It was a festive day in early June, and my husband had finally agreed to take our fraternal twins to the newly opened amusement park to ride the Ferris wheel. But then his old flame called, needing help for sudden appendicitis. He abandoned our young children at the park in a torrential downpour, saying it was to "toughen them up." I was on my knees outside the security office, desperately pleading for them to check the surveillance footage, while he was accompanying his ex to a spa treatment. His voice came through the phone, casual and unconcerned: "What's so dangerous about a Ferris wheel? Boys need to learn to be strong." Three hours later, clutching our son's tattered teddy bear jacket, I found our daughter curled up in a corner, tightly gripping her own stuffed animal. That night, Ethan Vance set off a city-wide fireworks display to celebrate his old flame's pregnancy. 1. I sat numbly outside the ER, the sharp smell of antiseptic stinging my nostrils. Waiting anxiously for news about my daughter, my mind replayed the horrific, fragmented images of my son. My fingers fumbled for the phone in my pocket. Seventeen missed calls, all from Ethan Vance’s secretary. The latest text read: "Mr. Vance will not be returning tonight. Please handle the arrangements yourself, Madam." Arrangements? For what? For the mangled remains of my son? In a daze, I thought I heard Ellie’s piercing scream again. What excruciating pain must Leo have endured when he was pulled into those gears? The thought tore through me, a visceral agony. A heart-wrenching wail came from the direction of the morgue. I turned stiffly to see my mother-in-law, Mrs. Jiang, stumbling towards me, clutching a blood-stained death certificate. "Ellie… my Ellie!" she collapsed to her knees, her withered hands reaching for my empty arms. "Where's my grandson?" My lips moved, but no sound came out. My throat was a block of ice. Hours ago, when they found what was left of Leo, the bloody, mangled pieces couldn't even be pieced together into a recognizable human form. "Where is Ethan Vance?" Mrs. Jiang suddenly grabbed my shoulders, her voice a raw shriek. "His own son is obliterated, and he's still with that viper?" I stared at the red light of the ER, a bitter laugh escaping me. How ironic. Right now, Ethan was surely holding Sarah Ramsey, watching the fireworks, while my son… my son was gone, not even a body left to mourn. Seeing Mrs. Jiang’s devastation, I finally steeled myself. Childhood betrothals, lifelong friendships… all of it could be discarded. My mother-in-law trembled, about to speak, when the ER doors burst open. A doctor removed his mask. "Mrs. Vance, your daughter is suffering from trauma-induced mutism. She needs to be transferred immediately." Mrs. Jiang’s cries ceased abruptly. She stumbled and knelt, hugging my legs. "The Vance family has brought this upon you! Chloe, my dear, I should never have let Ethan marry you. That… that creature is worse than an animal…" The little girl who always clung to me, calling "Mommy" in her sweet voice, could no longer speak. I leaned back against the cold white wall, slumping like a boneless doll. I bit into the flesh of my hand, the metallic taste of blood the only thing keeping me conscious. "The family can handle the transfer procedures." The doctor handed me a form. I reached for it, my five fingers trembling like autumn leaves in the wind. Mrs. Jiang tried to take it. "Let me…" "No need," my voice was chillingly cold. "You stay with Ellie." On the way to the billing office, my phone buzzed again. A text from Ethan: "Did you pick up the kids? Sarah’s shaken up. Not coming home tonight." I stared at the glaring words, a sharp, hysterical laugh tearing from my throat. The hallway window reflected my contorted smile, the image of a madwoman. So what if I was mad? Leo was dead. Ellie couldn't speak. And Ethan Vance was celebrating his old flame’s new baby. How utterly absurd! The billing nurse looked at me, alarmed. "Are you… alright, ma'am?" I looked down and saw my blood-stained fingertips counting out the cash, the edges of the bills soaked dark red. Just like the park ticket Leo had clutched so tightly before he died. He’d wanted to ride that Ferris wheel so badly, the ticket was soaked through with his sweat. When I returned to the room, Ellie was awake, curled up in the corner of the bed, hugging her stuffed animal. Seeing me, her lips trembled violently, but no sound emerged. Tears streamed down her face. I wrapped my arms around her small, thin body, smelling the faint metallic, rusty scent in her hair. "M… M…" Ellie managed a breathy sound, her small hands clutching my clothes desperately. "B-bro… bro…" Finally, the dam inside me broke. I buried my face in my little girl’s thin shoulder, biting my own wrist to stifle the sobs that wracked my body. The pain of my teeth sinking into flesh was nothing—Leo, torn apart by gears, must have suffered a thousand times more. Outside, fireworks suddenly bloomed, painting the hospital room in flashes of light and shadow. A news alert popped up on my phone: "Vance Heir Spends Millions on Celebration for Fiancée." The accompanying photo showed Ethan with his arm around Sarah Ramsey on a balcony, holding champagne flutes, smiling tenderly. I gently stroked Ellie’s trembling back, humming Leo’s favorite lullaby. The glass reflected our ghostly figures, mother and daughter, like shattered souls. My phone vibrated in my pocket. Ethan’s voice, harsh and grating: "Chloe Shang, you're so damn poisonous! You'd even lie about Mom to trick me into coming home? You can't even look after a mute kid, and now you dare curse my child with death?" "How dangerous can a Ferris wheel be? That thing moves slower than a turtle. If you're going to lie, at least make it believable." "Isn't having one autistic son bad enough? Now you're using a dead kid to threaten me? If something really happened, just tell the hospital to cremate him directly. Don't think you can use the kids as bargaining chips to keep me." These words fell precisely on my mother-in-law’s ears as she walked in with some food. She almost fainted, her breath catching in her throat. Her face turned ashen. She snatched the phone from my hand and roared into it. "Ethan Vance, you heartless, ungrateful bastard! Even a vicious tiger doesn't eat its own cubs! You're lower than an animal! That bitch Sarah Ramsey—why didn't she just die abroad when she took the money and left? Now she comes back and gets my grandson killed! You two despicable dogs deserve to burn in the deepest level of hell!" She was shaking with rage. She turned and kicked viciously at the Vance Corporation logo on a nearby plaque in the hallway. "I'm calling a board meeting right now to have you removed! From now on, you won't get a single cent!" With that, she slammed the phone onto the floor. It shattered into pieces. Mrs. Jiang stumbled back to me, hugging me tightly, her tears soaking my shoulder. "Chloe, my dear… it's the Vance family that has wronged you… Don't worry, even if it means bankrupting the family, I'll make sure Ellie gets the best treatment. That heartless piece of trash doesn't deserve to be a father, much less a Vance!" I looked at the new white hairs estrésaking my mother-in-law’s head. Only a few hours had passed, but the formidable businesswoman, a titan in her field for over a decade, had aged years, looking as withered as decaying wood. Years ago, my own mother, desperate to secure a powerful connection for me, had shamelessly brought up a jesting childhood engagement promise made with Mrs. Jiang. Instead of being angry, Mrs. Jiang had honored it. Then, my mother had thrown herself into the sea. I had lived with the Vances since I was ten. All these years, Mrs. Jiang had treated me like her own daughter. And Julian… he had always been good to me too. To repay her kindness, I married Ethan Vance without a second thought. I’ve diligently managed the household all these years, hoping to clear that debt of gratitude. 2. That night, white mourning drapes were hung in the Vance home. I was alone in the makeshift memorial hall. Ellie couldn’t be brought back here; she was at the old family estate. White candles flickered in the draft, and the ashes of burnt offerings drifted onto Leo’s photograph. In the photo, he looked as shy as a little girl, trying to force a stiff smile. I stared into the flames, murmuring, "Leo, in your next life… will you be Mommy’s boy again?" It wasn't until late at night that Ethan Vance stumbled in, reeking of alcohol, with Sarah Ramsey trailing behind him. He glanced at the memorial, sneered, and kicked over the basket of offerings. "Quite the performance, Chloe. Who are you trying to impress? Besides, one useless autistic kid dies, so what? Is it really worth all this fuss?" My eyes blazed red. I roared at Ethan, "I won't let you insult my son!" Sarah simpered, tugging at Ethan’s sleeve. "Ethan, don't be like this… Chloe is already so heartbroken." "Heartbroken?" He laughed coldly. "Her son is dead, and she hasn't shed more than a few tears. You call that heartbroken?" Sarah shot me a look of feigned pity. "Chloe, my condolences… If one child is gone, you can always have another. Maybe Leo was even reincarnated in me, ah…" A scream tore through the memorial hall. I lunged, brandishing the fire tongs I’d just pulled from the brazier, and brought them down hard on her flailing hands. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air instantly. Several of her meticulously manicured nails flew off. "Chloe, are you insane?" Ethan roared, kicking me viciously in the stomach. "You think you can touch Sarah’s hands?" He grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the hardwood offering table. The sharp edge gashed my forehead, and blood instantly blurred my vision. Ethan’s contorted face was like a demon’s, finally completely separate from Julian’s shadow… Wave after wave of searing pain shot through me as the hot tongs pried off my fingernails, one by one. "Why aren't you screaming? You gave birth to a freak, and now you have the audacity to act crazy?" Sarah clutched her hand, crying a river of tears. "Ethan, it hurts so much…" Ethan immediately kicked me aside to console Sarah. Sarah’s eyes were red from crying, looking like a frightened rabbit. Ethan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and kissed her deeply. "Don't… Chloe's still here." "So what if she hears? What can she do?" I bit down hard on the inside of my lip, wishing I could tear them both limb from limb. Sarah clung to Ethan’s neck, giggling. "Isn't this a bit too… stimulating, in here?" Ethan pushed her down onto the offering table. "You still have the mind for other things? Looks like I haven't been working hard enough…" "Ethan, I'm scared of that little freak's eyes…" Hearing this, Ethan turned, snatched Leo’s memorial photo, and smashed it on the ground. "Damn unlucky thing, spoiling my fun." Leo’s photo flew into the embers and caught fire, the flames instantly engulfing the mourning banner. In the thick smoke, Ethan’s curses mingled with the crackling of burning wood. My eyelids twitched. I couldn't hold on any longer. I fainted… When I woke up, Mrs. Jiang was sitting by my bed. Her face was haggard, with dark circles under her eyes. "Chloe, you're awake?" I opened my mouth, but my throat was too dry and cracked to make a sound. Mrs. Jiang immediately handed me a glass of warm water. "The board is in an emergency meeting. We might not have a result for three days. I didn't expect that man to have a contingency plan even after death, requiring a unanimous vote from the board to protect Ethan." Mrs. Jiang held my hand, her voice hoarse. "But don't worry, the ultimate power is still in my hands. Even if…" "Mom…" I interrupted suddenly. "Where's Ellie?" Mrs. Jiang forced a reassuring smile. "I've already arranged for Ellie. She's been sent to the best child psychology treatment center abroad. The doctor is a family friend. Ethan won't find her." The tension coiling in my nerves finally snapped. Tears streamed down my face. Mrs. Jiang was silent for a moment. Last night's incident was known to everyone. She had just come out of the meeting room when she received an alert from the remote surveillance. She watched the entire recording. As soon as dawn broke, she had someone draft a document. Mrs. Jiang looked at me with guilt. "These are divorce papers. Sign them. Take Ellie… and never come back." I pushed the papers away and shook my head. I might be free, but what about my Leo and Ellie? Who would avenge them? I wouldn't let Ethan get away with just being dismissed and kicked out of the Vance family. I stared at my bandaged hands. "Mom, I still remember what Father-in-law said to me when he was alive… The Vance family motto: 'Vance women are widowed, never divorced.'" Mrs. Jiang looked into my dead, lifeless eyes and suddenly covered her face, sobbing. "If only Julian were still alive… If only that child had made it through that winter…" I turned to look out the window. A dandelion seed floated in, twirling, and landed on my hand. Late that night, I climbed onto the slippery deck of the pirate ship ride in the deserted amusement park. The cartoon-painted ship swayed in the wind. "Leo's not afraid…" I whispered, cradling the small porcelain urn that held a shard of his bone ash. "Mommy's taking you… on the pirate ship…" The wind wasn't strong, just enough to rock the pirate ship like a gentle swing. Leo and I both loved swings. Ethan was abroad for most of the year. I knew he hated me. If I hadn't insisted on marrying him against everyone's advice, Sarah would be the one by his side now. That year Ethan returned from studying abroad, he didn't seem to like me. Especially after hearing my mother had killed herself over a non-existent marriage pact, forcing me into the Vance family, his eyes were always filled with disdain. He, on the other hand, favored Sarah, whom he’d met at university. I remembered six years ago, Mrs. Jiang had originally wanted to adopt me as her daughter. For so many years, I was supposedly her daughter-in-law-to-be, but it was more like being an adopted daughter. She gave me almost everything I asked for. She doted on me, cherished me, protected me. She always said my mother was her childhood savior, and even though they eventually went their separate ways, she wished her well. The moment I saw Ethan Vance's face, I asked Mrs. Jiang for something for the first time. That day, Ethan smashed everything he could in the house, until Mrs. Jiang slapped him. "If you don't marry Chloe Shang, you are no son of mine." Ethan left home in silence. But after his accounts were frozen for a few days, he relented. Does a rich boy born with a silver spoon know where to go without money? Just like now, does Ethan Vance know that what he has was never truly his? At three in the morning, #VanceHeirAbandonsKidsForTryst exploded on social media. Surveillance footage showed Ethan taking a call and suddenly leaving his children in line. Shortly after, hotel security footage showed Ethan holding Sarah Ramsey as they entered an elevator… Before dawn, Mrs. Jiang froze all of Ethan Vance's assets. 3. "Mr. Vance, bad news! Mrs. Vance is gone!" The assistant rushed in to report. GPS showed my last known location was the hospital, then I had vanished without a trace. Ethan sneered. "Where could she go? Ellie is still recovering. Don't bother reporting such clumsy lies in the future." The assistant lowered his head, speaking softly, "Mr. Vance, Miss Ellie is also gone." Hearing this, Ethan froze, his body swaying. His phone suddenly vibrated. Ethan clicked it open, his expression growing darker. Sarah looked up. "Ethan, what's wrong?" "My mother froze all my assets." He gritted his teeth and quickly grabbed his things. "I have to go back to the old house." Sarah immediately clutched his sleeve. "I'll go with you. Auntie must have misunderstood." "Shut up!" Ethan shake off her hand, but seeing her aggrieved expression, his tone softened. "Sarah, you're pregnant now. Don't get agitated." Thirty minutes later, Ethan pushed open the gates of the old Vance family estate. "Mom, why did you freeze all my accounts?" In the family shrine, Mrs. Jiang stood with her back to him, gently wiping Leo’s memorial photo. "You still have the nerve to come back?" Mrs. Jiang's voice was ice-cold, her fingers gently caressing the photo frame. "Leo is dead, Ellie can't speak, Chloe is gone. Are you satisfied?" A look of dawning comprehension spread across Ethan's face. "What game is Chloe playing now? Isn't she just trying to force me home? Did she really need you and the assistant to play along with her act?" Sarah clung to his arm, cooing in agreement. "Exactly, Auntie. Chloe always likes to make a big fuss. Maybe the children weren't even in any real trouble?" Mrs. Jiang backhanded him across the face, her hand striking with furous. She then ordered her men to hold Sarah and slap her. "Mom! What are you doing!" Ethan frowned and ordered everyone to stand down. Mrs. Jiang pointed at his face, her voice scathing. "You killed your own son for this woman, and now you're blaming Chloe." "The Vance family doesn't have a descendant like you, who kills his son and abuses his wife!" Sarah's mind raced. She immediately fell to her knees before Mrs. Jiang, her face a mask of tearful sorrow. "Auntie, please don't blame Ethan. It's all my fault." "I know Chloe hates me, but Ethan and I are truly in love… If I had been the one to marry him back then, maybe the children wouldn't have been harmed…" Her pitiful appearance made Ethan’s heart soften. "Sarah, it was never your fault. It was me…" "Silence!" Mrs. Jiang cut him off sharply, her eyes like daggers. "Sarah Ramsey, I gave you fifty million dollars back then to get out of the country. You promised you would never appear before Ethan again for the rest of your life!" Sarah’s face paled. She shrank back into Ethan’s embrace, whimpering, "Ethan, how can Auntie say such things about me…" Ethan rubbed his temples, irritated. "Mom, Sarah is pregnant with my child now. Can you please stop targeting her?" "Chloe, how long is she going to keep up this act? Conspiring with you to stage this grand drama of a dead son. Mom, you're going along with this nonsense too." "If it weren't for those two little brats insisting on going to the amusement park on Memorial Day, would I have missed Sarah's surgery? Now someone's dead, and it's suddenly my fault?" Mrs. Jiang trembled with rage. She raised her hand to slap him, but he caught her wrist sharply. "Mom, are you senile? Why did Leo die?" He turned to stare at the empty memorial hall, as if questioning the child who was no longer there. "He was five years old and still afraid to go to the bathroom by himself. Isn't that because Chloe didn't teach him properly?" A sudden flash of lightning outside illuminated his twisted face. "I told them to wait in line for their mother. I was training their courage. Boys should be brave. But Chloe…" His teeth ground together. "She couldn't even look after one autistic freak. Does she even deserve to be a mother?" "Ethan Vance, are you even human?" Mrs. Jiang exploded, slapping him hard across the face. The force was so great that Ethan’s head snapped to the side, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. She was shaking all over, her aged fingers almost poking him in the eye. "Leo was only five! Ellie is only five! When that storm hit, where could they possibly hide? You told them to wait? Wait to die?" Ethan wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, a cold smirk on his face. "Mom, don't let Chloe fool you. She…" "Shut up!" Mrs. Jiang grabbed a teacup from the offering table and hurled it at him. It shattered at his feet, splashing hot water on his pants, making him jump back. "Chloe has managed this household for years, taken care of the children. Are you blind? What have you ever done besides drink and party? Who stayed up for three days and nights to care for you when you were seriously ill? Who abased herself, begging for help when your company was in trouble? Ethan Vance, has your conscience been eaten by a dog?!" Ethan’s face was livid, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles cracked. "She did all that, wasn't it for the Vance family money?" "Money?" "Back then, I cherished Chloe like my own daughter. If not doted on and pampered, she was still someone I raised in the palm of my hand! Why would she need to marry you for money? Ethan Vance, do you know your son is dead? When he died, you were still with that woman getting beauty treatments!" These words made Ethan's face change drastically. The flush of anger instantly drained away, leaving him pale and deflated. "My son… is dead?" Mrs. Jiang pressed a button on the remote. A projection screen slowly descended, and the surveillance footage played clearly: The amusement park in the pouring rain. Leo standing alone under the Ferris wheel. A strangely dressed person, completely covered, silently approached him and suddenly pushed him into the moving gears! Ethan’s pupils contracted violently. His heart felt as if it were being crushed by an invisible hand. "No… impossible…" He stumbled backward, his voice trembling. "Leo… it was an accident…" "Accident? Then listen to this!"
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