My face burned. "Stuart said he'd pay it back... And Peter's getting married. I'll have more free time now. Worst case, I'll find a job."

My friend didn't look convinced, but in the end, she lent me the money.

Mumbling a quick thanks, I took it straight to Peter's new place—only to find a stranger there.

Lily, usually so distant, was all smiles, chatting warmly with the woman.

I'd met Lily's mother before. This wasn't her.

Unease crawled up my spine.

The woman patted Lily's hand, beaming. "Good, good. You're just like a daughter to me. If Peter ever gives you trouble, I'll make sure he behaves."

Peter strolled out, his voice light, playful. "Mom, who's really your kid here?"

I froze.

The woman... looked just like Peter.

A chill shot through me.

***

That day, I snapped. I screamed, demanded answers.

Stuart rushed over—but instead of explaining, he shielded the woman behind him, his eyes cold with disgust.

And Peter—the boy I raised, the son I gave everything to—stood beside her, holding her hand.

In the chaos, someone shoved me—hard. I crashed down the stairs, pain exploding through me as blood pooled around me.

My head cracked. My leg snapped.

And Stuart and Peter didn't even call an ambulance.

Stuart didn't so much as glance at me, curled up in agony. No—his first instinct was to grab my phone. Something clicked in his head, and he swiped it open with Peter's birthday.

His face lit up. "Elaine actually got the money!" He turned to Peter. "I'll chip in a little more—now the apartment can be properly renovated!"

Peter hesitated, glancing down at me. "But Elaine..."

He couldn't even call me Mom. Not in front of her.

Stuart barely spared me a glance before kicking my broken leg. Pain shot through me—I gasped. His eyes sharpened, like he'd just had a brilliant idea.

Without hesitation, he said, "I was gonna tell Elaine anyway—your mother and I belong together. We should've reunited ages ago. As for Elaine... Look at her. Just dump her in my hometown. She can't move, and no one there even knows her."

The world blurred into a twisted nightmare.

The Stuart I thought I knew—the gentle, affectionate husband—was gone.

And Peter?

At the soft, almost pleading "Peter?" from the woman behind him, he only wavered for a second.

Then he nodded.

"Do whatever you think is best, Dad."

He turned away.

Didn't even look at me.

***

And just like that, they dumped me in Stuart's hometown.

I'd only been there once—right after we got married. The isolation, the crushing poverty—it stuck with me. Back then, spoiled by my parents' love, I swore I'd never set foot there again.

But now?

Now I was nothing but a cripple, abandoned in a rotting shack where no one checked on me. The wind howled through the cracks, cutting through me like a blade.

But the coldest thing of all?

Lily's mocking voice as she spilled the truth.

Peter wasn't just some abandoned kid.

He was Stuart and that woman's son.

The adoption? A lie. A setup.

They wanted me—to raise their illegitimate child as my own.

Peter had known all along. To him, that woman was his real mom.

I screamed. Cursed. Sobbed like a madwoman.

Stuart just looked at me with disgust.

Peter frowned—and walked away.

And that woman...

Her gaze burned into me, cold and condescending. Like she was looking at something pathetic. Something beneath her.

I shattered.

***

I thought I'd frozen to death in that shack.

But when I opened my eyes, I was wrapped in a warm, clean coat. My legs moved. My hands were pale and smooth. Strangers passing by glanced at me with admiration.

Dazed, I wandered for what felt like hours before it finally hit me—I had been reborn.

What day is it?

Heart pounding, I yanked open my bag, fingers shaking so badly I split a nail. Didn't care. My eyes locked onto the phone screen.

[December 29, 2002.]

I stared at the numbers. Then, out of nowhere, laughter bubbled up. Tears followed.

If the street weren't so empty, people would've thought I'd lost my mind.

This was the day I found Peter.

December 29—the day I chose as his birthday.

Twenty-four years. I had spent twenty-four years celebrating it for him.

***

A baby's piercing cries rang out nearby.

Instinctively, I started walking toward the sound—then stopped. My eyes swept the surroundings.

Ah, it's here.

This was where I found Peter.

Near my parents' house. No other homes around, just empty fields. A shortcut home—my childhood hideout.

I used to think it was fate. That I was meant to find him.

But no.

Stuart had planned everything. He dumped Peter here, knowing I would be the one to take him in.

So it had already begun.

Fate had thrown me back to the turning point of my life.

***

The baby's cries didn't stir a single emotion in me.

If anything, knowing that the one wailing in the cold was Peter filled me with satisfaction.

I used to love him so much. Stayed up countless nights when he was sick. Picked him up from school, rain or shine. Once, when the temperature suddenly dropped, I gave him my coat—ended up with a fever but still dragged myself out of bed to make sure he got to school.

How ridiculous.

I scanned the area. No one in sight. Just Peter, bawling by the roadside.

Of course. Stuart was too careful to leave loose ends. He hid this from me for over twenty years—why risk letting someone witness it?

And how confident had he been in my kindness? Confident enough to abandon his son in the freezing cold, certain I'd pick him up?

A cold laugh escaped me.

Without a second glance at the crying baby, I turned and walked away.

Since you were so sure of yourself, Stuart...

Let's see how you bring your illegitimate child home without me.

……

I was trying on a beautiful dress at Quinte Mall when Stuart called.

Of course, it was pricey.

Back then, I actually fell for his whole "let's save money and build a future together" speech—meanwhile, he was blowing cash on cigarettes. I even stopped shopping at my favorite mall, all for the sake of our so-called family.

And after adopting Peter? Forget it. I barely bought myself a single outfit each year. Every penny went to that kid.

And for what? To feed an ungrateful snake?

The thought alone made my blood boil.

My phone wouldn't stop ringing. I stared at the screen for a second, then picked up with a blank face.

Stuart's voice came through, tight but anxious. "Elaine, your boss said you left a while ago. Why aren't you home yet?"