Suddenly, it all became clear to me.

I lifted my head and looked at David, my voice edged with scorn.

“So when people get old and can’t earn money anymore, they’re nothing but a burden? They can be slandered, and their lives can be bought off with fifty thousand dollars?”

“David, is that what you think about your mom too?”

“Shut up.”

Like a firecracker set off, David shot to his feet and splashed his drink into my face.

“Rachel, how can you be so ungrateful?”

“I’m trying to think of you, and you dare insult my mom? What kind of daughter-in-law does that?”

“You won’t sign the settlement? Fine. Let me tell you this—if we go to court, you won’t get a dime.”

He snatched the agreement from the table and stormed out of the restaurant.

I watched his back until he disappeared through the door.

His answer was obvious.

I wanted to laugh, but all I felt was pathetic.

My parents hadn’t worked in years.

But that was because they’d each put in over twenty years at the same company before being forced into early retirement during a round of corporate downsizing.

Even after leaving, their pensions never stopped.

I’d urged them to travel, to enjoy their lives, but they refused.

They saved every penny, pouring it all into helping me and David’s household.

David had no father around, so whenever we needed help, it was my parents who watched Ethan.

Even David’s current law firm only existed because my parents sold their bigger suburban house, bought a smaller one, and gave him the cash to start his practice.

And yet he remembered none of it.

To him, my mother’s life wasn’t even worth fifty thousand dollars.

After twelve years of marriage, I finally realized with painful clarity—David didn’t love me.

Because love means cherishing the ones your partner loves too. Hatred works the same way.

When I stepped out of the restaurant, David’s car was still parked outside.

A girl in a red dress sat in the passenger seat, pouting, asking him to apply her lipstick.

He carefully traced her lips, and she leaned in with a giggle to kiss him.

Through the windshield, I watched them laugh together.

When David spotted me, his smile faded instantly, though he showed no guilt.

The girl glanced at me curiously as he started the engine and sped off.

A puddle left by the morning rain splashed filthy water all over me as his tires cut through it.

Soaked and humiliated, I dragged myself home.

Ethan ran up to me, his arms halfway outstretched.

“Mom, what happened? Did you fall?”

It felt like my heart was being crushed.

I knelt and pulled my little boy into my arms.

Helen hurried out of the bathroom with a damp towel, handing it to me.

“Weren’t you having dinner with David? How did you end up like this?”

I forced a smile.

“Tripped on the way back.”

After I’d cleaned myself up, she pulled me aside and whispered, “What’s David planning about Margaret’s case?”

Thinking of what he’d said before leaving, I answered with difficulty, “He… he said we’ll take it to court.”

“Court is good. At least Margaret will get justice.”

Helen nodded firmly, then pulled out a bank card and shoved it into my hand.

“This is the money Robert and I have saved up. These cases cost a lot. Take it. If you need more, just tell us.”

“Mom’s heading back. Your dad’s waiting for dinner.”

She patted my hand and turned to leave.

I chased after her, still clutching the bank card, but the door slammed shut in my face.

The plastic in my palm burned like fire, searing through every nerve.

I wanted a divorce.

But how could I tell her that?

How could I admit that all her years of devotion meant nothing to David?

That in his eyes, I was just as worthless?

That night, David didn’t come home, and I didn’t return to our bedroom.

I curled up with Ethan in his tiny bed and stayed awake until dawn.

When morning came, I rose to make breakfast.

David walked in, his eyes scanning the room.

Not seeing Ethan, he sat down at the table, drumming his fingers.

“Let’s talk.”

I glanced at the red mark on his collar, then sat across from him.

He cleared his throat, pulled two documents from his bag, and slid them toward me.

One was a divorce agreement. The other, yesterday’s settlement.

“You saw everything yesterday, so I won’t hide it anymore.”

“Her name is Sophia White. We’ve been seeing each other for a while.”

“I wasn’t planning on divorce, but she’s pregnant. The doctor says… she can’t have an abortion.”

Sophia White?

My hand froze on the divorce papers. I looked at David in disbelief.

That was the name I’d heard at the police station just days ago.

And now, connecting all the dots, it was absurd.

David had gotten his mother’s killer pregnant.

When I stayed silent, his tone grew pleading.

“Rachel, she’s only twenty-two. For the sake of our years together, can’t you let her go?”

“If you sign the settlement, I’ll give you the house, the cars, everything.”

“We’ll even increase the payout to $100,000.”

It was almost funny.

Sixteen years together, and the first time he begged me—it was for the woman who’d killed his mother.

I picked up the divorce papers, flipping page by page until the end, then held out my hand.

Thinking I had agreed, he grinned and hurried to place a pen in my palm.

I signed and slid both documents back.

“I’ll divorce you. But as for the settlement—I don’t have the right to sign that.”

It was the truth.

But to David, it was just me being difficult.

His face darkened as he leaned back, chest heaving, before finally throwing the pen at me.

“Rachel, I’m only talking nicely because of our past. Don’t think I’m begging you.”

“That was your mom. If you don’t have the right, who does?”

“Face it—you just won’t forgive Sophia. You’re vicious. Your whole family is vicious.”

“What did you just say?”

I clenched my fists, fury surging through me.

He could insult me all he wanted, but why humiliate my family again and again?

He slammed his hand on the table, leaning in close.

“I said your family is vicious. Your mom deserved to die in that car accident!”

Smack!

I slapped him with all my strength.

His head snapped to the side, stunned. Then his hand shot out, yanking my hair.

“Rachel, do you think I’ll let you get away with that?”

He raised his hand to strike me.

Ethan Miller ran out of the room on his little bare feet.

“Daddy, don’t hit Mommy!”

David’s hand froze in midair.

He glanced at Ethan, then gritted his teeth and shoved me to the ground.

“Rachel Miller, you’ll regret this.”

The front door slammed shut with a loud bang.

Clutching Ethan in my arms, I ground my teeth, trembling with rage, answering him in my heart.

David, the one who should regret this is you!

The CCTV footage of Margaret’s accident began trending on social media.

When Linda Carter brought the video to me, she was trembling with fury.

“Those monsters! My sister died so horribly, and they still twist things to slander her—are they even human?”

I poured her a glass of water.

When I took her phone, I realized the trending video had been heavily edited.

Unlike the footage I’d seen at the police station, this online version was blurry, deliberately cropped to hide Margaret tying her shoelace, slowed down, with captions framing it as if she were preparing to stage a scam.

If I hadn’t already seen the real footage, even I might have believed it.

No wonder the comments were full of people cursing Margaret.

They said it wasn’t that people turned bad when they got old, but that bad people only got worse with age.

They claimed her actions were those of a repeat offender.

They even said she wanted to extort money for her children before she died—that she was a “good mom” who deserved such an end.

I should have felt grief.

But knowing David had done this because he thought the victim was my mother, I felt only numb.

Linda slapped her thigh in outrage, shouting at me,

“Rachel, call David. Tell him to send a lawyer’s letter and sue these bastards immediately!”

I didn’t tell her that the “bastard” she cursed was likely her own nephew.

Before I could hang up the phone, the police station called.

“Mrs. Miller, we’re following up on your mother-in-law’s case. You mentioned discussing prosecution with your husband. Do you have a decision?”

I was about to redirect them to David, but Linda shouted into the phone,

“Prosecute! You must prosecute—arrest them immediately! She killed someone and still dares to smear my brother online!”

“And you are?”

“I’m the victim’s sister. Her real sister. My opinion is my nephew’s opinion too.”

After the call ended, Linda dragged me to David’s law firm.

His assistant tried to stop us, looking nervous, but Linda shoved him aside.

“Out of my way! I’m David’s aunt, and she’s his wife. You want to lose your job?”

Before he could react, she pushed open David’s office door.

David sat in his chair, while Sophia White straddled his lap, feeding him cookies mouth to mouth.

Linda froze for a second, then stormed over, yanking Sophia off him.

“You little vixen, seducing a married man?”

“Help me, David!” Sophia cried, tears streaming as she tried to hide behind him.

Before Linda’s slap could land, David caught her wrist.

“You—you’re stopping me?”

“You realize what time it is? And you’re still carrying on with this affair?”

David shot me a venomous glare, convinced I’d brought Linda here to catch him in the act.

“Aunt, this is my personal life. Don’t you think you’re overstepping?”