New Year New Life

The judge didn't ask anything else as he simply handed me a divorce agreement.I had just signed it when the door opened. Vivian and Nancy walked in.Maybe Vivian thought I was still going to fight her in court, just like I had the last six times. Her voice was cold as she said, "This will be the seventh time you dragged me to court, Landon. You really don't know when to quit."Then, she sneered. "But you're going to lose this time. Nancy's already eight. She has a say about who she wants to live with."Nancy hid behind Vivian, and the way she looked at me was distant and cold. She didn't even hesitate when she said, "I want to live with Mom and Jason."I suddenly thought of the video Jason Reed had sent me the night before. Apparently, they celebrated New Year's Day early and already had dinner together. With how happy they looked, they were like a real family of three.At the table, Nancy had frowned and said, "This is all Dad's fault! He makes us celebrate New Year's Day ear

After Vivian and Nancy left, I called my mom. I told her I was coming home for New Year's Day.My mom, Melody, asked excitedly, "Did you get custody of Nancy?"I froze for a moment before I found my voice and said, "I withdrew the case. I don't want custody anymore."She didn't ask why. All she could offer was a sigh. "Come home. This year, I made plenty of the smoked sausages you like."I suddenly wanted to cry. All these years, I hadn't had time to go home to my parents' for the New Year's Day because I had been fighting for custody of my daughter.Every time my mom called and asked if I was coming home, I turned her down by saying I had a court hearing. Although she never said anything, I knew many of my relatives were laughing at me behind my back for not letting things go. They said I insisted on dragging things to court until New Year's Eve and left Mom alone for the holidays.So, this time, I gave up on wanting my daughter anymore.I wanted to go home.-The next da

When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed.It seemed like I had been saved after all.The nurse beside me said, "Your medical bills haven't been paid yet. You should contact your family first."I smiled bitterly and shook my head. What family?"Can you pay them for me for now?" I asked.A trace of hesitation appeared in the nurse's eyes, but after I pleaded with her, she finally agreed. When she was going to leave, she still couldn't help but ask, "Weren't the woman and the girl in that hospital ward of your family? The girl even called you Dad."I shook my head again.Just as the footsteps faded into the distance before returning, the door closed for a moment before being pushed open again.Vivian's voice came from above me, her tone cold and full of suspicion. "Did you purposely avoid taking your asthma medication? It was right there in your bag."I said nothing. I remembered Vivian had learned I had asthma long ago. She had even promised that she would check m

Back then, I spent every day in a daze.I tried everything I could to expose what had happened. I even made PowerPoint slides and sent them to their company chats at Vivian's and Jason's workplaces.I did manage to get Jason fired, but Vivian was the company CEO. With one word from her, every employee in the company shut their mouths. Anyone who leaked a word about it would be fired on the spot.Later, people started spreading rumors that Vivian's husband was insane. They said I was paranoid and delusional.I couldn't beat them. Meanwhile, my head hurt so badly it felt like it would split open, and I could not sleep all night.After that, I was diagnosed with severe depression, and I wanted to end it all several times. But when I looked at Nancy who was only two years old at the time, I couldn't bear to leave her behind.My condition kept getting worse, to the point that even the slightest argument or noise would make me irritable for no reason. For Nancy's safety, Vivian sugge

Right before my flight took off, my phone was suddenly filled with missed calls. I didn't answer any of them. Instead, I snapped the SIM card in half and threw it into the trash bin.As soon as I got off the plane, I finally saw my mom, whom I hadn't seen in person for seven years. She looked much older than she had in our video calls, or maybe she had been using a filter.Suddenly, my tears wouldn't stop. She only patted my back and comforted me. "Come now, why are you crying so suddenly? Did you miss me that much? Whatever it is, we can talk about it after this."I leaned into her arms, and my long-drifting heart had finally settled. That's right… I still had somewhere who would let me make mistakes. In this world, there was still someone who would always love me.Before going home, I went with my mom to shop for our delayed New Year's Day dinner. While we were on our way, she didn't ask what had happened or why I had suddenly stopped fighting for custody.Out of curiosity,