At 19, Liam promised me forever. At 26, he held Scarlett’s hand and slapped me across the face in front of everyone. I was forced to drink until I was wasted for him, used and abused by his business partners. But he just watched, cold and indifferent, even believing a twisted, life-for-a-life prophecy from a mystic. He let our son die, all so Scarlett could give birth to a child. I clutched my son’s lifeless body, gripping the confirmation of my pregnancy, and wept until I had no tears left. Later, I ended the pregnancy and fled far away. But Liam’s eyes burned with accusation. “You don’t want *our* child?” The laughter from behind the screen was like poisoned needles, pricking my eardrums. “Mr. Liam, what great fortune you have! Isabelle’s still in the hospital, right? And now you’ve got double the good news! Scarlett, you’re going to give Liam a big, healthy boy!” “Isabelle? That vain and opportunistic woman? She saw Liam losing his influence and immediately slept with one of his partners.” A man chuckled softly, his voice so lazy it sounded like he was discussing the weather, utterly trivial. “Isabelle? She probably died ages ago, didn’t she?” His laughter pierced my heart like a blade. My fingertips turned white as I dug them into my palms. Three days ago, when Liam’s business partners dragged me into an alley and brutalized me, he had laughed like that too. Those animals tore my clothes, beating me mercilessly. He just stood at the alley entrance, embracing a pregnant Scarlett, watching with cold eyes. My son, Leo, was kicked to the ground by Liam, screaming and sobbing, “Dad, why are you doing this to Mom?!” Leo’s convulsing body, my own humiliation—it suddenly shattered the last sliver of my composure. I shoved the screen aside with a jolt, my voice echoing, silencing the room. “Liam, what exactly did I do wrong? Why are you treating me like this?” A bitter taste filled my mouth. I didn’t understand how this man, who I’d loved for seven years, had become this monster. Liam’s hand rested on Scarlett’s prominently swollen belly. His eyes narrowed when he saw me, then he sneered. “Still alive, huh? Had enough fun with your little fling?” My lips trembled, a dense, aching pain spreading through my chest. “Let’s get a divorce. Leo stays with me. You’re the one at fault, so we split everything 50/50.” “At fault?” His face twisted, his eyes inexplicably reddening as he stared at me with an unreadable expression. Suddenly, a powerful slap landed on my face, making my head spin. As the world reeled, I saw his lips move, spitting out cruel words. “I was merciful enough not to kill that bastard Leo. And you have the nerve to talk about divorce.” A thunderclap exploded in front of my eyes. I stared at the man I loved, utterly incredulous. Seeing my shock, Scarlett feigned timidity, shrinking into his embrace and handing him a piece of paper. “Sister, this is the paternity test. Leo really isn’t Liam’s…” The paper fluttered to the ground. Large red letters declared: “NO BLOOD RELATIONSHIP CONFIRMED.” It pierced my heart.
I suddenly laughed, but tears streamed down my face. “Liam, I ended up in the hospital because I was trying to save you.” “Nothing happened with those clients. Don’t you even believe me?” Liam scoffed, then furiously smashed a glass against my forehead, grabbing my throat and pinning me to the floor. Amidst the shattering glass, he leaned close to my ear and whispered: “You’d say anything to protect Leo’s real father. You’re disgusting, Isabelle.” Warm liquid flowed down my cheek, and I thought of Liam when he was 19. He had cut the chains an old widower used to imprison me, carrying me through mountain paths ravaged by mudslides. We huddled in a rented room with our meager savings, the scent of cheap shampoo mingling with our breaths. He said: *Isabelle, I’ll love you my whole life. We’ll work hard, live in a big house, and have a bunch of healthy babies.* From then on, I did everything—waitressing, reception, hospitality, logistics. I took any job I could find. When he landed his first big deal and earned his first million, we smiled at each other, joking that we were each other’s good luck charms. A year ago, on a rainy night, he was set up and embroiled in a financial scandal. Risking prison, I gritted my teeth and navigated business dealings with a group of older men, playing along with their charades. A man’s fleshy, greasy hand caressed my thigh, and I subtly pushed it away. They laughed loudly, toasting me glass after glass. “There are three more bottles of hard liquor here. If you finish them, our deal is done.” Without a word, I picked up the bottles and drank them one by one. The liquor burned like fire in my stomach, but I didn’t even flinch. In the end, the deal was done, Liam escaped the lawsuit, and I ended up in the emergency room. I never expected that when I woke up, I wouldn’t be greeted by Liam’s warm embrace, but by his furious accusations. “Why didn’t that old widower just kill you? Getting yourself hospitalized from being used like that.” He grabbed Brooke’s hand and left without a backward glance, as if even another glance at me disgusted him. Amidst the wreckage scattered on the floor, I lay there like a crushed stray dog, letting my tears stream freely. Suddenly, a phone call shattered the silence. My child’s voice, choked with sobs, was heartbreaking. “Mommy, I’m scared. Daddy brought a woman home, and he told me to get out…”
I endured the dizziness, hurrying home in a panic. The moment I pushed the door open, Leo flung himself into my arms, his soft, rosy face covered in purple bruises. Tears streamed down his small cheeks, scalding my heart. I hugged Leo tightly, looking at the man and woman before me, grief and fury surging within me. “Liam, how could you do this to your own son! You’re a monster!” Liam scoffed, looking at me as if I were the unforgivable villain. “Get out, you and that bastard! I won’t give you two a single cent!” Scarlett smirked triumphantly, her eyes darting around slyly as her seemingly delicate hand caressed Liam’s shoulder. “Liam, honey, I heard a mystic say there’s a way to trade a life for a life. If one boy is gone, another can be born.” “Leo isn’t even your child anyway, and I’m ready to have a baby now. Should we try it?” At her words, my entire body trembled. I stood up, raising my hand to slap Scarlett. But Liam’s grip clamped down on my hand. He kicked Leo, sending him sprawling to the floor, where he curled up in pain. My eyes turned bloodshot, and even my fingertips trembled. “Liam, you can’t do this! Leo is your biological son!” But he only sneered, then summoned his bodyguards to throw Leo and me out like stray dogs. The biting autumn wind was bone-chilling. Leo, dressed in thin clothes, shivered from the cold. His small face was red, filled with sorrow. “Mommy, did Leo do something wrong? Is that why Daddy doesn’t like me and Mommy anymore…?” My nose stung. I knelt down and hugged his small body. “Leo, Mommy and Daddy are getting divorced. Will you stay with Mommy?” Sadness clouded his face, but to comfort me, he forced a smile and nodded. “Okay, Leo likes being with Mommy.” Listening to my five-year-old son’s words, too mature for his age, my fingertips turned white. A wave of crushing disappointment washed over me. *Liam, you said you’d love and protect me my whole life.* I held his small hand, walking slowly along the road, unsure where we were going. Suddenly, turning a corner, we saw a group of menacing men, staring straight at Leo. My heart seized with fear. I scooped Leo into my arms and ran for my life. The next second, the men grabbed my arm.
They ignored my screams, dragging Leo and me into an alley. Leo was slammed onto the ground, letting out a sharp, desperate cry. “Please, I beg you, don’t touch Leo! Do whatever you want to me!” I cried, begging and struggling to stop them. But they snickered, roughly shoving me away, and then punched Leo again. I watched helplessly as Leo’s small body twisted at unnatural angles, blood oozing from his soft lips. “Leo… Leo…” Tears blurred my vision, my heart tearing with agony. He was just laughing a moment ago, saying he loved Mommy… and now he was bleeding… Warm, sticky blood flowed from between my legs. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and a foul odor assaulted my senses. “Alright, alright, he’s probably gone.” “Wonder if the life-for-a-life ritual works. Hope Miss Scarlett gives birth to a healthy boy and marries into a rich family!” A mouthful of blood sprayed everywhere, yet I felt nothing. As I lost consciousness, I kept thinking, over and over: *Leo’s birthday is in a few days. I need to buy him a big cake, and that toy car he wanted…* The pungent smell of disinfectant stung my nostrils. I struggled, waking from the nightmare. Looking at the unfamiliar ceiling, I shifted, and sharp pain shot through my lower body. “Miss Isabelle, please don’t move. You’ve just suffered a violent assault. Thankfully, you have a strong constitution, and the baby inside you is fine. You need to rest properly…” “My Leo?” I managed to ask, the only thing that mattered to me. The doctor’s expression shifted to one of sorrow and pity. That was all I needed to understand everything—it wasn’t a nightmare, it was real! “He’s in the morgue. Our efforts were in vain. Please accept our deepest condolences.” Dragging my weak body, I ran and crawled to the morgue. Among the white sheets, I found a small body. I pressed a hand hard against my chest, bending over, gasping for air. I opened my mouth but couldn’t speak. Large, heavy tears streamed down my face. When Liam entered, he saw me kneeling on the floor, consumed by grief. For a moment, his face contorted with a complex mix of emotions. He reached out to help me up, but I pushed his hand away. “Liam, my Leo is dead. I wish you would die too.”
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