Chapter 2

When I reached the hospital, I hurried to the cashier window to pay for my son’s medical expenses.

Swiping the card, the nurse knit her brows before handing it back to me.

“There’s no money on this card…”

I froze on the spot in disbelief. Unwilling to accept it, I pushed the card back into her hand.

“Could you… could you please try again?”

Irritated, she took it back and swiped it three times right in front of me before rolling her eyes and tossing the card back at me.

“See? I told you there’s no balance.”

I gripped the thin plastic tightly, my hands shaking out of control.

Harry had lied to me.

I crouched alone in the stairwell, tears falling onto my phone screen.

Wiping them off, I dialed Harry’s number, but the phone rang on without an answer.

I stood up, dried my eyes, and composed myself before heading into my son’s ward.

Because I couldn’t afford anything else, he was sharing the room with other patients.

The family of the patient in the adjacent bed usually helped keep an eye on my boy whenever I went out to work part-time jobs.

As usual, I offered them some fruit as a thank you, but this time they turned their heads away with cold, gloomy looks.

My son lay weakly on the bed, tugging gently at the hem of my dress.

“Mommy… they said you’re a home wrecker. That’s bad, isn’t it? Mommy, don’t be a home wrecker.”

I stood frozen. The tears I had fought so hard to suppress began spilling over once again at his innocent words.

The woman in the neighboring bed turned around, her face twisted in utter disgust.

“I know things can get tough. Doesn’t mean you should turn yourself into a mistress, wrecking someone else’s family.”

The others in the room chimed in.

“People need to have a shred of self-respect.”

“Exactly. His fiancee came looking for you earlier. And your little boy—how is he supposed to hold his head up in public after that?”

Every word landed on me like a slap, leaving me utterly humiliated. I turned around and pulled my son into a tight embrace, covering his ears while murmuring helplessly through my sobs.

“I didn’t… Mommy’s not a home wrecker… I didn’t ruin anyone’s relationship…”

It was only later that I saw the news on social media. Harry had officially announced his upcoming engagement to Rachel.

The time of the announcement matched the precise moment I had gone to the hotel to find him.