All Chapters of I Grieved My Son, Only to Be Betrayed: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

My mind went blank, leaving me frozen on the spot."Daddy, Mommy, this is the lady who helped me."Leo Reynolds pulled Carter Reynolds and Vanessa Miller over by their hands, but the smiles on their faces vanished in an instant."Audrey..." Carter reflexively tried to hide Leo behind his back.A sharp sting hit my nose. "Don't bother hiding him, Carter. Care to explain?""Since you've found out, I won't lie to you anymore," he said, taking a deep breath. "Yes, Leo is the baby you gave birth to. I lied to you back then."Vanessa's lips turned pale as she squeezed Leo's hand. "Audrey, please don't blame Carter. It's all my fault."She pushed the boy forward. "Leo, go to her. That's your real mom.""No!" Leo cried, clinging to her. "I don't want her. Mommy, I only want you. Please don't abandon me."Vanessa wrapped her arms around him and wept bitterly. To my parents, the sight made me look like a villain trying to tear a happy family apart."Audrey!" Ida Wilkinson rushed forwar

Chapter 2

The system's voice chimed in my mind."Extraction portal opened. Target termination and extraction scheduled in 72 hours."Looking at the boy's familiar features, I ultimately squatted down and held out my hands to him. "I'm your real mom. Would you come home with me?"Leo walked over quickly, and a soft smile began to form on my face. A second later, he snatched up a nearby toy and hurled it toward my face."You're not stealing my dad away!" he snapped. "I only have one mommy! Get lost, you wicked woman!"My cheek flared with a red, swollen throb as Vanessa nervously scooped Leo up into her arms. "Audrey, he's just a child. He didn't mean it. Please don't hit him."Ida shoved me back like a mother hen guarding her chick. "He's just a little boy. Why are you bringing up his real mother?"Leo buried his face in Vanessa's shoulder, crying uncontrollably no matter how they tried to soothe him. Carter finally lost his patience. He grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me away from the

Chapter 3

Carter clutched his cheek, muttering the word "divorce" under his breath."Don't say things you'll regret when you're angry." He let out a disbelieving laugh. "Vanessa and I really aren't what you think."Before I could respond, his phone rang."Mr. Reynolds? This is Metro General Hospital. Ms. Vanessa Miller has just been admitted to the emergency room..."The moment he heard her name, Carter bolted for the front door.I watched his retreating figure disappear down the hall, my expression cold and distant as the system interface flickered into view before my eyes.[Extraction countdown: 48 hours remaining.]...Carter never came home that night.Sometime around midnight, I was drifting in and out of sleep when a choking wave of smoke jolted me awake. I opened my eyes and found the bedroom engulfed in flames."Help!"I scrambled to the door, but the knob wouldn't turn. I pounded frantically against the wood."Mom! Dad! Leo! Is everyone okay?"Leo's voice came from the hall

Chapter 4

I yanked my hand back and stared at him in disbelief."Are you seriously asking me to give the mistress who ruined my marriage a second chance at life?"Carter lowered his head, his hair falling across his eyes."I'm sorry. I failed you, but Vanessa is still so young. Leo can't afford to lose her. If you'll agree to save her, I'll do anything you want."A sharp ache shot through my nose. I had never seen Carter lower himself like this, yet now he was willing to beg for Vanessa."Get the hell out!" I snapped. "This is her punishment for destroying someone else's marriage!"His hand flew up and struck my face. The slap rang through the room, leaving my cheek burning. I stared at him in shock, and he froze as though he couldn't believe he'd done it either."I'm sorry... I didn't mean to."He reached for my wrist, but I yanked free and struck him over and over. He simply stood there and took it until my strength finally gave out."Vanessa isn't the mistress," he muttered, his lips

Chapter 5

Carter stumbled backward, all color draining from his face."What did you say?" He grabbed the nurse by the sleeve, panic overtaking him. "What happened to Audrey? How could she suddenly be in critical condition? What went wrong?""Sir, please calm down," the nurse said quickly, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Was the surgical team not informed about her medical history? She has a severe pulmonary infection, and before we could even proceed with the procedure, she suffered a massive internal hemorrhage."Carter's eyes widened. "A pulmonary infection?"A terrible realization struck him, and a piercing ringing filled his ears. "From the fire? Please... I'm begging you. Save her."The operating room doors swung open again. The lead surgeon stepped into the hallway, pulled off his mask, and let out a long, weary sigh."I'm sorry," he said, bowing his head. "We did everything we could."Ida clutched her chest and staggered against the wall, struggling to breathe."No... That's

Chapter 6

The entire corridor fell silent.Carter stared at Leo in disbelief before his hand shot out and struck the boy across the face."What did you just say? Who taught you to talk like that?"A bright red mark immediately swelled across Leo's cheek. He burst into tears, then glared defiantly at Carter through them."I didn't say anything wrong!" He stamped his foot and pointed first at Carter, then at Soren and Ida. "Didn't you all say she was annoying? Didn't you say she ruined our lives? So, why are you hitting me now?"Ida covered her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks. "No, Leo. That's my daughter. She's your father's wife. How could we hate her?""Then why were you always talking bad about her?" Leo sniffed, crossing his arms. "And when I started the fire, didn't you see me do it? I even heard Grandpa say it would teach her a lesson."The corridor went silent again.Hovering nearby, I instinctively clenched my fists, expecting the familiar sting in my palms.Nothing happe

Chapter 7

Vanessa's sobbing stopped abruptly.Panic flashed across her face as she gave Leo a hard shove. "What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I ever say something like that?"But Leo was far too spoiled to understand that he had just exposed her. Taking her reaction for some kind of joke, he tapped at his smartwatch and pulled up an audio recording."I recorded everything. Listen."Static crackled from the tiny speaker, followed by Vanessa's voice, clear enough for everyone in the corridor to hear."Leo, listen to me. Audrey is a bad woman who's trying to steal your dad and your grandparents away from us. You need to help me get rid of her, okay?""What should I do?""I'll tell you what. Tonight, set fire to her bedroom. If anyone catches you, just say you were playing around. Your grandparents spoil you, so they won't say a word. And I'll take care of the rest."...Leo proudly held up his smartwatch, completely unaware of the bomb he'd just dropped."See? I recorded it be

Chapter 8

My body lay cold and motionless in the morgue.Only then did everyone seem to understand the horrifying truth. Through their own choices, they had pushed me into an early grave.Carter called the police and had Vanessa arrested on the spot. As the officers moved in to handcuff her, she screamed and fought back."How can you do this to me? I took care of all of you all these years! You were the ones who said you couldn't stand Audrey!"Leo threw himself forward, trying to stop the officers from taking her away. Vanessa grabbed him and clung to him as though he were the last lifeline she had left."Leo can't live without me. I messed up. I let you guys down, but Audrey is already gone. Leo can't lose me, either." She seized Leo's arm so tightly that he winced. "Leo, tell them. Tell them you need your mommy."Terrified and overwhelmed, the boy could only sob. Carter pulled Leo into his arms and glared at Vanessa with pure disgust."You're still trying to manipulate my son?" he spat

Chapter 9

Those cruel words still reached Leo despite Carter's hands covering his ears.The boy stood frozen in place, unable to process what he'd just heard. The woman he'd loved and depended on for three years was telling him, without hesitation, that she had never loved him at all.Leo broke down and ran from the station.Carter immediately chased after him. I followed silently, hovering behind them as Leo finally stopped and looked up at his father through tear-filled eyes."Daddy... was that mean lady really my real mom?" Leo asked."She wasn't a mean woman," Carter said with a heavy voice. "She loved you with all her heart. She was your birth mother. She carried you for nine months and brought you into this world. No one loved you more than she did."Leo paused. "Does that mean... I'll never get to see her again?"Carter choked back a sob before finally nodding. Then he led Leo back to my casket. For the first time in his life, Leo stood before me and whispered, "Mommy... I'm sorry.

Chapter 10

"Fine. Send me back," I said, clenching my teeth. "This whole mess started because of me, so I should be the one to end it."With another flash of golden light, I materialized inside the bathroom of the Reynolds estate. I glanced around the sprawling mansion, and the corners of my lips lifted slightly.Carter truly was the Protagonist of Destiny. In just five years, he had transformed himself into a formidable business tycoon, building an empire on a scale I could never have imagined.Hurried footsteps echoed down the staircase, followed by a sharp shove from behind."You're the new housekeeper, right? Hurry up and go downstairs. Mr. Reynolds is home."I stumbled forward and looked up just as Carter came toward me.The moment our eyes met, he froze in place. Then he slowly took a few steps closer and hesitantly reached out to my face."Audrey... Is it really you?"I looked at him carefully. Five years had changed him. He seemed more mature and distinguished now, but there was a

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