Chapter 3

Over the weekend, I took Tommy to visit my mother.

When we got back home, she was heating water and coughing badly.

Panicked, I rushed to support her.

"Mom, why is your cough still so bad?" I asked.

She shook her head. "It's nothing—just an old problem."

Ever since Dad passed away, she had been living alone in the old house and had developed some health issues, always dismissing them as minor.

But this time, looking at her, I could see her complexion had worsened, and I frowned. "Do you want to go to the hospital?"

"Going won't help. They'll just give me medicine. There's still some left from last time. I'm just old. By the way, why are you back today?" she asked.

I helped her to the living room and gave her some water to ease her cough before telling her about David's affair.

My mother froze, staring at me for a long moment, testing my reaction.

In her worldview, men making mistakes was common, and as long as one could forgive, life could go on.

But I wasn't willing, especially since he no longer had a place for me in his heart.

There was no point in saying more to my mother. I simply told her I had decided to divorce him.

"Divorce? Then what will you do? You're a housewife, and you have a child." She sounded worried.

"Mom, I've already decided. I'll go back to work. I studied finance before—after a few years out of the workforce, I can catch up easily enough," I smiled.

Besides, even if everyone disappeared, my world could still work.

Naturally, my mother was upset, frustrated, and helpless.

Before we could say anything more, a sudden cry came from the kitchen.

We both turned at once.

For some reason, Tommy had gone into the kitchen, and the boiling water on the stove spilled onto him.

"Tommy?" I rushed over immediately.

After rinsing him with cold water, I took him straight to the hospital.

Luckily, we got there in time. His burns weren't severe, but a large patch of his arm was scalded.

He lay on the hospital bed, receiving IV fluids, his little face pale.

My heart ached, and my mother, full of guilt, cried, promising never to use that kettle again.

As I looked at my child in the hospital bed, my mind was a whirlwind.

I took several deep breaths and called David, telling him to come back.

A cute voice answered; it was that girl in the company.

"Hello, Mr. Stone isn't here," she said.

"Put him on the phone," I said loudly, my frustration boiling over.

I raised my voice, drawing attention from the hospital staff.

The girl hesitated. "He's showering."

"He's showering? Then why are you in his room?"

Just thinking about my sick child, burned, while he was out having fun with a girl, I almost lost my mind. I wanted to tear him apart.

She replied cautiously, revealing nothing, "I'm his assistant. Whenever Mr. Stone goes out, I usually help him organize his clothes."

I couldn't help but laugh, "You really think I don't know about your relationship?"

There was a pause on the other end, then a sneer.

She said, "So Emily, you know, huh? Well, thank you for not exposing us all this time. Honestly, it wouldn't matter if I told you. He and I broke up before he married you. As for now?"

"I don't care about you two. My child is burned, and it's serious. Just tell him to come back immediately," I snapped.

The line went quiet for a moment. She seemed about to argue, but I hung up.

I leaned against the wall, struggling to breathe, my chest feeling crushed under a thousand-pound weight.

"Emily, calm down. Don't hurt yourself over a man like that," my mother said, trying to comfort me, but she was out of breath and staggered, coughing violently.

"Mom?" I rushed to support her. She coughed for a while before stopping, blood on her teeth.

I screamed, "Mom? You're coughing up blood."

She pressed my hand and shook her head. "I'm fine. Take care of your problem first."

My child was sick, my mother was already in poor health, and my husband was with another woman.

Whether it was exhaustion or pain, my chest tightened.

I was almost powerless, but I gritted my teeth and told myself that I could not fall apart.

All night, I stayed by Tommy's side.

David didn't come.

But that night, I realized one thing:

No matter how confused or heartless someone is, one could never lose oneself.

David was cruel to me. I no longer needed to show him mercy.