My five-year-old son Walker made his birthday wish after blowing out the candles, his innocent words cutting deep: "Daddy, Aurelia is old-fashioned and ugly. I want Aunt Louisa to be my mom."

Fletcher didn’t stand up for me. He simply smiled and wished that Walker’s dream would come true. That night, I drove away from the estate, and Rodrigo, the security guard, greeted me politely, "Ma'am, heading out to get medicine for Mr. Stevens and the little one again? When will you be back?"

I glanced at the home I'd lived in for a decade, and without a hint of regret, I replied, "I won't be coming back."

When Walker made his birthday wish, the room seemed to freeze. My smile faltered, and I instinctively turned to Fletcher, expecting him to back me up as he always had, but he didn’t correct Walker. Instead, he gently told him, "Then I hope your wish comes true."

Walker, thrilled by Fletcher’s response, clapped his hands excitedly. "I'm going to have a new mommy!" Even though I knew kids speak without filter, Walker’s words cut me deeply. He used to love me as his mother, but everything changed with Louisa's arrival. Both Walker and Fletcher seemed enchanted by her.

Unaware of my pain, Walker happily swung Fletcher's arm. "Daddy, I don’t want the spiced honey cake Aurelia made. Come and help me open presents."

Fletcher calmly stood up, "Alright, let's see what your Aunt Louisa has prepared for you." The two of them completely disregarded me, retreating to Walker’s bedroom, locking the door to open gifts.

I was left alone, staring at the table covered with healthy, carefully prepared dishes. I sat immobile until I finally forced my stiff limbs to rise. Walker's laughter drifted through the closed door as he video-called Louisa. "Aunt Louisa, can you throw me another birthday party tomorrow? I've got a present for you too."

"Aurelia is such a drag. She won't let me eat what I want and makes me practice writing." Fletcher occasionally chimed in, his voice as gentle as it was when he loved me.

I stopped torturing myself by eavesdropping and knocked on Walker's door. It took five long minutes for him to open it, a little scowl on his face. "Aurelia, are you here to make me drink that nasty tonic again? I won't drink it!"

Fletcher walked over and lifted Walker into his arms. "Do you have to make a scene on Walker’s birthday?"

Fletcher and Walker both suffer from a hereditary stomach condition, and it took me ages to find a good remedy using herbal medicine. But ever since Louisa said, "How can herbal medicine compare to modern medicine?" Fletcher took it to heart. More than once, he dumped the herbal remedy I painstakingly prepared and urged me to heed Louisa's advice.

Walker mirrored his behavior, gradually rejecting both me and the remedies, just like Fletcher. Today is Walker's birthday, and Fletcher's repeated insults have worn me down. My lips turned pale as I was about to speak, but then Walker lunged at me unexpectedly.

I was caught off guard, and Walker's sharp teeth nearly pierced the flesh of my hand. This was the first time I'd ever been angry with him in his five years. "Walker, let go!" I shouted.

But he wouldn't listen, biting even harder, his eyes filled with a bitterness that seemed bent on destroying me. I closed my eyes, my long lashes trembling intensely, and my heart sank into a calm and cold despair. When Walker finally released his grip, he didn't miss the chance to glare at me with disdain.

"Aurelia, look at yourself—you’re plain and ugly, nothing like Aunt Louisa."

"Walker is just a child; his bites won't really hurt. Handle it yourself," Fletcher chimed in almost at the same time as Walker.

Neither father nor son said anything I wanted to hear. I blinked away the urge to cry and turned to find the first-aid kit. Fletcher slammed the bedroom door shut with a loud "bang" behind him.

As I disinfected the wound on my hand, I didn't pay attention to the pressure, and it hurt so much that tears sprang to my eyes. I remembered the first year Fletcher and I were dating when I accidentally cut my hand while chopping vegetables. It was just a small cut, but he went pale with worry.

That was a wintry evening when Fletcher took me to the hospital for stitches. The staff couldn't help but chuckle at Fletcher for being such a young and anxious boyfriend. Fletcher felt embarrassed, saying he lost his wits because he cared too much about me.

When I found out I was pregnant, Fletcher was thrilled and promised he would always take care of me and our child. After a severe hemorrhage during Walker’s birth almost ended my life, Fletcher had a vasectomy the next day. He used to love me deeply until Louisa came into our lives.

Louisa joined the Stevens Group in my fourth year after having Walker. A graduate from a top university, she was graceful and smart, with impressive business skills. Even as an intern, she caught Fletcher's eye and was quickly promoted to be his secretary. From then on, Louisa and Fletcher's relationship grew increasingly close. They traveled frequently for work, staying at the same hotels.

The first time I argued with Fletcher, my emotions spiraled out of control. I insisted he fire Louisa. He watched my outburst with a detached gaze, as if seeing through my poor performance, and replied coolly, “Louisa is just a recent graduate, unaware of any hidden agendas. She’s quite innocent; even if she unknowingly offended you, you shouldn’t blame her. My relationship with her is strictly professional—it's not what you think.”

I was stunned, looking at him as if I didn't know him at all. My husband, the man I had been with for many years, seemed to think I was being petty and seeking attention. Fletcher couldn’t see the disappointment and hurt on my face. Instead, he warned me coldly, "Aurelia, don’t let me down. If I find out you’ve acted against Louisa, it’ll be the end of us."

Every part of me screamed to leave, but I held back. I couldn’t bear to leave Walker, the child I almost lost bringing into this world. Walker was adorable; his first word was “Mom.” My once sweet little boy used to care for me and constantly tell me he loved me.

After feeling disappointed in Fletcher, I focused my energy on Walker. Walker was born with a hereditary stomach condition, so I was very careful about his diet. I spent countless hours learning recipes and preparing various snacks for him. But I don’t know when it started; Walker refused to eat anything I made. Later, I found out it was because Louisa secretly fed him junk food every time she visited.

When I confronted her, Louisa feigned innocence and claimed it wasn’t her intention. Fletcher believed her and, instead, accused me of being too harsh. The most serious incident was when Louisa gave Walker ginger ale, causing an emergency hospital visit. Louisa turned the situation around, publicly accusing me of being heartless in front of the medical staff. I was furious, and my argument with her became intense.

Fletcher rushed from the office to the hospital and, upon entering the ward, pushed me aside forcefully. Shielding Louisa behind him, he snapped at me, “Enough, you almost harmed Walker, and now you want to hurt an innocent person?” My back hit the wall, leaving me in pain, struggling to breathe. Even Louisa didn’t expect Fletcher to push me in front of everyone, leaving her too shocked to keep up her act, instinctively saying, “Mr. Stevens, your wife…”

Everything went silent; the physical pain grew worse, and I slid down the wall, squatting at its base. Only then did Fletcher seem to realize, guilt on his face as he hurried over to help me up. “Aurelia, I acted impulsively. You'll forgive me, won’t you?” I remained silent, full of disappointment.

The most heartbreaking part was when Walker woke up; he sided with Louisa, pointing the finger at me—just because Louisa had promised to take him out for pizza. He lied to make me look bad. Louisa easily won over Fletcher and Walker’s trust. Fletcher allowed Louisa to take Walker out every weekend. In just a year, she captured the hearts of both father and son, leaving me as the detested housewife.

Fletcher was convinced I loved him too much to ever divorce him. With Walker, it was even more obvious. Apart from being strict about his diet and activities, I gave in to his every other need. They knew I wouldn’t leave them, which is why they continued to hurt me over and over again.