Chapter 2

When I got home, the message was still sitting there, marked 'Read.'

I stared at that status for a long moment, then pressed his number and called him.

The phone rang for what felt like forever. Just when I thought he wasn't going to pick up, he finally answered.

"Just deal with Adam yourself. Read the compensation papers and sign them," James said.

I paused, suddenly realizing he hadn't even cared to check what I sent him.

"It's not about Adam. I want to talk about us," I said.

"I don't have time for that!" He cut me off, his voice rough and impatient.

"You're pissed about the surgery, so now you're just making trouble for me right when Emily needs her promotion, aren't you?

"Olivia, you're so narrow-minded, you can't even stand a student. No wonder our son ended up like this! This is what you deserve. It's karma!"

I couldn't help but laugh, the anger bubbling up inside me as I nodded.

"Yeah, guess it really is karma," I said.

With that, I hung up on him.

Adam was sitting there, sipping his milk. When he saw how upset I looked, he watched me with concern.

I crouched down and gently wiped the milk from the corner of his mouth.

"Sweetie, Mommy and Daddy are getting a divorce," I said softly.

"We're moving soon, and you'll be going to a new school," I added.

Adam froze for a second, then his eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? That's awesome!"

He let out a cheer, then sneakily leaned in close, whispering in my ear like he was sharing a secret.

"Mommy, I have a secret. Ryan used to bully me all the time.

"He'd break my toys, and sometimes he'd secretly lock me in the dark room!"

I felt a chill run down my spine, my heart clenching painfully.

I always thought Ryan just didn't like me because I was his stepmom.

I never imagined he'd bully even Adam behind my back.

Guilt and rage crashed over me, swallowing me whole.

What kind of fool had I been all these years?

Seeing the joy shining in Adam's eyes, I clenched my fists and immediately booked the earliest flight to my parents' city.

I could drag out the divorce with James as long as I wanted, but there was no way I was letting Adam stay in this twisted family any longer.

With that in mind, I opened the closet and started packing Adam's clothes into a small suitcase, one by one.

As I packed, my mind kept drifting back to the past with James.

We met through a blind date.

Everyone said he was devoted, responsible, and a rare find, a truly good man.

I fell for that image, too.

I thought a man who was so devoted and honorable toward his late wife couldn't possibly be a bad person.

I thought all the kindness he showed me was real.

He said he didn't want any more kids. He just wanted to pour all his love into Ryan.

After we got married, I quit my job and wholeheartedly dedicated myself to being a stepmom.

I treated Ryan like my own, holding him so carefully, afraid he'd break if I let go, or melt away if I held him too close.

When Ryan came down with a sudden case of stomach flu in the middle of the night, throwing up and running to the bathroom, I was the one carrying him all over the ER.

James just called me and, as if it was nothing, said, "Thanks for your hard work."

When Ryan wanted to join an airplane contest, James said it was a waste of time. But I was the one who stayed up with him night after night, helping him look up information and build his model.

But then, after James got drunk one night, I accidentally got pregnant with Adam.

He told me to get rid of the baby, but I refused. In the end, I gave birth to Adam.

From then on, he seemed to become a different person, going out early and coming back late, and blowing hot and cold toward me.

And then he met Emily.

Adam's suitcase was packed in no time. I was just about to start packing my own things when I heard the soft click of the front door lock.

The door swung open from the outside.

James's tall frame filled the doorway, blocking out the light behind him.

His eyes landed on the suitcase in the living room, and his brows twisted into a deep scowl.

"Olivia, what kind of stunt are you pulling this time?" he snapped.