“I’m telling you, from today on, the only daughter-in-law I recognize is Cynthia. Get out right now, you’re dirtying my family’s home!”
Following Sharon’s gaze, Cynthia looked over, her eyes gleaming with pride.
“Godmother, don’t say that. Otherwise, if Addison gets jealous and spreads rumors outside that I’m seducing Javon, that wouldn’t be good.”
“I’d like to see her dare!”
I knew Sharon had never liked me. She thought I was too capable, too difficult to control, and that once married, I would hold Javon under my thumb.
Cynthia, on the other hand, was gentle, sweet-tongued, and devoted herself wholly to Javon. She had always been the one my mother-in-law wished for as his wife.
Only later, after Cynthia married into money and I willingly gave up my career to return to the family, did she reluctantly accept me.
All these years, I had given the family no child, and her dissatisfaction with me had already grown to its peak.
Now Cynthia had come back, holding a son for Javon, and my mother-in-law cast off all pretense, pouring her pent-up resentment onto me.
She had no idea that all seven of my miscarriages were nothing but schemes by her own son.
Each life, each child she dreamed of as her grandchild, had been destroyed by the woman she adored, Cynthia.
Javon, who once played the mediator, now held only the child Cynthia gave him, as though the rest of the world no longer existed.
Leaning into his chest, Cynthia pouted sweetly.
“Javon, all your love is for our son. I feel completely left out. If this continues, I’ll be truly upset.”
Javon smiled tenderly, pinching her cheek with doting affection.
“I knew you’d sulk. Look over there, see what that is?”
I followed her gaze, and the words carved across the page burned into my eyes: Equity Transfer Agreement.
“Wow! Javon, you really do spoil me.”
She kissed the corner of his lips, her glance cutting toward me with triumphant arrogance.
I curved my lips into a cold smile.
Celebrate while you can.
Soon enough, she and her Javon would be the ones on their knees.
“But won’t Addison be angry that you’ve done this? After all, you’re giving away everything you own.”
Javon froze, as if only then realizing I was standing there. He quickly blurted out, “Addison, don’t misunderstand. Mom and I only agreed to recognize Cynthia’s child as my godson; that’s why I transferred the shares to her.”
“This was a forced choice. After all, your uterus has already decayed, and you can’t bear children. The family cannot be without an heir, so I could only place all my hopes on Jonathan. You understand me, right?”
A sharp buzz filled my ears. I stared at Javon in disbelief.
“What’s his name?”
He stiffened, then lowered his head, guilt written all over his face, unable to meet my gaze.
Jonathan. That was the name Javon and I had chosen together for our child, a name that carried the meaning of wholeness and fulfillment. For eight long years, I had yearned for that child.
Countless nights, I had wept, whispering Jonathan’s name into the dark, praying that my lost child would somehow return to me.
And now, he had given that sacred name to Cynthia’s child.
How could he… be this cruel?
“His name is Jonathan. Javon personally chose it, symbolizing completeness and fulfillment,” Cynthia replied softly, her face painted with false innocence.
I could no longer endure it.
They could torment me, they could wound me, but how could they trample on a mother’s love for her child?
Driven to madness, I lunged at Cynthia, wishing only to perish together with her.
But paralyzed from the waist down, all my strength ended with me rolling helplessly off the wheelchair.
Sharon’s face twisted with disgust.
“You useless thing. Lying on the floor like that, isn’t it shameful enough already? If I were you, I’d throw myself into the river this instant. Our family must be cursed to end up with a bitch like you. You’re dragging our lives shorter by the day!”
