On the day of my son's tenth birthday, I received the heartbreaking news that he had died in a car accident.

I rushed to the hospital, dazed and the doctor spoke in a tone mixed with sorrow and a hint of respect, "Miss Spears, your son's heart has already been sent to the patient's hospital immediately. On behalf of the recipient, I thank you and your child for your selfless contribution. My condolences!"

Although his wounds had been treated, the scar on my son's chest still pierced my eyes. Who signed the organ donation agreement for such a young child?

My husband's mistress, who suffered from heart disease, updated her social media: "Grateful to God for giving me a new life. I can finally be with Scott forever!"

The picture showed her in a hospital gown, her face flushed, smiling sweetly at the camera, flashing a victory sign. My husband gazed at her, smiling tenderly.

I liked and commented, "Wishing you a lifetime together, hoping it lasts forever."

My son was gone and there was no reason to keep my husband either.

——

When I got the emergency call, I was making my son's favorite roast chicken wings.

Today was his tenth birthday and the seventh anniversary of my marriage to Scott. Scott promised to come home tonight and have dinner with us. It was a promise my son had begged him for over a month to make.

Not wanting to disappoint the child, I prepared the meal with all my heart, hoping that, for the sake of our son, Scott would keep his word.

The person spoke, "Are you the parent of Emmet Spears? This is the emergency room at Peony's Hospital. Emmet was in a car accident and is currently undergoing emergency treatment!"

The plate in my hands fell to the floor, shattering into pieces. "What did you say? How could Emmet be in a car accident?" I shouted.

It was school time, my son should have been in class. I instinctively thought it was a scam call, but the person didn't ask for money. I immediately called Emmet's homeroom teacher to confirm and shockingly, my son wasn't at school.

Without thinking too much, I grabbed the car keys and ran to the garage. My hands shook as I opened the car door.

I kept telling myself that my son would be fine, while I dialed Scott's number. At first, the line was busy, but later, it went straight to voicemail. I threw my phone onto the seat, fumbling to start the car.

But the butler blocked me at the gate. "Miss Spears, if you need a car, you can call the driver. This car was a gift to Mr. Spears from Miss Rosenberg. Mr. Spears doesn't allow anyone else to drive it."

I was so angry I could've cursed, but he stubbornly stood in front of the car.

"You'd better take another car, or I won't be able to explain it when Mr. Spears gets back," the butler said.

I called the driver, only to be told he was off today. The butler watched coldly, his face full of 'there's nothing I can do.' Throwing the car keys at him, I slammed the door and walked out.

I left in such a hurry that I didn't have time to change my shoes, so wearing slippers slowed me down a lot.

The emergency room called again and I simply ran barefoot down the mountain road. I called a car to wait for me at the foot of the mountain. Even though I hurried as fast as I could, I still didn't make it in time to see my son one last time.

I collapsed helplessly in the hallway outside the operating room.

"Miss, your feet are seriously injured. Do you need some bandaging?" A passing nurse asked kindly, but I numbly shook my head.

The pain in my feet couldn't compare to the pain in my heart. Ten years ago today, I gave birth to Emmet alone in a rented room. It was the landlady who took us to the hospital and paid for the hospital bills.

Because of the premature birth and malnutrition, Emmet stayed in an incubator for over a month. To earn money for his medical bills and repay the landlady, I went back to work right after giving birth without any postpartum rest.

The long hours of labor took a toll on my body, making future pregnancies difficult. But I had no regrets. Having him as my only child was enough for me.

When the Spears Family found us, we had already passed through the hardest days. I thought my suffering was over, but little did I know I was about to be dragged into another abyss by Scott.

"Mom, the kids at school all say I don't have a dad. Is it because Dad doesn't like me, so he never comes to school?" my son asked.

Looking at my son's aggrieved little face, I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth.

Yes, Scott didn't like me and as a result, he didn't like Emmet either.

The only reason we returned to the Spears Family was because his mother wanted to continue the Spears bloodline. She called it 'ensuring the Spears Family's legacy.'

Who wouldn't be happy to suddenly get a lively grandson? With Emmet as a shield, his mother stopped nagging Scott.

He was free to enjoy his romantic time with his mistress, reveling in their mutual affection. As for me, the daughter-in-law who wasn't good enough, I was pacified with a marriage certificate.

A figure in dark green scrubs flashed before my eyes, holding what looked like a box and said, "You must be Emmet's mother, Miss Spears! The car accident caused multiple fractures and internal bleeding in your son's body."

"Fortunately, his heart wasn't damaged. We just removed it and sent it to the hospital where the recipient is located."

"You are truly a person of great love! On behalf of the recipient, I thank you and your child for your selfless sacrifice!" The surgeon walked out of the operating room and bowed deeply to me.

It was too much information to process at once and I didn't react immediately.

After a few seconds, I suddenly grabbed the doctor's collar and asked, "Did you say they just took my son's heart?"

When I received a definite answer, I shoved the doctor to the ground and turned to chase after them.

My Emmet had already left this world. As his mother, how could I let him die without a whole body?

What kind of nonsense about donations and selfless sacrifice? Why should I care about the lives of others? I only wanted my child.

Like a headless fly, I searched aimlessly around the hospital. Finally, I saw a helicopter slowly taking off from the rooftop, bearing the Spears Family's exclusive logo.

An unprecedented despair overwhelmed my mind and I collapsed. When I woke up in a hospital bed, the glaring white walls surrounded me and a sharp pain radiated from my feet.

Ignoring the nurse's protests, I stubbornly demanded to see Emmet.

"Ma'am, your foot is severely infected. If you don't take proper care, it could lead to amputation!" the nurse said sternly.

Taking advantage of a moment when the nurse wasn't paying attention, I tried to get out of bed but collapsed to the floor, my legs too weak to support me.

"Why don't you ever listen? What's so urgent that you need to get out of bed now? If all patients acted like you, how could I even do my job?" The nurse impatiently reached out and helped me up, her movements were rough.

I was pushed back onto the bed, my eyes were empty and I spoke coldly, "My child is dead and his heart was taken out. Now can I see him?"

The nurse's face immediately filled with guilt and she looked as though she wanted to slap herself.

Since the day Emmet was born, I had been the one taking care of him. I had taken him to the hospital countless times. But this time I couldn't take him out of the hospital intact.

In the dim and cold morgue, I slowly pushed my wheelchair closer to Emmet. His once handsome, innocent face was now completely disfigured, never to smile with that warm, sunny grin again.

The wounds from the car accident were horrifying, especially the centipede-like scar on his chest. His little chest was hollow and empty.

That morning, when we left the house, Emmet had mischievously told me to expect a surprise that night. But within just a few hours, he had become a cold, lifeless body lying here and his heart was taken for no reason.

I had never heard of any organ donation agreement. The only possibility was that Scott had done something behind my back.

But even a tiger does not eat its cubs. I couldn't bring myself to believe my own suspicions.

I dialed Scott's number again, only to realize he had already blocked me. I was about to send him a message when I instinctively opened my social media feed.

Just half an hour ago, Gillian had posted a photo of herself with Scott, their faces pressed together.

The caption read, "My heart feels uneasy again, but as long as you're by my side, I'm not afraid of anything!"

I found Scott's chat window, but before I could type a message, Gillian sent me one: [Kiera, I just received a notice. They found a child who died in a car accident and his heart is a perfect match for me.]

[Soon, I'll be healthy again and you won't have to bother taking care of Scott for me anymore.]

[You're happy for me, right?]

She had sent me similar taunting messages before, which I had always ignored. But this time, it involved Emmet and I couldn't stay calm.

I called her directly, but it was Scott who answered, "Kiera, are you done? I promised I'd come home for dinner tonight, so I will. What's the point of bombarding me with calls all day?"

"Gillian is sick and she's about to undergo surgery. Don't disturb her!" He hung up before I could say anything.

[Was Emmet's death related to you?] I directly messaged Gillian.

Before I could get a reply, Scott called from his own phone, he shouted, "Are you out of your mind? It's the kid's birthday and you, his mother, are cursing him?"

He kept yelling at me, "You even sacrificed your own child just to make things difficult for Gillian. Kiera, you are even more shameless than I thought!"

I silently listened to his furious ranting and then spoke slowly, "Did you sign an organ donation agreement for Emmet?"

Scott paused for a moment, then quickly returned to his usual self and said, "Yes, I signed it. So what? As his father, am I not qualified to sign an agreement? I even signed one for myself."

Scott's tone carried a hint of guilt that he hadn't even noticed. Gillian had suddenly developed heart disease after returning from abroad.

On Children's Day, Scott and I took Emmet to the amusement park. She merely posted a photo looking pale and Scott immediately abandoned me and our son to rush to her side.

Even when Emmet had a high fever and was deliriously calling for his Daddy, Scott left without looking back, just because Gillian called, saying her chest hurt and only he could massage it to make her feel better.

Gillian's condition flared up unpredictably, always coincidentally during the rare times our small family spent together. After witnessing one of her dramatic fainting episodes firsthand, Scott had everyone in the company undergo a heart matching test.

For those who were compatible and willing to sign an organ donation agreement, he offered massive cash rewards. I had heard about this, but I never thought he would target his own family. How could he trade our child's life for Gillian's?

When my suspicions were confirmed, my heart ached so much that it was hard to breathe. I had slaved away for the Spears Family for seven years, all to give Emmet a complete family.

But in the end, I had only caused him to die in pieces at such a young age. The hatred in my heart reached its peak.

"Scott, let's get a divorce," I said coldly. Staying with a man like him for even one more day would be a betrayal to Emmet's memory.

"Huh! Do you think you're funny? You're asking me for a divorce? What about Emmet? Where will you live? What will you eat if we divorce?" Scott's tone was filled with disdain, his words stabbing at my heart.

I replied, "That's none of your concern. You just need to sign."

When Gillian had just returned to the country, Scott had already asked me for a divorce. I had begged him not to, not just for our child's sake but also for my own selfish reasons.

Plus, when his mother found out Gillian had heart disease and couldn't have children, she strongly opposed letting her into the family. That was the only reason our fragile marriage had survived.

I grew up in a single-parent household. My mother had been deceived by my scumbag father when she was young. By the time she realized she was pregnant with me, it was too late and she had no choice but to have me.

My grandparents thought my mother had disgraced the family and kicked her out.

Fortunately, I was a good student, always achieving top grades. That's how I met Scott at an elite high school.

He was the golden boy, admired by all the girls. It was impossible not to have feelings for him. During our graduation party, the youthful excitement and hormones ran high.

I didn't have the courage to approach him directly, but I did bravely leave him with our child.

When his mother found me, I felt both fear and a glimmer of hope. It was common for wealthy families to keep the child and discard the mother, but could I possibly become his wife?

On the day I married into the Spears Family, Scott's eyes were filled with disdain, unfamiliarity and anger, but not even a trace of affection. He had clearly forgotten all about me.

He only knew the information his people had gathered, that I, like my mother, was an immoral woman who got pregnant out of wedlock.

Even though Emmet looked eighty percent like him, he still couldn't bring himself to care.

But I had been blinded by my infatuation, foolishly believing that time would eventually make him see my sincerity, or at the very least, the bond he shared with Emmet through blood.

As long as we were still legally married, I thought there was still a chance I could win his heart. But I had underestimated Gillian Rosenberg, the woman Scott loved so deeply that he would remain unmarried for life if it meant being with her.

Her reappearance had shattered everything I had worked so hard for. All my efforts to please him were nothing more than attempts, in his eyes, to secure the luxurious life of a rich man's wife.