After mom

2

I had never treated Lucas like this before. He was clearly scared, crying and hitting me, “Wah! Mom is so scary. I don’t want a bad mom. I want Emma!”

Lucas’s fists kept landing on me. It didn’t hurt physically, but my insides felt like they were on fire.

I cried back at him, “You don’t want me? I don’t want you either! Give me back my mom, and I won’t want anyone else. I just want my mom!”

Lucas and I were both crying our eyes out.

Jacob forcefully separated us, shielding Lucas behind him. He looked at me coldly, “Acting again, are we? Lucas was just playing around with your mom. It’s such a small thing, why are you scaring him like this?”

Playing around? A small thing? That “small thing” killed my mom!

I looked at him, grief–stricken and angry, “But my mom is dead!”

“Enough! Your mom had her medicine in the room, how could anything have happened? I know you’re upset about me and Lucas going to Emma’s performance, but you don’t need to make up such lies with your mom! Aren’t you afraid of jinxing her?”

Even now, he still thought I was jealous and deliberately using my mom as an excuse to make him feel guilty.

The sorrow and anger made me want to laugh.

At that moment, Emma called. Jacob answered and after a few words, he hurriedly prepared to leave.

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♡ fo

He spoke softly into the phone, “Don’t worry, I’ll be right there.”

Lucas followed closely behind him.

Looking at these two strangers before me.

I suddenly laughed and handed Jacob the divorce papers on the table, “Before you go, sign these.”

Jacob didn’t even look at them before mocking, “You’ve really gone to great lengths to get my attention, haven’t you?”

“Divorce? You think you can live without me and Lucas? Stop these tricks, you’re just embarrassing yourself.”

With that, he left with Lucas.

In the past, every time we argued, no matter whose fault it was, I would always be the one to make up and apologize.

But not anymore.

As soon as they left, I quickly packed my things, dragged my suitcase out, and resolutely left.

I returned to my mother’s old house. Family photos of the three of us still hung on the walls.

But my beloved parents were gone.

Ten years ago, my father died saving Jacob’s entire family in a mudslide.

Back then, Jacob held me and said, “Don’t cry. You still have me. I’ll be with you for life.”

Those words were deeply etched in my heart.

Later, we got married and had a child. Jacob’s kindness made me believe we were soulmates.

But everything changed when Emma appeared.

He stopped sharing his daily life with me. He would often zone out, and inexplicably stare at his phone with a silly grin.

On our wedding anniversary, Emma said she had a headache, and Jacob abandoned me to rush to her side. When I got into a car accident and needed his help dealing with threats, he was busy helping Emma dodge drinks. When I was sick and needed his care, he said he was busy washing Emma’s dog.

No matter when or where, Jacob could drop everything and rush to Emma’s side at her slightest call or message.

If I dared to question him, I was being unreasonable, emotionally blackmailing him, or trying to cash in on past favors.

It was then that I realized, what was nectar to me was poison to him.

What I thought was mutual love was, to him, nothing but an obligation to repay a debt.

Even my son was often taken to meet Emma.

Lucas no longer hugged my neck saying he loved me. Instead, he lamented why Emma couldn’t be his mother.

Holding back my pain, I asked Lucas why.

Eating the food I made, he said innocently, “Emma is gentler than mom. She and dad take me to eat things mom doesn’t allow. Her cooking is better than mom’s, and she can play the piano. She never scolds me and is very nice to me. Dad loves her too…”

Lucas’s words hurt, but I thought it was just childish talk. I still tried to repair my relationship with him.

But when Emma and I both fell into the water, my husband and son unanimously went to save Emma.

My husband pulled her out of the water, while Lucas rushed to get towels and hot water. They fussed over her endlessly.

3:01 PM

I was invisible to them. At that moment, my suspended heart finally died.

I decided to stop compromising myself.

Just as I was about to divorce Jacob, my mom came from the countryside to visit.

Her health wasn’t good, and I didn’t want to upset her, so I had to put off the divorce until after she left.

But in this short time, they went too far, directly causing my mother’s death!

I was grief–stricken and desperate!

Not wanting my mom to be lonely on her journey, I asked the village uncles to help arrange a funeral for her.

After the funeral, I returned home exhausted.

The empty house was silent except for the ticking of the clock, a silence that bred despair.

I called out of habit, “Mom, I’m home. What delicious food did you make for lunch?”

But only endless silence answered me.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

Oh, that’s right. My mom is dead.

Suddenly, the front door was kicked open with a bang.

Jacob stormed in, his face cold as he glared at me fiercely. Emma and Lucas followed behind him.