The crowd, still reeling from the drama, now turned their attention to me, curiosity lighting up their faces.
Under the glaring spotlight, I calmly retrieved a pearwood box I had prepared in advance. Its polished surface gleamed faintly, holding the crowd's attention as I held it out to Axel.
"This," I began, my voice steady but laden with emotion, "is a relic left to me by my late mother. She always said it would bring good luck and keep its owner safe."
I paused, glancing briefly at my son, Rowan.
"I had intended to give this to Rowan—after all, he is the child I’ve raised and loved for eighteen years. Even if he no longer recognizes me as his mother, in my heart, he will always be my son."
My words hung heavy in the air as I extended the box toward Axel.
"But now, I am giving it to you. May it bring peace and happiness to your… family."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Axel's eyes widened in disbelief, his expression a mix of shock and wariness. For a moment, he hesitated, but curiosity got the better of him.
He opened the pearwood box cautiously. Inside, nestled in velvet, was an ancient jade pendant, its intricate carvings a testament to its long history.
The audience collectively froze, struggling to process what they were witnessing.
"Has Arabella completely lost it?!" someone whispered harshly.
"She’s giving her mother’s relic to them? To that adulterous couple?"
"She must be out of her mind! After everything they’ve done to her, and she’s still blessing them?"
"I feel so bad for her. Betrayed by her husband, her son isn’t even hers, and now she’s giving away her most precious heirloom. It’s heartbreaking."
"But this isn’t right! She shouldn’t let them walk all over her like this!"
"Exactly! If it were me, I’d never forgive them. They’d pay for every ounce of pain they caused!"
The murmurs of outrage grew louder.
Elara, emboldened by what she perceived as my humiliation, clapped her hands mockingly.
"Arabella," she said with a smirk, "I always thought you were just a brainless fool."
"But today," Elara sneered, "you’ve really made me see you in a whole new light. You’re not stupid. You’re a born bootlicker—the most servile, spineless person I’ve ever met!"
My son, standing beside her, scowled at me, his disgust clear on his face.
"Thank goodness you’re not my real mother," he said, his tone dripping with disdain. "Otherwise, it would be so embarrassing."
Axel rolled his eyes, his patience clearly worn thin.
"Arabella, marrying you was the biggest mistake of my life," he said flatly. "Don’t ever say you know me again. I can’t afford to be associated with you."
Without another word, he wrapped his arm around Elara and marched off, dragging my son behind them.
As they left, I stood there, the sting of their words digging deep. But I didn’t let it show.
Instead, I was thrust into the eye of the storm—the hot search headlines.
The reporters, still buzzing with energy, broadcasted the entire incident live, and within moments, the story went viral.
Netizens across the country were already fiercely debating my actions online:
"Is this woman out of her mind?"
"Seriously, she was tricked into raising someone else’s child, paying off tens of millions in debt, and in the end, she gets nothing. Not only does she not get angry, but she blesses the very family that betrayed her? Is she even human?"
"I can’t believe how cowardly and weak she is. How can she just accept this and walk away?"
"Why are these absurd stories trending? It's infuriating!"
The internet was ablaze with opinions—some outraged, others sympathetic.
Several people reached out, offering to help "hype" my story, promising to help me earn money through live streaming or selling my tragedy.
But I refused every offer, the thought of profiting from my pain repulsive. Instead, I returned home, seeking solitude.
When I arrived, the sight that greeted me was one of utter betrayal. Elara and Axel were there, dragging my belongings into the street.
And there, in front of my eyes, my son callously tossed my things out like trash.
As I walked in, Axel tilted his head, looking down at me with disdain.
"Arabella," he sneered, "this house is my pre-marital property. Now that we’re divorced, you should take your worthless things and leave!"
"Don’t get in the way of our ‘family reunion.’"
Before everything fell apart, Axel had always been gentle and kind, playing the role of the perfect husband. He never once raised his voice, always considerate and thoughtful. But that was before.
Now, he didn’t bother to pretend anymore. The look in his eyes was nothing but contempt and loathing.
Rowan, standing beside him, also cast a cold glance my way.
"You’re a failure," he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Get out of here. Don’t dirty my floor."
Gone was the son I had raised for eighteen years. In his place was a stranger, one who no longer hid his contempt for me.
I didn’t argue. I remained silent as I bent down to pick up the scattered luggage. Without a word, I turned and walked out.
The days that followed were different. I found myself in a rundown, dilapidated house, living alone, surrounded by nothing but the bare essentials. It was a life of simplicity, far from the hustle and bustle of the past.
I no longer had to work myself into exhaustion from dawn to dusk. No longer did I have to meticulously care for Rowan or pick up the pieces of the life we once shared.
I woke up when I felt like it, ate when I was hungry, and slept when I was tired. The rhythm of life was easy, and for the first time in a long while, I felt some sense of peace.
But even in this quiet solitude, the whispers followed me.
Every time I went to the market, I could hear the murmurs behind my back.
"Look, that’s Arabella. The woman who raised someone else’s child, paid off their debts, and helped a bankrupt company go public."
"I heard her life’s a mess now. Her husband, her son, her house, her company—she’s lost it all. Now she’s living alone in a tiny, rundown house, barely able to afford two dishes a day."
"I don’t get it. She’s smart enough to turn a bankrupt company into a success. But after everything she’s been through, she says nothing. What is she thinking?"
