On the other side, Ava had already started scrubbing soap into her underwear, her movements slow and deliberate. When she caught sight of my pained expression, a flicker of amusement danced in her eyes, barely concealed beneath her feigned innocence.

“Audrey, you’re too careless. Lucky for you, I reacted quickly. Otherwise, you could’ve been seriously hurt.”

With a light remark, she effortlessly shifted all blame away from herself while subtly making me seem at fault.

A slow burn settled in my chest. I gritted my teeth through the pain, stepped forward, and met her gaze head-on. My voice was clear, unwavering.

“You bumped into me. Apologize.”

Ava hadn’t expected me to confront her so directly. Her lips trembled, and in the next instant, tears welled up in her eyes, shimmering like a practiced performance.

“Audrey, do you not like me?” she murmured, her voice trembling with grievance. “Why do you always pick on me? If I did something wrong, just tell me. I’ll change. Isn’t that enough?”

I frowned. She was the one who had hurt me, yet somehow, she twisted the moment into one where she was the victim, and I was the aggressor.

I’d had enough. My patience snapped.

“It’s just the two of us here,” I said flatly. “You can drop the act. I’m not buying it.”

Just as the words left my lips, the bathroom door swung open.

Hugo stepped inside, and right behind him, Jasper rushed in. The moment he spotted Ava’s tear-streaked face, he ran to her, standing protectively in front of her like a tiny shield.

“Mom, I won’t let you bully Aunt Ava! You’re a bad woman!”

A bad woman?

For a moment, I thought I’d misheard. My son, the child I had cherished and raised, was looking at me with nothing but hostility.

What did I do wrong?

I was the one who had been hurt, yet even Hugo’s gaze held disappointment as if I were the one truly at fault.

“I understand that you don’t like Ava, but you can’t keep looking for chances to bully her.”

“You’ve changed, Audrey. You weren’t like this before. You used to be so understanding. Look at you now; you’re completely unreasonable.”

Who was the one who changed?

Once, no matter what happened, they stood by my side without question. Now, all they did was blame me, refusing to listen or see. And yet, they dared to say I had changed?

A deep, suffocating sadness crashed over me like a tidal wave, raw and unrelenting. Every breath felt like agony, a dull ache pressing against my chest.

But I swallowed it down. This pain was mine alone to bear.

Without sparing me another glance, Hugo and Jasper turned away, focusing solely on Ava as they carefully led her out.

The moment their figures disappeared through the doorway, a single thought echoed in my mind: just two more days, and I would finally be free.

At the first light of dawn, I slipped out the door.

At the fresh market, I picked out a plump chicken, a softshell turtle, and a bag of high-calcium milk powder, things the elderly needed.

After marriage, my in-laws had always treated me like their own daughter, warm and kind.

Before I left for good, I wanted to see them one last time.

As I stepped through the familiar doorway, my mother-in-law greeted me with a bright smile.

“Audrey, what brings you here on a random day like this?”

I let out a light laugh. “What? Mom, you don’t want to see me?”

She beamed, her face lighting up with joy. “What nonsense! Your dad and I are always looking forward to seeing you. We don’t want to disturb you when you’re busy with work. By the way, where are Hugo and Jasper? Why didn’t they come with you?”

The moment she mentioned my husband and son, the bitterness I had fought so hard to suppress came rushing back, raw and unrelenting. It coiled in my chest, a sharp ache I could barely contain.

Sensing the shift in my expression, my mother-in-law’s brows furrowed with concern. “Did something happen? Are those two giving you trouble? Let me tell you, Audrey, you can’t just let them walk all over you. If they step out of line, don’t hesitate to hit, scold, or teach them a lesson. Don’t hold back.”

My father-in-law’s voice rumbled from the kitchen as he busied himself with the ingredients. “Your mom’s right. A man who isn’t disciplined won’t learn. If you can’t bring yourself to do it, just say the word, we’ll handle it for you.”

I hurried to explain, my voice light yet firm. “Mom, Dad, you misunderstood. Hugo treats me well. I just... can’t bear to leave you.”

My mother-in-law waved a hand dismissively. “What kind of talk is that? If you miss us, just visit anytime or call, and your father and I will come see you. It’s that simple.”

I forced a smile, but deep down, I knew the truth.

This would be the last time.

Once I left this world, there would be no more visits, no more phone calls, only silence. The thought lodged in my throat, thick and unbearable. My voice trembled as I asked, “Mom if we could never see each other again... would you and Dad be sad?”

A flicker of panic flashed across her face.

“Sweetheart, why would you ask something like that? Did something happen? Are you... leaving us?”

Before I could answer, approaching footsteps broke the fragile moment.

Hugo stepped inside, Jasper at his side, and Ava walked between them as if she belonged there. The three of them looked almost like a picture-perfect family from a distance.

Hugo’s expression darkened, suspicion clouding his gaze. “Leaving? Who’s leaving?”

My mother-in-law turned, and the moment her eyes landed on Ava, the warmth drained from her face.

“Why did you bring this woman here?”

The air grew thick with tension, the temperature in the room dropping in an instant.

Yet Ava, either oblivious or deliberately ignorant, stepped forward with a practiced smile. “Auntie, I brought you a little something.” She pushed a gift toward my mother-in-law, her expression filled with feigned warmth. “You’re getting older now; you should better care of your health.”

But my mother-in-law barely reacted. She simply pressed her lips together, not even sparing Ava a glance.

Seeing Ava being blatantly ignored, Hugo spoke up in her defense.

“Mom, Ava spent all morning at the mall, carefully picking out this supplement after doing her research. She just wanted you to have something good for your health. Can’t you at least say something nice?”

My mother-in-law scoffed, her voice laced with disdain.

“Hmph. No need. A weasel paying respects to a hen, she’s up to no good.”

Her sharp gaze locked onto Ava. “I know exactly what kind of person she is. I treated her like my own daughter, and what did she do?” Her voice turned cold. “When you were in trouble, she vanished without a word. Left you behind like you were nothing. She’s nothing but an ungrateful wretch.”

Ava lowered her head, her fingers tightening around the hem of her dress. Her voice trembled. “Auntie, I had no choice back then. My mother was sick… I couldn’t go against her wishes…”

“There’s no need for this pitiful act,” my mother-in-law cut in, her tone impatient. “That little trick of yours might work on Hugo, but don’t think it’ll fool me for a second.”

Even someone as shameless as Ava couldn’t bear to stay any longer.

She covered her face, gave a deep bow, then turned and fled, tears streaking down her cheeks.

I barely had time to take in the sight before I caught something else: Hugo’s gaze. The way he watched her retreating figure, the silent worry in his eyes, the flicker of hesitation.

And then, as if something snapped, he stood abruptly.

“Mom, I’ll go check on her. I’ll be right back…”

The words were barely out of his mouth before he was already heading for the door.

But just as he reached the entrance, my mother-in-law, usually composed, uncharacteristically snapped.

“Hugo, stop right there!”

Her voice rang with authority, sharp enough to freeze him in place.

“If you dare step out of this house today, then don’t call me ‘Mom’ anymore. I don’t have a son who forgets his obligations so easily.”

The room fell into suffocating silence.

She took a step forward, her voice trembling with restrained emotion. “Think carefully. When you were bedridden, teetering between life and death, who was the one by your side? Who cared for you day and night?” Her gaze darkened. “Have you already forgotten?”

Her fingers tightened around my hand, her eyes misting with unshed tears.

“You may have forgotten, but I haven’t. Audrey is the greatest benefactor of this family. A person should never forget kindness.”

Her voice grew firmer, her words pressing down like an iron weight.

“If not for your wife, would you even have the success you enjoy today?”

“And yet, you bring your ex into this house so brazenly. Have you ever stopped to consider Audrey’s feelings? If you refuse to cherish her, I will.”

Hugo’s expression wavered. He turned to me, his gaze unreadable, a storm of emotions flickering behind his eyes.

And then, slowly, he sank back into his seat.

My mother-in-law exhaled, her anger melting into guilt as she turned to me, her voice softening.

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry… for everything you’ve endured.”

I gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. “Mom, don’t say that. I’m fine.”

After dinner, I stayed with her for a while, listening to her familiar voice and cherishing the warmth of her presence. Eventually, she urged us to leave early so we wouldn’t be late for work the next day.

As we stepped out, she leaned in and whispered, her voice laced with quiet determination, “If that vixen dares to pester Hugo again, just tell me. I’ll deal with her myself.”

I nodded, but deep down, I no longer cared.

I didn’t tell her Ava had already moved into our home; I feared it would only infuriate her.

Love was simple. Either it existed, or it didn’t. And once it was gone, no amount of support could make up for the emptiness it left behind.

Still, as I caught sight of the silver strands in her hair, a deep ache settled in my chest. The thought of never seeing her again, never tasting her home-cooked meals, filled me with sorrow I couldn’t shake.

Mom, please take care of yourself.

The drive home was cloaked in silence. Hugo focused on the road, his expression unreadable.

From the backseat, Jasper’s face was a storm of barely restrained anger. The moment we got into the car, he snapped.

“Mom, how could you?”

I met his resentful gaze, my voice calm and steady. “How could I what?”

Jasper let out a cold laugh, sharp with accusation. “Stop pretending. You went to Grandma’s behind everyone’s back just to badmouth Aunt Ava. Now that Grandma scolded her and kicked her out, are you satisfied?”

I had to admit my son’s imagination was impressive.

The older he got, the more he resembled Hugo, calm and composed yet carrying an undercurrent of quiet cruelty.

I tilted my head slightly. “And how do you know I spoke ill of your Aunt Ava?”

“Did you hear it with your own ears?”

He rolled his eyes, his voice laced with disdain. “Isn’t it obvious?”

He spoke with such certainty as if I had been born a scheming troublemaker.

I had no idea what I had done to make him see me this way.

At that moment, I felt like a complete failure.

Any explanation would sound like an excuse, so I swallowed my words and chose silence.

A quiet beat passed before Hugo spoke, his voice softer than usual.

“Jasper, don’t talk to your mother like that.”

Jasper’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Dad, did you forget how pitiful Aunt Ava looked when she was crying just now? She didn’t do anything wrong! Why should she be treated like that?”

Hugo let out a slow sigh. “You’re still too young to understand how things work between adults.”

But Jasper refused to back down.

“What don’t I understand? Aunt Ava only left you in the past, right? Everyone makes mistakes. She already came back and admitted she was wrong; what more do you want?”

Everyone makes mistakes.

The words echoed in my mind, a lesson I had once taught him.

When he was four, he had been too busy playing to eat. In his excitement, he knocked over a cup, spilling boiling water across my hand. The pain shot through me instantly. I sucked in a sharp breath, but before I could say anything, he burst into tears.

“I’m sorry, Mommy! Jasper was wrong! Jasper didn’t mean to!”

Despite the burning ache, I pulled him into my arms and soothed him. “Don’t cry, Jasper. Everyone makes mistakes. As long as you realize it and make it right, you’re still a good boy.”

With tear-filled eyes, he had asked me what that meant.

I had told him that mistakes weren’t scary as long as he was willing to learn from them.

He nodded as if he understood.

I thought he had learned the lesson. And he had.

I just never expected him to use it to defend Ava.

After he finished speaking, Hugo didn’t argue. He simply kept driving, his hands steady on the wheel, but his eyes flickered toward me now and then as if trying to read my reaction.

I gave him nothing. My face remained impassive, my gaze fixed straight ahead as if their conversation hadn’t touched me at all.

By the time we arrived home, Ava had already set the table. A feast awaited us, dish after dish, carefully prepared.

Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders, her eyes red-rimmed, as if she had been crying.

The moment she saw us, she forced a smile.