On Father's Day, my son rushed home from school, his heart set on buying his dad a Father's Day gift with the money he saved from New Year.

But our world turned upside down—he had a car crash. By the time I got to the hospital, he was already fighting for his life in the ER.

The doctor said the only physician who could pull off this surgery was Dr. James Parker, a legend in the medical world.

That's my husband, James.

I hit up his cell, but got his old flame instead.

"James is tied up. Everything cool?"

Pushing past the shock, I blurted, "Our boy's been in a wreck and needs surgery, stat. Get him to the First Affiliated, pronto!"

James finally picked up. "Really? If you're that bored, go hit the dance floor or something. Cut the crap."

Click—he hung up.

I tried again, but now his phone was dead.

That day, I lost my son forever.

————

"This kid's situation is critical. No one but Dr. Parker can handle this," the doctor said, panic written all over his face. "We can't reach him directly. Didn't you say he's your husband? Get him here ASAP! The kid's got maybe two hours, tops!"

Two hours?

I froze, my hand mid-dial, shaking all over, and managed, "Doc, please do whatever you can. He'll be here."

Even if I promised James would be here, I was not quite certain.

There I was, parked in the hospital corridor, dialing James over and over, but all I got was the cold shoulder of a dead line.

Desperate, I rang up James's assistant, begging for his whereabouts.

It seemed he sensed me being torn between anxiety and panic.

After a beat, he texted me a location.

Without a second thought, I bolted there.

It was a vet clinic.

There he was, James, comforting Olivia, his arms around her, a world of worry on his face.

The moment he saw me, his warmth evaporated, replaced by a chill.

"Emma, seriously? You followed me here?" He stood up, irritation plain as day.

In fear of delaying anything, I cut to the chase, "Our son's been in an accident, he's critical. They said you're the only one who can save him. We need to go, now!"

I reached for him, but he recoiled as if I'd shocked him, staying silent.

Olivia gave me a patronizing look.

"Emma, I know you're not my biggest fan, but dragging your son into this to snag James? That's low."

Dragging my son into this?

James's frown deepened at these words.

He snapped, "Done with your drama? Then leave. Don't embarrass yourself further."

It was clear he wasn't buying it.

"I'm dead serious! He bought you a gift right after school for Father's Day, but then the accident happened. He's in ICU now, hanging by a thread! See for yourself if you don't believe me!"

Desperation was creeping into my voice and scream.

James shot back, "So you're pinning this on me for not being there? I can't step out right now. Drop it."

His eyes grew colder with every word.

Before I could make another plea, Olivia chimed in softly, "I had my son out for a stroll when a car without plate hit him and broke his leg. I was alone and freaked out, so I called James. If that bugs you, I'm sorry."

"But what mother jokes about her son's life?"

Here, her son was her pet dog, named Spooky.

I lost it, "Do you think I'm joking?"

"James..."

At my outburst, Olivia burst into tears and buried herself in James's arms.

His arms around her shoulders, James glared at me, fury in his eyes. "Emma, enough already. Can't you see Spooky is injured and Olivia in pain? How can you be so heartless and screaming at her?"

I struggled to rein in my anger, took a deep breath, and spoke softly, "Say what you want about me, but our son's life is on the line."

I swallowed my pride, my voice earnest, "Please, let's go save our son. I'm begging you."

It was the first time I ever begged James like that.

He seemed to soften a bit, and to listened to what I said.

"James, my boy's losing blood fast and they can't do the surgery here."

Olivia glanced at her bleeding dog, her eyes welling up.

That instantly tensed James, panic written all over his face.

"Don't worry, nothing's gonna happen to him. We'll head to my clinic and I'll save him myself."

As he said, he braced the dog and went to his car with Olivia.

I grabbed James's arm, desperation in my voice, "Please, no more delays, our son..."

James hesitated, then urgency took over.

"James, hurry up, my boy's on his last leg!" Olivia pushed him.

Pride aside, I knelt, tears streaming, pleading, "If we wait any longer, our son will die. Please, come with me to save our son!"

Olivia jumped in, "My dog just got hit, and now you say your son too? What are the odds? Emma, my dog was badly hurt. Don't try to pull James away like this. Can't you show a shred of decency? His leg might be toast soon!"

James shook off my hand, icy as ever. "There's a limit to this nonsense. Even if you're green with envy, don't make a scene. You're not only dragging me down, but also Alex. What kind of mother does that make you?"

With that, he jumped into the car with Olivia and the dog, and peeled out.

Then, the hospital called.

"Ms. Parker, come down to see your son one last time..."

I tore to the hospital, but by the time I arrived, my son was already gone.

I held him and cried until I was out of tears.

Three days later, I handled the funeral arrangements myself. Despite watching him get cremated, I couldn't accept it.

I couldn't understand.

The happy kid who was just buzzing about giving his dad a surprise...

How did he turn to ashes?

He was such a good, smart boy. Why him? Why this end to him?

It's tearing me apart.

Holding my son's urn, I wiped it with my sleeve.

Flashes of our time together came back.

And my tears followed.

The heart-piercing pain continued to spread with the tears.

Then, James, who disappeared for three days, called. "Today's our son's tenth birthday, and my mom's throwing a big bash at the old place. She allows you come with Alex, but dress sharp—don't embarrass me or my boy."

Staring at my son's urn, I wiped my tears and replied coldly, "I'll bring my son."

James Parker and I first crossed paths in high school.

Back then, I was the class valedictorian, always clinching the top spot.

And he was the perpetual silver medalist, always a step behind.

As time went by, our names became synonymous with the leaderboard battle.

He later switched to my class and convinced the teacher to pair us up as desk mates.

"Hey Emma Thompson, I'm James Parker. Bet I'll be outdoing you soon enough."

That was his ice-breaker.

I merely shot him a look over his cocky grin and kept mum.

But that ignited an unspoken war between us.

James was relentless, competing both overtly and covertly.

Whenever a question popped up, he'd beat me to the punch with an answer.

He consistently arrived at class just before I did and stayed a few minutes after I left.

He was dead set on proving he was the top dog.

Yet, when report cards rolled out, he was always just shy of my score.

That fueled him to hit the books even harder.

For our senior finals, we ended up in the same room—those exams were pivotal for both of us.

Midway through, I felt dizzy and my vision blurred.

Then I keeled over from his chair.

My fall caused a stir across the exam hall.

Without skipping a beat, he gave up the exam, scooped me up and dashed to the nurse's office.

That stunt cost us both—missing the exam tanked our grades.

Once I got back on my feet, I grilled him, knowing how much he prized his GPA, "I was out cold, so you could've snagged the top rank, right? Why bail on the exam to help me?"

A flicker of unease crossed James's face, but he quickly masked it with arrogance, "I'm all about fair play. I don't need any cheap wins!"

He scoffed then added, "Besides, can you be cool and take good care of yourself? If I weren't there, who would've hauled you off to the nurse?"

After that incident, James seemed to change.

He kept tabs on me, sometimes obviously, sometimes just peripherally.

When the sun beamed in through the busted blinds, he'd nonchalantly stand and shift aside.

His shadow would stretch across to my desk, shading me from the glare.

I caught myself staring at his gangly frame, struck by the gesture, and got somewhat taken aback.

As college applications loomed and we all shared our plans, James declared his intent to pursue medicine.

When probed about his choice, he glanced my way.

"I'm planning to look after someone prone to trouble."

I blushed under his intense gaze.

Dropping my eyes, I couldn't bear to look back at him.

The crowd started egging us on, curious about how long he intended to "look after" me.

He answered with a softness that was rare for him, "If she's up for it, I'd be happy to look after her for the rest of our lives."

His words resonated deeply, and as I raised my head, I found myself lost in his sincere, clear eyes.

I imagined a future with James that seemed boundless.

But that was before Olivia Mitchell came back to town.

Olivia's return changed everything.

"Birthdays can wait. Olivia's ill, and I need to be with her."

"I won't make it home tonight. Olivia's feeling low and needs some company."

"New Year's is just another day. You and Alex celebrate. Olivia's on her own..."

James always found a reason to bolt because of a call from Olivia.

It felt like our home didn't matter to him anymore.

His blatant favoritism towards Olivia slowly gnawed at my patience.

Yet, I kept my complaints to myself, only for Alex's sake.

Despite his youth, he seemed to see right through my facade.

When I was down, he'd come up and reassure me in his little voice, "Don't be blue, Mom. Alex will always stick by you."

He often said he wanted to outdo his dad, to be the one to take care of me in the future.

Those moments always brought tears to my eyes.

Alex was my everything.

For him, I'd endure any ordeal to preserve our family.

No matter how often Olivia pulled James away.

I bore all the slights.

Because I wanted to stay and watch Alex grow.

But I never got that chance.

Instead, I watched as my son turned to ashes.

My son is gone.

Lost to James' indifference and cruelty!

Now, there's no reason left for me to bite my tongue.

Lost in thought, I made my way to the Parker family's old house.

The place was buzzing with joy.

On the dining table in the foyer sat a massive ten-tiered cake, proudly displaying the message "Happy 10th birthday, Alex."

The Parkers were all there, laughing and chatting away.

James and Olivia were in the thick of it, all smiles and relaxed, looking every bit the perfect couple.

The Parkers have always had a soft spot for Olivia.

In their eyes, she's the ideal Mrs. Parker.

To them, I'm just the nanny who looks after Alex, too meek to stand up for myself. Even their dog barks at me.

I walked in, keeping my face blank.

As soon as I entered the foyer, I caught Mrs. Parker beaming at James, "Ah, James, I heard Alex just topped the Math Olympiad. He's sharper than you were at his age. He's definitely going places. The Parker line is in good hands!"

James replied coolly, "Well, he's my son. Of course, he's going to be a standout."

Mrs. Parker nodded, her face lighting up with relief, "Absolutely, the future of our family is bright with Alex."

Olivia chimed in with a smile, "Alex is just wonderful, isn't he? Smart, likable—everyone adores him."

James's sister, Megan, couldn't resist a tease, "Since you're so fond of Alex, why not just step in as his mom?"

That crack got the whole room laughing, as if they'd forgotten Alex even had a mother.

When I walked into the foyer, the laughter died instantly.

The warm chatter turned to icy stares all directed at me.

"Emma, where's Alex?" James demanded, his tone icy, noticing I was alone.

I met his gaze sharply, "Do you even care about your own son anymore?"

James's look darkened, and he retorted, a bit heated, "What's that supposed to mean? Sure, I'm swamped and can't spend much time with Alex, but that doesn't mean my love for him has waned. I'm James Parker, a renowned surgeon capable of miracles. He should be proud, knowing his dad can handle any crisis."

"Right, the great miracle worker, scared of nothing. I almost forgot—you keep those 'miracle hands' reserved for Olivia's dog, huh?"

The thought of James prioritizing Olivia's dog over our son wrenched my heart.

The Parkers stared as if they'd seen a ghost, unable to believe that I, always so compliant, had dared to confront James publicly.

James, annoyed, snapped, "Is this still about missing Father's Day? How long are you going to hold onto that?"

Olivia seized the chance, "Emma, your pettiness and jealousy are showing. It's one thing to have a meltdown at James, but on Alex's birthday? You knew we were all here for him, and yet you chose today to make a scene by hiding him. That's hardly what I'd call motherly."

Her words turned the room against me, drawing glares of disdain.

Especially from Mrs. Parker, who was fuming, "James, a woman who can forget her child's birthday doesn't deserve to be a mother. Bring Alex here to live, and keep him away from such negligence. I won't have my grandson suffer under her care!"

Megan also glared at me, "You knew today was special for Alex, yet Olivia went out of her way to make him birthday cookies. She acts more like his mother than you ever have!"

I've toiled for years for Alex, sacrificing everything unconditionally, but for the Parkers, none of it compared to Olivia's simple act of making cookies.

They actually thought Olivia, who indirectly caused Alex's death, was a better mother to him than I am.

How cruel and tragic is that?

I laughed, tears streaming down my face.

"Done throwing your fit?"

James was furious, "My mom has always been ready to step in for Alex. I let him stay with you because he was attached to you. But this? Is this how you've been caring for him? Alex is the center of my world, not a pawn in your jealous schemes. A woman who can so easily forget her son's birthday and shirk her responsibilities is no mother at all."

"Today is Alex's tenth birthday. It doesn't matter if you came or not, but as my son, the birthday boy, he needs to be here. Now bring him over!"

My laughter faded as I stared at James with red, tearful eyes, "I did bring Alex."

James looked around puzzled, "Where is he?"

The rest of the family started searching, looking around for Alex.

Old Mrs. Parker even stood up, squinting around, "Where's my precious grandson?"

I pulled the urn from my bag and set it down on the table with a thud.

"He's right here."