A Heart's U-Turn: It's Never Too Late

During the seventh year of my relationship with Oscar Ramsay, he goes back to his home country to inherit the position of heir to the Ramsay family from his younger brother, Oliver Ramsay, who passed away. He also accepts Oliver's widow, Evie Griffin, into the family. Every time after he sleeps with her, he will get down on his knees before me and beg me for forgiveness. "I'm sorry, Aurora. You're the only person I love, but none of this is of my own accord. I'll only be able to publicly announce our relationship after I successfully give Evie a baby to be the next family heir. "I'll be taking over the company by then, too, and give you a better life in the future." He even tells me resentfully that his father, Uriah Ramsay, had told him of his dying wish that Evie give birth to a baby boy. Over the next year, Oscar sleeps with Evie 200 times. It went from a few times a month to a few times a week. Eventually, Oscar just sleeps in her room every single night. After I lose sleep for 200 nights, Evie finally gets pregnant. The next day, Oscar and Evie get married at a very expensive and elaborate wedding at a church. Ingrid Ramsay, my daughter, gets upset when she sees Oscar and Evie kissing on the screen. "Mommy, why is Daddy getting married to someone else? You're his wife!" I cover Ingrid's eyes and smile bitterly. "Because Daddy doesn't love Mommy." Oscar doesn't know this, but I have never cared that other people didn't know about my real identity. I also don't care about his money or wealth. I only care whether or not he loves me. I'm no longer willing to face a man who cheats on me. Instead, I bring Ingrid with me as we leave him forever. Chapter 1 My name is Aurora Finnigan. Seven years ago, I fell in love with Oscar Ramsay. He was my first love. However, since I was the heiress of a highly secretive and mysterious family, the Finnigans, that meant I had already been betrothed to someone else. I decided to reject my heiress role and run away from home so that I could be with him. However, I never thought that our relationship would end during our seventh year together. Oscar had to go back to his home country to inherit the Ramsay family from his brother, Oliver Ramsay, who had passed away. He also "inherited" Oliver's widow, Evie Griffin, although she was technically his sister-in-law. However, every time after he slept with Evie, he would come back to me and beg me for forgiveness. "I'm sorry, Aurora. You're the only person I love, but I have no choice in this matter. But I promise that I will make our relationship public to the world after I've gotten Evie pregnant and she gives birth to the next Ramsay heir. "I'll also be taking over the family business then, which means I'll finally be able to give you the better life you deserve." He told me resentfully that this arrangement was his father's dying wish. His father, Uriah Ramsay, had wanted Evie to give birth to a baby boy. However, Oscar never knew that this arrangement was also making me exhausted, both mentally and physically. We had to go our separate ways eventually. Yet, as soon as I thought about returning to my family, I recalled the worried and disappointed looks on my parents' faces when I ditched the pre-arranged wedding. I didn't know if they would still be able to forgive me after I went back. While I was still contemplating in worry, a pair of arms suddenly enveloped me from behind. What followed was a pungent perfume scent attacking my senses. I sneezed violently a few times and shoved Oscar away. He looked at me unhappily. His voice was low as he said, "Are you rejecting me?" I frowned and told him the truth. "Change those clothes. You smell like her." Oscar took off his jacket with guilt written in his eyes. Then, he tried to change the topic. "It's late. Why aren't you asleep yet?" I stayed silent as a bitter smile crept onto my face. Over the past year, he had slept with Evie 200 times. It started off as something that happened a few times a month, but it soon grew to occur a couple of times a week. Eventually, he started spending entire nights in her room every single day. She finally got pregnant on the night I lost sleep for the 200th time. Nobody knew that I always stared off into space at night with the lights off because I didn't want them to discover my weakness. Oscar came close to me again, wanting to touch me, but he was still covered in the scent of her perfume, and I sneezed again a few more times. He froze, rooted to the ground, unsure of what to do next. I waved him off in disgust and said sternly, "Go and shower. You stink." He lowered his head to sniff at his clothes and looked at me a little embarrassedly. "Sorry. I'll go and shower now." He started toward the bathroom. However, he suddenly seemed to think of something and turned to look back at me. "Rora, I've already gotten Evie's permission to bring you and Ingrid out on a trip after her pregnancy is stable. We can finally spend some quality time together." I nodded stiffly, and Oscar went into the bathroom with a joyful expression. I watched his disappearing back with dull eyes. What a joke. Why would he need to get Evie's permission to spend time with me and Ingrid, our daughter? Anyone who didn't know better would think that I was the mistress instead. I chuckled drily. A short while later, Oscar emerged from the bathroom in a loose bathrobe that revealed his muscular chest. Beads of water were still trickling down his hair and dripping onto his body, and he looked the epitome of a nonchalantly handsome and sexy man without trying too hard. It reminded me of how we met for the first time. I had been out in the forest for a walk one day when I accidentally fell into a river. Just as I thought I was about to be swept away by the current, Oscar dove into the water at once and saved me, causing him to be drenched all over. When he took off his clothes to dry them, I caught sight of his muscular body and immediately felt my heart thumping wildly against my chest. I couldn't help but praise him. "You're really handsome." He was stunned briefly. Then, he smiled sincerely and said in return, "You're very pretty, too." I blushed and averted my gaze shyly. Meanwhile, he just kept staring at me. I felt a little uneasy with his eyes on me the whole time, so I turned toward him and glared at him in retaliation. I reached out to clap him on the shoulder, but he immediately grabbed my hand and held it tightly. His palm was warm to the touch. I knew then that I'd fallen for him completely. I didn't know how or why, but it just happened. I was in love with him at first sight. Chapter 2 Oscar was the assertive type. He said to me, "I think I liked you from the moment I set my eyes on you. Would you like to be my girlfriend?" I bit on my bottom lip for a while. Thinking that I'd follow my heart this once, I nodded and agreed to be with him. That was how our relationship started. Although it had probably started out too simply and carelessly, our subsequent interactions eventually made us fall in love with each other, making each moment memorable. Oscar saw that I was staring off into space dazedly and came up to hug me. "Rora, I want you." He then started leaning forward to kiss me. I pushed him off instinctively and jumped to my feet to avoid him. "I'm… I'm not feeling well today. I don't feel like it." I had stopped letting him touch me intimately ever since he started his sleeping arrangements with Evie. I just couldn't accept that his body had been inside another woman just hours before me. He had also changed significantly since the past. For example, his body was now tainted with Evie's perfume. It was more like a natural body scent for him now, because he just couldn't get rid of it, no matter what. Oscar looked unhappy. Just as he was about to speak, however, there was a loud knock on the door. Upset, he yelled, "What is it?" The maid, Nancy Herald, said, "Sir, Ms. Griffin is having a terrible headache." Oscar anxiously hurried over to open the door when he heard that Evie was feeling unwell. "What's going on?" Nancy just shook her head. She didn't know either. Oscar's brows were etched in worry. He then ignored the fact that I was still there and left with Nancy. This time, he didn't even bother explaining anything to me before he left. In the past, he would try to explain things, asking me to understand his actions and be more considerate of them. He would say, "Rora, Evie's not feeling well. I'm afraid that something bad would happen to her. I'll just go take a look. "She needs someone to stay with her. I won't be coming back tonight. "Please don't get angry, alright? I have reasons for doing this. You need to be more understanding of me." I'd never say anything in return. But now, he didn't even bother saying anything anymore. After all, he'd never cared about my feelings when he accompanied Evie. Eventually, I felt tired and exhausted, and I no longer wanted things to continue like this. There had been too many instances of him abandoning me and Ingrid for Evie's sake. When I recalled that they were going to hold a wedding soon, too, I realized that Oscar was a liar. He used to love me so much in the past, but these days, he had had a change of heart. Still, maybe this was for the better. At least I wouldn't have to feel guilty or pressured for leaving him because of his unfaithfulness to me. I contacted Mom and Dad, and they were delighted to hear from me. At first, I thought that they would be furious at me and refuse to even answer my calls, but to my surprise, Mom burst into tears and told me that she wished I would go home as soon as possible. However, Ingrid began to cry when she saw me packing up my things. She pouted hard and looked at me, saying, "Mommy, Daddy promised to celebrate my seventh birthday with me. I don't wanna leave…" I felt my resolve wavering when I saw Ingrid's tears. She had been looking forward to her birthday, and if I took her away now, she would miss out on a happy childhood with her father. I decided to stay for a while longer and put up with it for her sake. I didn't want Ingrid to have any regrets. The next morning, Ingrid woke up early and dressed herself up prettily. She was looking forward to going out with Oscar today. However, the man never appeared. Instead, my mother-in-law, Alice Sanderson, arrived at our home. Alice glared at me coldly. "Bring your daughter and come with me." I followed her, feeling uneasy about everything. Alice had never liked me because she thought I came from a regular family and wasn't worthy of their status as a wealthy family in Kendleton. Only people like Evie were worthy because she was also an heiress from a wealthy family with their own family business. When Alice found out that I had given birth to a daughter instead of a son, she treated me even worse and kept cursing at us both in private. However, I would always defend my daughter and me and shoot back at her, so things were pretty tense between us. Chapter 3 Alice brought Ingrid and me to a hotel ballroom. The ballroom was beautifully decorated with luxurious decor. Ingrid thought that the decorations were for her birthday party and was very delighted. However, when we walked into the hall, we saw many of Oscar's family friends and Evie's family there. I had a gut feeling that something was not right. A split second later, Evie came over to me with her hands around Oscar and announced smugly, "I'm pregnant. From today onward, Oscar will be the heir to the Griffin family, and I will be his rightful wife. We will be registering our marriage soon." Everyone on the scene was happy for them, with the exception of me and Ingrid. Our faces dropped at that. I looked at Oscar with a cold expression. However, he pretended not to notice me and kept averting his gaze from mine. He even chimed in with Evie's statement and said, "Yes. I'm going to have a son." A son? Had he always wanted a son instead? Which era was he still living in? How could he still exhibit such sexist behavior? I felt my heart tear into two. Ingrid was very upset. She ran up to Oscar and tugged at his hand, asking sadly, "Daddy, don't you like me? I'm also your kid. Do you really want a son instead?" Alice just cackled loudly and sneered at her. "You're an illegitimate child. Nobody likes you!" When the other guests saw that Alice had started it, they chimed in and said, "She's right! The Griffin family can only be passed down to a male heir!" "Yeah. It's going to be such an embarrassment if word got out that there was an illegitimate child in the family!" "You're just a poor country kid. Did you really think that you'd end up being an heiress?" "She doesn't deserve it at all! She doesn't even deserve to be my maid! Haha!" Ingrid got increasingly upset with everyone's insults and began to wail. However, Oscar didn't even bother comforting her and even withdrew his hand from her hold. When Alice saw that everyone else was insulting us in tandem, she looked at us in pure disgust and mockery. "Aurora, if you want to continue living at our house, you may, but you will work as a maid. Your daughter can stay, too, but she will be known as an orphan." Ingrid's tears continued to fall. She shot back, "I'm not an orphan! I have a mommy and a daddy!" Oscar frowned. "Mom, don't go overboard." However, I saw Evie pinching Oscar on the arm, and then Oscar just stopped talking and fell silent, even though he looked like he had more to say. Evie grinned in satisfaction and agreed with Alice's proposition. "That's fine with me. I don't mind having another maid and an orphan girl at the house." Ingrid was mad. She went up to Evie and kicked her, yelling angrily, "You bad woman! I hate you! You stole Daddy away from me and made Mommy sad!" Evie's face immediately turned ugly. She raised her hand, about to slap Ingrid, and I quickly stepped forward to stop her. However, Oscar shoved Ingrid away first. He shoved her so hard that she stumbled backward and crashed into the table holding glasses of drinks behind her. They fell down right on top of Ingrid, and she immediately cried out loudly in pain. I ran over to pick Ingrid up from the floor and pulled her into my arms. I saw that Ingrid had a gash on her forehead and was bleeding, so I quickly applied pressure to her wound. I couldn't hold my anger back anymore. I turned and glared at Oscar with red eyes, yelling at him for the first time. "Oscar, you useless scum of the earth! She is your daughter! Can't you even protect her?" Oscar drew his lips in a thin line and said nothing. Evie, on the other hand, chuckled coldly and said, "Who told her to misbehave in the first place? Serves her right." She then glared at me with a challenging stare and mocked, "If you want to continue staying by Oscar's side, then start acting like a maid. After all, I can still afford to take care of two mongrels at home." Chapter 4 I was so mad that I laughed aloud. Then, I grabbed the glasses on the ground and flung them in Evie's face. She didn't manage to duck in time, and the glass struck her on the forehead. The glass overturned and spilled the drink all over her clothes as well. Evie immediately screamed in pain and flailed her arms around. I felt better after seeing that her clothes were drenched and her forehead was bleeding as well. Some people crowded around me and Ingrid and glared at us. I didn't care and glared back at them, unwilling to show them any weakness. I shot back, "So, are you all the mongrels she spoke of as well? Lapdogs, perhaps? Are you going to beat me and my daughter up just to make her happy?" The guests stopped short and exchanged glances with each other when they heard me. Then, they took a few steps back and decided to just watch from the sidelines. Oscar had grabbed a bunch of napkins, carefully helping Evie clean up. He reprimanded me and yelled, "That's too much, Aurora! How could you bully another person like that? I see that I've spoiled you way too much that you've forgotten where you stood!" Then, he turned to the bodyguards next to him and said, "Take those two troublemakers home and lock them up for three days and nights without any food or water!" The bodyguards nodded and came to grab us. However, I screamed with a stern expression on my face, "Don't you dare touch us! We have legs and can walk on our own!" I forced the tears back in and took a deep breath. I saw it clearly now. Oscar never loved me or Ingrid. He still chose Evie over us both when presented with the choice. My heart was numb now. I had lost all hope in him. My feelings for him had all turned into ashes. I picked Ingrid up and held her in my arms. Then, with my chest out, I addressed everyone and said, "My daughter is not an orphan. She is my precious daughter, whom I lovingly carried for nine months and gave birth to." I then addressed Oscar directly and said, "Since you refuse to acknowledge that she is your daughter, then from today onward, she will no longer be yours. I hereby denounce your father-daughter relationship with her!" Ingrid started sobbing harder when she heard me say that. I held back the tears in my eyes and ignored the tingling sensation in my nose, but a sob still escaped me. "Baby… Don't cry anymore," I said, comforting Ingrid. "You can't call him 'Daddy' anymore." Ingrid kept shaking her head, unable to accept it. She just continued to cry. Oscar, meanwhile, was stunned. He stared at me in great shock. I knew that he had supposedly asked me for permission back then to be with Evie. I had only agreed because he said he was going to comfort her, before promising to give me and my daughter an official title afterward. However, I no longer needed the official title. His eyes locked onto mine, desperately searching my eyes to understand the thoughts in my head. I just said coldly to him, "Also, I will not have anything to do with you anymore." Then, I turned to leave. My world no longer included Oscar. Ingrid was still young, but she knew how to read the room. She sensed that the situation had gotten tense, so she didn't say anything else and just buried her face in my shoulder, crying silently. When I reached the exit, Evie suddenly called out to me from behind. "Aurora. Oscar gave you the Moon Diamond in the past, didn't he? That's a symbol of family status. Since I am now his wife, and my son will be the rightful heir, you should return it now." I was taken aback. So, they had brought me here today not just to humiliate me but also to take the Moon Diamond back from me. The Moon Diamond was a family heirloom, and Oscar had given it to me as an engagement gift when he asked me for my hand in marriage. He said that it was proof of his everlasting love for me. Since I was the new owner of the Moon Diamond, that also meant that I was the owner of his heart. It was precisely because of his promises that I decided to abandon my family, conceal my true identity, and stay with him. Now that I thought about it, I found it hilariously ironic. Oscar averted his eyes and hung his head, and he saw the pitiful and accusing look in my eyes. So, Oscar was a person who avoided taking responsibility for his words and refused to be held accountable for anything. I had been blind this whole time, falling in love with a person who didn't deserve to be loved. Seeing that I still refused to budge, Evie grabbed Oscar's arm and glared at him to say something. It was only then that Oscar spoke. "Aurora. Give up the Moon Diamond." Chapter 5 Since Oscar said it, too, I didn't hesitate any longer and took it off around my neck before handing it to Evie. She took it in great delight and put it on eagerly. I complimented her and said, "It looks better on you. This, and the man, now both belong to you." Then, I left without looking back again, sure in my steps. … Ingrid and I were locked in our room for three days and nights without any food or water. We weren't allowed out of the room at all. I could still hold on, but Ingrid couldn't. She was so hungry that she cried from her stomach pains, and I was sent into great rage. I slammed my fists against the door and demanded attention. Nancy only went to get Oscar when she realized that I wasn't going to let up anytime soon. I glared at Oscar, looking as smug and unbothered as a mouse in a barn. However, I forced myself to hold my anger back and discuss it civilly with him. "I was the one who threw the glass. You can punish me, but Ingrid is still a kid. She shouldn't be dragged into this. Give her some food." Oscar just sighed and took out a bottle of milk before putting it on the table. "Drink some milk to stave off the hunger. I was the one who doled out the punishment, so I must keep to my word. Otherwise, I will lose my authority in this house." I looked at him in shock, feeling helpless and frustrated. "Oscar Ramsay! She is just a child! Are you seriously telling her to survive off a bottle of milk for three days? Your conscience really allows that, huh?" Oscar frowned and averted his eyes before answering, "But you didn't teach her to behave properly. This is a lesson for both of you." I suddenly understood that there was no point arguing with him anymore because of how cold he was looking at me. I laughed. I laughed so hard until I cried, and then suddenly, I couldn't stop crying. My tears kept flowing down my cheeks like a burst dam. When Oscar saw that I was crying, he actually came up to me and hugged me. "Just be patient, Aurora. Wait for me. I will marry you after I've settled everything, but you need to put up with some hardships first." I didn't believe him. I'd heard too many of such empty promises in the past, and I was already sick of hearing them. He'd lied to me far too often. I wasn't going to believe him anymore. He reached up to wipe my tears away. I tried to avoid him and struggled against his hold. He then grabbed me to stop me from moving at all. Then, he sighed and said, "Be good and stop causing trouble. You are the only person I love. "Give me some more time until after she's given birth to the baby and I've taken over the position of heir and inherited the company. Everything will be better." I was numb all over and just let him hug me. Whatever. It was useless for me to continue wasting my breath on a man who was adamant about playing dumb. When he saw that I had calmed down, he thought that he'd managed to comfort me and left afterward. I slid to the floor weakly, like a puppet who'd just had all her strings severed. Ingrid walked toward me and carefully hugged my neck with her little hands. She buried her head in my chest and said softly in a nasal voice, "Mommy, I'm not hungry. I won't eat anything. Let's not want Daddy anymore. Okay?" I quickly snapped back to my senses and hugged her back tightly. Ingrid continued sobbing quietly in my arms, sounding as if she'd made up her mind about something important. "I only want you, Mommy. I want to leave this place with Mommy." I nodded hard and quickly got rid of the sorrow in my heart. Then, I broke into a smile. Oscar can stay out of our lives. I had more than enough if I had Ingrid with me. The day we were finally released from our prison was the day Oscar and Evie were getting married at a church. Their wedding was even livestreamed online. Ingrid still looked upset when she saw Oscar kissing Evie on the screen. "Mommy, why is Daddy getting married to someone else? Aren't you Daddy's wife?" I covered Ingrid's eyes and smiled bitterly. "That's because Daddy doesn't love Mommy." Oscar may not have known this, but I never cared whether outsiders knew about who I was. I didn't even care about his money or his wealth. I only cared about whether or not he loved me. Now that he had obviously changed his mind, I decided not to love him anymore. I was going to bring Ingrid with me and leave him forever. After leaving, I sent a final text message to Oscar to officially end our relationship. "Oscar, congratulations on your wedding. Let's never meet again ever."