Lamia's relentless scolding brought me back to reality.

Seeing more and more people gathered around, I suddenly stood up, grabbed her fancy scarf, and snapped, "I'm not a competent mother? I give you 5,000 dollars a month to take care of Ashton, but why don't you tell everyone how you take care of your grandson? You ended up in an old man's arms!

"Ashton has been sick three times this month, and I have been the only one taking care of him each time. Where were you and his 'competent' father?"

Seeing that she couldn't break free, Lamia began to cry at the top of her lungs, complaining how miserable her life was.

I snatched her phone, opened WhatsApp, and exclaimed, "You have a miserable life? You are admired by so many old men, yet you dare to say that?

"Lamia, I have to say that you are still as charming as ever. There are at least five men in this chat list. You caused the death of your husband back then, and now you lost your grandson.

"It is a great misfortune for the Bates family to have a woman like you."

The onlookers burst into laughter. Seeing that the situation was against her, Lamia grabbed the phone and ran out.

After the crowd gradually dispersed, I sat in my seat with mixed feelings.

A female police officer saw that I was in low spirits and came over to comfort me. "It's okay. There is surveillance, and we will definitely find your son."

I forced a smile and nodded vigorously.

Actually, I was not worried about Ashton.

The tragic experience of my previous life was still surfacing before my eyes. I just didn't understand what I had done wrong.

Before I could come to my senses, a voice crying out "Mom" suddenly echoed through the hall.

I raised my gaze and was met with the sight of a tearful and distressed six-year-old Ashton standing at the entrance of the police department. The grievance in his eyes was in stark contrast to the resentful expression he once wore as he tugged at my clothes and uttered hurtful words in my previous life.

Even though I was extremely disappointed in him, I couldn't help but feel sad.

After all, it was my child, the child I had given birth to.

I sighed heavily and pulled him into my arms.

If he were given another chance, perhaps he wouldn't make the same mistake.

It was nearly 11 o'clock when we got home. On the way, I was comforting Ashton, who was still sobbing while my phone kept ringing, but I turned it off.

As I entered the room, I saw Erik sitting on the couch, wearing a frown upon his face. Lamia sat by his side, exuding a domineering aura as she cast provocative glances in my direction.

Ashton threw himself into Erik's arms, shouting "Dad."

Erik forced a smile, comforted Ashton in her arms, then turned his head and asked me in a low voice, "Claire, what did you say to my mom?"

I sneered in response, not directly answering him.

I pulled out a chair and took a seat, saying, "For three whole hours, from eight to eleven, you showed no concern for Ashton being lost and found. Instead, you chose to blame me?"

Seeing my stern attitude, Erik said with a sullen face, "Claire, let's focus on the facts. Have you been disrespectful toward my mom?"

I sneered. "Focus on the facts? Fine. Then tell me, was it your mom who lost Ashton first and then flirted with older men?"

Erik's face changed instantly. Before he could speak, I pulled Ashton out of his arms, took him to the room, changed him into pajamas, and put him to bed.

I could hear Lamia yelling from the living room. I closed the door, picked up a storybook on the bedside table, and started reading.

Ashton leaned against me and whispered, "Mom, did you have a fight with Dad and Grandma?"

Rather than answering his question, I gently caressed his head and asked, "Do you like your grandma?"

Ashton shook his head cautiously. I said, "How about I hire a nanny to take care of you? Then you can eat whatever you want every day."

Ashton nodded, then gradually fell asleep.

When I came out of Ashton's room, Erik was standing on the balcony. I ignored him and turned into the bedroom.

He rushed over, grabbed my hand, and said, "Honey, don't be angry. I have asked my mom to go back.

"It was my fault today. I lost my temper. I was just too worried about Ashton."

I shook his hand off angrily. If I weren't waiting for an opportunity to ruin his reputation, I would have divorced him.

He took a deep breath and said in a hoarse voice, "Honey, it has not been easy for us along the way, and we should cherish what we have."

I turned to look at him, but the dim lighting inside the house obscured his features, leaving only a hazy outline visible to me.

Both of us came from a humble village background, relying on our hard work throughout our school years. We were fortunate enough to be admitted to a good college, which paved the way for decent job opportunities in the bustling city. Through years of dedication and perseverance, we managed to establish ourselves and find stability in our careers.

Erik and I fell in love in college. As we faced financial hardships immediately after graduation, we felt too embarrassed to ask our families for money. We resided in the most economical rental house available to us at that time.

He held my hand with sincerity and said, "Honey, I know how hard for you to be with me."

However, despite that, he still cheated on me and divorced me.

I paused, then still walked to the bed and lay down.

Erik sat by the bed in silence for a long time, then hesitantly said, "Honey, can you stay home and take care of Ashton? Ashton is our son, after all.

"How can you bear to leave him alone at home at such a young age? Think about his studies and his daily life."

I replied calmly, "Starting tomorrow, I will hire a nanny to take care of Ashton."

Upon hearing my words, Erik stood up suddenly and looked down at me.

With a hint of disbelief in his tone, he questioned, "Claire, you can handle the housework easily. Is it necessary to hire a nanny?

"Besides, we are still paying off our mortgage. How can we afford to hire a nanny?"

I looked up at him and chuckled. "I'll use the money we give your mother to hire a nanny."

Erik's expression changed, and he said with dissatisfaction, "How can that be possible? My father died early, and my mother raised me alone. She doesn't have any pension, so as a son, isn't it my duty to give her some living expenses?"

I sat up, fixing my gaze on Erik, and retorted, "Yes, as a son, it is your duty to give her living expenses, but as her daughter-in-law, I have no such obligation.

"You have your mother to look after, and I also have parents.

"Why don't you just use your salary to pay your mother's living expenses?"

Erik was so angry that he disregarded the possibility of waking Ashton up. He yelled, "What are you talking about? It's totally unreasonable! I have to pay the mortgage. How can I have extra money?"

Looking at Erik's gloomy face, I let out a chuckle. "It's your house. Of course, you have to pay the mortgage."

When we were purchasing the house, my parents recognized the challenges of affording a property in a city and insisted on contributing half of the down payment. However, Erik prevented them from doing so.

At that time, Erik spoke with sincerity, expressing his reluctance to allow my parents to use up their retirement savings to assist us in buying a house. His selflessness deeply moved our family, and as a result, my parents even returned all the wedding gifts they had received.

After our marriage, Erik insisted on shouldering the responsibility of paying the mortgage himself, refusing to let me contribute. He said, "I want to rely on myself to provide a stable and secure home for you and our child.

Prior to my resignation, all the family expenses were primarily covered by my salary alone. However, as my savings gradually ran out after leaving my job, I had to ask Erik for money.

Erik displayed reluctance when giving me living expenses each month. He openly expressed the challenges he faced in single-handedly supporting the family and blamed me for spending money lavishly.

However, he didn't know that the costs of water and electricity bills, property fees, and Ashton's daily expenses were significant financial burdens. I even couldn't buy many new clothes throughout the year.

The monthly living expenses provided by Erik were barely sufficient, but thankfully, my parents secretly supported me with additional money.

However, during the divorce proceedings, Erik insisted that he had bought the house alone and argued that I had no right to request a division.

I never expected that the person I shared a bed with would scheme against me. It turned out that all the household expenses I had shouldered and the housework I had performed for over a decade were nothing more than a mockery. In his eyes, I was merely seen as a free nanny.

Well, since he had planned so well, I would settle all the scores in this life.