Chapter 1
My son, Taylor Cole, said his girlfriend was fed up with him and told him to transition.
I was dead set against it, but he threatened me with suicide and jumped from the second floor, breaking his leg.
"Next time, I'll jump from higher up. Will that make you happy?"
Seeing him so desperate to die for love, I finally lost all hope.
"Fine, I agree," I said.
Taylor pushed himself up from the floor, his face lighting up with hope.
"Really, Mom?" he asked, eyes wide.
"You're amazing! I knew you'd say yes!"
He was thrilled, but my heart ached so much I wanted to cry.
I made up a random excuse about being busy at work and left.
He called after me, "Mom! Don't go! Help me up and take me to the hospital!"
I didn't even look back.
If he was going to do whatever his girlfriend said, then he wasn't my concern anymore.
But after just a few steps, tears started pouring down my face.
Just thinking about all the aftereffects of transitioning made my chest feel so tight I could barely breathe.
But then I realized, if I didn't let him do it, he'd probably choose to end his life immediately.
If I agreed, at least he'd still be around for a few more years.
Fine, whatever.
I went to the office, took a day off, bought a coffee, and just sat in the park, lost in thought.
Taylor texted me: [Mom, can you come to the hospital and keep me company? I'm so bored alone here.]
I thought it over and finally replied: [I'm really busy. Why don't you ask your girlfriend to go?]
Taylor: [She... doesn't have time. Just take a day off and come, please?]
I was about to lose my patience. [Why should I just drop everything because you say so? I told you not to transition. Why didn't you listen?]
He fired back instantly: [Jeez, are you PMS-ing or something? Why are you so worked up? Forget it, don't come. My girlfriend will come see me instead. I gave you a chance, and you blew it. When you're old and sick, don't expect me to be there for you.]
I wasn't bothered at all. I'd probably live a few years longer without him.
Taylor had always been an obedient child and ranked first in school.
After getting into a top university, he came home for summer break with a girl who had a nose ring and a lip ring.
He said his roommate introduced them, and she was "kind of edgy and unique."
He was totally into her.
Since it was our first time meeting, I kept my feelings to myself.
His girlfriend, Tania Houston, meanwhile, was all over the place at dinner. She'd spit out bones and make Taylor catch them with his mouth. If he managed it, she'd say, "Good boy, bark for me."
Taylor would actually bark twice. If he missed, she'd say he wasn't even as good as a dog.
When Tania was having fun, she even tried to make me open my mouth to catch the bones.
Seeing that I was unwilling to do it, she shoved Taylor's face right into the plate.
I got pissed, but Taylor told me to stay out of it. "Mom, it's just our thing! I love this kind of wild stuff!"
After that, I couldn't help but worry about him.
When he came home for winter break, he kept complaining about his butt hurting. I had no idea what was going on, so I just asked him what was wrong.
I was worried he might have hemorrhoids or maybe an abscess or something.
He said it wasn't any of that.
I knew he was hiding something from me, so I asked his childhood friend to try to get it out of him.
He was so embarrassed, he just tossed me a link.
When I opened it, I realized he and his girlfriend were into some kinky BDSM stuff.
She was the one calling the shots, and he was the one taking orders.
So that's why his butt was sore.
I really couldn't wrap my head around it—it just wasn't good for Taylor.
I told him to stop doing that in the future.
Taylor yelled at me, "What do you even know? It's mutual between Tania and me, alright? I'm not the one suffering here, so mind your own business. You don't even get what real love is. If you did, Dad wouldn't have divorced you."
I fired back, "Your dad divorced me because he cheated!"
His lips twitched. "It's because you never knew how to love anyone that he cheated! Honestly, you brought all this on yourself!"
I was so angry, I just stopped talking to him.
He didn't talk to me at all and just stayed at his childhood friend's place.
Right before school started, he apologized to me on WhatsApp.
He promised he'd take better care of himself down there from now on.
We made up, and I sent him some money for living expenses.
But not long after, he dropped a bombshell on me—he wanted to transition. "Mom, Tania doesn't like me because I'm not a girl. She told me to transition. Can you give me the money so I can do it?"
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