Chapter 1

I was in the midst of packing away my late son's belongings when William, fresh from his Aegean holiday, walked through the door, his face beaming with the glow of a man without a care.

"Elena, get the red wine out of my suitcase. The layovers on the flight back were exhausting."

Hearing this, I—who had once obeyed his every command—remained silent, continuing the mechanical work of sorting through the items in my hands.

Seeing that I was ignoring him, William frowned, then, as if discovering something amusing, suddenly chuckled.

"What? Still jealous that I went on vacation with Sophia?"

Sophia was his childhood sweetheart, his nominal "god-sister."

Back when our son was critically ill, William had cut off my calls to take this woman out to sea, leaving our boy to die alone in a cold emergency room.

The memory of my son's little face, turning purple from lack of oxygen, made my heart twist in agonizing pain.

Before I could speak, Sophia walked in, wearing a limited-edition trench coat that had originally belonged to me. She spoke with feigned innocence:

"Oh my, William, it's all my fault for insisting you come out to relax. I've made Elena upset."

"But don't overthink it, sister. We just went to clear our minds, nothing more."

She spoke lightly, yet they both radiated the scent of the same expensive perfume. On Sophia's hand sat a massive pink diamond ring; to any onlooker, they looked like a perfect couple.

Meanwhile, my wedding ring with William had long since been locked in his safe under the guise of "safekeeping."

Seeing that I remained silent, William sighed, wearing an expression that said, *I don't know what to do with you.*

"Alright, stop making that face. I'll transfer you an extra three hundred dollars this month. Take Leo to buy some clothes for the changing season."

"Remember, I'm making an exception for you. No need to thank me."

Looking at the transfer notification on my phone, I felt only an endless chill.

He had spent hundreds of thousands taking Sophia out to sea, and casually gifted a ring worth a fortune.

Now, giving me three hundred dollars, he acted as if he had bestowed a heavenly grace upon me, as if I were a beggar.

Sophia stood to the side, unable to hide the triumph in her eyes, and said with veiled sarcasm:

"William, three hundred isn't a small amount. Sister Elena really ought to thank you properly."

"I'm telling you, boys need to be raised in poverty, otherwise, what if they grow up to be vain and greedy like certain people?"

Such an absurd remark, yet William held it as gospel truth.

To prevent our son from becoming "greedy," he had strictly controlled our expenses, giving us only two hundred a month.

In the past, to secure better medical conditions for my son, I had always begged humbly. But now that he was gone, begging was meaningless.

Thinking of this, I returned the money and said calmly:

"No need. I don't want it."

The smile on William's face froze, replaced immediately by impatience:

"Elena, I've given you a way out, what more do you want?"

Before I could answer, Sophia's mocking voice came from the side:

"I think she thinks three hundred is too little."

"William, I don't mean to lecture you, but how can such an insatiably greedy woman set a good example for Leo?"

She judged me from her high horse.

Hearing this, William looked at me with disappointment written all over his face.

"Elena, we've only been married a few years, how have you become so mercenary?"

"Give it a few more years, and are you planning to plot for my family's trust fund?"

Listening to William's accusations, I couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly.

So, for all these years, this is the kind of person I was in his heart.

But my silence, in his eyes, was merely the guilt of having my thoughts exposed.

The next moment, William said angrily:

"It seems Sophia is right; you really aren't a fit mother."

"I do this to cultivate the boy's quality of simple living and hard work."

"If you continue like this, teaching Leo to be as materialistic and calculating as you are, can we even call this a home?"

Looking at his self-righteous demeanor, I felt nothing but the utmost irony.

His so-called education in simplicity was to berate me when I begged for asthma medicine for our son, accusing me of trying to scam money for cosmetics.

Even when our son wanted a five-dollar ice cream, he would point his finger and scold:

"So young and already so greedy for pleasure? You'll grow up to be a squanderer!"

"Sooner or later, you'll be spoiled rotten by that mother of yours!"

Thinking of this, I prepared to tell him the news of our son's death.

"William, Leo is already..."

But before I could finish, Sophia suddenly cried out from the doorway.

In the next second, William abandoned his lecture and rushed to Sophia's side.

"Sophia, what's wrong?"

Sophia clutched her chest, leaning weakly against the wall:

"William, I'm fine. It might just be the jet lag, I'm a little dizzy."

"I'm okay, don't let me delay your family reunion."

Hearing this, William shook his head with heartache.

"Your health matters. I'm taking you to the private clinic right now."

Before leaving, William seemed to remember something. He turned to me and ordered with a solemn face:

"Elena, reflect on yourself properly."

"When I get back, we'll discuss taking the boy camping next week."

But he didn't know that our son was gone, and I had no intention of waiting for him ever again.