Severing Our Ties

I miscalculated.

The elementary school had my number on file, not William’s.

The teacher called me over and over again, blowing up my phone until I had no choice but to go in. My design drafts would have to wait.

But the moment I arrived at the school, I spotted Luna standing right next to Caleb.

Two mothers suddenly appearing must have confused the teacher because she looked completely lost.

Caleb, however, didn’t hesitate.

Pointing straight at me, he announced loudly in front of everyone, “She’s not my mom! She’s just our maid!”

Then, grinning, he nestled up against Luna. “This is my real mom!”

Luna reached out and playfully ruffled his hair, casting me a look of open triumph. “Susie, why don’t you just go home? I’ve got everything handled here.”

I stood there, numb, watching as they stood together—closer than I’d ever been with my own son.

Fine.

He had made his choice.

From now on, Luna was his mother.

I forced a smile. “You’re right, Caleb. From now on, Luna is your mom. I’ll treat it as though I’ve never given birth to you.”

---

After that, I lived in the house like a ghost.

I stopped caring about everything. I locked myself in my room, pouring all my energy into design work.

And through Lily, I finally got confirmation of something I had long suspected—Luna’s medical records were fake.

I closed my eyes, piecing together everything she had done.

Her lies were sloppy, full of holes.

But William’s love for her had patched up every one of them. He ignored the inconsistencies, choosing to believe whatever she fed him.

I quietly collected the evidence.

A farewell gift for William before I left.

Maybe it was because he was so used to my anger and defiance, but William seemed… unsettled by my sudden indifference.

For the first time in years, he started paying attention to me.

Flowers, gifts, small gestures—like he was trying to recreate the past. Like we were back in the early days, when he used to swear he’d love me forever.

But forever had turned out to be a joke.

Not even eight years.

And this time, I wasn’t foolish enough to fall for it again.

---

On my birthday, William said he had a surprise for me.

And he did.

A divorce agreement.

His face was pale as he slid the papers across the table. “Luna’s condition is getting worse. For her treatment, she’ll need someone to sign off on the paperwork… Susie, let’s get divorced first.”

His voice softened, as if afraid I’d refuse. “I promise, once she gets through this, I’ll marry you again. I swear it.”

He kept talking, explaining, swearing on anything he could think of.

As if he needed to convince me.

But he didn’t.

I was already going to sign.

Of course, before I did, I made one demand—all the assets had to be transferred to me.

William hesitated, frowning for the first time.

But ultimately, afraid I’d change my mind, he signed without a word.

I turned to Caleb. “Who do you want to live with?”

He scoffed, looking at me like I was beneath him. “My last name is Larson. Of course I’m staying with Dad. We’re the real family.”

To prove his point, he stuck out his tongue at me, then ran straight to William’s side, gripping his hand tightly.

I nodded. “Last time at school, you already said Luna was your mom. Now, you finally got your wish. Congratulations.”

I didn’t bother looking at their reactions.

I just placed the signed divorce papers in my bag and went upstairs to pack.

It didn’t take long.

I had spent my entire marriage taking care of them, never accumulating much of my own.

Ten minutes later, I was gone.

---

On the other side of town, William stared down at the divorce certificate, his chest tightening with something he couldn’t name.

It felt like he had lost something.

Something important.

But then his phone lit up with a message from Luna—her usual bright, adoring smile filling the screen.

He exhaled slowly, convincing himself.

She loves me.

No matter what I do, she always forgives me.

She’ll come back. She always does.

This is just another fight. That’s all.

But when he returned home, he was met with something he hadn’t expected.

An empty house.

Everything had been packed away, the space eerily neat, like someone had erased all traces of her existence.

His stomach dropped.

Heart pounding, he ran to her room.

She was gone.

The only thing left on the desk was a folder.

William picked it up with trembling hands, flipping it open.

Inside—evidence.

Proof that Luna’s cancer had been a lie all along.