All Chapters of The Wrong Diagnosis: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

"Grace has been thinking about opening a beauty salon recently. I was planning to invest both your mother's pension and mine into the business."Inside the apartment, my son, Elian Isley, immediately objected. "Dad, I know you care about Grace, but isn't that a little unfair? Mom's pension isn't yours alone."A flicker of warmth had just begun to rise in my chest when I heard Elian continue, "Supporting a family isn't easy for me either. The job market is terrible these days. I deserve a share of Mom's pension, no?"Heath Isley calmly reassured him. "Grace has always treated you well, hasn't she? That high-paying job you have now—who introduced you to that opportunity? And Colin getting into that elite program? Grace was the one who pulled strings and made it happen."She never married and never had children. All the money she's earned and all the connections she's built over the years—who do you think they'll go to in the end? They'll all benefit you and your family."After a bri

The son I had raised with my own hands had always gotten whatever he wanted.When he was ten years old, he developed a rare blood disorder. I carried him on my back and traveled across half the country, desperately searching for doctors and treatments.Back then, Heath would constantly whisper in my ear, "Just stop treating him. Instead of wasting all this time and money, why don't we have another child?"He said it as casually as if he were talking about an old piece of furniture that could be thrown away and replaced at any time.I refused to give up.I worked at the factory during the day and took odd jobs at night. I begged relatives, friends, and anyone willing to lend a hand. Somehow, I managed to scrape together enough money to cure my son.And Heath?He didn't contribute a single cent. He always claimed that his business was struggling and that he had lost all his money.I believed him.I never complained because I thought he was sacrificing everything for our family.

Elian's eyes widened instantly, but before he could say anything, Heath called.The hand holding the report froze midair. Elian looked at me, then at his phone. A flicker of unmistakable panic crossed his face. In the end, he took a deep breath and answered the call, deliberately switching on speakerphone as if trying to prove he had nothing to hide."Dad?" His voice carried the faintest tremor.Heath's anxious voice came through immediately. "How did it go, Elian? Did your mom's test results come back? What did the doctor say? Is it still the same diagnosis?"Elian swallowed hard. He glanced at me before forcing a casual tone. "Dad, don't worry. Mom's results came back. The doctor said it was a misdiagnosis. It's just regular pneumonia. The hospital made a mistake before. There's nothing seriously wrong."Silence hung on the other end for a moment before Heath finally spoke again. "I knew it! Your mother has always been healthy as a horse. How could she possibly have something

The murmurs around us grew even louder."My God, so that's what really happened!""What a scumbag. His wife had cancer, and he's still thinking about another woman!""And that woman isn't any better. She looks respectable on the outside, but…"Grace listened to the comments around her, swaying as if she might collapse at any moment. Tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls. "That's not true… It's not like that… Heath, tell them! Explain it to them!"She pinned all her hopes on him, but Heath could barely save himself.He glared at me, his eyes filled with resentment and bitterness. "I didn't mean any of that! I was terrified and said stupid things! Susan, do you really have to make such a spectacle of this? Do you have to let everyone laugh at our family?""A spectacle?" I met his gaze without flinching. "The moment you decided it would be easier if I died, our family became a joke. Heath, I want a divorce."He froze. He had probably never imagined that the w

The court ruled that the three-bedroom apartment, which had been my premarital property, belonged solely to me.My retirement fund also remained entirely mine.As for our joint savings accumulated during the marriage, they should have been divided equally. However, considering Heath's attempt to maliciously transfer assets and the severe emotional harm he had caused me, the judge exercised discretion and awarded me 70% of the funds.The moment the ruling was announced, Heath collapsed back into his chair.When I walked out of the courthouse, Elian stepped in front of me. "Mom." His eyes were red as he looked at me. "Do you really have to be this heartless? He's still my father. He raised me all these years. Now he's seriously ill, and you've taken most of the money. What is he supposed to do? What am I supposed to do?""He raised you, and so did I," I replied calmly. "When you were seriously ill, I was the one who carried you from hospital to hospital across the country. I was t