The idea of wealth had never crossed her mind.

Despite this, she earnestly desired Marcus, yearning for him to be exclusively hers.

Playfully tapping her own face, she couldn't help but feel a sense of audacity, much like Marcus.

Yet on another note, she reveled in joy, contemplating the future she would share with Marcus. Every upcoming day filled her mind. She believed she had found genuine happiness, vowing to treat him with unparalleled devotion.

Amidst her breakfast, the doorbell chimed.

Answering the door, she was met by a waiter holding a parcel box.

“Miss Brown?" Your delivery has arrived."

Accepting the package with a frown, she remarked, “No one should be aware of my presence here."

Could it be a surprise from Marcus?

Expressing gratitude to the waiter, she closed the door and eagerly unpacked the box. Revealed within were an old journal and a birth certificate, accompanied by a photograph.

Examining the birth certificate, she was taken aback.

It bore her own name.

In a prolonged trance, Melissa cautiously unfolded the yellowed diary.

The pages were filled with a woman's musings inked in deep blue, chronicling her love affair with a married man and the birth of their child.

The narrative was laden with the woman's agony and torment.

The tale unfolded with the birth of the child, culminating in the woman's tragic demise by her own hand. The newborn, named Melissa Brown, was the sole survivor.

Melissa shut the diary firmly.

Clutching the diary close, she lifted her head and closed her eyes, tears welling within.

It felt like inadvertently unlocking Pandora's box, with no possibility of retracing her steps.

After a prolonged pause, Melissa shifted her attention to the birth certificate and the photograph depicting the woman cradling her.