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.

That afternoon, Sienna called me.

Her voice sounded soft and innocent. "Naomi, don't blame Samuel. You pushed him too hard, and he didn't know what else to do. Matthew's in bad shape. He needs his mother. Could you come back and see him?"

"And what exactly gives you the right to call me about this?" I asked.

Silence lingered on the other end for a few seconds. "I-I'm Samuel's friend. I'm your friend, too."

"Friend?"

I laughed. "Sienna, don't flatter yourself."

With that, I hung up.

Not long after, a photo from Sienna appeared on my phone.

In the picture, Matthew lay in a hospital bed while Sienna leaned over him, gently wiping his face. Samuel and Evelyn stood beside them. Their expressions were brimming with affection.

The scene was so harmonious that it was nauseating.

Moreover, a message accompanied the photo. "Naomi, we're all waiting for you to come home."

…

On the day of the hearing, the courtroom was packed with journalists, self-proclaimed good Samaritans, and all those so-called family and friends of mine.

Of course, they were all here to witness my downfall.

Samuel made his appearance flanked by Matthew and Sienna.

Matthew was in a wheelchair. His face was pale, and one of his arms was encased in a cast. The moment he saw me, tears immediately welled up in his eyes.

"Mommy, please don't divorce Daddy. It's all my fault. I promise I won't get sick again."

He cried so miserably that a wave of sympathy rippled through the gallery.

Evelyn was beside him. She wailed as she pointed at me, saying, "You're a curse! You bring nothing but bad luck to your husband and son! What on earth did we do to deserve someone like you?"

Samuel held Matthew in his arms, playing the role of the heartbroken but devoted husband. "Naomi, after everything that's happened, are you still going to keep this up? Are you really going to ruin our son's future just so you can get your way?"

Standing beside him, Sienna slid a tissue into his hand at just the right moment, comforting him in a gentle voice.

I watched their little performance without a trace of expression on my face.

Samuel's lawyer stood and began listing my "crimes".

He started with the wedding anniversary, where I failed to prepare a gift for Samuel, then moved on to Evelyn's birthday, where I hadn't slaved over the stove.

Finally, he brought up Matthew's car accident and accused me of abandoning him during his time of need.

One by one, every accusation was carefully presented to portray me as a selfish, cold-blooded, unreasonable, and cruel woman.

To finish, the lawyer produced a medical report from the hospital.

"Your Honor, my client's son, Matthew Hayes, suffered cerebral hypoxia due to the defendant's delay, and he may suffer long-term complications in the future.

"In addition, the defendant has subjected the child to emotional neglect for years, causing severe psychological trauma. We request that custody be awarded to Mr. Hayes and that the defendant pay one million dollars in emotional damages."

The judge looked at me with scrutiny and obvious disapproval. "Does the defendant have anything to say in response to these allegations?"

All eyes were on me, waiting for me to defend myself.

I stood up.

I didn't look at Samuel. Instead, I turned toward Sienna, who was seated in the witness box. "I have a question for Ms. Brooks."