Chapter 1

My philanthropist husband spent six months out of town and came back with an orphan who had a severe heart condition.

He claimed the boy was pitiful, and that he had adopted him from an orphanage out of the goodness of his heart.

From that day on, I treated the boy as my own. I raised him with endless patience until he grew up to be a nationally renowned heart surgeon.

On the day he received his lifetime achievement award, my husband sneered at me with utter contempt. "You stupid woman. Haven’t you realized how much he looks like me?"

I simply smiled back in silence.

My husband then tried to force me to divorce him and leave with nothing, planning to take his son and his childhood sweetheart on a luxury family vacation to celebrate.

I readily agreed. "No problem. You can have it all!"

Through the glass window of the pediatric ward, Julian Vance stared at the little boy on the medical bed with an expression of deep concern.

He turned to me, looking anxious. "Valerie, I found this boy while doing charity work at the orphanage. He’s so young and already suffering from congenital heart disease. He’s so pitiful... I couldn't just stand by and watch him die."

I nodded. "Don't worry. Since we've adopted him, I'll take full responsibility. Let's get his illness treated first."

Julian hadn't expected me to be so understanding. He beamed with joy and generously handed me a secondary credit card.

"Valerie! You really are the most supportive wife. Use this card to buy whatever you want!"

I knew he was testing my reaction.

I took the card with a smile and said gently, "Julian, I’ll stay here and take good care of him. If you have work to do, go ahead."

After giving the doctor some detailed instructions, he left in a hurry.

I hired Mrs. Gable, an experienced caregiver who had worked for the Vance family for years, to help me watch the boy in the hospital.

During that time, I went to a nearby supermarket to buy children's essentials, then rushed to an organic market to buy a free-range chicken, paying a restaurant to slow-cook a nourishing broth and deliver it to the hospital.

Once everything was arranged, I hurried back to the ward, looking exhausted.

Mrs. Gable couldn't wait to speak up. "Valerie, I can't believe you finally have a son! You didn't even tell the Vance family about such a huge deal. It's my first time meeting the boy, and I didn't even prepare a welcome gift."

I replied calmly, "Mrs. Gable, you’re overthinking. This child was adopted by Julian from an orphanage. He’s not biologically ours."

Mrs. Gable gave a sly smile. "Oh, come on. The boy is already several years old. Who are you trying to fool? If he weren't your own flesh and blood, would you be this dedicated? Running around for him, putting him in such a luxurious private suite?"

I didn't argue. I turned around to help the boy eat.

Perhaps because his heart condition had flared up, the boy had no appetite at all and refused to eat anything.

Without a second thought, I spent a massive amount of money to hire a top-tier pediatric nutritionist to handle his daily meals.

When Mrs. Gable found out I was paying a five-figure monthly salary for a chef, she criticized me for being wasteful.

"Valerie, it's normal for a sick child to lose his appetite. You could just make him some simple chicken noodle soup or warm oatmeal. Who knows what those expensive chefs put in their food? If he gets sick again, you’re the one who will suffer."

I didn't want to waste my breath arguing, so I simply explained that my energy was limited and I couldn't do everything myself.

Mrs. Gable kept nagging, trying to teach me how to make simple oatmeal, claiming it was the healthiest thing for a child's stomach.

I brushed her off with a few polite nods, and she finally felt satisfied enough to end her shift and slip away.

Looking at the boy's sleeping face, my heart grew incredibly peaceful.

I knew that the grand show I had been waiting for was finally about to begin.

The next morning, before I even woke up, Arthur and Beatrice dragged Julian into the VIP ward, making a massive scene.

"Julian, have you lost your mind?! If you wanted a child, you should have worked harder to get a real blood heir! Why on earth would you adopt a sick kid from an orphanage? And you actually put him on the family registry! Are you trying to kill us with anger?!"

Julian was sweating profusely, stuttering as he tried to explain.