After Levi was born, she began to resent him for always siding with me, convinced that his loyalty was nothing but ingratitude and betrayal.

There was a time when Tiffany would at least defend me now and then, but those days were long gone. Now, her eyes were locked on Peter, admiration gleaming in her gaze as if he were some priceless treasure.

Peter met my stare with a subtle, taunting smirk before turning to support my mother-in-law, his voice laced with false concern.

"Auntie, you’re getting older; you shouldn’t let things upset you. If it pleases you, Gabriel can be your grandson from now on."

Her face lit up with joy, showering him with endless praise, as if he were the most considerate man in the world.

Peter then guided the young man toward me, a bright, insincere smile on his face.

"Long time no see, Joseph. My condolences. We just got back from abroad and didn’t have time to change, but you’re a magnanimous man; I’m sure you won’t mind, right?"

He paused briefly, then added with casual ease, "Oh, by the way, this is my son, Gabriel."

Gabriel carried a striking resemblance to Tiffany, at least fifty or sixty percent. His gaze swept over me with open disdain before he sneered, his voice laced with arrogance.

"Uncle, you’re really ugly."

Then, as if I were nothing more than an invisible speck, he reached out to Tiffany with effortless familiarity, completely disregarding my presence.

"Mom, didn’t you promise that when Dad and I came back, you’d have presents for us? My eighteenth birthday is in two days. Last year, you only gave me ninety-nine gifts, so this year, I want a hundred."

Tiffany didn’t so much as acknowledge the insult he had just thrown at me. Instead, she let out a soft sigh before gently patting his head, her touch filled with indulgence.

"I know."

With careful hands, she took out a longevity lock and fastened it around Gabriel’s neck, her gaze brimming with motherly affection.

As if that wasn’t enough, she snapped her fingers. Outside the funeral home, the deep rumble of engines filled the air as more than ten brightly colored sports cars pulled up in perfect formation.

"Here, Mommy knows you love bright colors. These are all yours."

Peter wrinkled his nose, clinging to Tiffany’s arm like a spoiled child. "Tiffany, what about me? You can’t just spoil our son and forget about me!"

Tiffany playfully tapped his nose, her voice dripping with amusement. "Of course, I didn’t forget about you."

The moment her words fell, doors swung open. From each car, two attendants stepped out, their arms laden with over thirty sets of luxury jewelry and watches. The collection was an opulent display, different styles, rare materials, intricate designs, but they all had one thing in common: extravagance beyond imagination.

One of the rings had even graced the hand of a royal prince from a kingdom.

Peter kissed Tiffany’s cheek, his boyish grin brimming with excitement.

"Wow! Aren’t these the pieces from that European royal auction the other day? Even the cheapest one was worth over a billion. You bought them all for me? Tiffany, you really spoil us. But spending so much money… Joseph won’t get mad, will he?"

Levi’s funeral had been reduced to nothing more than a grand showcase of wealth, a parade of luxury cars and priceless jewels, completely eclipsing the reason we were even here.

Unshaven, dressed in an outdated black suit, my eyes swollen like walnuts, I stood in sharp contrast to Peter, impeccably groomed, glowing with effortless charm.

And to think, the gifts Tiffany had given Levi over the years didn’t even amount to a fraction of one of Gabriel’s sports cars.

Ridiculous. Truly ridiculous.

Only then did Tiffany seem to remember I existed. She cleared her throat, her tone awkward as she fumbled for an explanation.

"Joseph, don’t take this the wrong way. Peter and Gabriel are just used to customs abroad; this was simply a gesture of courtesy."

"You heard just now that Mom has recognized Gabriel as her grandson. It’s only natural for him to call me Mom. His birthday is coming up and I just wanted to do something nice for him. As for the longevity lock, it’s just…"

Before she could finish, Peter suddenly staggered, his body lurching forward as he collapsed into her arms, his voice frail and pitiful.

"Tiffany… my head… everything’s spinning… I think I might have heatstroke…"

Tiffany instantly abandoned me, rushing to steady him, her face etched with worry.

"How did this happen? I had an entire summer villa built just for you so you wouldn’t suffer in the heat. You could’ve rested there, but no, you insisted on coming to this dreadful place. Come on, I’ll take you somewhere to rest."

Without a second glance, she left with Peter, unconcerned that Levi’s ashes remained unburied.

I bore the silent mockery of those around me, their whispers a dull hum against the weight in my hands. Alone, I cradled Levi’s urn.

“It’s okay, baby. Even if your mother doesn’t love you, you still have your father.”

But before I could lay him to rest, Gabriel rammed into me, sending me sprawling. The urn slipped from my grip, shattering against the cold earth. Levi’s ashes were scattered, swept away by the wind.

"Uncle, are you blind? How could you run into me?" Gabriel scoffed, dusting off his pristine outfit. "Do you even know how much this limited-edition suit costs? My mom bought it for me. If that short-lived ghost’s ashes got on me, could you even afford to compensate me? What bad luck."

He showed no remorse. Instead, he smirked and pulled out a plastic water bottle filled with cigarette butts, shaking it playfully.

"Uncle, don’t say I don’t pity you. Here, use this to hold your son’s ashes."

I had no energy to argue. I just wanted a new urn; I had to protect what remained of Levi.

But before I could speak, my mother-in-law shot me a look of utter disdain and scoffed.

"What are you staring at? If you weren’t so useless, would the urn have broken? I think the plastic bottle is just fine. Don’t even think about making me waste money on an ungrateful brat. Just hurry up and bury him already. I still have to play cards."

Gabriel kicked me aside like discarded trash. Without hesitation, he ordered someone to scoop up Levi’s ashes into the filthy plastic bottle. Then, without a shred of reverence, he tossed it into the grave and sealed it shut.

My fists clenched so tightly they ached. Rage burned through me. How could they do this to Levi?

I turned, searching for Tiffany, desperate to make her see reason, only to freeze at the sight before me.

In the very hall meant to mourn, Levi, Tiffany and Peter were tangled together, their clothes askew, hands roaming as if oblivious to the world around them.

"Tiffany," Peter murmured, his voice thick with desire, "Gabriel is grown now. He must feel lonely. I want you to give me another child."

Tiffany hesitated, her lips parting slightly. "Peter, all these years, you had to hide Levi, raising him in secret to keep your wife from finding out. I’ve already made you and your son suffer enough. How can I bring you more trouble? Besides, this is Levi’s mourning hall. We can’t…"

Peter reached for her, his touch slow, deliberate, his voice a whisper of temptation.

"Tiffany, for you, I’d endure any hardship. She’s barely home. She won’t find out."

Her breath hitched. A flicker of hesitation crossed her face before Peter leaned in, his words dripping with allure.

"I’ve never done it in a mourning hall before. Don’t you want to try? You’ve been exhausted these past few days… Let me take care of you."

A muscle in Tiffany’s temple twitched. She wavered, then gave in. Lowering her head, she kissed him.

The scene before me grew more unbearable by the second. My hands trembled as I recorded every sordid detail, then turned and bolted, my legs giving out the moment I reached Levi’s tombstone.

I collapsed, my body wracked with shivers. My vision blurred with unshed tears as I stared at the gravestone, my heart twisting in agony.

Tiffany… Levi’s picture was right above you! How could you?!

The crowd had long since scattered, their whispers fading into nothingness. No one cared about me. No one cared about Levi.

I burned paper money in silence, watching the flames curl around the fragile bills. My tears fell freely, soaking into the cold earth beneath me. More than a decade of marriage was reduced to nothing but a cruel joke.

A sudden force sent the brazier flying, embers scattering across my hand. Pain seared through my skin, snapping me back to reality.

I lifted my head and there he was, Peter, grinning like a man who had just won everything.

"Joseph, did you enjoy the show?" His voice dripped with mockery. "Watching Tiffany and me have our fun right in front of your son's grave… Must’ve been quite the sight, huh?"

The smirk on his face deepened. "Burn all the paper money you want. That short-lived brat of yours isn’t coming back."

My fingers curled into fists, but Peter leaned in, voice dropping into something venomous.

"If you had just stayed infertile, I wouldn’t have even bothered with you. But you actually dared to have a child with Tiffany? Let me make one thing clear: no one is taking even a single cent from my son."

"The Timmerman Family’s wealth belongs to us. Tiffany loves me the most. To prove it, she was even willing to get rid of your son just to put my mind at ease. And you? A man reduced to this… What a disgrace. If I were you, I’d bash my head in and end it all."

Something inside me snapped. I lunged to my feet, my hand swinging up, ready to strike.

But before I could even react, Peter suddenly tumbled backward, his body crashing down the stone steps.

In the next second, a powerful hand shoved me aside and caught him.

Tiffany held Peter in her arms and snapped at me, her voice sharp with rage.

"Joseph, are you insane?! Who told you to lay a hand on Peter?!"

Before I could utter a word, Peter cut in first, his voice dripping with grievance.

"Tiffany, I only came to comfort Joseph, but he accused me of wearing red on purpose to bring him bad luck. He said I was trying to curse him and even tried to push me down the steps to make me die with Levi!"

His voice trembled as he choked back sobs.

"I’m devastated over Levi, too! I rushed here straight from the airport. I didn’t even have time to change! Tiffany, you know how timid I am… I’m really scared…"

Tiffany’s expression darkened as she turned to me, her fury burning in her eyes.

"You were just unlucky enough to run into a lunatic and now you’re blaming others?! Peter was only trying to comfort you because he didn’t want you drowning in guilt! If you can’t appreciate it, fine, but why push him?!"

"What’s wrong with wearing red?! Peter already said it wasn’t intentional. Maybe Levi liked bright colors! Why do you have to be so petty?!"

"You even used Levi’s death to curse Peter. Can’t you let your child rest in peace? What kind of heartless father are you?!"

Heartless? Petty? I caused Levi’s death?!

Tears streamed down my face as I jabbed a trembling finger at Levi’s gravestone, my voice breaking with rage.

"Tiffany, you call me heartless, then tell me, do you have a clear conscience?!"

"Do you dare to stand before Levi and tell him why he died?! Do you dare to admit what kind of surgery you had the doctor perform on his father?!"

Tiffany frowned, scoffing as if my words were nothing more than noise.

"What nonsense are you shouting? Levi died because you failed to protect him."

"And as for the surgery, I begged the doctor to save your life. Was that wrong? Joseph, I think you should get your brain checked. Stop making a scene and apologize to Peter!"

Peter leaned into her, his voice pitiful, his body sagging against hers in feigned weakness.

"Forget it, Tiffany… Even though Joseph wanted to hurt me, he did just lose his child. Let’s be the bigger people, okay? My foot really hurts… I think I twisted it just now. Will you take me to the hospital?"

Tiffany shot me one last look, cold, sharp, utterly disappointed, before turning away without hesitation. Without a second thought, she helped Peter walk off, her loyalty no longer mine to hold.

Just before he disappeared, Peter lifted his head ever so slightly and mouthed two words at me.

"Pathetic."

I watched them fade into the distance, the weight of finality settling over me. I knew then that it was over between me and Tiffany.

I bought a new urn and had the cemetery staff carefully retrieve Levi’s ashes. With the utmost care, I placed them inside, cradling the urn in my arms as I turned away.

This farce of a funeral, Levi didn’t deserve it.

This heartless mother, Levi, never needed her.

When I returned home, I dismissed the housekeeper, granting her an extended leave. Silence settled over the house like an unwelcome guest.

Then, Tiffany called.

"Joseph, are you home? Don’t worry, Peter’s foot is fine. I’m sorry about today. I shouldn’t have said those things while you were grieving. That wasn’t my intention."

"But those steps were so high… If Peter had fallen and something had happened to him, what would Gabriel do? We already lost our child; I couldn’t bear to see Gabriel lose his father, too."

"Gabriel is just a child. As his godmother and Peter’s friend, it’s only right that I take care of them. Don’t overthink it."

I remained composed, my voice unnervingly calm. "I understand. It’s fine. Take good care of them."

"That’s why I love my husband, so thoughtful. Levi always wanted to see the ocean, right? I’ve already booked the tickets. The day after tomorrow, we’re leaving. I’ll take you there to relax."

"Even though Levi is gone, as his parents, we should still fulfill his last wish. Be good and wait for me to pick you up."

The entire night, Peter bombarded me with WhatsApp messages.

To make it up to him and to keep Gabriel happy, Tiffany spared no expense by buying a private jet and whisking them off on an overnight shopping spree in Las Vegas.

And yet, in three years, my Levi never once had his mother take him to see the ocean.

"Joseph, what do you have to compete with me?"

If I couldn’t compete, then I wouldn’t.

By the next day, Tiffany still hadn’t returned, but Peter’s messages kept coming, photo after photo, video after video. Some were of their extravagant trip, others… of them entangled in bed, indulging in every pleasure imaginable.

I didn’t reply. I didn’t react.

Instead, I packed up everything that belonged to me and Levi. Then, without a second thought, I gave it all away.

On the afternoon of the third day, Tiffany finally remembered me and sent a message.

[Joseph, something came up at the company. I’ll have my assistant pick you up for the airport first; I’ll be there soon.]

What she didn’t know was that just a minute earlier, Peter had sent me another video.

Today was Gabriel’s birthday. Tiffany had spared no expense, booking the most extravagant hotel for his coming-of-age ceremony.

In the video, she delicately pinned a priceless pink diamond brooch onto Peter’s lapel, then pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

"Peter, thank you for giving me such a wonderful son. You are our family’s greatest benefactor."

I didn’t reply. I didn’t hesitate.

I blocked them both, then slipped the divorce papers and a USB drive into an envelope and had them delivered straight to the hotel.

After leaving Levi’s wish note on the table, I cradled his ashes, took one last look at the home I had lived in for over a decade and walked out.

Straight to the airport.

Goodbye, Tiffany.