Chapter 2

"Fine. Fifty thousand dollars. I accept it—payment for ten years of hard work."

I stuffed it in my pocket and turned to reach for Smith's hand.

"Emily, let's go home."

She jerked away as if burned, shrank back, and hid behind my ex-husband, Victor Smith.

"Mom, tonight... I'm going with Dad. You go home first."

Victor's current wife, Lily, immediately stepped forward and linked arms with Smith intimately, as if they were the real mother and daughter.

"Grace, Emily wants to see our house. Kids grow up and like new environments—you should be happy for her."

My heart sank to the bottom.

I stared at Smith, my voice trembling: "Have you forgotten how we lived these ten years? Have you forgotten how he abandoned us?"

Smith's shoulders shook, but her eyes kept darting away, refusing to meet mine.

"Enough!"

Victor impatiently pulled out a thick stack of cash from his wallet and shoved it roughly into my hands.

"Stop putting on this pity show. Too proud to know what's good for you. This is this month's child support—ten thousand dollars. That's enough for you to live on."

The red bills felt like fire, searing my palm.

All my rationality shattered in that instant.

"Victor Smith!"

I used every ounce of strength to hurl that stack of money back in his face. It scattered across the ground.

"Don't you dare try to buy my daughter with your filthy money!"

The principal and homeroom teacher heard the commotion and rushed out of the office.

"Oh my, Ms. Reed, let's talk this out calmly! Please calm down!"

"That's right, Smith's mom. Mr. Smith is doing this for the child's good. Don't make a scene at the school entrance—it looks bad."

Smith was terrified by my outburst. She clutched Lily's sleeve tightly, looking at me with fear in her eyes.

My heart felt like it was being torn apart. I reached out again, trying to take her hand.

"Emily, come home with me. Don't be afraid..."

"Don't touch me!"

She pushed me away violently.

I lost my balance and stumbled backward, landing hard on the ground.

"This is so embarrassing! I don't have a mother like you!"

Students and parents passing by gave me strange looks, whispering and pointing.

"Isn't that the autistic girl from Class Three, Grade Ten? Her mom does seem kind of off."

"I heard her dad's a big businessman who came specially to pick her up today."

"Tsk, then why is her mom making a scene? Turning down the good life?"

I sat on the ground, utterly humiliated, my dignity crushed.

Victor glanced at me with contempt, put his arm around Lily, and led Smith toward a black Mercedes parked at the entrance.

The luxury car's engine roared to life, leaving me in a cloud of exhaust.

I sat alone on the ground, surrounded by whispering crowds.

My heart felt like a piece had been violently ripped out, hollow and filled only with howling cold wind.

Sixteen years.

I had given everything, and this was my reward—public betrayal and humiliation.

I don't know how I made it back to that cramped rental apartment.

On the wall hung a photo of Smith and me embracing, both of us smiling so brightly.

I reached out to touch her adorable face in the picture.

The moment my fingertip touched the frame, I felt nothing but bitter irony.

I raised my hand and smashed the frame to the floor.