Freedom...

The door closed behind him with a deafening slam, leaving me stunned by his arrogance.

That smile – it was the final spark that ignited my unyielding resolve. I stood frozen for a moment, then my legs moved with newfound purpose.

I walked up the stairs, into our matrimonial room and gathered my things into three luggages. Then, I dragged them out of the room, went into Ethan’s room and began packing his things.

I didn't know where we'd go from her, but I had some money with me. It would last us a few weeks before I ran out of cash. Once I left this place, I'd go job hunting.

I didn't think much, I didn't have the luxury of time. All I wanted right now was some fresh air.

As I mindlessly grabbed everything that was important to Ethan, my hand stopped on a photo frame in his drawer. It was turned on its face. I picked it up, about to shove it into his suitcase when it slipped off my hand and dropped to the floor with a shatter.

My heart leaped and I picked it up, only to turn the face, but I wasn't in it.

I was edited out, and Julia was now standing where I was, behind Ethan, while Ryan stood beside me– HER.

The photo was taken on Ethan’s first and most significant birthday – 1 year old.

I stood frozen, hands trembling as I held the shattered frame, my mind reeling in horror.

I was erased and replaced by another woman, as if I never existed in our son's life. My heart shattered into irreparable pieces.

From the broken back, I saw a piece of paper sticking out. My hands trembled as I pulled it out and spread it open.

‘Aunt Julia, I have wished everyday since I was five, that you were my mother. I love you so much. And I pray everyday that you'll replace my mommy, like in this photo. Daddy made it for me, and you look so beautiful. Better than my mommy.’

My breath hitched, trembling. My vision blurred as tears streamed down my face like blood from a mortal wound.

Every word on that paper stabbed my heart with precision cruelty. My husband and son had killed me again and again, and now, my soul has been annihilated.

My mind screamed silent shrieks as I read the words again and again, unable to comprehend such betrayal. I felt my identity as a mother – my entire existence – crumbling into dust.

My breath came in short, painful gasps as I whispered aloud. "He hates me... My own son hates me… where did I go wrong? What did I do wrong?"

Perhaps, I treated him badly in some way. Perhaps, I was too harsh in the way I raised him… But I've never treated him badly. I've never raised my hand or voice at him. I've never stopped him from doing what he liked, except if it was getting too much and was taking his attention off other things that mattered.

I could hit my chest and boast of being one of the best mothers out there… But my son has longed for another mother since he was five years old!

At this point, I felt I've been living a lie.

Maybe if I searched harder, I'd find something. Maybe I'd know where I'd gone wrong and make amends with my son.

With that, I paid extra attention to everything in his room and began to search, even lifting his mattress, but I found nothing.

Maybe he left them with his father.

I staggered out of the room and went into Ryan's home office – Ethan loved coming in here.

Even after I searched everything, I found nothing, until I opened the laptop.

The wall paper was Ethan, Ryan, and Julia. I bit my lip harshly and began to search blindly. My fingers flew across the keyboard, opening folders and files with reckless abandon, until I found one; a folder labeled "Our Family", containing only photos of Ryan, Ethan, Sophia, and Julia.

I whimpered but didn't stop there and continued searching until I opened a chat app and a group chat stared back at me, titled, “Our Family”.

I clicked open and began to read. The messages were too many, dated from years back. From the little I could read, Ryan didn't say much, or things that would incriminate him – only Ethan pining for Julia like a starved child, and Julia humoring him, promising to bring him snacks in school, take him out, and so on.

Then it dawned on me. Whenever Ethan and Ryan went out —father and son’s day as they loved to call it, it was with Julia.

I slammed the laptop shut. My resolve hardened. Fine! If he wants another mother, let him have her.

Once he tasted the difference between a true mother and a fake mother, he'd understand and come crawling back to me.

With that, I dragged my luggage and left the house, booked a hotel and broke my sim card.

I got a new sim shortly after, got a divorce lawyer online, and requested for a divorce.

The divorce papers were ready by the next day. With shaky hands, I signed my name across the divorce papers, feeling a mix of emotions.

"These will be served to Mr. Ryan today. He'll have 30 days to respond." Mrs. Smith, my lawyer said.

I nodded.

That evening, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Mrs. Smith's assistant.

‘Ryan's lawyer already called. He's contesting custody of Ethan and alleging your 'emotional instability' as grounds.’

My blood boiled. But I agreed to let Ryan have our son.

Ryan believed I'd come running back to him for Ethan’s sake. But he was mistaken.

…

Ryan~

He smiled calmly as he stared at her signature on the divorce papers. All of this was a farce. He thought.

She couldn't live without him and their son. Maybe she thought he'd go down on his knees and beg her? He chuckled. It would be the other way around.

She'd come back, begging, and then, she'd realize that she had nowhere but his place to be. But then, her place would not be as his wife or the mother of his child anymore. It would be as...

He smiled and unhurriedly signed his signature on the divorce papers and got it finalized.

Once done, Ryan began a one week countdown.

She'd come back to him one week later. He was confident of that because all the money she had in her account would only last her a week, but if she sold her clothes and jewelry, then, it might take months.

But Ryan had no intention of giving her that chance.