Abandoned by Husband and Son

Fletcher and Walker both suffer from a hereditary stomach condition, and it took me ages to find a good remedy using herbal medicine. But ever since Louisa said, "How can herbal medicine compare to modern medicine?" Fletcher took it to heart. More than once, he dumped the herbal remedy I painstakingly prepared and urged me to heed Louisa's advice.

Walker mirrored his behavior, gradually rejecting both me and the remedies, just like Fletcher. Today is Walker's birthday, and Fletcher's repeated insults have worn me down. My lips turned pale as I was about to speak, but then Walker lunged at me unexpectedly.

I was caught off guard, and Walker's sharp teeth nearly pierced the flesh of my hand. This was the first time I'd ever been angry with him in his five years. "Walker, let go!" I shouted.

But he wouldn't listen, biting even harder, his eyes filled with a bitterness that seemed bent on destroying me. I closed my eyes, my long lashes trembling intensely, and my heart sank into a calm and cold despair. When Walker finally released his grip, he didn't miss the chance to glare at me with disdain.

"Aurelia, look at yourself—you’re plain and ugly, nothing like Aunt Louisa."

"Walker is just a child; his bites won't really hurt. Handle it yourself," Fletcher chimed in almost at the same time as Walker.

Neither father nor son said anything I wanted to hear. I blinked away the urge to cry and turned to find the first-aid kit. Fletcher slammed the bedroom door shut with a loud "bang" behind him.

As I disinfected the wound on my hand, I didn't pay attention to the pressure, and it hurt so much that tears sprang to my eyes. I remembered the first year Fletcher and I were dating when I accidentally cut my hand while chopping vegetables. It was just a small cut, but he went pale with worry.

That was a wintry evening when Fletcher took me to the hospital for stitches. The staff couldn't help but chuckle at Fletcher for being such a young and anxious boyfriend. Fletcher felt embarrassed, saying he lost his wits because he cared too much about me.

When I found out I was pregnant, Fletcher was thrilled and promised he would always take care of me and our child. After a severe hemorrhage during Walker’s birth almost ended my life, Fletcher had a vasectomy the next day. He used to love me deeply until Louisa came into our lives.