Love and Hate, Great Sadness Without Tears

I arrived at the kindergarten to pick up my three-year-old son, but instead, I walked into a nightmare.

A crazed man, wielding a knife, was attacking indiscriminately. Without hesitation, I shielded my son with my body, feeling the cold steel pierce me again and again. Pain exploded through me as I collapsed into a growing pool of my own blood.

Willy Nelson, my husband, arrived just in time. He subdued the attacker and turned him over to the police, then rushed us to the hospital, summoning the best medical team in the city. As I was wheeled toward the operating room, weak and barely clinging to consciousness, I forced out a desperate question.

"How is my son?"

Willy's red-rimmed eyes wavered. He hesitated, then finally spoke, his voice trembling. "He lost too much blood... He didn't make it."

His words shattered me. The grief was so unbearable that my body gave in—I blacked out completely. What I forgot to mention before surgery was that I was immune to anesthesia. I regained consciousness in the middle of a hushed conversation between Willy and the doctor.

"Mr. Nelson, the child could have been saved. Why did you order us to stop resuscitation?" The doctor's voice was thick with disbelief. "That was your own son—he was only three!"

Willy's reply was cold, devoid of sorrow. "I never wanted him to live. His birth was a mistake. How dare he ask me for a birthday present? Was he already eyeing the company's inheritance?"

My blood ran cold.

"Sophia and I have a son who's about to turn eighteen. I promised her I'd give him the company as a coming-of-age gift. I won’t let anyone take that away from him."

My mind reeled. The love I thought we shared, the marriage I believed in—it had all been a lie. I had been living in a carefully constructed hell.

Fine. If that was what he wanted, I would grant him his wish.

——

The doctor sighed as he examined my wounds. "Madam was gravely injured, but her uterus is intact. She may still have the chance to bear children in the future."

Willy's voice turned sharp. "Who gave you permission to preserve it? Remove it completely. I want her to never conceive again."

The doctor gasped, horror evident in his tone. "Mr. Nelson, you're handing over the company to Sophia’s son in three days. Even if Madam were to have another child in the future, it wouldn’t change anything. She just lost her son—must you really go this far?"

Willy stroked my cheek gently, but his words were merciless. "Allowing her to give birth to that cursed child was already my greatest mistake. And that mistake had the audacity to ask me for a birthday present. He must have been after the inheritance."

"I swore to Sophia that no one would compete with our son for his rightful fortune. Even if she married another man back then, I vowed to eliminate every obstacle for her and our child."

A knock on the operating room door interrupted them. A chillingly familiar voice echoed in the sterile room.

"Mr. Nelson, thank you for forging the psychiatric evaluation that got me acquitted. I did my part—I got rid of the cheap man. Now, about my reward..."

Willy’s voice was dismissive. "I’ll have someone transfer five million dollars to your account. Take the money and leave the capital. Never show your face in front of Carol Shirley again."

The man chuckled. "Pleasure doing business."

Willy turned back to the doctor. "Hurry up and proceed with the surgery. I still have to take Sophia to pick out the gift I ordered for Benny. Oh, and be sure to use extra anesthesia—I don’t want Carol to feel any pain."

The footsteps faded into the distance. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to cry. It was never a random attack. The man wasn’t mentally ill at all. He had been hired—by my own husband.

My little boy... my precious child... had been murdered. On his birthday. All because of a fabricated lie. And the one who orchestrated it all was his own father.

Agonizing pain tore through my body as the cold surgical instruments moved within me. My anesthesia immunity made every cut, every incision, a living nightmare. The agony finally overwhelmed me and I blacked out.

When I opened my eyes again, Willy was beside me. His gaze was filled with feigned sorrow, his tone dripping with affection.

"Carol, you're finally awake. Does it still hurt?" He reached for my hand, his grip warm, yet sickeningly deceitful. "I've been outside the operating room this whole time. You don’t know how scared I was. Losing Liam is already the greatest pain of my life. If anything had happened to you, I wouldn’t have been able to live."

I stared at him, my heart hollow.

"Carol, the doctor said your abdominal wounds were severe. Your uterus was too damaged—you won’t be able to have children anymore. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life. Just the two of us. Isn’t being child-free a good thing?"

His words were poison disguised as honey. I felt nothing. No sadness, no anger, no fear. Only emptiness. And in that void, something dark and resolute began to take root.

Chapter 2

I lowered my gaze to my abdomen, where the wound had been neatly stitched up. Yet, the emptiness inside me was a cruel reminder—I had been forever stripped of my ability to be a mother.

"Where's Liam?" I asked dully.

Willy's expression darkened with guilt. "He's been sent to the funeral home for cremation. The funeral is tomorrow. Carol, I'm sorry... As a father, I failed to protect our child."

A sharp pain stabbed through my heart, but I didn’t expose his lies.

My eyes drifted to the bedside table, where a delicate box lay. Inside it was a long-life lock.

"Willy, today is Liam's birthday. We haven't bought him a present yet. Let this long-life lock accompany him. I hope he finds longevity and peace in the afterlife, okay?"

Willy’s brows twitched slightly, but he quickly masked his unease with a gentle smile. "Carol, a friend asked me to buy this for his child. How can we take it away from him?"

"It's meant for the living and Liam... he can’t wear it anymore. Besides, this material isn’t worth much. It doesn’t suit our Liam. I’ve already arranged for something more appropriate from the funeral store. Everything will be burned for him—he won’t feel shortchanged in the afterlife."

I didn’t argue, but my heart sank further. Willy had long forgotten that before becoming a housewife, I was a skilled jewelry appraiser. The long-life lock was made of the highest quality jadeite—worth a fortune. Its intricate design was engraved with the words "peace year after year," a symbol of a parent's deepest love.

For two months, I had secretly watched Willy spending countless late nights in his study, meticulously designing this very pattern. I had foolishly believed it was meant for Liam's birthday gift. But in his heart, the ones truly unworthy were my son and me.

Under my insistence, Willy processed my discharge papers and took me home. He refused the nanny’s assistance, personally helping me bathe and wash my hair, carefully avoiding my wound. He even blow-dried my hair with gentle attention—a picture-perfect husband.

Once, I would have been moved by such tenderness. But as I stared at the grotesque scars on my stomach and thought of my son's cruel death, I felt only emptiness. My heart was a barren wasteland.

***

That night, while Willy slept, I crept into his study. Using my laptop, I accessed his cloud drive. The password was Sophia’s birthday.

Inside were tens of thousands of photos and videos, capturing every moment of Sophia’s pregnancy, the birth of their child and his growth over the years. And there, amidst the sea of memories, lay a prepared share transfer agreement.

Fifteen years of marriage—Willy had spent most of it traveling, supposedly for business expansion. But in reality, he had been by Sophia and their child's side all along. I had never once doubted him. How ridiculous.

A notification flickered in the corner of the screen—his WhatsApp was still logged in. A single click opened a chat group pinned at the top: "A Loving Family of Three."

The words burned into my vision. For eighteen years, Willy had showered Sophia and their child with countless lavish gifts.

"Willy, Benny is just a newborn. How can he drive a Maserati? You're spoiling him too much! Ohz and by the way, I adore the sapphire necklace you got me. Mwah!"

"Willy, Benny is three years old today. The island you bought for him is breathtaking! You'll be arriving this afternoon, right? He can't wait to see his daddy."

All that love. All that devotion. Things Little Liam and I never had.

I had once been a rising star in the jewelry industry, but I gave up everything at twenty to marry Willy. I devoted myself to him, endured hardships by his side, sacrificed my body and struggled for years before finally conceiving—only to have him treat it as nothing more than an inconvenience.

I used to think his indifference was meant to ease my burden. I had even been grateful for his so-called understanding. But in the fifteenth year of our marriage, when I finally became pregnant, he had not been overjoyed. He had only forced a smile—a mere formality. And now, everything made sense.

Chapter 3

But when I saw the photo of Willy kissing Sophia’s swollen belly, his face glowing with pure joy, I realized the cruel truth—he had already built a family with someone else.

And my Little Treasure? In his eyes, my child was nothing more than an unwanted burden, like an inflamed appendix that needed to be cut away as soon as possible.

No wonder. No wonder that every year on Liam’s birthday, Willy had always made excuses about urgent business trips abroad.

Because his other child’s birthday was only three days after Liam’s. He had to be there early, making sure everything was perfect—making sure his "real" child never felt neglected.

Heartbroken, I exited the page and called my best friend overseas. “I want to work for your company as a jewelry appraiser. I’ll see you in three days.” I also asked her for a few favors.

After finishing, I went to Liam’s room. Everything was still the same—the bedding still in place, his tiny pillow still carrying the faint scent of milk. But Liam would never return to sleep in it again.

Underneath his pillow, I found a small wishing bottle. Inside was a note, written by his teacher, recording his birthday wish.

"The teacher said a man must be brave, so this year, I finally gathered the courage to tell Daddy that I wanted a birthday present. But before I could even finish my sentence, Daddy walked away angrily. Actually, all I wanted was for Daddy to stay with me on my birthday, even just for an hour. Thirty minutes would be fine. I’d be happy… really happy."

Tears blurred my vision. Willy, is this what you saw as ambition? Was a child’s innocent wish truly that unbearable for you?

I printed the divorce papers that night, then clung to Liam’s quilt, breathing in his scent as I sobbed until dawn.

***

The next morning, Willy, despite his usual obsession with cleanliness, personally cleaned my wound, changed my bandages and carefully wrapped them with gauze.

The nanny beside us looked envious of his attentiveness, but my heart was dead inside.

He noticed my swollen, red eyes and sighed, his voice full of pain.

“Carol, I know you miss Liam. I miss him even more than you do. But you need to take care of yourself. I’ve already lost my beloved child—I can’t lose you too. Why don’t you rest at home today? Let me handle Liam’s funeral.”

Leave it to you? Leave it to the very man who orchestrated my child’s murder? I swallowed back my bitter sarcasm and replied in a flat voice, “No need. I have to see Little Treasure off for the last time.”

At the funeral, from a distance, I saw Sophia and a teenage boy standing beside my mother-in-law, supporting her like the perfect daughter-in-law and grandson.

The boy was smiling as he spoke, making her laugh with joy. It was a solemn event, yet Sophia wore a luxurious red designer dress and even the boy was dressed in an eye-catching crimson suit. Unlike the rest of us dressed in mourning black, they stood out like guests at a celebration.

My mother-in-law, completely ignoring the grieving atmosphere, clung to them with obvious favoritism, doting on them as if they were her real family. To shield them from the sun, she even ordered a maid to hold an umbrella over them—as if Sophia were her rightful daughter-in-law and the boy her cherished grandson.

Then Sophia turned to me, curling her lips into a mocking smile. “Auntie, I’m fine under the sun. Carol is here, though. The sun is so harsh—better let her have the umbrella. After all, unlike me, she’s both childless and injured. She needs extra care.”

Hearing this, my mother-in-law sneered, her face twisting with disdain as she looked at me.

"It’s just a dead brat. What’s the big deal? Who are you trying to impress with those grieving eyes? Acting all high and mighty, completely forgetting the dignity of our Nelson Family."

She scoffed before continuing, "Even Sophia and Benny have better manners than you. The moment they landed, they rushed here to support me, bringing me expensive jade bracelets. They’re a thousand times more thoughtful than you, you ungrateful wretch."

She had always despised me. From the very start, she never thought I was good enough for Willy. And when I struggled for over a decade to conceive, she labeled me a useless hen who couldn’t lay eggs.

Later, when I finally had Liam, she hated him too. Because despite his young age, he always stood up for me. And in her eyes, that made him a traitor—an ungrateful child who sided against his own bloodline.

Chapter 4

There was a time when Willy would have defended me, at least occasionally. But now, his gaze remained fixed on Sophia, his infatuated expression as if he were admiring the rarest of treasures.

Sophia didn’t even flinch under my stare. Instead, she smiled at me with quiet provocation before turning to my mother-in-law, gently holding her arm.

“Auntie, you mustn’t get upset at your age. If you don’t mind, from now on, let Benny be your grandson.”

Grandmother’s expression instantly brightened, her previous scorn toward me replaced by pure delight as she showered Sophia with praises for her thoughtfulness.

Sophia then pulled the teenage boy beside her forward, her smile never faltering. “It’s been a while, Carol. My apologies—we only just flew in from overseas and didn’t have time to change. But you’re so magnanimous, I’m sure you won’t mind, right?”

She then turned to the boy beside her. “By the way, this is my son, Benny Nelson.”

The boy, a striking resemblance to Willy with about five or six shared features, looked me up and down with open disdain before smirking arrogantly. “Auntie, you’re so ugly.”

Before I could react, he turned to Willy and held out his hand expectantly. “Dad, you promised me a gift when Mom and I returned to Chicago. The day after tomorrow is my eighteenth birthday. Last year, you only gave me ninety-nine presents—this year, I want a hundred.”

His words, his deliberate humiliation, burned like acid. But Willy ignored my presence, his attention solely on the boy as he helplessly chuckled and ruffled his hair. “Got it.”

With that, he pulled out a long-life lock—the same one I had painstakingly believed was meant for my Liam—and gently fastened it around Benny’s neck with an expression full of love and pride. But that wasn’t enough. Willy snapped his fingers and outside the funeral home, a dozen sports cars—each painted in vibrant, blinding colors—rolled into view.

“Here,” Willy said, grinning indulgently. “Dad knows you like bright colors. These are all yours.”

Sophia pouted playfully, clinging to Willy’s arm. “Willy, what about me? You can’t just spoil your son.”

Willy chuckled, gently tapping her nose. “Of course, I haven’t forgotten you.”

At his signal, two attendants stepped forward from each car, carrying more than thirty sets of exquisite jewelry. The collection varied in style and material, but they all had one thing in common—they were priceless.

One particular set caught my eye. It was a piece once worn by a royal consort from an ancient dynasty, something so rare and historical that its worth was incalculable.

Sophia gasped in delight, throwing her arms around Willy’s neck and pressing a kiss to his cheek. She beamed like a young girl, her excitement unrestrained. “Wow! Aren’t these the pieces from that European royal auction a few days ago? Even the cheapest set would cost hundreds of millions. Willy, you bought them all for me? You still love us so much. But spending so much money—Carol won’t be mad, right?”

I clenched my fists as my son’s funeral transformed into a grotesque showcase of luxury cars and jewelry.

I stood there in my outdated black mourning suit, my face bare of makeup, my swollen eyes betraying nights of grief. Beside me, Sophia sparkled—her designer red dress flawless, her makeup exquisite, her presence dazzling.

The absurdity of it all nearly made me laugh.

Over the years, what had Willy ever given to Liam? Compared to just one of Benny’s sports cars, my son had received next to nothing. How ridiculous.

Willy seemed to remember I was still there. His expression turned slightly awkward as he tried to explain, “Carol, don’t take this the wrong way. Sophia and Benny have been living abroad for so long—this is just the way they are.”

“You heard it too, didn’t you? Mom has already acknowledged Benny as her grandson. It’s natural for him to call me ‘Dad.’ He’s about to celebrate his birthday and I just wanted to show some affection. As for the lock…”

Before he could finish, Sophia suddenly stumbled, swaying dramatically as she collapsed into his arms. “Willy, my head… I feel so dizzy… I think I might have heatstroke.”

Willy immediately turned his back to me, his full attention on her. “How could that happen? I built that summer resort just for you, so you wouldn’t suffer in the heat. You should’ve been resting there, but you insisted on coming to this miserable place. Come on, I’ll take you somewhere to rest.”

And just like that, without so much as a glance at the urn containing his son’s ashes, he scooped Sophia up in his arms and walked away.

Chapter 5

I endured the taunts and scorn of those around me as I bent down and picked up Liam's urn, holding it close to my chest. It's okay, baby. Daddy may not love you, but Mommy does.

Just as I was about to place the urn into the grave, Benny rammed into me with force, sending me stumbling backward. My grip loosened and the urn slipped from my hands, shattering into pieces upon impact. In a cruel instant, Little Treasure’s ashes spilled across the cold, unforgiving ground.

"Mom, are you blind? How can you be so careless?" Benny sneered, brushing imaginary dust from his designer suit. "Do you have any idea how much these clothes cost? My father bought them for me and now they're tainted with bad luck! Do you think you can afford to compensate me?" His voice dripped with arrogance and disdain.

I barely had time to process the horror of what had just happened before he pulled a water bottle from his pocket, its inside packed with cigarette butts. He tossed it toward me with an exaggerated smirk.

"Auntie, don’t say I’m heartless. Here, use this to collect your son’s ashes."

My hands trembled with rage as I turned to my mother-in-law, my last shred of hope clinging to the possibility that she might show a sliver of compassion. "Please," I whispered. "Help me get another urn. We need to keep Liam's ashes safe."

But she merely arched a brow, her lips curling in distaste.

"What are you looking at?" she snapped. "If you weren’t so useless, the urn wouldn’t have broken in the first place! That water bottle is good enough. Don’t expect me to waste money on that little ingrate. Now hurry up and bury him—I have a mahjong game to get to."

My breath caught in my throat. Before I could protest, Benny kicked me aside, scooped Liam’s ashes into the filthy bottle and carelessly tossed it into the grave. Without hesitation, the workers sealed the grave shut, burying my child in disgrace.

A scream of anguish built in my chest, but I swallowed it down, my body shaking with fury. How could they? How could they do this to my baby?

I turned and stormed into the funeral hall, searching for Willy. My heart pounded as I threw open the door—only to freeze in horror at the sight before me.

There, in front of Little Treasure’s altar, Willy and Sophia were tangled together.

"Willy… Benny is getting older now and he must feel lonely," Sophia purred, her fingers tracing circles against his chest. "I want to give you another child."

Willy hesitated. "Sophia, all these years, I’ve already done so much to keep Benny hidden from your husband. I’ve separated you two to protect you. If we do this again, it’ll be too risky. And… this is Liam’s spiritual hall. We can’t…"

 "Willy, for you, I’m willing to endure anything. My husband is never home—he’ll never find out."

She arched her back, her lips brushing against his ear. "Besides, we’ve never done it in a spiritual hall before. Don’t you want to try? You’ve been so stressed these past few days. Let me take care of you..."

Veins bulged at Willy’s temple, his restraint slipping. A moment later, he crushed his lips against hers.

I couldn’t bear to watch another second. My hands trembled violently as I recorded everything, capturing every disgusting second of their betrayal before turning on my heel and running out. My knees buckled and I collapsed in front of Liam’s tombstone, my entire body convulsing with rage and grief.

Tears streamed down my face as I threw paper money into the fire pot, my hands shaking uncontrollably. Ten years of marriage and this was what it all came to. A joke. A cruel, twisted joke.

Just then, a foot struck the fire pot, sending embers flying. Sparks seared my skin, making me flinch in pain. Sophia stood before me, her lips curled into a victorious smile.

"Carol," she drawled, her voice laced with mockery. "Did you enjoy watching Willy and me have our fun? Even if you burn a mountain of paper money, your short-lived little brat will never come back."

I gritted my teeth, fists clenched at my sides, but she wasn’t finished yet. She took a slow step forward, her eyes gleaming with cruelty.

"You know, if you had just stayed barren, I wouldn’t have even bothered with you. But you had the audacity to have a child with Willy? That was your first mistake. No one—no one—will ever take a single cent away from my son."

Her voice turned cold as ice. "The family's fortune belongs to me and my child. Willy loves me. He loves us. He even got rid of your son for me." She leaned in, her lips nearly brushing my ear. "To be a woman as pitiful as you… it’s honestly humiliating. If I were you, I’d just bash my head against a rock and end it all."

Something inside me snapped. My hand flew up, ready to strike, but before I could touch her, Sophia suddenly let out a sharp cry and tumbled down the stone steps.

I barely had time to react before a strong hand shoved me backward. I stumbled, barely catching myself as Willy rushed forward—his arms reaching out to catch her just in time.

He cradled Sophia against his chest, his face twisted with fury as he turned on me.

"Carol!" he roared. "Are you insane?! Who gave you the right to lay a hand on Sophia?!"

Chapter 6

Without giving me a chance to explain, Sophia clutched Willy’s arm, her delicate face contorted with sorrow as tears welled in her eyes.

"Willy, I only came to comfort Carol, but she accused me of wearing red on purpose to curse her. She said I was mocking her grief and even tried to push me down the steps to my death so I could be buried alongside Little Treasure!" she sobbed pitifully. "She even threatened to find a master to perform dark magic so that Little Treasure would return as a vengeful ghost to haunt me! I’m so scared, Willy!"

Her voice trembled as she buried herself deeper into his embrace. "I rushed here straight from the airport—I didn’t even have time to change! I was only thinking about paying my respects to Liam. How could she misunderstand me like this?" Her body shuddered as she wept. "I’m really afraid..."

Willy's face darkened with anger as he turned to me, his eyes filled with disappointment and disgust.

"Carol, you’re the one who brought this misfortune upon yourself, but you dragged Liam into it too," he accused coldly. "Sophia only came out of kindness, yet instead of being grateful, you lashed out at her?"

His voice sharpened. "And what’s wrong with wearing red? Sophia said it wasn’t intentional. Maybe Liam liked bright colors. Why do you always assume the worst?"

I clenched my fists, my entire body shaking with fury. "You think I’m heartless?" My voice cracked as I pointed to Little Treasure’s tombstone. "Then tell me, Willy, do you have a clear conscience?"

Tears blurred my vision as I choked out, "Do you dare to stand before Liam and tell him why he died? Do you dare to admit what kind of surgery you ordered the doctor to perform on his mother?!"

Willy’s brows furrowed. "What are you talking about? Liam died because you failed to protect him!"

I let out a hollow laugh, my heart shattering at his words. "And the surgery?"

"What else?" He scoffed. "I begged the doctor to save your life. Was that a crime? Carol, I think you need your head examined. Stop acting insane and apologize to Sophia now!"

Sophia clung to him, her voice fragile. "Forget it, Willy. Even though Carol wanted to harm me, I can understand... she's lost her child."

She whimpered and pressed a hand to her ankle. "But my foot... I think I sprained it when she pushed me. It really hurts, Willy. Could you carry me to the hospital?" Her gaze flickered toward me, a victorious smirk hidden beneath her feigned innocence.

Willy’s disappointment in me deepened as he turned away without hesitation. "Hold on, Sophia. I’ll take you there."

As he carried her off, she threw me a silent taunt, mouthing, "Pathetic."

Watching their retreating figures, I knew—this was the end. Willy and I were finished.

That evening, I returned to the cemetery alone. I bought a new urn, hired the staff to carefully collect Little Treasure’s ashes and held him close to my chest. I walked away without looking back.

A funeral like that? My Little Treasure wouldn’t care. A father like that? My Little Treasure didn’t need.

***

At home, I dismissed the nanny, granting her an extended leave. As I sat in silence, my phone rang. Willy.

"Carol, are you home yet?" His voice was soft, almost apologetic. "Don’t be upset, okay? Sophia’s foot is fine. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that today—I was just worried."

He sighed heavily. "The stairs were steep. If Sophia had fallen badly... if something happened to her, what would Benny do? We already lost a child, Carol. I just couldn’t bear to see Benny lose his mother too."

His words felt like knives carving into my heart.

"Benny is just a boy. I’m his godfather. And Sophia... she’s a friend. It’s only right that I take care of them. You understand, don’t you?"

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat. "I know," I murmured. "It’s fine. Take care of them."

"That’s my girl," he said, relieved. "Listen, Liam always wanted to see the ocean, right? I’ve booked a trip for us. The day after tomorrow, we’ll fly out and fulfill his wish."

He paused, as if waiting for my reaction. "We may have lost him, but as his parents, we can still honor his dream. Just wait for me to come pick you up."

***

That night, Sophia bombarded me with messages.

[Guess where we are?]

[Willy felt so bad about today that he bought me a private jet! We’re flying to Vegas right now to celebrate! Isn’t he the best?]

[Oh and don’t worry about Benny—he’s thrilled. Willy promised him a shopping spree. You should have seen his face when he realized he could buy anything he wanted!]

[A private jet. A shopping spree. Lavish spending to make them happy. And yet, when my son was alive, Willy couldn’t even spare him a fraction of that affection.]

I shut off my phone, but the words kept replaying in my mind. Willy, you keep saying we lost our son. But it was you who abandoned him long before he ever left us.

For three years, my Little Treasure had longed for his father to take him to see the sea just once. Yet, he never got that chance.

"Carol, what are you even trying to compete with me for?"

Since I couldn't win, I decided not to play.

The next day, Willy still hadn’t returned home, but Sophia kept sending me more and more photos and videos. Some were of her flaunting her lavish shopping sprees, others showed her draped over Willy as they celebrated their extravagant life together. The worst ones were videos of them entangled, using all sorts of tools to indulge in their twisted pleasure.

I didn't reply. I simply packed up all of my and Liam’s belongings and donated them.

On the afternoon of the third day, Willy finally remembered my existence and sent me a message:

[Carol, I’m sorry. There’s an issue at the company, so I couldn’t come home. My assistant will pick you up and take you to the airport. I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.]

But he didn't know that, just a minute before, Sophia had sent me yet another video.

Today was Benny's birthday. Willy had booked the most luxurious hotel in the city to throw him a grand coming-of-age ceremony.

In the video, he carefully fastened a pink diamond necklace—one the size of a pigeon’s egg—around Sophia’s neck. Then, he kissed her forehead gently and murmured. “Sophia, thank you for giving me such an outstanding son. You are the pride of our family.”

I stared at the screen, my heart as hollow as the home I was about to leave behind.

I didn’t bother replying. Instead, I blocked both of them from every form of contact. Then, I placed a signed divorce agreement and a USB flash drive into a file envelope and sent it by express courier to the hotel.

After leaving Liam’s final wish note on the table, I picked up his ashes, took one last look at the house where I had spent the last eighteen years of my life and walked out the door.

Goodbye, Willy.

***

At the hotel, Willy had just announced that he would be making Benny his official heir. He was moments away from signing the share transfer agreement when his assistant rushed in, pale as a ghost.

He leaned close to Willy’s ear and whispered in a trembling voice.

“Mr. Nelson, bad news! Madam took a flight overseas… and that plane just crashed!”