When my husband's mentor announced his daughter Harper was pregnant, he dropped the divorce bomb on me out of the blue.

"It's just for show, Claire. Once she gives birth to my child, we will remarry and have the child raised in your name." he said dismissively.

Even our son Tyler sided with him. "We need to show gratitude, Mom. Besides, dad's mentor helped him a lot. Don't make this hard on him."

Everyone expected me to scream and fight. Instead, I quietly nodded.

I signed the divorce papers efficiently, then married Hudson Brooks, the man who once saved my life.

In my previous life, I had refused the divorce. It turned out that James and our son abandoned me, moving far away. I became everyone's laughingstock, spiraling into depression I never recovered from.

So this time around, I calmly divorced him and vanished from their world.

Six years later, at an exclusive yacht party for the elite, I met James and our son again.

"I said it was just for show!" James hissed, grabbed my wrist in furious. "Where the hell have you been all these years?"

"Mom, I miss you so much. Don't leave me and daddy again, ok?" My son tightly grabbed my skirt.

But before I could respond, a small voice interrupted as my little daughter crashed into my arms.

"Mommy, who are you talking to? Daddy's looking for you."

---

When I encountered James again, I was sipping champagne on deck. I'd been up until midnight finalizing design sketches and hadn't planned to make an appearance, but as the yacht owner's wife, I had obligations.

I sighed, raising my glass. Before it touched my lips, hurried footsteps approached from behind.

A hand spun me around.

James and I both froze, staring at each other. His pupils dilated in shock.

"Claire? It really is you! Where have you been all these years?!"

I kept my expression neutral, unable to respond before Harper exclaimed loudly:

"Oh my God, Claire! You're so skinny now! I remember when you were too fat to show your face in public."

Heard of that, Tyler snickered. He'd grown taller in the years since I'd seen him, but the arrogant expression on his face mirrored Harper's perfectly.

He caught her meaning immediately and smirked. "Mom, you're copying Auntie Harper's style again? What's the point? It's not like you could ever be a model."

The contempt in Tyler's voice was familiar—just like the countless times he'd mocked me before. Mocked me for being overweight, for being stupid, for being "just a housewife" with not a single of personal appeal.

But before my marriage, I'd been considered one of the fashion industry's emerging geniuses. Major fashion houses had courted me, eager for my designs.

Everything changed after the wedding. James constantly criticized me for not being home enough, brainwashing me into believing that a good wife and mother shouldn't be in the spotlight.

Then came the day he sent emails to all my business partners, lying that I was retiring from the industry.

After I found out, I broke down in tears and made a scene, but he only told me to calm down.

From that day, I became like a bird with broken wings, dedicating myself entirely to our home.

Yet in our seventh year of marriage, he cheated with his mentor's daughter.

He said she was radiant and captivating, that she rekindled his passion.

Lost in these bitter memories, I barely registered Harper's saccharine laugh.

"Claire, honey," she said with fake sympathy, "you may not have model potential, but don't feel insecure! You could totally apply to be a hostess or waiter somewhere."

She leaned in conspiratorially. "Actually, my friend manages a hotel that's hiring hostesses right now. It pays about $2,000 a month. Want me to put in a good word?"

Before I could respond, Tyler burst out laughing.

"Aunt Harper, please stop. Mom's so petty and jealous, she'll make a scene any minute." He pointed proudly toward a platform across the deck. "Aunt Harper's been invited to walk the runway tonight. She's wearing pieces from a super famous designer."

I stopped for a second, fighting an unexpected urge to laugh.