My seven-year-old son, Matthew Hayes, needs an Rh-negative blood transfusion very badly because he's gotten roped into a car accident.

I roll up my sleeve immediately. "Take my blood, doctor! I have Rh-negative blood!"

But my husband, Samuel Hayes, grabs my hand tightly.

"Hold on, let me call another person! She also has Rh-negative blood!"

I throw the divorce agreement at his face instead. "If she wants to donate her blood, she can go ahead and do that right after you sign this divorce agreement!"

Samuel clutches the agreement angrily.

"Have you gone nuts, Naomi Hart? Our son is waiting to be saved right now, and yet you're bringing up divorce at this time?"

I gaze at him coldly. "That's right."

My mother-in-law, Evelyn Shaw, rushes over and slaps me at that moment.

"You vile woman! Samuel is worried about your physique, and yet you still kick up a fuss over this matter!"

I don't bother dodging the slap. Then, I walk over to the doorway of the operating theater before announcing, "Doctor, stop all of your surgical preparations! As the patient's family, I refuse to donate my blood, and I refuse to let my son undergo the surgery!"

Both Samuel and Evelyn are stunned by my declaration.

Samuel points at me and yells in a quivering tone, "Back then, you almost died in the hospital just to secure Matthew's life! Are you trying to kill him now, Naomi?"

I just look at Samuel emotionlessly. Heck, I can't be bothered to even show an expression right now.

"I never forgot about those times. But that was in the past. Now, I don't want Matthew anymore."

The doctors and nurses all turned to look at us. Their hands were frozen in place.

Outside the operating room, the air seemed to freeze. The only sound left was the faint hum of medical equipment.

My husband, Samuel Hayes, pointed at me. His eyes were bloodshot. "Naomi Hart, what did you just say?"

"I said, stop the surgery," I repeated.

My voice wasn't loud, but in the quiet hallway, every word landed clearly.

My mother-in-law, Evelyn Shaw, finally snapped out of it and lunged at me, ready to strike me again. Samuel grabbed her around the waist before she could reach me.

She thrashed in his arms, clawing at the air as she screamed, "You heartless bitch! Matthew is still in there! He's your son! How could you say something like that?"

I looked at her and said nothing.

Samuel held Evelyn back as she struggled, then snapped at me, "What are you trying to do? Is this because I called Sienna over? Are you mad about that?

"Nothing is going on between us. She just happens to have Rh-negative blood, too, and I didn't want to put you through the pain of donating again."

"You didn't want to put me through that?" I echoed. "Samuel, do you hear yourself?"

The question staggered him, and his face darkened. "Is this really the time? Our son's life is on the line! Whatever issues you have, we can talk about them at home after his surgery!"

"Home?"

I looked at him. "Samuel, we don't have a home anymore."

I held out the divorce agreement again. "Sign it. I've already contacted the blood bank and a group of volunteers. The moment you sign, Matthew will get the blood he needs for surgery."

Evelyn stopped shrieking. She and Samuel stared at me like I'd lost my mind.

Samuel's jaw tightened as he uttered through gritted teeth, "You're using our son's life as a bargaining chip for a divorce?"

"I told you. Sign the papers, and he'll receive the blood."

I didn't back down.

A crowd began to form as family members of patients gathered around. All of them were pointing and whispering.

"What's wrong with her? She's ruthless."

"Unbelievable. Even a vicious tiger will not eat its cubs. Her husband was trying to protect her because he cares about her, and she's holding her own kid's life against him for a divorce."

Their judgment rained down on me, but I felt nothing.

Samuel stared at me. His chest was heaving. "Fine, Naomi. You win."

He let go of Evelyn, snatched the papers and the pen, and scrawled his name across the pages. Then, he shoved the papers into my chest.

"There. Happy now? Can we save our son?"

I picked up the papers from the floor, checked the signature, and tucked them neatly into my bag.

Then, I turned to the doctor beside us. "Go ahead and prepare for surgery. The blood will be here shortly."

With that said, I turned to leave.

Samuel's voice echoed behind me. "Where do you think you're going? Are you just going to walk out on your son's surgery?"

I didn't bother looking back. "Whatever happens to him is no longer my concern."

The moment I stepped out of the hospital, a car pulled up in front of me.

The door opened, and a woman in a white dress hurried out with anxiety written all over her face.

It was Sienna Brooks.

She froze when she saw me, then rushed forward to ask, "Naomi, how's Matthew? Samuel called me. He said something terrible happened."

I looked at the woman who'd been circling my husband for the past ten years and said, "He won't die."

With that, I tried to shoulder past her and leave.

However, Sienna caught my wrist. Her eyes were brimming with tears. "Naomi, I know you've always had the wrong idea about Samuel and me, but Matthew matters more right now. Please, don't be angry with Samuel. He was only worried about you."

Her voice was soft, but it carried just far enough for the people around us to hear.

An older woman passing by immediately stopped and started berating me. "What kind of wife are you? She's trying to talk sense into you, and you're standing there with that scowl on your face. How could you abandon your own son? Have you no conscience?"

Sienna quickly stepped in and explained, "Ma'am, please don't say that. Naomi's just exhausted."

The more gracious she sounded, the more heartless I came across.

I wrenched my arm out of her grasp. "Don't touch me."

Sienna stumbled back, and tears slid down her cheeks at once. "I'm sorry, Naomi. I didn't mean to…"

Samuel came charging out of the hospital right then. When he saw Sienna crying, he strode over and immediately shielded her behind him.

He glared at me. "That's enough, Naomi! Sienna came here because she cares about Matthew. Why are you taking your anger out on her?"

Evelyn was right on his heels. At the sight of Sienna, she looked as if she'd spotted a savior and grabbed Sienna's hand.

"Thank goodness you're here, sweetheart. Please check on Matthew. Now that his vicious mother has abandoned him, you're all we have left!"

Sienna gently comforted Evelyn while looking up at Samuel. "Samuel, please don't be too hard on Naomi. She's just overwhelmed by everything."

The three of them stood there together—the picture of a loving, united family

There I was, the bitter and villainous outsider.

As I looked at them, I couldn't help but feel like the last ten years of my marriage had been a joke.

I didn't say another word. Instead, I hailed a taxi and left.

As the car pulled away, I caught one last glimpse in the rearview mirror of Samuel holding Sienna and Evelyn dabbing at her eyes beside them.

Back at the house, I started packing. I'd bought this place before we got married, and it was in my name alone.

For a decade, I had poured myself into turning this place into a home, but in the end, I couldn't find a single trace of warmth that belonged to me.

That evening, Mom called.

The second I picked up, she jumped down my throat. "Naomi, have you lost your mind? Matthew is in the hospital after a horrific crash, and you're busy picking a fight with his father over a divorce? Your dad and I have never been so humiliated in our lives!"

"Mom, I—"

"Don't 'Mom' me! I didn't raise a daughter as heartless as you," she snapped. "Samuel told me everything. He wouldn't let you donate blood because he was worried about you. You nearly bled out having that boy, and your health hasn't been the same since! How can you be so ungrateful?"

I gripped the phone, and the words died in my throat.

"Go to the hospital this instant! Apologize to Samuel, and check on your son! If you still think of me as your mother, you'll go this second!"

The call ended. I stared at the blackened screen, feeling as though something had seized my heart.

It was true. I had nearly died giving birth to our son, Matthew Hayes, but none of them knew the real reason I had haemorrhaged that day.

I didn't go back to the hospital.

The next morning, Samuel showed up at my doorstep with my parents in tow.

The second I opened the door, Dad slapped me across the face. "You ungrateful brat! How dare you come back here?"

His hand trembled with rage as he pointed a finger at me. "Matthew was running a high fever in the middle of the night, screaming for his mother! But where were you? Is your heart made of stone?"

Mom held onto his arm as she cried, "Naomi, come to the hospital with us. Matthew is innocent. No matter what happened between you and Samuel, you can't take it out on the kid."

Samuel stood behind them. His expression was pained. "Honey, I messed up. I shouldn't have called Sienna over. Please, just come back with me. Matthew needs you."

He sounded so sincere that even my parents were moved.

I clutched my burning cheek and looked at the three of them. "Are you finished?"

Dad froze. "What's with that attitude?"

"If you're finished, get out. I need my rest."

I gestured toward the door.

"Why, you—"

Dad was so furious that he raised his hand again, but Mom held him back before he could slap me a second time.

Samuel stepped forward, positioning himself between us. "Mr. Hart, please don't be mad. This is my fault. I handled things poorly, and Naomi was the one who suffered for it."

He turned to me then. His eyes were brimming with tears. "Honey, you can hit me or yell at me all you want, but please don't give up on Matthew and me. After all these years, how can you just walk away from us like that?"

He reached for my hand, but I stepped back before he could touch me.

"Drop the act, Samuel. Aren't you exhausted?"

His expression stiffened for a split second before it was swallowed by profound despair.

"Naomi, what happened to you? This isn't who you are. You used to love Matthew more than anything. You would've done anything to give him the best."

"You're right," I said with a nod. "I used to be quite the fool."

Seeing how stubborn I was, Mom and Dad looked utterly disappointed in me.

"Naomi," Mom sobbed. "If you go through with this divorce, don't you ever come home again. From now on, your father and I will pretend we never had you."

Dad pointed at Samuel. "From now on, Samuel is the only son we have!"

I looked at them, and the last flicker of warmth in my heart finally went cold. "Fine."

That single word caught them all off guard.

They had expected me to buckle under the weight of their ultimatums, just as I had every other time for the last ten years.

However, this time, they were wrong.

After sending them on their way, I received a call from my lawyer, Caroline Foster.

"Ms. Hart, the court summons has been served to Samuel. However, he's gone to the press with the story. He claims you abused Matthew and refused to donate blood because of your marital problems, leaving him in critical condition."

I checked my phone. Sure enough, the story had spread like wildfire.

"The Wicked Wife Refuses to Donate Blood to Biological Son Over Petty Jealousy."

"How Could a Mother Be This Cruel? Seven-Year-Old Boy Tearfully Claims His Mother Doesn't Want Him Anymore."

The comments sections were flooded with vitriol.

My photo, my office address, and even my home address had been leaked. Already, a mob of self-righteous activists had gathered outside my company, brandishing banners and demanding that I be fired.

Before long, my boss called and told me not to bother coming into work for the time being.