My name was Yvette Patton. The day my son Bobby Hayes took the SAT, my husband, Austin Hayes, came home for the first time in ages to personally drive Bobby to the exam.

But on the way, he received a phone call and left Bobby alone.

I was worried that Bobby would be late, so I rushed there with a high fever.

But I saw a red sports car hit Bobby, and then he was sent flying.

Bobby had a rare blood type, and the hospital didn't have any blood with his type, so I had to call Austin.

When the phone was picked up, I heard the voice of his mistress, Rita Duncan.

"Austin is taking a shower. What's up?"

I didn't bother to think about what they were doing. I just anxiously urged, "Let me talk to Austin! Bobby had a car accident! Tell him to hurry to the First Hospital for a blood transfusion!"

An impatient voice on the other end of the line rang out. "Your lying skills are so lousy and despicable!"

After saying that, he blocked my number.

That day, Bobby left me forever.

***

"Your boy is bleeding heavily and in a very critical situation. Didn't you just say you have a friend who has a rare blood type? Tell him to be here! What are you waiting for?"

The doctor came out of the ICU and urged me anxiously.

"We can only try for another hour at most. If the blood donor still doesn't show up by then, no one can save your boy."

I kept begging the doctor to help me while anxiously calling Austin.

I dialed more than twenty times, but no one answered.

I was extremely anxious and kept crying.

Suddenly, I remembered something and quickly dialed Austin's assistant's number.

But the assistant said that Austin had warned him not to disturb him during his weekend date with Rita, or he would be in trouble.

I quickly grasped the key information and unblocked Rita.

Sure enough, she posted on Instagram half an hour ago.

"Whenever I need you, you always show up without me having to say a word."

The photo attached was Austin patiently comforting her in his arms.

I saw the location and rushed over.

It was a pet bathing center.

Austin was holding Rita and sitting on the bench at the door, gently stroking her back.

The moment I pushed the door open and entered, Austin's gentle eyes instantly turned impatient.

"Yvette, what's wrong with you? You're bold enough to follow me?"

He frowned and looked at me with a disgusted look as if I were a piece of garbage.

I ignored the pain in my heart and quickly said.

"Bobby was hit by a car, and he's bleeding heavily. The doctor only has one hour to save him. Come with me to the hospital now!"

I grabbed Austin's sleeve and wanted to leave, but he forcefully shook me off.

I couldn't stand steady and fell backward.

My lower back hit the corner of the table, and it was burning with pain. I was in so much pain that tears welled up in my eyes.

Austin glanced at me, still unmoved.

Rita finally lifted her head from his embrace and glanced at me, saying affectedly.

"Yvette, even though you're jealous and want to take Austin away, you shouldn't curse Bobby. Even the most ruthless person wouldn't do that."

Austin heard her words, and his face turned even darker.

He pointed to the door and said coldly, "Don't play tricks with me! I know you're just jealous! Get out of here!"

Seeing that he didn't believe me, I was so anxious that I was like an ant on a hot pan.

"I'm not lying! Bobby was hit by a red sports car on the way to the exam. His blood was all over the ground! He is now in the ICU waiting for rescue!"

However, Austin sneered and looked speechless.

Then he said firmly, "Keep pretending! I know you're just blaming me for leaving Bobby halfway and letting him take a taxi to the exam venue alone!

"Come on, he's already eighteen. What's wrong with letting him be independent for once? Do you really have to make a big deal out of it?"

I wanted to defend myself, but Rita beat me to it.

"Yvette, you're saying this on purpose because you've seen my Instagram, right?

"Moon escaped from home today and almost got hit by a car. Although she avoided it luckily, she fell into a puddle and got mud all over her fur. She looked miserable.

"I'm a clean freak and was so anxious. I didn't know what to do, so I called Austin.

"If you're getting hung up on this little thing, I can apologize. But you shouldn't have cursed Bobby!

"You're a mother. How could you use Bobby as an excuse just to snatch Austin back? You're so childish."

Her words made me look narrow-minded. On the contrary, she was so considerate.

I couldn't bear it anymore and shouted at her to ask her to shut up.

Rita immediately pouted, her eyes turning red. She said with a crying tone.

"Was I right? Is that why you're so angry, Yvette?"

Austin hugged Rita, feeling extremely distressed.

He angrily shouted at me.

"Yvette, stop making a scene! Rita's cat was frightened and covered in mud, and now she's having a stress response. Rita is very upset, and you just won't stop pestering me, right? You came here to cause trouble! You're so vicious!"

My blood surged into my head, and I was so angry that I felt dizzy.

I tightly dug my nails into my palms and told myself that the most urgent thing was not to argue with them.

Suppressing the raging anger, I pleaded again.

"You can think however you want. But Bobby's life is at risk. He can't afford to wait!"

As I thought about all that blood on the ground, tears welled up in my eyes, and my voice choked up.

"Bobby is in critical condition, and only you can save him. Please, Austin, just go to the hospital with me, OK?"

After eighteen years of marriage, this was the first time I had begged Austin so humbly.

Sure enough, Austin hesitated for a moment. His face softened, and it seemed he wavered.

But Rita suddenly stood up and pointed at Moon, the dirty kitten covered in foams scurrying around the bathroom.

"Austin, it seems like Moon's stress reaction has gotten worse. What should we do?"

Rita squeezed out a few tears and stomped her feet in desperation.

"She's the only thing my mother left me before she passed away. If Moon is gone, I might as well die with her!"

"That won't happen. Trust me. I won't let anything happen to Moon!"

Austin tightly embraced Rita, holding her hands to soothe her emotions.

He was about to leave and go to another pet bathing center.

I panicked.

Holding onto Austin's sleeve, I said, "Bobby is still waiting in the ICU..."

Rita couldn't hold it anymore and burst into tears.

"There were so many police officers on the way to the SAT. How could Bobby possibly be hit by a car?

"Even if something happened to Bobby, the First Hospital has so many blood bags in stock. How is it possible that they couldn't find a match at this critical time? With so many loopholes in your lies, how are we supposed to believe you?

"Yvette, I know you have always hated me, but Austin will be away for just a short while. Moon might die! Can't you be kind once and humor me?"

I was so infuriated by Rita's ridiculous words that I was about to lose it.

I couldn't help it and slapped her.

"You're a mistress. Who gave you the nerve to say this? You wanna sacrifice Bobby's life for your sake? You..."

I was kicked to the ground by Austin before I finished speaking.

His fierce and gloomy eyes seemed to say that he wanted to kill me.

"Who gave you the nerve to hit Rita?

"You lied, and you got caught. Serves you right! If you dare to vent your anger on Rita again, don't blame me for chopping off your hand and feeding it to a dog!"

Austin looked at the red marks on her face and frowned with distress.

He opened the car door, carried Rita to the passenger seat, took out an ice pack from the car refrigerator, and carefully applied it on her cheek.

After doing all this, he looked at me on the side of the road and said fiercely.

"Bobby is our son. You cursed him! You vicious woman! You don't deserve to live!

"Agreeing to marry you back then was the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life!

"Get out of the way! Don't block my way! You jinx!"

Not wanting me to block the way, Austin grabbed my clothes and threw me aside.

The sports car sped away.

Rita opened the car window and poured a bottle of water.

Through the rearview mirror, she looked at me, who was drenched, embarrassed, and angry. Then she smirked.

I stood up with my scraped knees, wiped the water off my face, and was about to drive and follow them to stop Austin.

Just then, I received a message from the hospital staff.

[Ms. Patton, Bobby Hayes' rescue was ineffective, and he passed away at 9:18 a.m. on June 7, 2024. Please accept our condolences and come to the hospital to collect the body as soon as possible.]

At that moment, I felt like my whole world fell apart.

I felt as if all my strength had been drained. I sat heavily on the ground and cried loudly.

When I rushed to the hospital, Bobby was already in the morgue.

His tattered body was covered with a white cloth, completely separating me from him in two different worlds.

Just this morning, he was smiling and saying to me.

"Mom, you still have a high fever. Rest at home. I'll come back as the top scorer in the exam!"

Guilt, regret, anger, and sorrow... All kinds of emotions intertwined.

I completely collapsed.

Ignoring the doctor's consolation, I held Bobby's cold body and cried my eyes out.

When I contacted the crematorium, messages from Rita popped up on my phone, and there was a photo of a man in the shower.

[Moon has taken a bath! But Austin is so tired, so he's gonna be staying with me tonight. Yvette, you're gonna be alone again. I feel so sorry for you.]

[Well, who would like a woman who lies all the time?]

[How about I start a class? Yvette, you can learn from me how to please men.]

[Wait. That won't do. What if after you're done, you wanna snatch Austin away from me? He's mine!]

She also attached a few emojis showing how proud she was. I was so disgusted by her that I wanted to puke.

The next morning, I received Bobby's ashes from the staff at the crematorium.

Yesterday, he was a lively young man who was 6 feet tall. How did he suddenly become something in a small box?

I held Bobby in my arms, tears falling on the box non-stop.

Scenes from the past kept appearing in front of my eyes, and I felt like my heart was being cut with a blunt knife, causing suffocating pain.

I brought Bobby home and sat in the living room for two days.

Until one evening, Austin called.

"Bobby worked hard for the SAT. My mom has prepared a celebration banquet. You're allowed to come to our old house. Consider it an exception.

"Buy a new outfit for Bobby. I don't want to see him wear that big and ugly school uniform. It's really embarrassing!

"The banquet starts at twelve o'clock sharp. If you dare to be late, don't ever think about coming to the Hayes place again!"

I struggled to speak, my voice hoarse.

"Don't worry. Bobby will never wear that school uniform again.

"I won't be late."