Walked Away from the Unworthy

Synopsis

Terminal stomach cancer brought searing pain, like fire consuming my insides. Just as death approached, a WhatsApp notification lit up my screen. My son, Yale Strong, had messaged: [If you're going to die, just die. Why make trouble for us?] Gone was the darkness. It was September 30th, the year Yale started high school. Voices drifted from the living room. Yale, my husband, and his parents were discussing their emigration to Amerelia. My name never came up. I wasted no time. The education savings for Yale were cashed out. The divorce papers were signed. My number changed. Just like that, I stepped into a new life of freedom. Years later, outside a bustling mall, a balloon seller caught my eye. It was Yale. Tears streamed down his face as he rushed over. "Mom, I was wrong!" Those words meant nothing. I would never again clean up the mess of an ungrateful brat. I took the hand of my daughter, Molly Harper, the one who gave me love and warmth, and walked right past him.