1 After being beaten bloody by my autistic son yet again, I finally collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. I had cared for him meticulously for thirty years, and he had tormented me for thirty years. My son, John, sneered and walked away. My husband, Adam Clarke, came downstairs, ignoring my blood-soaked face. “Thirty years have passed, it’s time I told you the truth.” I looked up, blood trickling down my cheek and onto the floor, listening as he spoke indifferently. “John isn’t your biological son. Your biological son is Finn.” “Thirty years ago, when Sarah Willett was pregnant, she found out her child had a genetic defect. So, after they were born, I swapped the two babies.” My body froze. He glanced at me indifferently. “Now, thirty years have passed. The children are grown, and everything is settled. There’s nothing left to hide from you.” With that, he walked away without looking back. I slumped to the floor, recalling thirty years of torment, laughing through tears, crying through laughter. Finally, a rush of blood to my head, and the wound John had inflicted gushed blood. I collapsed, closing my eyes. “Congratulations, it’s a boy, seven pounds, six ounces.” I opened my eyes, finding myself lying in an operating room from thirty years ago, having just given birth… … The nurse brought the baby closer, “Look, it’s a little boy.” I reacted, looking down. Gazing at the wrinkled baby, I gently pulled back his small blanket and indeed saw an inconspicuous red mole behind his ear. It was real… In my past life, when I was blow-drying Finn’s hair, I had incidentally discovered this red mole. I even teased, “Finn, I have one behind my ear too.” At that time, my cousin, Sarah Willett, instantly changed color, her tone sharp. “We’re family. What’s so strange about a red mole?” But when I saw Finn again later, I noticed his red mole had been removed… I didn’t think much of it then, but now I knew, it was clearly a sign of guilt! I couldn’t help but clench my hands. Intense hatred and relief washed over me. I held Finn, tears streaming down my face. The nurse saw my reaction and said with a smile. “It certainly wasn’t easy. The baby was quite large, and you almost hemorrhaged. But now it’s all good, mother and son are safe, don’t worry.” I nodded. The thought of the child I’d nearly died giving birth to being given away by Adam Clarke made my heart ache. The nurse wheeled me out. Almost simultaneously, Sarah Willett, who had given birth in the room to the left, was also wheeled out. Adam Clarke, waiting outside the delivery room, didn’t hesitate, rushing straight to Sarah Willett. Everyone exchanged bewildered glances. I coldly turned my head away. Only then did I realize how intimate those two were. In my previous life, I must have been blind not to see their affair! Adam Clarke also realized his behavior was overly emotional. He quickly turned and walked towards me, taking my hand, his face filled with concern. “You worked so hard, my love. I love you.” I pulled my hand away, no longer looking at him. Adam Clarke’s body stiffened for a moment. Back in the hospital room, I dared not sleep. In my previous life, I never knew when they made the switch, but thankfully, this time there was the red mole. John was diagnosed with autism when he was three. Further examinations revealed he also exhibited severe violent tendencies. As his mother, I felt I had failed him, so I desperately tried to compensate and treat him. But what I received in return? Only increasingly severe beatings, day by day. When John bludgeoned me to death with an ashtray, I was only fifty, yet my hair had already turned completely white. Thinking of this, I took a deep breath to suppress the rising bitterness in my chest. Looking down at the sleeping Finn, a wave of tenderness washed over me. Thank goodness I was back… Soon after. Adam Clarke entered with a thermos, spooning out nutritious porridge and feeding me bite by bite. During this, I carefully observed him, noticing he kept glancing at Finn, his eyes shifting uneasily! Adam Clarke snapped out of it, seeing my inscrutable expression, his face stiffening slightly. “What’s wrong?” I spoke faintly, “Nothing.” He quietly exhaled, relieved. After putting away the thermos, he reached out towards Finn. “Come here, Daddy will hold you.” I reacted reflexively, pushing his hand away with a slap, my breathing rapid. “Get out! Don’t touch him!” Adam Clarke nearly lost his balance, his brows furrowed in surprise. “Isabelle, what’s gotten into you? Why such a temper after giving birth?” I held Finn tightly. My gaze filled with hatred. What’s wrong? In my previous life, when he saw me being beaten and kicked, all he would say was, “What’s a little hit? It won’t kill you.” Yet when Sarah Willett fell ill, he would drop everything to care for her! Just then, Mom, Dad, and Sarah Willett arrived. Mom lightly nudged me, “Adam, don’t be angry. Women’s emotions can be off after childbirth.” Sarah Willett stepped forward, “Cousin, let me see him. These two brothers born on the same day, how fated.” I looked up at them, my voice hoarse and cold. “I need to rest. Everyone out.” Adam Clarke and Sarah Willett exchanged a bewildered glance, which I clearly saw. He pursed his lips. “Then I’ll go pay the bill.” As he turned, I called out to him, my eyes indifferent and resolute. “Adam Clarke, we’re getting a divorce.” Silence instantly fell in the room. Everyone stopped, turning to look at me in shock. “You, what did you say?” Adam Clarke’s voice trembled with surprise. He quickly walked to my side, taking my hand. “Isabelle, what’s wrong with you?” I closed my eyes, pulling my hand away. “I’m tired. Everyone out.” Mom and Dad exchanged glances. Seeing my overly pale face, they dared not say anything. He frowned. Withdrawing his empty hand, “Alright, you rest first. I won’t disturb you. I’ll come back to stay tonight.” The room became quiet again. I held Finn, looking at the red mole behind his ear, my eyes a little sore. Soon after. A nurse entered, “The baby needs a blood test. Who will accompany him?” “I will,” I replied. I picked up Finn and stood. As I passed the emergency exit, I heard hushed whispers. “Adam, why did Isabelle suddenly want a divorce from you? And she won’t let us touch the baby.” Sarah Willett sounded flustered. “Did she find something out? Can we still successfully swap the autistic child with her? I don’t want to raise a disabled person!” Adam Clarke quickly tried to reassure her, his tone also heavy, tinged with doubt. “She couldn’t possibly know.” “Only the two of us know about this plan, and we haven’t even acted yet. How could Isabelle possibly suspect?” His tone was confident. “Don’t worry, it might just be emotional instability. We’ll switch them as soon as possible. I’ll stay with her tonight, and we’ll act then.” Sarah Willett whimpered, “Okay.” At this moment. I stood outside the door. A gust of wind made me shiver, my face completely drained of color. Tonight… I hugged my child tightly. No one would take him from me! Evening. Adam Clarke indeed sent Mom and Dad home, citing their age and susceptibility to fatigue, and retrieved a folding bed from a nurse. I watched him constantly, my gaze dark and unreadable. Adam Clarke kept touching his nose under my scrutiny; I knew it was a sign of his guilt and nervousness. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?” He set up the bed, acting as if he was genuinely protecting me. Sitting there, he looked at me gently and sighed. “Izzy, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you talk about divorce today. I know you just gave birth, and your hormones are running wild.” “Don’t worry, I’ll always be here for you and the baby.” As he said this, his eyes were incredibly sincere. I sneered inwardly. In my previous life, Sarah Willett had suddenly become pregnant. She only said she’d met the wrong person outside and gotten herself pregnant. Mom, Dad, and I thought she’d encountered a bad man. Sympathetic and heartbroken. We didn’t dare ask for too many details. Only now did I realize, ‘met the wrong person’? That was clearly Adam Clarke’s child! Adam Clarke spoke, interrupting my thoughts, “Okay?” I hummed in response. Without any emotion. He quietly let out a breath, confirming that I hadn’t detected any sign of the plan. He turned to grab his phone, likely to confirm the plan with Sarah Willett. I was genuinely exhausted. My nerves had been on edge since nearly dying in childbirth that morning. Unbeknownst to me, I actually fell asleep. I don’t know how much time passed, but the entire hospital grew quiet. Adam Clarke got up and walked to my side. “Isabelle, Isabelle?” I woke up on his second call, but didn't move. Soon after. After a flurry of hurried but deliberately quiet footsteps, the child in my arms was taken, and then another was put back. “You take the baby back quickly. Don’t worry, all newborns look the same. She won’t notice.” Adam Clarke was instructing Sarah Willett. After Sarah Willett left, he called me softly twice more. Seeing I still didn’t react. Only then did he let out a sudden sigh of relief. He lay back on the folding bed, emitting a faint snore. At this moment, I opened my eyes. Looking at the child in my arms without the red mole, all I felt was heartbreak, a cold numbness, and hatred. Three AM. I secretly went to Sarah Willett’s room and swapped the two babies back! In my previous life, John first exhibited violent behavior at the age of eight. That day, I took him to the street to buy ice cream. As we crossed the road. John suddenly and unexpectedly broke free from my hand, pushing me straight into the path of speeding traffic! I was slammed onto the ground, my face and body covered in blood. And John stood not far away. Watching me with a sinister smile. “Heh heh, serves you right! Mommy got hit by a car!” My face was ashen, but I was rushed to the hospital in time. However, I suffered permanent brain trauma, and every rainy day, I would get splitting headaches. But I didn’t blame him. The more abnormal he became, the more guilty I felt. After all, I had given birth to him. Later, he would reach out and slap me hard when I was helping him with homework. As he grew older, he started punching and kicking, throwing cups and ashtrays at me—it was commonplace. And at home. Adam Clarke was often nowhere to be found, spending his time with Sarah Willett, leaving me alone to crumble. On the way back with my child, I reminisced, gently pushing open the door. Lying back on the bed, I finally let out a sigh of relief. Morning. I was woken by Adam Clarke. His eyes were smiling, as if a great weight had been lifted from his mind. “I bought red bean porridge for breakfast. Drink some, it helps with milk production too.” I gave him a long, hard look. Lowering my gaze, I hid all my thoughts. “Okay, bring it to me.” Then I added. “You should hold the baby. After all, you’re his father.” Now, my Finn was completely safe. Being overly cautious would only raise suspicion. Adam Clarke’s eyes lit up at my words. I didn’t know if he was happy about being able to hold the baby, or if he was simply relieved that my ‘madness’ yesterday was just an anomaly. Just then, Finn whimpered and woke up, crying from hunger. Adam Clarke handed the baby to me, then cleared his throat. “By the way, I should go check on Sarah Willett.” “She’s your relative, and she doesn’t have a husband around. As her brother-in-law, I should go check on her and bring her some food?” I soothed Finn. Then nodded, saying indifferently, “Okay, go ahead.” No sooner had he left than Mom and Dad arrived. I handed the baby to Mom, my expression normal, “Mom, I’m going to check on Sarah. She’s quite pathetic.” Then I followed him. I needed to confirm if they truly believed that was Finn, and if they had any suspicions. In the hospital room, Sarah Willett held ‘Finn,’ her face soft and tender. “Adam, thank you for helping me.” The man held her, “What are you thanking me for? It’s my fault I can’t give you a proper status.” “Now it’s all good. Our child is healthy. As for Isabelle, that’s her fate.” I listened from outside the door. My hands clenched tightly into fists, trembling uncontrollably. In that instant, I felt both absurd and heartbroken. Fate? Thirty years of torment, thirty years of being beaten and kicked. Why was that my fate?! I took a deep breath, suppressing my rage. When Adam Clarke returned, there was a faint hickey on the back of his neck. I averted my gaze, pretending not to see it. Only feeling sickened. In the afternoon, Sarah Willett came with ‘Finn,’ a barely concealed triumph in her eyes. “Good boy, Mommy’s baby is so well-behaved.” She glanced at me, then began to show off. “Cousin, I hear your baby cries constantly and can’t be soothed? Oh, I envy you, boys should be lively.” “Not like mine, who just eats and sleeps all day, giving me no worries.” I looked up, a faint, unreadable smile on my face. “Is that so? Well, cousin, you must take very good care of him, and hope he becomes lively.” The biggest characteristic of an autistic child. Is that they are especially quiet and well-behaved in the first few days after birth, and then… the symptoms will slowly begin to show! And so, three days later. Sarah Willett suddenly broke down. That morning, I was woken by Sarah Willett’s cries. Everyone opened their doors to investigate. Adam Clarke, frowning, instinctively opened Sarah Willett’s room door. Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were bruised. Clearly, she hadn’t slept all night. “Why won’t he sleep?! He just cries and cries! Is there something wrong with him?!” She instinctively appealed to Adam Clarke, then looked at me after a moment of realization. “Cousin, can you ask my brother-in-law to help me soothe him?” I sneered inwardly. But outwardly, I said, “Of course. We’re family. Darling, go help Sarah.” Seeing this, everyone dispersed. Watching them flounder, I felt a kind of vengeful pleasure. In my previous life. No one helped me. Only I, myself, got up again and again from despair and breakdown, until I lost my life! In the middle of the night, after I fell asleep, Adam Clarke went to the next room again. I opened my eyes and quietly followed. I heard Sarah Willett’s broken sobs, “Adam, what’s wrong with this baby? I’m truly losing my mind.” Adam Clarke frowned, his voice a little hoarse. “Hungry? Or what?” Sarah Willett sobbed and cried, suddenly clutching his arm tightly, her voice trembling. “Do you think the tests were wrong? My baby was never sick. Isabelle also had an amniocentesis. Could the nurse have mixed up the reports?!” “What if Isabelle’s baby is the one who’s actually sick?!” The more she spoke, the more plausible it seemed to her, and she started to break down. “Then didn’t I give her my healthy biological son?! No, I have to swap him back!” Adam Clarke held her down. “It’s not that easy. The babies have grown now; there’s no way to switch them back!” Sarah Willett’s breathing was ragged, reckless. “Then I’ll just say Isabelle secretly swapped the babies! At worst, we’ll do a paternity test. Anyway, she has my biological son right now! That way, my child will be back, won’t he?!” Adam Clarke pondered, found it feasible, and then nodded. I took in everything. Sarah Willett thought I had her child and wanted to use a paternity test to get him back, but she didn’t know I had already swapped them back! Let them cause a scene. The bigger the scene, the better. Then everyone would know that her child was the one with the condition! The next morning. My door was thrown open by Sarah Willett. She advanced, grabbing my hair and slapping me hard, crying hysterically. A crowd of curious onlookers began to gather at the door. “Isabelle! You’re my sister, the only person I care about in this world! Why would you do this to me?!” The family members and patients at the door frowned. “What’s going on? Aren’t they family? Why are they fighting?” “I don’t know.” The slap left me seeing stars, my face instantly red and swollen, stinging fiercely. Sarah Willett cried uncontrollably. “Isabelle, tell everyone here, why did you swap my baby?!” Everyone gasped in shock, their eyes wide. “Swap babies?!” “That can’t be true. Why would she swap babies?” I said nothing. Sarah Willett continued her self-pitying performance, crying incessantly. “Because her child has autism, a mentally disabled child! So she swapped my healthy child!” She placed the constantly crying child on the bed. “This is her child!” At this, I got out of bed and confronted her, “How can you claim I swapped the babies? Don’t you dare accuse me falsely!” Sarah Willett was convinced. “You won’t admit it? Cousin, I originally thought we shouldn’t make such a spectacle as family, but now, you’re forcing my hand!” “We’ll do a paternity test!” The crowd at the door was shocked, then turned to criticize me. “That girl is willing to do a paternity test, so it must be true. Can’t believe this sister is such a vicious woman!” “How shameless!” The incident escalated, and the hospital, fearing complications, had to arrange a paternity test. Sarah Willett sat on the bed. She wouldn’t even glance at the crying child. “So noisy! Shut up!” I held Finn, observing coldly. At 6 PM, the paternity test results were ready. The crowd of onlookers was even larger than that morning, chattering, accusing me of being malicious and shameless. Sarah Willett looked at the doctor holding the report, reaching out to me. “Isabelle, the paternity test results are out! What do you have to say for yourself now that it’s come to this! Give me back my healthy biological son!” I stood still. Adam Clarke glanced at us, then quickly snatched the report and tore it open to read. Then. His confident expression suddenly froze, his face turning ashen.
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