Snow Illuminates the Coming Year

My hand clenched suddenly and the hot coffee spilled on the back of my hand, but I felt nothing.

Smart pills again…

“Now that I think about it, Emily’s accident really is suspicious,” Vera said, as if remembering something, her face full of regret.

“The police said it was due to fatigue, but I heard her car’s brakes might have had a problem. Think about it. She’s not really good at driving, yet late at night, on a mountain road, she was driving so fast… as if she was trying to escape from something. Isn’t that strange?”

Every word Vera said hit my heart like a hammer.

Escape.

Emily was running from Linda.

She knew those pills were dangerous. She wanted to escape with my son.

That’s why Linda created an “accident” to silence her forever.

“Millie? Are you okay?” Vera’s voice pulled me back from my thoughts.

“I’m fine… just remembering some things from the past.” I set down my coffee and took a jewelry box from my bag, pushing it toward her. “Long time no see. This is for you.”

Vera’s eyes lit up and she quickly opened it. Inside was a diamond necklace of considerable value.

“Oh my, Millie, how can I…?” she said politely, but her hands were already taking the necklace out, eager to put it on.

“If you like it, that’s enough,” I said, watching her fake smile with a cold laugh in my heart.

Vera… you better not have been involved. If you were, I would make sure you pay for it twice over.

After leaving the café, I immediately drove to Mr. Sharl’s private clinic.

Arson was sitting quietly in a small play area, stacking blocks. His movements were so slow that he tried several times to place a single block correctly and failed.

Next to him, a smaller child had already built a tall tower.

When the smaller child accidentally knocked over Arson’s blocks, he just stared blankly, showing no reaction. No crying, no fussing, not even a flicker of emotion.

Mr. Sharl called me into his office, his expression grave and handed me a lab report. “Millie, where did you get this pill bottle?”

“From a child,” I said, my heart sinking.

“Nonsense!” Mr. Sharl’s tone was unusually harsh. “This is a psychiatric drug banned in Dalmora years ago! It was used to control serious criminals! Long-term use can severely damage the central nervous system, causing slow reactions, reduced cognition and memory loss! In short, it turns a normal person into an idiot—gradually!”

“How long… has this child been taking it?”

My nails dug into my palms. “Maybe… for many years.”

Mr. Sharl said, shaking his head in pain. “It’s cruel! This is practically murder!”

The office was deathly silent.

I held the thin report in my hands, but it felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

Linda. You have such a cruel heart. Not only did you steal my son, but you tried to turn him into a wreck with your own hands!

I left the office. When Arson saw me, he immediately stood up, a flicker of hope in his eyes. “Millie…”

I went to him, crouched down and hugged him tightly.

The child of the woman I had despised for ten years… the one I believed was my enemy’s son… it turned out he wasn’t. He was my long-lost treasure—my own son, taken from me, tormented and poisoned for a decade.

“Arson…” My voice choked. “I’m sorry… Mom is late.”

He froze, his small body stiff in my arms.

After a long moment, he reached out a tiny hand and gently patted my back — as if comforting a crying child.

“Millie, don’t cry. Mom says crying makes you not pretty.”

I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer; they poured out.

Emily, thank you. Thank you for protecting him for ten years. Now it was my turn to protect him. I would not let anyone who hurt him go unpunished.