No More Hurt For Him: Looking for a Better Life

　　For several days, Irvin didn't come back.

　　Instead, I received a call from Michael.

　　He was six years old now, and since he was a month old, he had never stayed by my side. Irvin rarely let him have contact with me; whenever something came up, it was always Amelia who was called to handle it.

　　Irvin was right—Amelia was more like his mother than I was.

　　"Michael, why are you calling me?"

　　I asked, feeling a bit nervous since it had been so long since I heard his voice.

　　"Bad woman, where did you take Aunt Amelia?"

　　His childish cries came through the phone, and I felt as if I had been plunged into an ice pit.

　　He hadn't contacted me in a month, and now he was calling to question where Amelia had gone.

　　I tried to suppress my sorrow and comfort him, but he just kept crying.

　　I had no choice but to hang up and rush to the McDowell family's mansion.

　　When I arrived, I found a scene of a happy family.

　　Amelia was sitting in the spot that should have belonged to me, holding Michael and taking care of him tenderly. He was wiping away his tears, cradling a little orange cat in his arms, clearly enamored with it.

　　And Irvin was bending over to serve dishes, revealing a smile I hadn't seen in a long time.

　　Suddenly, I didn't feel like walking in. They looked like a real family, while I felt like an outsider.

　　"Mrs. McDowell?"

　　It was the housekeeper who spotted me, and instantly, all eyes turned towards me.

　　Mrs. Amy McDowell rolled her eyes, while Irvin and Amelia looked awkward.

　　I forced a casual smile, trying to appear unfazed. "Looks like I came at a bad time."

　　For a moment, no one spoke.

　　Suddenly, Michael, who was in Amelia's arms, pouted and shouted as he ran towards me.

　　In his haste, he knocked over a cup of coffee on the table, and the little cat let out a yelp and scurried away, accidentally crashing right into me.

　　"You're a bad woman. Go away!"

　　Michael rushed in front of me, pushing me away repeatedly.

　　"I don't want you to be my mommy! I want Aunt Amelia! I want Aunt Amelia!"

　　My eyes reddened as I looked at him, who I hadn't seen in so long, but he felt so unfamiliar to me.

　　When he was a month old, the McDowell family, fearing my alcoholic and gambling father would come after me, took him away under the guise of safety.

　　The only time I truly spent with him was that first month after his birth.

　　Michael looked just like his father, and now he was treating me with the same disdain, crying for me to go away.

　　"Michael, you shouldn't talk to your mom like that."

　　Amelia came to her senses and quickly ran over to hold Michael in her arms to comfort him.

　　Michael was already hyperventilating and kept asking me why I had come back.

　　I felt a sharp pain in my heart.

　　"Mrs. McDowell, Michael has been feeling down these days; please don't take it to heart."

　　These words made it seem as if I was the real outsider.

　　Upon hearing this, everyone looked at me with disdain.

　　I forced a smile and said to Amelia, "If you really want to compete for his affection, why not persuade your darling Mr. McDowell to divorce me sooner? Then you could be the legitimate Mrs. McDowell without any issues." They hadn't expected me to say this in front of the entire McDowell family, and Amelia's face turned anxious.

　　Irvin walked over with a stern expression, rebuking, "Michael doesn't understand; do you not understand either?"

　　Amelia's eyes flashed with delight as she pouted, pretending to sympathize while waiting to see the drama unfold.

　　I locked eyes with Irvin and gave him a scornful smile.

　　"Mr. McDowell, are you reluctant to divorce because you really care?"

　　Hearing this, Irvin frowned and asked, "Do you have to keep bringing this up?"

　　"The first one to mention divorce was you," I replied.

　　I held back tears as I recounted his wrongdoings during this time.

　　Initially, Irvin had merely been impatient with me, then he became increasingly dismissive.

　　I had cried and argued with him, only to receive the response, "If you can't stand it, just get a divorce!"

　　At that time, I didn't agree; I was still trying to salvage our marriage.

　　But later, he became more and more unreasonable.

　　During this time, Amelia appeared by his side more frequently, and he never bothered to explain anything to me.

　　I felt like a transparent person, as if my husband and child belonged to someone else.

　　They had nothing to do with me. And I, Delia, was just a joke!!

　　Irvin's face darkened as he gritted his teeth, "You'd better think carefully; if you divorce, I won't give you custody of Michael."

　　He knew that for these past few years, my biggest worry had been Michael.

　　Now, he could only threaten me with that.

　　But unfortunately for him, his plan was flawed.

　　I glanced at Michael, who was nestled in Amelia's arms, crying so hard, and for the first time, I didn't feel guilt.

　　"Do as you wish; I don't want either you or Michael."