I Refused To Leave My Innocent Son Behind

The biting wind slashed through the air like an unyielding blade, tossing around a sea of fallen leaves. In the abandoned industrial area, on a chaotic street, a frail and delicate woman crawled forward in agony, leaving a bloodstained path in her wake—a stark contrast against the dim surroundings.

“Help me, someone help my baby...” Her lips moved weakly, her voice a mere whisper in the emptiness, unlikely to reach any ears.

The woman pushed onward, her once pristine Victorian-style dress now blackened with dirt. She painfully tilted her head upwards, squinting toward a distant light, but the physical pain and dizziness overwhelmed her. She collapsed onto the cold ground, her cheek pressing against the gas-scented surface. Clutching her abdomen, a horrifying realization dawned on her, sparking panic in her eyes.

“Baby... Don’t leave me. It’s my fault. I didn’t take care of you. Please forgive me... You’re all I have left. If you go too... then I'm truly alone...”

In the distance, the sudden glare of headlights outlined a tall, imposing man standing with his back to the light, staring intently at the vulnerable figure on the ground. His lips were set in a taut line, his face cold, suppressing something.

With a swift punch to the car window, he finally turned away, not sparing her another look. “Lyla, this is your doing.”

“Cameron, I’m exhausted!” said a sophisticated woman in the car, giving him a cold glance. Despite her striking allure, the gray streaks in her hair betrayed her age. She observed the harsh scene with satisfaction, a cold smile touching her lips. This outcome was just what she had wanted.

The man nodded slightly, got back into the car, and drove away without a second thought.

“No... don’t leave... Cameron, please don’t leave... Save our baby. I lied to you; he’s our child. Please, don’t be so heartless...” As the lights dwindled, the woman’s desperate plea turned into a struggle to rise—her last hope, her final request—to keep her child with her.

Yet... why was there no one willing to stand by her?

Collapsed on the ground, her bottled-up pain finally exploded into a scream, “Why... why won’t you let me go...”

Her hands, stained with nearly dried blood, bore witness to a sin too deep to fathom. With the last of her strength, she cried out in the direction where the car disappeared, “If you knew the life you took... was your own child, would you not feel the same heartbreak, Cameron... Why have you shattered me so completely...”

Her sharp cry echoed like a specter in the abandoned factory, calling forth a chilling wind. The woman, unable to resist any longer, succumbed completely like a withered leaf in a silent fall...

Blood continued to seep, yet she had nothing left to grasp onto.

...

Why did you come here, bringing with you a destruction that burned all my happiness to ashes?

I have resented, hated, but in the end, all I am left with is fear.

Now, I am utterly broken! Does this satisfy you?

“Are you really leaving, Lyla? Where will you go after leaving New Haven?” Jude Holmes asked anxiously, holding Lyla Greene’s arm. She had been talking about leaving for days, and he couldn’t stop worrying.

“Anywhere but here!” Lyla gently pulled away from Jude’s grasp, her voice soft yet firm.

Yes, leaving had always been on her mind, only now the urge was stronger than ever.

“Alright, I’ll go with you!” Jude could see he couldn’t change Lyla’s mind. At this point, he wanted nothing more than to be by her side, following his heart.

“No, you can’t!” Lyla wouldn’t allow it. Jude, the beloved grandson of Destiny Holmes, heir to the vast Holmes family fortune, had already sacrificed enough for her. How could she selfishly pull him away from his family?

“Why not, Lyla! Don’t you understand how I feel about you? It doesn’t matter what you say, I’m determined. Wherever you go, I won’t leave you!” It was a simple promise, but from Jude, it sounded firm and unwavering.

“Jude, you know… we can’t have a future together!” Lyla wasn’t heartless. She felt the weight of everything Jude had done for her. But her heart was already shattered and broken; how could she preserve a pure, untarnished love? She couldn’t afford it...

“Why! Why does it have to be this way! Lyla, I know you don’t love me, but I’ll try. I’ll try to make you love me! Why do you keep pushing me away? Don’t you know how much it hurts? I don’t care what others think or say, the only thing I care about is your heart! Why have you locked it away, that man doesn’t deserve someone as wonderful as you, don’t you know?” For the first time, Jude shouted at Lyla, his own outburst surprising him as much as it did her.

Lyla stared, stunned at Jude’s flushed face, shocked that her words could trigger such a reaction.

“I’m sorry, I lost my cool. I just...” Jude raked a hand through his hair in frustration, casting a worried glance at Lyla, fearing he’d angered her. “Lyla, you know how I feel about you. Can you give me a chance?”

Finally baring his feelings, Jude’s face reddened further. He knew Lyla’s answer could wound him deeply, but he refused to surrender the chance to love her.

“Jude... I...” Lyla was at a loss for words in response to this determined man.

“Why are you still here, entangled in this mess? Lyla Greene, after all the trouble you’ve brought, how can you be so calm!” Francis Woods burst in hurriedly, pushing Jude aside and launching into an irate lecture at Lyla.

“Francis, what’s got you worked up, is it the end of the world?” Jude was naturally displeased by Francis’s sudden interruption.

“End of the world? You bet! Lyla, didn’t you say you were leaving? Why haven’t you gone yet? I didn’t realize you could be so ruthless, blinding someone’s eyes! Now the victim is determined to find you and drag you to the depths of hell!” Francis exaggerated, but his point was clear.

“What happened, Francis? What’s going on?” Jude asked, having spent the days tending to Lyla, completely out of touch with the turmoil outside. But from Francis’s words, it seemed deeply connected to Lyla.

“What’s going on? Ask her!” Francis gestured toward Lyla with an expression of defeat. He had been as shocked as anyone upon hearing the news—Lyla being held responsible for Nora James losing her sight seemed utterly implausible.

“Lyla, what happened? Tell me, what happened when you left Cameron’s place?” Jude was on the verge of losing his mind from being kept in the dark.

“I don’t know. I know nothing—I did nothing!” Lyla was ignorant of Nora’s staged drama and even more unaware that in the eyes of the world, she was now branded as a heartless villain.

It was all part of Nora’s scheme, to turn Lyla into a target of public scorn, giving her all the justification for any subsequent actions.

“Really? How could you not know?” Seeing Lyla’s expression, Francis also sensed something was amiss. “Did you not blind Nora’s eyes?”

“What?” Lyla was visibly startled by the revelation, but she soon smiled knowingly. Clearly, Nora had gone to great lengths to ruin her.

“What’s going on, Lyla? What does Nora’s blindness have to do with you, why does Francis say so?” Jude was just as shocked.

“I really wish I had done it!” Lyla’s words were unrestrained; her hatred for Nora clear. Yes, she now wished it had been her doing. Why should Nora have to go through the trouble of hurting herself? If Lyla had known things would turn out this way, she might have fulfilled Nora’s wishes from the start, making her infamy seem justified.

“Enough! When will this end? What will it take for them to leave you alone?” Jude couldn’t believe Lyla was responsible and was all too familiar with Cameron’s unscrupulous methods.

“So, leave quickly, Cameron will eventually find this place. Lyla, if you wish to die, I won’t stop you, but don’t do it here! I want some peace!” Francis's words were devoid of warmth, but were a sincere expression of concern. Cameron was notorious for his ruthless tactics, and there was no predicting what he might do.

“Leave? Maybe a moment ago I’d insist, but now I won’t! If I leave, it would be admitting guilt, branding me a criminal for life!” Lyla saw things clearly—she couldn’t just disappear.

“Lyla!” Jude was surprised by Lyla’s decision; she constantly defied his expectations. “No, this isn’t the time for heroics, you should leave first! You’re in no condition for this!”

“Yes, I’ve got everything ready—here’s a ticket to England, the flight leaves in half an hour. Go, while there’s still time!” It was like planning an escape. Francis hastily handed Lyla a plane ticket. “I’ve arranged everything on the other side. Someone will be there to meet you!”

“When did you get this ready, Francis?” Jude was startled. Francis, the slick operator!

“Enough with the questions, just go!” Francis was most frustrated by unnecessary chatter. Didn’t Jude realize how precious every moment was now? They couldn’t afford to waste time. If Cameron came, it would be too late to leave.

“I’m not leaving!”

Jolie Stone spared no effort, resorting to extreme measures to keep Cameron. Sometimes, a woman’s obsession over love could be downright unsettling. When something isn’t yours, it simply isn’t. Letting go can be a form of release. Why reduce yourself to such a sorry state, why grovel so abjectly? Tragedies often deepen because of unchecked greed—coveting affection and warmth that don’t belong to you.

Jolie was brutal to herself, to the point where witnessing it was unnerving.

Cameron never imagined Jolie would pull the same stunt again. From such a high staircase, she resolutely tumbled down, without hesitation.

“Ah!” It was a cry of agony. This fall rivaled the car accident from five years ago—if it didn’t cripple her, it would certainly break a few ribs.

“Mommy, mommy. Mommy, are you alright?” Yadiel had never seen such a scene before. Jolie had quietly wheeled herself to the top of the stairs after Cameron left, and before he could react, she had already fallen.

Upon hearing the loud crash, Cameron quickly turned back, spotting Jolie in a heap on the ground, her face contorted in pain, struggling for breath.

Cameron knew all too well what had happened. This wasn’t a case of someone else’s malice—he was certain. Jolie was ruthless, both to herself and Cameron. She had orchestrated this publicly, as the so-called Mrs. Carlson, giving her husband an ultimatum of sorts.

Even though he was internally in a frenzy, Cameron had no choice but to act. Yadiel was even tugging on his coat—how could he possibly leave him?

“Jolie, do you think this will hold me back? Fine, I’ll take you to the hospital as you want, but if you keep this up, be prepared for me to make our relationship public!” He leaned down, lifting Jolie, his words sharp. He knew the woman in his arms could hear him clearly.

“Go ahead, try it, Cameron. Don’t think for a second I’m as pliant as that wretch Lyla Greene!” Jolie remained with eyes closed, naturally resting her head against Cameron’s chest, whispering words only they could hear.

In his heart, Cameron wished he could drop her to the ground, but amidst this crowd, he couldn’t act, or at least not openly.

Escaping the watchful eyes of onlookers, Cameron urgently carried Jolie out. To those watching, it seemed as if he deeply cared for Jolie. Only he knew his real urgency was to see that child. Amidst all the turmoil and instability, he feared that just one moment’s delay would prevent him from ever seeing that child...

Those present had no knowledge of this, believing Cameron was excessively concerned for Jolie. In fact, many starry-eyed young women began snapping photos of Cameron on their phones. This event would soon spread across the internet, turning Cameron and Jolie into social media darlings once more.

Jude watched from the stairway as Cameron carried Jolie away!

“Lyla, it seems you’ve discovered Yadiel’s identity! So, were you not even mindful of being made a fool by that woman back then?!” Nora James said coldly, glancing at Lyla and then at Yadiel, a frigid smile on her lips.

“What? What are you talking about?” Lyla seemed to catch a hint from Nora’s words, rising to hold Yadiel’s hand, her face full of confusion.

“Humph, even the child knows. Didn’t you hear Yadiel? He’s grateful I rescued him from the orphanage. As for whose child he is, you should be able to guess!” Nora’s words were icy. She herself harbored little affection for Yadiel. If not for public sentiment, she would never keep him around.

“Whose... could it be…” A thought suddenly struck Lyla as she looked at Yadiel, noticing the resemblance—Yadiel bore a striking similarity to Emerie Adams.

“Indeed, Mrs. Williams, you may take Yadiel for a rest. I need to have a word with this woman!” Nora finally considered Yadiel’s feelings, motioning to Mrs. Williams to take Yadiel away.

“Alright, ma’am, I’ll take Yadiel with me.”