gaping hollow, Alison, who had appeared so composed, broke down, tears spilling uncontrollably from her eyes. Grief and guilt consumed her. She blamed herself for not taking better care of Natalia. One of the workers tried to comfort her softly, “It’s alright. God will take care of your daughter. After all, she saved another child’s life by donating her kidney. She’s a little angel who gave the gift of life.” At those words, Alison's eyes went cold, and a bitter smile curled at her lips. “Yes, Natalia saved a child—a bastard who’s celebrating his birthday right now in my home, receiving blessings from everyone. Did you know today was supposed to be Natalia’s birthday too?” The worker froze, unsure of how to console the grieving mother standing before him. Alison looked at Natalia as her small body was pushed into the furnace. Her smile was full of sorrow. Watching her own daughter’s tiny frame turn to ash in the flames was a cruelty beyond words for any mother. One of the workers tried to move forward to shield Alison from the sight, but Alison shook her head. She knew, deep down, that Natalia was now truly an angel, safely on her way to heaven, free from the cold indifference of her father. “Mom, doesn’t Daddy love me?” “Mom, is Aunt Jenny’s child cuter than me?” “Mom, should I not have been born?” Natalia’s soft, innocent questions echoed in Alison’s mind, refusing to leave her alone. The sweet, gentle little girl who once spoke those words had been destroyed by Oliver. He had promised to take Natalia to the amusement park for her birthday—just the two of them. But instead, he tricked her into the operating room, took her kidney, and used it to save his illegitimate son. Natalia had been left with only one kidney, forced to lie in a hospital bed alone. Alison learned of Natalia’s death through the cold words of a doctor. In that moment, her world collapsed. The last time she saw her healthy daughter, she was already a cold, lifeless corpse. The call log on Natalia’s phone watch showed that her last call had been to her father, Oliver. When Alison tried calling back, all she heard was Oliver’s cruel reprimand. “Didn’t I tell you to stay in the hospital? Stop bothering me!” The line went dead after that. Alison held Natalia close, fighting back her tears so they wouldn’t fall. She knew that whenever she cried, Natalia would get upset too. It all began when Jenny Black returned to the country with her child, seeking revenge. Oliver, upon learning about Jenny’s misfortunes abroad, blamed Alison entirely, convinced that she was responsible for Jenny’s unhappiness. When Jenny returned with a son, claiming it was Oliver’s biological child, Alison became nothing more than a joke in the eyes of everyone. Oliver, outwardly polite and refined, was so cruel to his own daughter. He refused to believe anything Alison said and even told the young Natalia horrible things. “Natalia, your mother made a terrible mistake. You both will have to pay the price.” Oliver had exacted his revenge. Now it was all over. Alison stepped out of the crematorium, holding Natalia’s urn tightly in her arms. “Natalia, Mommy is taking you home.” A gentle breeze blew, and the hem of Alison’s dress fluttered in the wind. Under the sunlight, it gleamed like raven wings. --- Back at home, Alison gathered all of Natalia’s belongings, clutching the urn tightly as she sat on the living room couch, waiting for Oliver to return. The night had already fallen, casting the city in darkness, when she finally heard the sound of a car engine outside. Steady, deliberate footsteps echoed, followed by the door opening. A tall figure stood in the doorway—it was Oliver. Seven years had not changed him much. His face was still stern, his gaze as cold as ever, never once landing on Alison. Without sparing her a glance, Oliver walked upstairs. A moment later, he came back down, now dressed in a custom-tailored Italian suit, one that Jenny Black had designed for their engagement years ago. Ignoring Alison entirely, he headed for the door. This was how Oliver had been for the past seven years. The only time he ever came to Alison was to fulfill his physical needs. To him, Natalia was just another stranger. Oliver had forbidden Natalia from ever calling him “Daddy.” Maybe it was Alison’s unusual silence tonight that made Oliver finally speak before leaving. “I have something to attend to tonight. Don’t let Natalia call me.” Alison responded softly, tightening her grip on the urn in her arms. If Oliver had just taken a second to look at Alison, he would have noticed the odd box she held so tightly. But Oliver remained cold and indifferent as he continued, “Think about how you want to handle the divorce settlement. Natalia will stay with you. We’ll finalize the divorce next Monday.” Alison gave him a quiet, “Mm.” At least now, Natalia would belong only to her. Satisfied with her quick agreement, Oliver didn’t bother to dwell on Alison’s odd behavior. “Natalia saved Lionel’s life. I’ll cover all her medical and nutritional expenses from now on. But after that, I never want to see you again.” Alison’s heart was unmoved. Yes, they would never meet again.