Early the next morning, Clara finished getting ready and changed into a formal black suit she had set aside.

Looking at her haggard reflection in the mirror, she thought she truly looked the part for visiting a grave.

As soon as she walked into the living room, Leo let out a loud, mocking scoff. Holding a half-finished bowl of soup, he intentionally collided with her.

The liquid splashed all over her suit. "So dirty," he sneered maliciously.

Clara looked at the child who had once been so well-behaved, now transformed into this ill-mannered brat. She felt a profound sense of sorrow.

Years ago, to find the best tutors for Leo, she had visited teachers' homes in the pouring rain, eventually falling ill with a fever that lasted three days and nights.

She had thought her sacrifices would keep Leo on the right path.

She never imagined that her heart’s blood would be worth less than a few manipulative words from Mia.

Clara grabbed Leo as he tried to walk away with a smug grin, her voice cold. "Apologize."

Leo had never seen her with such a frigid expression and was visibly startled.

Once he recovered, he became even more indignant. "I’ll never apologize to you! In the old days, a witch like you would have been burned at the stake!"

Slap!

A crisp, sharp sound echoed through the room.

Leo clutched his bright red cheek, staring at Clara in utter disbelief. "You dared to hit me?"

Arthur rushed forward, pulling Leo behind him and shouting at Clara in a rage, "Why on earth did you hit him?"

Clara lowered her hand and shook it casually. "I am his mother. Correcting his behavior is my responsibility."

Arthur didn't hesitate for a second. "He doesn't need your correction!"

Clara let out a cold laugh in her heart. "Don't worry," she replied indifferently, "soon enough, I won't have the right to care anyway."

Her demeanor was cold and her tone was calm, worlds apart from her usual self.

Arthur instinctively asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Clara didn't answer. Instead, she reminded him, "It’s time to leave."

On the way there, Clara sat in the back seat, remaining silent the entire time as if she were a total stranger.

Arthur glanced at her several times through the rearview mirror, becoming increasingly certain that she was genuinely angry this time.

In the past, if he had made such a racket slamming things last night, she would have rushed out immediately.

At the very least, she would have tried to make peace this morning.

But she hadn't even noticed they were eating last night's leftovers, and she had even slapped Leo.

Arthur recalled the lonely figure he saw when he opened the door last night.

After a moment of thought, he reached into the glove compartment, pulled out a box, and tossed it onto the back seat during a red light.

Clara, who had been resting with her eyes closed, was startled by the impact. "Are you out of your mind?"

In their five years of marriage, she had endured Arthur's temperament. But she was done with this kind of disrespectful behavior.

Arthur’s expression darkened instantly. "That’s an anniversary gift I prepared for you, and you say I'm out of my mind?"

"You sent me that message about the graves yesterday and you've been acting like a martyr today—isn't this all just because you want an apology?"

"Now I'm giving you one, what more do you want?"

The light turned green, and he was forced to stop talking and continue driving.

Clara watched his displeased expression in the mirror.

What was he unhappy about? Had she ever asked for an apology?

Why did he always project thoughts onto her that weren't hers, only to berate her for them?

Clara looked down, unwilling to argue. She opened the box with one hand. Inside was a diamond ring; it was sparkly, but utterly unremarkable.

She recognized it—it was a discarded design from TR.

Simply put, it was a model that had been pulled from the market for various flaws. It was the kind of thing no one would want even if it were lying in the street.

Meanwhile, the ring Mia wore in the video yesterday was TR’s latest "Eternal One," a unique global edition symbolizing one-and-only love.

So, for the past five years, Arthur’s mood swings and coldness weren't because he was busy or stressed.

He didn't skip gifts because he "didn't understand romance," as he claimed.

He simply didn't love Clara.

That was all.

Snap.

Clara closed the ring box and tossed it aside on the seat.

Since it was a discarded design, she didn't want it either.

When they were five kilometers away from the cemetery, Arthur’s phone suddenly rang.

He didn't even look at the screen before pulling over to the side of the road, clearly familiar with that specific ringtone.

Without any regard for Clara’s presence, he answered it right in front of her. "Now? But today I..."

The person on the other end said something.

Arthur’s harsh features softened instantly, and he coaxed in a low voice, "Alright, alright. I'm coming right now."

So he was capable of looking as warm as a spring breeze?

How strange.

Clara crossed her arms, waiting for the ridiculous words he was about to say.

Sure enough, he hung up and immediately turned around. "I have an emergency at the office. You’ll have to go to the cemetery by yourself."

Clara wasn't blind; she had seen the name "Mia" on his screen.

For the sake of a woman, he wouldn't even visit his own parents' graves.

What a devoted lover he was.

The irony in Clara’s eyes was unmistakable. "You plan to dump me here in the middle of nowhere and expect me to walk the rest of the way to honor

your

parents?"

"Arthur, the people under those headstones on that hill are your biological parents. What 'emergency' at the office on New Year's Day could possibly be more important than the people who raised you?"