Shaun Harrison came home with Jaxon Harrison in the middle of the night.

I sat on the couch and checked the time.

It was 12:05 a.m.

I nervously said, “Please don’t keep Jaxon out so late. He has school tomorrow.”

Jaxon looked annoyed. “No one cares about that, so why do you?”

“I…”

I wanted to say it was because I was his mother, and only a mother would care.

But I felt mentally exhausted to say anything, so I stayed silent.

Jaxon yawned, and Shaun took him back to his room.

The whole time, Shaun did not even look at me.

Then, he went straight into his room and closed the door.

I sat on the couch, stared at the papers on the coffee table, and was lost in thought.

Maybe letting go was the best choice.

With that thought, I gathered my courage and knocked on Shaun’s door.

“Come in.”

I heard his cold voice and took a deep breath.

I instinctively tightened my grip on the papers.

When Shaun saw me, he frowned. “What’s wrong?”

His room smelled of women’s perfume.

It came from the suit on the couch.

It was the same perfume Stellar Johnston, my so-called sister, liked to wear.

“Shaun, let’s get a divorce,” I finally said.

A weight lifted off my chest.

I handed him the divorce agreement.

“I won’t take anything. I know your mom won’t let me take Jaxon, so you can have his custody. I only hope you’ll let me go.”

Shaun did not get as angry as I thought he would. He calmly said, “Okay, but don’t regret it after you sign this agreement. From now on, I won’t help you with anything, even if you beg me for it.”

I nodded. “Fine, it’s a deal.”

He quickly agreed to the divorce and signed the papers just as fast.

Maybe he had been thinking about this for a long time, too.

After signing, he handed the papers to me.

“When can we finalize the procedure?” I asked.

He looked at the calendar. “The day after tomorrow. I have nothing planned then.”

“Okay.”

When I was about to leave, Shaun said, “You don’t need to see Jaxon anymore. I’ll take good care of him.”

“Okay,” I said firmly. “I won’t come back.”

I had wasted so many years of my life.

I even thought this place could be my home.

It was time to wake up from that dream.

This time, it was not them who did not want me.

It was me who did not want them.

I did not have many things at home, so I packed quickly.

Even when I left the house, Shaun did not come out of his room.

I took a cab with my suitcase to the Johnston family’s mansion. I stood at the door and hesitated.

In the end, I pressed the doorbell.

Mrs. Wilson opened the door.

When she saw me, her face froze for a moment.

Then, she said with a conflicted face, “Madam, Quiana is back.”

“Come in.”

As I walked into the foyer, Stella walked over to me with a big smile.

“Quiana, what brings you here?”

She reached for my suitcase to help, but Mrs. Wilson stopped her.

Mrs. Wilson said in a loving voice, “Ms. Stella, let me take care of that.”

“It’s okay, Mrs. Wilson. Quiana rarely comes home, and I want to catch up with her.”

Stella always had a cheerful personality that made people want to be around her.

Just then, Reina Clark, the head of the Johnston family, who was also my real mother, slowly came down from the second floor.

Reina saw me with my suitcase and frowned.

“Did Shaun send you back?”

I did not deny it.

Stella felt awkward and let go of my suitcase.

“Quiana, did you and Shaun have some kind of misunderstanding?

“I saw him this afternoon, and he seemed fine.

“He was in a good mood, and Jaxon—”

She realized she messed up, so she quickly covered her mouth and looked at me anxiously.

“Quiana, I didn’t mean to hide that I met Shaun.

“It’s just that Jaxon missed me. He wanted to see me, and I couldn’t say no.”

I forced out a smile. “It’s no big deal.”

Reina heard that and seemed to understand what had happened.

So, she said, “Stella, go upstairs. I need to talk to your sister alone.”

Stella nodded softly, and Mrs. Wilson took her away.

Only Reina and I were in the big living room.

She gestured for me to sit down.

I got restless as I sat down on the couch.

She calmly made a cup of tea and sipped it slowly.

I could not sit still anymore, so she finally said, “Can’t you even keep Shaun with you?”

“I came here to say goodbye. I’ve done everything you asked. You need to let me go.”

I was more determined than ever.

Reina looked annoyed.

“I don’t understand how your adoptive mother raised you. You’re so rude.”

I tightened my fists, and my hands trembled.

“And about my mom… about Mrs. Zimmer, please keep your promise.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What promise?”

I stared at her in disbelief.

“You said that if I married Shaun and had a child for the Johnston family, you would let the hospital continue to treat her!”

“But what about Jaxon?”

She set her teacup down.

“Jaxon dislikes you. He must have chosen to stay with his dad, right? How can we get him back?”

I could not think of a response.

After a long pause, I said, “Jaxon likes Stella. I heard him say he wanted her to be his mom.

“If Stella and Shaun start a family, Jaxon will be part of the Johnston family.

“That’s what you want, right?”

Saying that felt like a knife cutting into my heart.

As a mother, nothing hurt me more than knowing that my child did not love me.

So, I decided to slowly take back all the love that I had given.

Maybe that would ease the pain a little.

After talking with Reina, she finally agreed to let me divorce Shaun.

Reina said casually, “By the way, your adoptive mom is feeling a bit better. She wants to see you.”

“Okay.”

I suddenly remembered the time when I returned to the Johnston family.

I hated my mother for giving me up and sending me to such an unfriendly family.

Later, I learned she was sick.

She did not have money for treatment or to support me.

In the end, she found my real mother and sent me back to her.

But my real mother did not love me.

I still remember that afternoon when Mrs. Wilson brought me home.

Stella was there, and her eyes were red from crying.

“Are you really my sister?”

Her voice was shaking.

I grew up selling things with my mother at street markets and met a lot of different people.

I could tell right away that she did not welcome my visit.

Stella wore a beautiful dress, and her skin looked perfect.

On the other hand, I had dry hair, a pale face, and rough hands covered in calluses.

I suddenly felt very insecure and hid behind Mrs. Wilson.

But I could feel my real mother looking at me with disdain.

“Just settle in for now. Let me know if you need anything.”

After saying that, she took Stella’s hand and went upstairs.

After that, life in the Johnston family was rough for me.

I was practically invisible. Nobody cared about me.

They thought I was disrupting the family’s peace.

But I was her real daughter.

Why did she treat me like this?

I wondered about this for many years but could never figure it out.

I was tired of thinking about it and had come to accept it.

If I could not figure it out, then I would stop trying.

Not everything in life needed an answer.

The next day, I visited my adoptive mother in the hospital.

She was still in a coma.

I sat by her bed and held her hand.

I hoped to find some warmth, but her hand was cold.

“Mom, I’ve been so tired these past few years.”

I looked at her sleeping face and felt lost.

“When are you going to wake up? We could move to a different city together.

“I’ve thought about it. I saved up some money over the years. We could buy a small house, open a little flower shop, and live a safe and happy life. How does that sound?”

I wiped away my tears.

“As long as you wake up… I’ll do anything.”

Suddenly, my phone rang.

It was Stella.

“Quiana? Are you there?

“Jaxon won’t stop throwing up. What should I do?

“Shaun’s not home, and the nanny has no clue.”

Jaxon shouted in the background, “Mom, I don’t want her help! Dad said she’s not my mother anymore!”

Then, he started throwing up again.

I let out a bitter laugh. “Did you give him mango?”

“He just had a mango cake… Wait, is Jaxon allergic to mango?! Jaxon, why didn’t you tell me?!” Stella asked worriedly.

Jaxon said sadly, “Because you bought it for me. I wanted to enjoy it.”

His answer made Stella laugh. “Even if you like me, you can’t eat things you’re allergic to. Oh, silly boy!”

Hearing Jaxon’s response, I fell silent.

I remembered his birthday this year when he smashed the cake I made for him.

He said it was too ugly to be on the table.

“There’s allergy medicine in the second drawer of Jaxon’s bedside table. Give him that.

“Then, take him to the hospital to see Dr. Clark. He’s Jaxon’s uncle. Ask him to check on Jaxon.”

Stella took notes.

“Okay, thanks, Quiana. I’ll take him right away.”

“Wait!”

I hesitated and continued, “Shaun and I are divorced now, and Jaxon isn’t my son anymore.

“Don’t call me again.”

Before she could respond, I hung up.

Then, I blocked her and Shaun’s numbers.

Suddenly, everything felt quieter.

I felt sleepy.

I lay down next to my mother and fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was morning.

Shaun and I were going to meet at the courthouse today to finalize the divorce.

I grabbed my documents and headed to the courthouse. I waited outside for Shaun.

Soon, his car pulled up in front of me.

He got out angrily.