Chapter 2

Ellen picked up her paintbrush again after years, locking herself in her room to create every day.

On the first day, she handed all responsibilities for Samuel and the twins to the staff, no longer preparing elaborate meals or enforcing the children's schedules.

She let the three of them turn their lives into chaos.

The Howard household quietly fell apart.

On the second day, Nathan stayed up all night gaming and missed enrollment for a prestigious school. Belen ate junk food and had an allergic reaction. Samuel's contract ended up in the trash, costing him a billion-dollar deal.

The Howard family became the laughingstock of everyone.

On the third day, Samuel, nursing a headache, pushed open Ellen's door for the first time.

The morning light framed her profile, and his breath caught for a moment.

His face quickly hardened, irritation flashing in his eyes. "What are you trying to do?"

Ellen didn't spare him a glance, continuing to wield her paintbrush. "I just want some peace."

"Are you still hung up on what happened last time?" Her indifference infuriated Samuel, and he slammed his hand on the wooden easel. "Even if you want to paint in peace, you still have to handle things at home. Don't forget, you're Mrs. Howard!"

Ellen shook her head, her voice light. "The staff can handle those meaningless tasks."

In her past life, she poured all her energy into Samuel and the twins.

She earned a nutritionist certification because they had allergies.

She prepared three meals a day and worked tirelessly to blend calming scents for Samuel's insomnia.

But in the end, she got their dismissive sneers as she lay dying.

In their eyes, her death was no different from an ant crushed on the roadside.

"Ellen," Samuel said, his displeasure growing sharper. "Don't try to provoke me. You can't afford the consequences."

Ellen's wrist moved fluidly, not sparing him a glance. "I'm just not interested in stealing the staff's work."

Suddenly, Belen and Nathan burst in, glaring at her angrily. "You won't even do basic housework. I don't want you as my mom anymore," Nathan said, looking down at Ellen, expecting her to grovel and apologize like she used to. "You're not even worth one of Rosalyn's hairs. I don't want a useless mom like you."

To his surprise, Ellen nodded in agreement. "I think Rosalyn would be a better mom for you. Let her take care of you."

The room fell silent.

Samuel's face darkened, and he grabbed Ellen's wrist tightly. "Are you playing hard to get with me?"

Ellen let out a cold laugh and shook off his hand. "You're overthinking it."

Belen's face lit up as she hugged Samuel's leg. "Dad, let's bring Rosalyn to live with us! I miss Rosalyn. She can teach me shooting and martial arts and take care of me and Nathan."

Nathan shot Ellen a provocative glare. "This house will be for the four of us. You're not welcome here. If you're smart, you'll leave."

Samuel's complex gaze landed on Ellen, noting her calm expression.

For some reason, irritation surged in his chest, and he let out a cold huff before leaving with the kids.

Soon, Rosalyn moved in.

She found fault with everything and called in a construction team to renovate the house from top to bottom.

"The smell in here is awful," Rosalyn said, covering her nose in disgust. "Samuel, doesn't it give you a headache?"

Samuel nodded in agreement. "It does feel that way after a while. Change it."

The calming incense in the house, blended by Ellen for Samuel, was quickly replaced with a cloying floral scent.

Belen and Nathan breathed it in eagerly, bouncing with excitement. "Rosalyn's taste is so much better. I love this smell!"

Rosalyn glanced casually at Ellen in the corner. "As long as you like it, I'll get you new floral scents every day."

Ellen watched Rosalyn's antics without a word.

The house's original scent was Ellen's special blend to soothe Samuel's insomnia and calm his moods.

The new floral fragrance would worsen his sleeplessness and aggravate the twins' rhinitis.

But seeing the three of them breathe it in contentedly, Ellen gave a cold smile.

On the fourth day, every trace of Ellen's presence in the house was unknowingly erased.

Even her place at the dining table was gone.

When she reached the living room, she saw Rosalyn sitting in her spot, holding Belen in her lap, coaxing her while serving food.

Samuel occasionally teased, telling her not to spoil the kids too much.

They looked every bit like a family of four.

That night on the living room couch, Rosalyn leaned into Samuel's arms without a care.

When Ellen approached, Rosalyn didn't even glance at her, treating her like a stranger.

Ellen took it all in. In the past, the house echoed with complaints about her.

The bathwater's temperature, the food's seasoning, the air freshener's scent- everything was an excuse for the three of them to criticize her.

Now, the house was filled with warm laughter.

The three of them ate Rosalyn's food, swallowing allergy pills without a single frown.

After dinner, Rosalyn made a half-hearted attempt to sweep the floor. Nathan, full of concern, stopped her. "Rosalyn, your hands aren't meant for rough work like this."

He snatched the broom and threw it at Ellen's feet, ordering her imperiously. "You, sweep the floor."

Belen nodded in agreement. "Rosalyn's not like you. She's here to enjoy herself."

"The staff aren't here for nothing. Rosalyn doesn't need to steal their jobs, especially when she can't even do them well," Ellen said, her tone flat, throwing their own words back at them.

The butler hurried forward, his attitude deferential. "Miss Morris, just let us know what you need."

Suddenly, everyone in the house seemed to know their place, eager to serve Rosalyn.

The staff's gazes toward her were filled with envy.

"I've said it before-Miss Morris and Mr. Howard are the perfect match. They're made for each other, and he only has eyes for her."

"The kids already see her as their mother. It won't be long before she's Mrs. Howard."

Their unfiltered gossip reached Ellen's ears.

She didn't care, focusing on packing her things.

Just then, the school called. "Mrs. Howard, your children have been rushed to the hospital with food poisoning."

Ellen arrived at the hospital immediately.

At the entrance to the emergency room, Samuel glared at her, his eyes blazing with anger. "Ellen, what kind of mother are you? How could you let this happen to the kids?"