Hudson turned and glanced at Wendy. Noticing that she was unaware of Terry's arrival, he felt a sense of relief.

When he turned back, his face was filled with nothing but disdain. "Did that shameless father of yours send you here? Didn't he tell you? This isn't your home anymore. Get lost, you little bastard."

Terry flinched at Hudson's malice, and his eyes quickly turned red. "You're lying! Daddy isn't shameless! You're the evil one! I want to see Mommy!"

He glared at Hudson like an angry calf ready to charge.

Hudson scoffed. When no one was looking, he shoved Terry hard.

Terry was caught off guard. His forehead slammed into the iron gate with a sharp sound.

Wendy's heart skipped a beat as she asked, "Who's out there?"

Hudson quickly covered Terry's mouth and offered an excuse. "No one. Just a cat. It's cold. You should take Gracie inside."

Once Wendy left, he immediately pinched Terry with a cruel look in his eyes. "You little bastard. You're just like your father, born to be a thorn in my side."

Terry struggled. Blood mixed with tears dripped down his face.

Hudson spat on Terry, then shoved him into the snow. "Disgusting."

Terry pushed himself up and continued shouting, "You're the disgusting one! Evil monster! I want to see Mommy! Let me see her!"

Hudson sneered, then kicked the dog door in the gate with his custom-made pointed shoes. His eyes gleamed with amusement. "If you crawl through this dog door, I'll take you to see your mom. How does that sound?"

I stood there, glaring at Hudson. My eyes nearly bled with rage.

How dare he? How dare he humiliate my child like this?

The pain and fury almost consumed my mind.

I waved my hands frantically at Terry, trying to get him to refuse.

I was dead now. I didn't need him to do this for me. I just wanted him to go home.

Terry raised his head, his gaze drifting past me to the lively villa in the distance. "Do you actually mean that?"

Hudson paused for a moment, then bent over laughing, clearly enjoying the situation. "Of course."

Terry bit his lip. Trembling, he bent down and stiffly crawled through the dog door.

As he crawled, he whispered to himself, "I'm okay. I won't cry. I'm going to wake Daddy up."

But tears still flowed down his face, wetting the collar of his shirt.

Hudson pulled out his phone and recorded the scene. The excitement and smugness in his eyes were barely contained.

"What a good boy, Terry. You're Elijah Heath's son through and through—a lowlife from the day you were born. Come on, bark like a dog for me. Give me a little entertainment."

Just as he was enjoying himself, a woman's voice suddenly came from behind, her tone unreadable. "What are you doing?"

Panicked, Hudson quickly threw his phone to the ground and helped Terry up, even brushing the dirt off him.

"It's nothing. Terry came to see you. I was just playing with him for a bit."

"Really?"

Wendy found it strange, but Hudson quickly shifted her focus. "Wendy, it's so cold out here. Let's take Terry inside. We don't want him to catch a cold."

Hudson frowned, his face filled with concern.

Terry raised his head to reveal the wound on his face, hoping to see some sympathy on Wendy's face.

He hoped she would hold him and comfort him like she used to.

But Wendy only gave the wound on his head a brief glance. Her gaze faltered for a split second, flickering with an indescribable rage.

"Is this how Elijah plays the father? It was one thing when he used you to win favor before, but now he's actually resorting to this pathetic act? Does he think this will make me feel sorry for you? Hmph! He's dreaming."

She then turned to Hudson. Her voice dripped with sympathy as she said, "Hudson, you're just too kind. That's why people keep using you."

At Wendy's words, both Terry and I froze.

Especially Terry. He parted his lips, and tears began to fall uncontrollably. "Mommy…"

Perhaps those words stirred something in her. Her brows furrowed, and her gaze turned colder than the snowstorm outside.

"Go ahead. What's your goal this time? Money or a house?" she asked.

Terry's hand, hanging at his side, clenched into a fist, but he didn't dare to argue.

Once, he had told Wendy that Hudson bullied him.

But with just a few words, Hudson made Wendy believe that I had manipulated Terry into accusing him because I was jealous of how well she treated Hudson.

That time, Wendy locked me in the basement for a whole week. Terry had nightmares for a week straight.

At that thought, Terry couldn't help but shudder. He lowered his head and whispered, "Mommy, I can't wake Daddy up. Can you give me your feather pen?"

Wendy's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively asked, "What do you mean, you can't wake him? Didn't he just donate 400 ml of blood—"

"Wendy!" Hudson interrupted her just in time.

Wendy turned, her face full of surprise. "What's wrong?"

Sensing her confused gaze, Hudson stiffened and awkwardly changed the subject. "Today's Christmas Eve. If Terry stays out too late, Elijah will definitely worry. It's just a feather pen. Just give it to him. Don't go ruining their Christmas."

Sure enough, Wendy's attention was quickly diverted, and her expression softened. "Hudson, you're still so kind. In that case, Terry, come with me."

The group entered the villa. Under the bright lights, Terry's injured face looked even worse.

Hudson's daughter, Gracie Clark, approached and looked Terry up and down, then asked curiously, "Mommy Wendy, who's this? A beggar? He's so dirty."

Her innocent words made Terry's face flush with embarrassment.

He looked at Wendy weakly, hoping she would explain, but she seemed to be triggered.

She glanced at Terry with disgust. "Is this how your dad taught you to play the pity card? Do you think if you make yourself look miserable, I'll feel sorry for you? How pathetic!"

As Wendy spoke, the redness on Terry's face faded, leaving behind a pale, fragile expression.

He thought that Wendy really didn't love him anymore.

He wiped the tears from his face. By the time he raised his head, Wendy had already gone upstairs.

Only Hudson remained. He looked at Terry with a smug gaze full of fake sympathy. "Tsk, tsk, how pitiful. Even your mom doesn't want you. Why don't you call me 'Dad', and I'll let you stay to be my little pet dog? How's that sound?"

"Dream on!"

Terry clenched his fists tightly. His eyes were red, and his whole body trembled with anger.

"You're not my dad. I only have one dad, and his name is Elijah Heath, not you! Don't get too smug. When Daddy wakes up, he'll make you pay for this!"

Terry gritted his teeth, his voice filled with unwavering determination.

But my heart ached so much that it felt like I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't bear to think of how devastated he would be when he realized I would never wake up.

How could he face the storms ahead? He was only six.

Tears blurred my vision.

Hudson was now completely enraged. Suddenly, he had an idea.

Seeing that Wendy was coming downstairs, he patted his pocket with a frantic expression. "Where's my phone? It's missing!"

Hudson hastily checked his pockets. Finally, his gaze landed on Terry. A wicked smile curled at his lips. "Terry, did you steal my phone?"

Terry was startled and immediately denied it. "I didn't! Your phone was—"

The rest of his words were cut off as a slap landed across his face.

Wendy held a feather pen in one hand and pointed at Terry's bruised face with the other. Her gaze was filled with disappointment. "I knew you were up to no good! It was bad enough when your dad coached you into accusing Hudson, but now you have the nerve to steal from him? How did I end up with a son like you?"

Wendy yelled, "Tell me, where did you hide the phone? Give it back now!"

My mind went blank. In a fit of rage, I charged forward and stood in front of Terry, demanding to know why she slapped Terry.

Did she believe every single word that came out of Hudson's mouth?

But no one could see my fury.

Terry looked at Wendy in disbelief, tears streaming down his face. "I didn't take Mr. Clark's phone. Daddy didn't teach me anything bad. That evil monster did it on purpose. He's not as good as you think. He's been bullying me and Daddy. You've been tricked by him."

Terry's desperate cries didn't make Wendy believe him. Instead, they only angered her more.

Wendy threw the feather pen aside and forcefully pushed Terry to the ground, tearing off his clothes. "Where's the phone? Tell me!"

As each piece of clothing was removed, Terry's pride, like those clothes, was trampled under Wendy's feet.

He struggled desperately, like a helpless little animal. "I didn't take it. I really didn't."

Wendy didn't stop. Her grip tightened, leaving bruises all over Terry's body.

Terry cried out in pain, and I could feel my heart shattering. The agony almost drove me insane.

I reached out, trying to push Wendy away, but I couldn't. I was just a useless soul.

Hudson watched with casual amusement, his disdain almost palpable.

When the last piece of clothing was removed, Terry stopped struggling. His gaze was now filled with hatred for Wendy.

Seeing that she couldn't find anything, Wendy froze for a moment.

But when she noticed the hatred in Terry's eyes, her rationality snapped. She stood up, yanked the naked Terry, and threw him into the snow.

"Since you won't listen to me, you can kneel in the snow and think about your behavior."

Terry tried to get up, but Wendy spoke again. "Kneel until I'm satisfied, then I'll give you the feather pen."

A bone-chilling cold instantly seeped through my body.

I knew Terry would do as Wendy said for my sake, but I didn't want him to do that.

As I expected, Terry remained still. He kneeled in the freezing snow on Christmas Eve.

The snowstorm slowly covered him inch by inch.

Hudson sat in the warm room with Gracie in his arms and said with fake concern, "Wendy, Terry's still so young. Don't you think this is too cruel?"

Wendy's gaze remained fixed outside the window. Frustration was written all over her face. "Cruel? He's the one in the wrong. If he can't even handle this little lesson, how can he ever be the heir of the Lloyd family?"

Hudson's smile froze, his envy almost leaking out.

He clearly hadn't expected that Wendy would still be thinking of making Terry the heir.

But the next moment, his eyes swept over the torn clothes on the ground, and he felt more at ease.

So what if Wendy cared about Terry? The boy was no match for him.

With that thought, his smile grew wider, and he gently steered Wendy's attention away.

Inside the window, the room was thick with warmth. Outside, the snowstorm raged on.

Terry finally couldn't take it anymore and collapsed in the snow.

Before he lost consciousness, he mumbled to himself, "If I hang on a little longer, Mommy won't be angry anymore, and then I can wake Daddy up."

Two hours later, while Wendy was working in the study, she finally remembered Terry and called the butler, Kieran Finch. "How long has it been? Has Terry apologized yet?"

Kieran's expression was serious, as he replied hesitantly, "Ms. Lloyd, it's been two hours. Mr. Terry has already passed out in the snow."

"What?" Wendy's face paled instantly, and the pen she was holding fell to the ground.

Suddenly, her phone on the desk vibrated.

"Hello? Is this Ms. Wendy Lloyd? We received a report about a body found in one of your rental properties."