They Called Me a Glutton, I Walked Away

Jason’s smile was practically spilling over.

“Oh, Ms. Emily, you’re too kind. Really, you shouldn’t have gone to the trouble!”

The moment Ethan heard the invitation, he cheered excitedly,

“Yay! A Broadway show—with Ms. Emily!”

Just then, Emily noticed me briefly appear on the screen.

She froze for a second, her face flashing with a hint of awkwardness.

“Oh, Ethan’s mom is home too? But Ethan told me you had gone back to Miami to visit your family—that’s why I only bought three tickets.”

“How about this, I’ll see if I can get one more right now…”

As she pretended to fiddle with her phone, my heart sank.

I had never said I was going back to Miami. Clearly, Ethan had made up that lie to get rid of me in front of her.

I was about to refuse this fake display of kindness when Ethan impatiently cut me off,

“No need, Ms. Emily!”

“My mom is just a housewife who doesn’t know anything. She only ever hangs around the kitchen! A Broadway show is way too classy for her—she wouldn’t understand it. Buying her a ticket would just be a waste of money!”

My whole body stiffened, the blood draining from my face.

Unbelievable. The son I carried for ten months and raised with my own hands was belittling me like this in front of outsiders?

Hearing Ethan, Jason frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of reproach,

“Ethan, watch your mouth. You can’t talk about your mom like that!”

For a moment, I thought he was finally going to take my side.

But the very next second, his words shoved me straight into the abyss.

“Rachel, really, why argue with a child? Kids just say what’s on their minds! Look at yourself—”

Jason paused, his eyes sweeping over my faded house clothes and bare face, unable to hide the disdain.

“You’re always looking so worn out, like some frumpy housewife. Isn’t it normal for Ethan to be embarrassed by you?”

“Ms. Emily is young, beautiful, gentle, and she knows art. Of course Ethan likes her—who doesn’t like beautiful things?”

“Besides, children are straightforward. They say what they think. We adults shouldn’t be teaching them to lie from such a young age, right?”

His words came through clearly on the video call.

Emily’s lips curled into the faintest smirk before she quickly pressed them together, putting on an innocent, apologetic expression.

I trembled—not with anger, but with disappointment.

Ten years ago, I gave up a high-paying job and followed Jason to New York City, pouring all my energy into the little home we built together.

And this was my reward: open disdain from both my husband and my son.

So all my sacrifice and devotion—worthless to them. Nothing.

I had had enough.

I stood up suddenly, ignoring Jason’s mockery, Ethan’s disdain, and Emily’s fake concern on the screen. I walked straight into the study.

I quickly printed out the divorce agreement and slammed it down on the table.

“Jason, let’s get a divorce!”

Jason glanced at the document, stunned for a moment, then burst into mocking laughter as if I had told the world’s funniest joke.

“Rachel, are you out of your mind?”

“Open your eyes! The house and the car—I paid for them in full! You have no family here in New York City, no real job to support yourself. What are you going to use to get divorced?”

“And don’t tell me you’re dreaming of getting custody of Ethan! Do you really think the court would give him to a full-time housewife who can’t even support herself?!”

Looking at his smug face, the last flicker of attachment in my heart was extinguished.

Curling my lips into a cold smile, I flipped open the agreement and sneered,

“Custody? Jason, are you blind? When did I ever say I wanted custody of Ethan?”

A son who sides against his own mother? I hadn’t wanted him for a long time.