She had no intention of treating him as a backup, and there were no feelings between her and Jaylen.

Anyway, Byron had once treated her as someone's substitute. The crisis in their relationship never came from outside forces.

Following Maeve's silence, a hint of mockery appeared in Byron's eyes. "Maeve, if you want to be his fiancée, leave now. I won't stop you. So we're done here."

The bitterness in her heart reached its peak instantly, and Maeve almost couldn't control it from gushing from her eyes.

She bit her lower lip hard and tried to expel the painful emptiness in her body as she turned and twisted the doorknob. She forced herself not to look back as she trudged out of the study. When her figure disappeared from his sight, the air grew freezing. His dark eyes were malicious and cold. "Good. So good."

When she returned to her apartment and closed the door, the calmness Maeve had maintained instantly shattered. She leaned against the door dejectedly and sat on the cold floor, her heart throbbing in pain. God seemed to like to joke with her. Every time she thought she could be happy, her hope was shattered completely.

Ever since she was young, she had never liked someone so much. Byron was the first. She liked being with him. He was always there for her. However, it ended so quickly, in less than half a year. "Mom, are you okay?" Will came out for water. Seeing Maeve sitting on the floor in a daze, he ran over to help. "What happened? Are you feeling unwell?"

Maeve forced a smile, but it was uglier than crying. "Mommy is fine. I have a cramp in my leg, so I'm sitting for a break."

"Then hurry up and sit on the sofa. I'll rub it for you." Will's words were filled with concern.

"There's no need. Mommy is much better now. Thank you, my sweetie." She patted his little head.

Will's face flushed slightly. When he looked down and saw the blood on Maeve's palm, his expression changed drastically. "Mom, why is your hand bleeding?"

Her palms were covered in blood; she had probably exerted too much strength controlling her emotions.

Will pulled her to the living room and sat her down. Then he brought the first-aid kit to wash and apply medicine to her wound. The little guy felt worse than she did. He frowned tightly, afraid of hurting her, and blew on it softly. A trace of warmth flowed into Maeve's broken heart.

At this moment, a small head popped out from the sofa armrest. "Mommy, your hand is bleeding. Who did this?" Theo, wearing cow pajamas, crawled over the armrest and stuck to Maeve with an indignant expression. "It's a mistake. It's fine. It doesn't hurt at all," Maeve explained.

At the thought that her mother had just returned from her father's place, a guess arose in Will's heart. "Did Mom and Dad have a fight?"

Theo was more careless. He just pouted and blew on Maeve's palm.

Will pushed him away. "You're disturbing me."

Theo retorted, "Let me do it. I'm a doctor!"

Will turned his back to his brother in rejection. "It's almost done. Tomorrow is your…"

Theo nodded reluctantly. "All right." As a mature brother, he should be magnanimous.

"Good boys, I want to tell you something." Maeve hesitated for a long time and decided to talk to the two little ones. She didn't want to hide this from them.

The two little faces looked up at her cutely. "Mommy, just say it."

Maeve took a deep breath. "Your father and I might live separately in the future. And, for some reason, I'm someone else's fiancée now."

Will had already guessed that her parents had quarreled, but he didn't expect the rest.

"Mom, don't you like Dad anymore?" Will was puzzled. "Or are you forced?" He could tell how genuine the affection in their parents' eyes was when they were together. Will was more inclined to believe that his mother had some difficulties. Theo thought of something and asked in a cute voice, "Mommy, is he my senior?"

Maeve nodded. "He only has half a year left. He hopes that Mommy can be his fiancée during his last moments. I'm sorry. Mommy has agreed."

Theo shook his head. "Mommy, you don't have to apologize to us. This is your life. No matter what choice you make, we will support you unconditionally."

Will agreed, but he was a little puzzled. "Who's your senior?"

Theo leaned over and whispered something in his ear.

Will knew that his mother and brother used to suffer, but when he heard that his mother had depression because she missed him too much, he still felt guilty. He could understand why his mother had agreed to that man. The favor meant a lot, and she had to repay it. But it wasn't fair to his dad.

Will stayed in Maeve's arms for a while. Suddenly, he raised his head and asked, "Mom, do you still love Dad?"

Maeve was silent for a few seconds. "I love him. I've always loved him."

Will breathed a sigh of relief. "That's all that matters. As long as Mommy's heart is still with Dad, Dad still has a chance!"

Maeve was originally worried that the two little ones wouldn't be able to accept this, especially Will, who wished for his parents to be together forever.

On the surface, Theo seemed at odds with Byron, but he knew this was how they had fun together. So he had expectations for his father. "Mommy, I don't mind that you love him, but you must love me the most!" Theo wriggled his little butt into Maeve's arms. "He doesn't smell good like me."

Maeve was silent. It seemed that the little guy was more enthusiastic about competing with his father for love.

Not to be overshadowed, Will hugged Maeve's arm. "Me too. I'm not greedy. I can be behind Theo." In terms of status in his mother's heart, even his biological father had to take a step back.

Maeve felt both amused and touched as she hugged the two chubby children. "Okay, Mommy loves my boys the most. No one can compare to you."

The two little ones smiled brilliantly.

"By the way, Will, Mom wants to ask you something," Maeve blinked. "Have you seen the photo frame in your dad's study?"