I looked at them—the father and son—then let out a cold, bitter laugh. One after another.
Then, without a word, I stood up and walked toward them.
They must’ve thought I was about to apologize, because both of them smirked, their faces full of mockery.
SMACK. SMACK.
I slapped them both.
Caleb’s eyes widened in shock before he burst into tears, clutching his cheek. “I hate you! You’re the worst mom ever! You’re just a mean, bitter woman—no wonder no one wants you!”
William’s face darkened, his chest rising and falling with rage.
Luna, ever the saint, rushed to play peacemaker. “Susie, Caleb is just a kid! How could you—”
SMACK.
“Shut up.”
I’d been wanting to hit her for a long time.
The second my palm landed, she gasped dramatically, then collapsed in a perfect faint. Caleb’s crying stopped instantly, too shocked to react.
William panicked, scooping her up in his arms. He shot me a venomous glare as he stormed toward the door. “If Luna’s condition gets worse because of this, you’ll pay for it!”
And as if afraid I’d lay a hand on Caleb next, he yanked our son along with him.
Good.
With them gone, the house was finally quiet.
---
That night, after being stuck in the rain all afternoon, I came down with a fever.
Shivering, I dragged myself out of bed, fumbling through the medicine cabinet for something to bring my temperature down.
Through my haze, I sensed someone near me.
Forcing my eyes open, I was met with Luna’s smug, sneering face.
“Look at you, Susie. You’re like a stray dog. Do you really think William would’ve chosen you if I hadn’t left the country?”
She giggled, as if amused by the very idea. “But it doesn’t matter now. William only loves me, and even your son only sees me as his mother.”
Then, with a pitying sigh, she shook her head. “Honestly, a woman like you should just off herself and be done with it.”
A fresh wave of rage cleared my mind instantly.
I didn’t hesitate.
I raised my hand and slapped her again.
Luna’s lips curled into a knowing smirk as she stumbled backward—right into William’s waiting arms.
How convenient.
Crocodile tears streamed down her face as she clutched her chest. “William, I was just worried about Susie, so I came to check on her… but she hit me again.”
She winced dramatically. “William, I feel awful. I’ve already been slapped twice… am I dying?”
William’s expression twisted with fury.
His hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my throat. “Do you even realize Luna is sick?! You keep hurting her—are you trying to kill her?”
The room spun. My vision blurred.
Just as I thought I’d black out completely, he finally let go.
I collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.
William glared down at me, voice thick with disgust. “Unbelievable. Luna just got out of the hospital, and you’re already making her suffer.”
Then, as if I wasn’t even worth another second of his time, he turned to carry Luna away—probably back to the hospital again.
But she stopped him, tugging at his shirt. “No… let’s just go to the bedroom.”
Minutes later, muffled moans drifted through the walls.
I didn’t care.
My fever had spiked so high that every inch of me ached, my stomach twisting in pain.
After crouching on the floor for what felt like forever, I finally forced myself up, grabbed some fever meds, and swallowed them dry.
---
The only good thing that came from Luna’s dramatics was that William and Caleb didn’t come home for days. The house was blissfully empty.
But just as I was starting to enjoy the peace, another problem arose.
A call from Caleb’s school.
He had gotten into a fight.
I immediately dialed William’s number.
He hung up.
I exhaled slowly, then texted instead.
[Caleb got into trouble at school. You should go check on him.]
His reply was instant.
[I’m busy.]
And that was it.
No follow-up. No concern.
Just like every other time Caleb had gotten himself into a mess, William had no interest in dealing with it.
Fine.
If he wasn’t going, then neither was I.
I miscalculated.
The elementary school had my number on file, not William’s.
The teacher called me over and over again, blowing up my phone until I had no choice but to go in. My design drafts would have to wait.
But the moment I arrived at the school, I spotted Luna standing right next to Caleb.
Two mothers suddenly appearing must have confused the teacher because she looked completely lost.
Caleb, however, didn’t hesitate.
Pointing straight at me, he announced loudly in front of everyone, “She’s not my mom! She’s just our maid!”
Then, grinning, he nestled up against Luna. “This is my real mom!”
Luna reached out and playfully ruffled his hair, casting me a look of open triumph. “Susie, why don’t you just go home? I’ve got everything handled here.”
I stood there, numb, watching as they stood together—closer than I’d ever been with my own son.
Fine.
He had made his choice.
From now on, Luna was his mother.
I forced a smile. “You’re right, Caleb. From now on, Luna is your mom. I’ll treat it as though I’ve never given birth to you.”
---
After that, I lived in the house like a ghost.
I stopped caring about everything. I locked myself in my room, pouring all my energy into design work.
And through Lily, I finally got confirmation of something I had long suspected—Luna’s medical records were fake.
I closed my eyes, piecing together everything she had done.
Her lies were sloppy, full of holes.
But William’s love for her had patched up every one of them. He ignored the inconsistencies, choosing to believe whatever she fed him.
I quietly collected the evidence.
A farewell gift for William before I left.
Maybe it was because he was so used to my anger and defiance, but William seemed… unsettled by my sudden indifference.
For the first time in years, he started paying attention to me.
Flowers, gifts, small gestures—like he was trying to recreate the past. Like we were back in the early days, when he used to swear he’d love me forever.
But forever had turned out to be a joke.
Not even eight years.
And this time, I wasn’t foolish enough to fall for it again.
---
On my birthday, William said he had a surprise for me.
And he did.
A divorce agreement.
His face was pale as he slid the papers across the table. “Luna’s condition is getting worse. For her treatment, she’ll need someone to sign off on the paperwork… Susie, let’s get divorced first.”
His voice softened, as if afraid I’d refuse. “I promise, once she gets through this, I’ll marry you again. I swear it.”
He kept talking, explaining, swearing on anything he could think of.
As if he needed to convince me.
But he didn’t.
I was already going to sign.
Of course, before I did, I made one demand—all the assets had to be transferred to me.
William hesitated, frowning for the first time.
But ultimately, afraid I’d change my mind, he signed without a word.
I turned to Caleb. “Who do you want to live with?”
He scoffed, looking at me like I was beneath him. “My last name is Larson. Of course I’m staying with Dad. We’re the real family.”
To prove his point, he stuck out his tongue at me, then ran straight to William’s side, gripping his hand tightly.
I nodded. “Last time at school, you already said Luna was your mom. Now, you finally got your wish. Congratulations.”
I didn’t bother looking at their reactions.
I just placed the signed divorce papers in my bag and went upstairs to pack.
It didn’t take long.
I had spent my entire marriage taking care of them, never accumulating much of my own.
Ten minutes later, I was gone.
---
On the other side of town, William stared down at the divorce certificate, his chest tightening with something he couldn’t name.
It felt like he had lost something.
Something important.
But then his phone lit up with a message from Luna—her usual bright, adoring smile filling the screen.
He exhaled slowly, convincing himself.
She loves me.
No matter what I do, she always forgives me.
She’ll come back. She always does.
This is just another fight. That’s all.
But when he returned home, he was met with something he hadn’t expected.
An empty house.
Everything had been packed away, the space eerily neat, like someone had erased all traces of her existence.
His stomach dropped.
Heart pounding, he ran to her room.
She was gone.
The only thing left on the desk was a folder.
William picked it up with trembling hands, flipping it open.
Inside—evidence.
Proof that Luna’s cancer had been a lie all along.
