Unexpectedly, as soon as my mother’s hand landed on the handle, someone else opened the door first.

It was Sylvia’s parents.

Both of them froze at the sight of her. It had been years since they last met. They never thought this once kind and cheerful woman would end up looking so destroyed.

Mrs. Woods took my mother’s hand and started asking about her well-being. Her voice was filled with a strong sense of gratitude.

However, she soon found that my mother had become mute.

“Damona, what’s wrong with your voice?!”

“Mom, don’t care about her! She’s like that because she was punished!”

Sylvia pushed my mother aside with malicious intent and caused her to stumble. Then, she grabbed her mother’s hand and pulled her into the house.

“Charles cruelly abandoned me back then. If I don’t punish his family, I won’t be able to let go of my hatred!”

She spoke with righteous indignation, and she was completely oblivious to Mrs. Woods’s shock.

“Damona’s voice... You did this?”

“Yes. Who does she think she is? She’s always bringing up the person I hate the most in front of me! And what an idiot his dad is. I pulled a little trick and sent him straight to jail.

“Charles is next. Every last one of them. I won’t let a single one off the hook—”

The sudden, sharp sound of a slap cut off Sylvia’s boastful rant.

Mrs. Woods’ hand trembled as it froze mid-air in the motion of delivering the slap.

Stunned by the force, Sylvia clutched her face and stammered. “M-Mom... You hit me?!”

“Yes, I hit you! All these years, I’ve never asked you to be brilliant or outstanding. I’ve only wished that you stay safe and kind.

“I never imagined that the child I raised with such care would turn into a ruthless demon who torments others without a second thought!”

In all the years that I had known Mrs. Woods, she had always been gentle and resilient. She rarely lost her temper, let alone speak with such intensity.

Sylvia had not anticipated her mother’s reaction either. Her eyes darted around nervously, but she defended herself stubbornly.

“I only wanted Charles to regret his actions! What did I do wrong? I didn’t want to go this far, but I’ve given him many chances. He keeps avoiding me and refusing to meet me. That’s why I did this!”

“But Charles is dead! How could he meet you?!” Mrs. Woods screamed through her tears.

It mirrored her grief on the day I was wheeled into surgery.

With tears streaming down her face, she took a deep breath and slowly revealed the long-buried truth.

“He died seven years ago to donate his organs to you...

“He was afraid that you would be devastated and be in denial. So, he begged us never to tell you.

“With him being such a devoted son, how do you think he could stand idly by while his parents suffered like this?

“Had we known you’d do such a heartless thing, we would’ve let you die on the operating table instead!”