A sweet, childish voice rang out, and the iron grip on my throat vanished in an instant.

I collapsed to the floor like a kicked stray, gulping down air in ragged breaths.

Terence, whose eyes had burned crimson with fury just moments ago, softened the second he heard Ryan call out "Daddy".

He gathered every bit of strength to scoop up Ryan, who'd barreled into his arms like a cannonball, holding him as if he were a long-lost treasure.

His hands trembled as he murmured the name over and over. "Ricky… Ricky…"

It was the kind of act that could melt any heart, except mine. I kept my expression ice-cold, refusing to spare them even a glance.

If I weren't living this life for the second time, the crushing guilt would have driven me to beg for death. After all, I was the culprit who'd killed my son and shattered my husband's mind with unbearable grief.

Wendy noticed my cold expression and spoke up, her voice tentative.

"Rosalie, I had Ryan call Terence 'Daddy' for your sake. You saw what happened. After Ricky was gone, Terence's mind…"

Her expression had the perfect mask of worry.

I sneered inwardly. Whether that "Daddy" was for calming Terence or for some other ulterior motive, she knew the truth better than anyone.

"Is that so? How thoughtful of you, Wendy."

Wendy instinctively flinched at the sharpness in my gaze, then turned to soothe Terence and Ryan.

I didn't hesitate and strode out of the hospital room.

This time, no one even tried to stop me.

I stood in the public phone booth, drew a deep breath, and dialed the number I knew by heart.

"Hello? Dad… Mom… Ricky's missing…"

The moment I heard their voices, the tears I'd been holding back finally spilled over.

My parents, who had furiously cut ties with me the day I married Terence, panicked the instant they heard me sobbing.

After I choked out the whole story in broken pieces, a calm, steady male voice came on the line.

"Rosy, don't be scared. Mom, Dad, and I will help you find Ricky. Can you handle things on your own?"

It was my adoptive brother, Matthew Robinson. Even though he couldn't see me, I instinctively nodded the way I always had when we were kids.

"I can. My transfer notice came through. I'll be home the day after tomorrow," I replied.

"Good. We'll be waiting for you."

His warm baritone poured into my ear, wrapping me in a deep, unexplainable calm.

When I walked back to the hospital room, I found Terence and Wendy sitting on either side of Ryan. As they stared at each other, the air between them was thick with a cloying intimacy.

I shoved the door open, shattering their cozy scene.

Terence, back to his usual self, turned his head away without so much a glance in my direction.

Wendy, however, jumped to her feet in embarrassment and grabbed my hand.

"Rosalie, Mom and I talked it over. In a few days, we'll arrange to register Ryan under you and Terence."

Her face was overflowing with pity, yet her arched brows starkly betrayed her true feelings.

Before I could get a word out, a small boy slammed into my waist.

"You're a bad woman! Don't try to take me away from my mom!"

Ryan wailed and threw himself into Wendy's arms. Between hiccups, he sobbed, "Mommy, are you throwing me away?"

He was only eight, after all. No matter how much Wendy had prepped him, the fear of being abandoned by his real mother was too much to control.

I pressed a hand to my aching side and watched the heartwarming mother-son moment with a cold sneer.

Ryan's tears sparked a flicker of real pity in Wendy's eyes, but just as quickly, she hardened herself.

"What are you doing?" she snapped. "Apologize to your mom right now!"

Ryan jutted his chin like a defiant little beast.

Wendy raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face, then shoved him straight toward me.

The instant he was close enough, he grabbed my hand and bit down with all his strength.

A sharp pain shot up my wrist. On pure reflex, I flung him away, and he slammed hard into the wall.

The room instantly erupted into chaos.

Just then, my mother-in-law, Kamila Spencer, pushed the door in.

What she walked in on was Ryan bawling his lungs out, Terence and Wendy scrambling to soothe him, and me standing off to the side with cold indifference.

"Rosalie Parker! You evil wretch! First you murder Ricky, and now you're trying to kill Ryan?"

Her hand violently tangled in my hair, slamming my head repeatedly against the wall with sickening thuds.

Blood poured across my vision.

Wendy let out a piercing scream, pulling everyone's attention toward her.

Terence carefully covered Wendy's eyes, his brows knitting into a frown.

"Mom! Wendy can't handle the sight of blood. Even if you have to teach Rosalie a lesson, this isn't the place."

Kamila, who'd been lording it over me just seconds ago, instantly deflated. She fawningly helped Terence escort Wendy out of the room.

As Wendy brushed past me, the corner of her mouth curved into a smirk. There wasn't the slightest trace of discomfort on her face.

In the spacious room, the only sound left was my own ragged breathing.

I dragged myself to the nurses' station. The moment the on-duty nurse caught sight of me, she gasped.

"Dr. Parker? What happened to you?"

She patched me up quickly. As soon as she finished, I got to my feet and headed for the hospital director's office.

What I didn't expect was halfway there, I stumbled across Terence and Wendy tangled up in the stairwell, unable to wait for any privacy.

"Terence, won't you regret sending Ricky to the orphanage? He's your own son."

Terence's voice came out gravelly. "Of course not. Ryan is my real son. And I remember Rosalie's family has bought her a place in Harborstone. When he grows up, that place will be ours."

He added, "Besides, you've always wanted to study in Harborstone, haven't you? This is your chance to check it out first."

Wendy's face lit up with gratitude. "Terence, you're so good to me."

With that, the air filled with more sounds of sloppy, clinging kisses.

My stomach churned. I swallowed the urge to throw up and doubled back, taking another stairwell to the director's office.

I tucked the transfer notice deep into my pocket before heading back to the hospital room.

When I pushed open the door, the room was empty except for a young nurse tidying up. She spotted me and spoke up awkwardly.

"Dr. Parker, your husband said there was no point wasting the money, so he…"

I said nothing. All I could manage was a bitter laugh.

Since Terence had checked me out of the hospital, I might as well go back to the staff housing and pack my things.

After confirming with Human Resources that my staff housing would be reclaimed as soon as my transfer went through, I finally felt relieved and headed back.

The moment I pushed open the door, the sight before me dumbfounded me.

Our wedding photo was gone from the wall, and the orchids I'd nurtured on the balcony had vanished. Even the bedsheets had been replaced with some loud floral pattern I despised.

Every trace of me had been completely erased from the room.

While I was still standing there in a daze, laughter drifted in from the hallway.

I opened the door to find Wendy in a brand-new dress, her arm looped intimately through Terence's. A thick gold bracelet on her wrist flashed obnoxiously under the lights.

Terence was juggling department store bags in one hand while holding Ryan, who was munching on cotton candy, in the other.

The sight sent my blood pressure through the roof.

I'd been married to him for ten years, and he'd never bought a single thing for me or Ricky. Yet here he was, brazenly showering another woman and her son with gifts. How could I not lose it?

Even knowing what kind of man he was, his audacity still made my blood run cold.

"Terence, explain why all my things are gone."

His brows furrowed, irritation rolling off him. "I told Wendy to move in. Ryan's our son now. If she's here, she can spend more time with Ryan. Do you have to make such a big deal of it?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "I'm making a big deal? You moved a widow into our—"

Before I could finish, a vicious slap cracked across my face.

"Rosalie! I'm not the creep you think I am!"

After he hit me, his eyes widened in shock. When he saw me clutch my cheek, a flicker of guilt crossed his face.

He took a step back on instinct, but the venom in his words didn't let up. "If you hadn't killed Ricky, we wouldn't be in this mess.

"I'm taking Wendy and Ryan to a guesthouse for a couple of days. You stay here and think about what you've done."

With that, he yanked every last dollar from the drawer and bolted away, taking Wendy and Ryan with him.

I scanned the room, which screamed with Wendy's influence from every corner. I grabbed the broom and smashed everything in sight. Since they'd bought it all with my money, they couldn't blame me for destroying it.

When I was done, I went straight to Human Resources and told them I didn't want anything I'd left in the room. They could take whatever they needed.

It took two days for the room to be completely cleared out.

After I handed over the key, I spotted a car waiting for me at the hospital gate, right on time.

When the window rolled down, I saw Ricky in his little cap, beaming at me like sunshine.

"Mommy!"

The subtle anxiety I'd been carrying deep inside me finally melted away. I pulled him close, holding my long-lost precious boy tightly.

A deep male voice came from the driver's seat. "Let's go. Mom and Dad are waiting for you."

I nodded, took one last look at the place I'd given ten years of my life to, and climbed into the car without a backward glance.