Chapter 2

The November wind swept fallen leaves across the cemetery. As I brushed my fingers over the cold gravestone, my eyes immediately welled up with tears.

"I'm here to visit, Mom."

I gently placed a bouquet of Mom's favorite roses at the base of the gravestone and carefully wiped the framed photo on the marble. Mom was smiling so warmly in it.

I had so much to tell her. I wanted to tell her that I was doing well now, and that as soon as my daughter, Bella Rothchild, got better, I'd bring her here to visit.

Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from behind.

"Mom, is that you?"

I froze but didn't turn around.

Archie Levine's voice was hesitant and laced with a subtle longing. He nervously clenched the hem of his clothes and called out, "Mom…"

I acted as if I hadn't heard her words and kept my head down as I continued cleaning up the grave.

Zachary took a couple of steps forward, leading Archie by the hand. His voice carried a hint of hurt as he said, "Alyssa, our son really misses you…"

"Stay back!"

My voice was devoid of warmth.

My gaze moved past Archie and landed on Zachary, filled with distance and indifference. "You're not welcome here, so please leave now."

Archie froze as if he was stunned by my heartlessness. But soon, his eyes were filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Mom. Could you please come home?"

My breath hitched.

I was suddenly reminded of the day I gave birth to him, and how I nearly didn't survive the complications.

When I looked at the fragile baby in the incubator, seeming like he'd shatter with just one touch, I'd vowed to love and protect him with everything I had.

Back then, Zachary was always busy with work, so when Archie had high fevers in the middle of the night, I was the one who'd carried him to the hospital on my back.

Back then, he was three and would murmur in his sweet, toddler voice, "I love you so much, Mommy."

I never imagined him turning into a guardian of Zachary and Leah's romance. He'd watch me spiral into hysteria and calmly say, "Why do you always fight with Dad, Mom? He treats you so well, so why can't you just be content?"

"If you ever hurt Aunt Leah again, I'll have Dad kick you out!"

He even told everyone with that innocent childhood honesty, "I woke up in the middle of the night and saw Mom sneak into Aunt Leah's room to steal a stack of files!"

It was Leah who'd plagiarized my medical thesis, but with one sentence from Archie, I became the thief and lost my career.

On his birthday, he made a wish that Leah could be his mother, and when I was sick, he told Zachary, "Mom's just faking it, Dad. She's acting pitiful to win sympathy!"

The more I loved them, the deeper their betrayal cut.

"I'm not your mother. Leah is," I coldly told Archie. "Now leave. Don't disturb my mom's peace."

Archie's face went deathly pale, while Zachary tried to grab my wrist and begged in a low, desperate voice, "Alyssa, for your mother's sake, don't take it out on Archie. He's sorry now…"

I laughed as if I'd just heard the world's funniest joke.

"How do you even have the nerve to mention my mom, Zachary?

"When she had that heart attack, who was it that hid her emergency medication? Did you forget it was your son?

"He took her medicine just to appease Alyssa and watched as Mom struggled on the floor, while you were busy in bed with Leah and never picked up when I called you over a dozen times. How dare you come here now?"

Archie reached out to grab my hand, but I violently shook him off.

"From the moment you chose Leah and let your grandma die, you stopped being my son!"

Those words finally broke him. He covered his face and broke down in sobs as he turned and ran away.

I looked at the fruit and flowers Zachary had brought and swept them off the ledge. "Take your trash and get out now! Don't let it rot on my mom's grave!"