Because my flight was delayed due to a storm, I missed my son’s birthday party by exactly thirty minutes. In retaliation, Caleb deleted every single research paper on my laptop. My son, Noah, smashed the limited-edition Lego set I had queued for three hours to buy him. Then, the father and son duo slammed the door and stormed out. In that moment, a wave of exhaustion washed over me. Suddenly, floating text comments—like a livestream chat—began scrolling across my vision. [Honestly, this is on the Female Lead. She promised these two possessive kings she’d be back on time. Being late triggers their abandonment issues.] [She better open that door and apologize to those poor boys right now! They even had the Polaroid ready for a cute family pic. She ruined the vibe.] [It just shows how much the Male Lead loves her. The kid clearly inherited his dad’s genes. She needs to be more patient and coax them!] [I’m melting for this father-son duo. Both the big one and the little one treat her like she’s their whole world. I stan!] [Omg, my baby boy’s eyes are red! This is so angsty! Auntie is coming with a colorful sack to kidnap you, boo-hoo!] I let out a soft sigh and started walking toward the door. Suddenly, the door swung open. Caleb looked at me with ice-cold eyes. "Since you love your job so much, maybe we should just get a divorce." Noah stood in the hallway, refusing to step inside, his face void of emotion. "I hate you. I’m going with Daddy." My breath hitched, a dull ache spreading through my chest. "Okay." 1 My answer was a simple "okay," but Caleb didn't seem satisfied. If anything, he looked angrier. He kicked the suitcase I had just dragged in, grabbed Noah’s hand, and marched into the elevator without looking back. I walked into the bedroom and started packing. The floating comments went wild. [Let me in there! I need to explain for him! This Male Lead has zero communication skills. He just wanted her to go to dinner with them. Would it kill him to speak nicely?] [You can’t blame him! Remember he was abused by his alcoholic stepdad in high school? He only survived because the Female Lead saved him. He’s insecure! It’s normal for him to be afraid of losing her.] [Don’t worry guys, she won’t leave. These are the two men she loves most. Plus, if she leaves, the Male Lead literally won’t survive.] [She needs to go into the kitchen right now, cook an 8-course meal, and make a dozen phone calls to apologize. ASAP.] ... I ignored the floating text. I continued packing while dialing my law school classmate’s number. I had lost count of how many times Caleb used Noah to stage these tantrums. The word "divorce" had become a punctuation mark in our daily lives. They would intentionally refuse to eat the dinner I cooked after a long shift. They would pour the warm milk I prepared down the sink. Once, Caleb even turned off my phone alarm, despite me emphasizing that I had a critical surgery the next morning. When I confronted him, he hugged Noah and looked at me with puppy-dog eyes. "He’s just a child. He just wanted his mom to stay home on a weekend." I rushed to the hospital, glaring at him. "He didn't know, but did you not know?" My phone had a passcode. Noah hadn’t even learned all his numbers yet. That night, when I came home, my luggage was thrown out into the hallway. Clean clothes from the closet, cosmetics from the vanity, medical books from the study... all in a heap. Noah blocked the doorway, crying and screaming, refusing to let me in. He said I was the worst mother in the world and that he wanted Auntie Chloe to be his mom. After six back-to-back surgeries, I was physically shattered. I crouched down, coaxing him patiently. "Let Mommy in first, okay? Mommy hasn't eaten all day..." Bang. Caleb slammed the door in my face. They changed the passcode. I was locked out. When my best friend, Jess, came to pick me up, I was sitting amidst a pile of clothes, looking like a wreck. She pulled me up, furious. "There are plenty of guys who would kill to be with you, Lyra! Why are you taking this trash from him? I’m setting you up with ten high-quality men right now. What the hell is this?" That night, Caleb stood outside Jess’s door, holding a shivering Noah. It was a bitter winter night in Seattle. The wind cut like knives. Caleb knelt before me, eyes red, repenting. "Lyra, I’m sorry. I just love you too much. I don't know why I lose control..." "You know that apart from you, no one in this world can tolerate my temper." "You know that if you just coax me a little, my anger disappears." Noah’s face was blue from the cold. He reached out to me. "Mommy, hug. Hug Noah. Noah won’t make Mommy angry anymore." One was the man I had loved since high school. The other was the child I nearly died birthing. No one knew them better than I did. So, I chose to forgive. But the peace never lasted. Caleb continued to explode whenever things didn't go his way. Sometimes a few soft words fixed it. Sometimes, like today, he threatened divorce. As Noah grew older, his personality began to mirror his father’s. And I... I was just tired. This time, I really wanted the divorce. 2 The apartment was filled with traces of me. The tableware in the kitchen, the mugs on the table, the photos on the wall... I had hand-picked everything. I didn't know where to start packing, so I realized that everything I truly needed was already in the suitcase I had just brought back. I had been in New York at a top-tier hospital for a month-long exchange program. I finished everything at 3 PM today and ran to the airport, suitcase in tow. I even tripped and scraped my knee in the process. But the storm delayed the flight. I was thirty minutes late for Noah’s party. When I arrived, Caleb sat on the couch, face dark, interrogating me. "Why didn't you buy an earlier ticket? Did you not check the weather?" "Do you even care about Noah? Do you care about me?" "Are we less important to you than a bunch of strangers?" Noah snatched the toy from my hand—the one I stood in line for three hours to get—and smashed it on the floor. Then he stomped on it, crushing the plastic bricks, crushing my heart. "I hate Mommy! You break promises! You’re late! Bad Mom! Bad Mom!" ... Waiting for the elevator now, I unlocked my phone. I saw a post from Caleb’s childhood friend, Chloe—the "Auntie Chloe" Noah loved to mention. [Birthday vibes with the little prince! Noah, you have to be happy every day! You too...] Caleb’s devastatingly handsome side profile was caught in the frame. Next to him, Noah, with cream on his nose, was feeding a spoonful of cake to the person taking the photo. They were laughing, playing, and capturing memories. Compared to me... They looked more like a family of three. [Oh no, the Female Lead is definitely misunderstanding... The Male Lead is just forcing a smile. His phone is definitely on loud, waiting for her to call.] [Why does she look actually mad? Don't torture me! My baby Noah is so young... he’s just more sensitive than other kids.] [Chloe is just a plot device, guys. She’s a test for their relationship. Life isn't smooth sailing, wake up Female Lead!] [Exactly. Just go find them, apologize properly. This gloomy, possessive man loves you so much, he’ll forgive you.] ... I tried calling Caleb. I wanted to tell him Noah had a magnet school interview tomorrow. Divorce is an adult problem; it shouldn't affect a child’s education. The call connected and was immediately hung up. I called again. Blocked. I called Noah’s phone watch. The background noise was loud. It sounded like a karaoke room. "Caleb, bro, why are you fighting with Lyra again? Aren't you scared she'll actually divorce you?" Silence for about three seconds. Then, Caleb scoffed, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Divorce is just a leash I use on Lyra. It works every time." "You guys know how hard she chased me in high school." "We’ve been married for years. Every time I’m unhappy, she apologizes like her life depends on it." "She can't leave me." Laughter erupted in the room. "I always wondered why I couldn't get you even though we grew up together. Turns out, being a simp pays off," Chloe’s voice chimed in, dismissive. "I didn't expect Lyra to look so dignified but be such a doormat in private." "Right? Back then she beat up Caleb’s stepdad for him. A total maniac." "And when she had Noah, the doctors told her not to, but she risked her life just to 'give Caleb a family.' Hahaha!" ... I gripped my phone so hard my knuckles turned white. The compromises I thought were sacrifices for love... in Caleb’s eyes, they were just proof of my servitude. He wasn't acting out because of insecurity. He was acting out because he was entitled. He was certain I couldn't leave. He thought he had me in the palm of his hand. 3 I rented a serviced apartment on the other side of the city. Fully furnished. Perfect for someone suddenly getting a divorce. The complex was full of young professionals. I remembered back in college, Caleb hated the cafeteria food. He would either starve or eat junk. He had a bad stomach, and he was wasting away. So, I rented a small off-campus kitchen. I cooked for him every day. Med school was brutal. During finals, I barely slept. But I still made three meals a day, begging him to eat. Back then, he ate every bite. Later, he started learning to cook for me. When I was stressed, he’d follow online tutorials to make soup. But after marriage, everything changed. Caleb would trash the meals I spent hours making. He wouldn't allow me to prioritize anything over him. ... It had been a long time since I lived alone. I realized a small one-bedroom apartment could be incredibly tidy. My time after work was mine again. I could eat what I wanted, read what I wanted, sleep when I wanted. I didn't have to manage anyone else’s emotions. It felt strange, but I liked it. On the third day, a colleague saw me walking slowly to the parking garage. "Not rushing home today? Usually, you’re running before you’ve even changed your shoes." I smiled. "Yeah. I can take my time now." My colleague nodded vigorously. "Good! This job is lethal enough. If you have to deal with a mess at home too, it’s just torture." Yeah. I had endured that torture for six years. Finally, I was free. That night, I got a call from Noah. He was screaming. "Stupid Mommy! Dumb Mommy! Bad Mommy! Why didn't you take me to the interview?! Sasha got her new uniform and I got nothing!" "I don't care! Come back and take me to the interview right now!" I paused. When Caleb hung up on me that day, I had texted his best friend, Mark. I explicitly asked Mark to remind Caleb about the interview. Plus, there was a blackboard by the front door where I wrote the month's schedule. He had to have seen it. I called Mark. He stammered for a while before admitting Caleb hadn't gone home for days. "I mentioned it to Caleb, but I don't know if he listened. Plus, it was Noah’s birthday... he wanted to go to Disneyland. Caleb was hesitant, but Chloe convinced him." "So they went..." "I see," I said. Mark’s tone shifted to a lecture. "Lyra, honestly. Work is work, family is family. How could you not take him to the interview yourself? Even if Caleb blocked you, you should have double-checked. Noah is your son." I cut him off. "He is also Caleb’s son." I never believed parenting was solely the mother's burden. The interview date was on the blackboard. Visible every single day. Why could I remember, but Caleb—despite reminders—couldn't? "Lyra, you weren't like this before. Caleb just cares about you too much, he has a bad mouth but a good heart. Stop fighting with him, come back and fix Noah’s school situation—" I hung up. Blocked. Different values don't belong at the same table. In the world of crows, the swan is guilty of being white. 4 [It's over. The Female Lead is actually mad. Being a mom means worrying more, okay? Our Caleb is basically a child himself, how can he take care of a kid?] [Exactly. Whenever the Female Lead is around, the Male Lead’s IQ drops because he trusts her too much. He only blocked her for one night!] [The Male Lead is just awkward and sensitive. If she doesn't go back to save him, he’s going to close off his heart again. So sad...] [Does she not want her husband or son? You can't take a child’s tantrums seriously. She’s being selfish.] [Are the people above me insane? Nobody feels bad for her? She has a career and dreams. Why should she revolve around those two idiots?] Exactly. Why should I revolve around him? The meaning of love shouldn't be "salvation." It shouldn't be about my utility to him. It should be about mutual growth. About standing side by side, weathering storms and enjoying the sunshine together. But Caleb... Did you ever want me to grow? In recent years, there wasn't a single moment where I saw a future for us. ... Two days later. The Emergency Room. Seattle was hit by a massive storm. The ER was flooded with car accident victims. I had just finished stabilizing a critical patient when chaos erupted near the nurse's station. I wiped blood from my scrubs and looked over. It was Caleb and his entourage. Chloe was in a wheelchair. Little Noah stood beside her, pouting, holding her hand tightly. "I’m warning you, treat her right now or I’m calling the superintendent!" "Sir, please, just wait your turn based on the number—" The nurse was trying to reason with him while triaging a patient with a high fever. "Cut the crap! My friend fell down the stairs and her knee is bleeding! Get your best doctor here now!" Caleb interrupted her, arrogant and loud. "Or I’ll make sure you all lose your jobs!" After graduation, Caleb rode the AI wave and government grants to build a tech fortune. He certainly had the connections to make life hard for us grassroots medical workers. I just never thought the boy who came from nothing would one day use his privilege to oppress others. "Dr. Lyra is here!" A nurse spotted me just as she was about to call security. The noise died down instantly. Everyone turned to look at me. Chloe’s expression shifted from calm to agonizing pain in a split second. Caleb glanced at me, his tone commanding. "I demand you treat Chloe immediately. Aren't you supposed to be 'dedicated'?" One of his friends looked awkward. "Caleb... we just finished dinner. Chloe missed a step and scraped her knee..." A nurse ran to me. "Dr. Lyra, her vitals are stable. BP is normal. But they want to cut the line." I checked Chloe’s injury. A scrape. "Hospital policy," I said professionally. "Only critical patients cut the line. Ms. Xu has no chest pain, no difficulty breathing, and stable vitals. She does not qualify." "Lyra, is this necessary?" Chloe looked up, tears brimming. "I know you hate me. I’ve been keeping Noah company because he’s sad. I only fell because I was worried he’d run into traffic..." "Ms. Xu, the cause of the injury does not determine triage priority—" "You’re just an old witch! You want to hurt Auntie Chloe!" Noah charged out of nowhere, ramming his head into my stomach. "I won't let anyone hurt my favorite Auntie Chloe!" I stumbled back, nearly falling. "Noah, come here! We’re changing hospitals." Caleb scooped Chloe up in his arms and marched toward the exit. "This isn't the only hospital in town. I’m filing a complaint against everyone here. Including you." He glared at me coldly. Chloe buried her face in his chest, looking shy and protected. Behind me, the whispers started. "That's Dr. Lyra's husband? Zero class." "Dr. Lyra is so nice, how did she end up with trash like that?" "He seems legally illiterate. I think Dr. Lyra got scammed." "That kid is her son? Yikes." I lowered my eyes and smiled bitterly. A heavy weight pressed on my chest. This was the choice I fought for years ago. Now, I was paying the bill. I didn't regret my decisions. I just needed to reflect on my judgment of character. There was nothing wrong with my sincerity or kindness. The problem wasn't me. It was Caleb. The floating text returned. [The Female Lead is blind! He’s putting on a show for her! Can’t she see?] [He mentioned divorce to save her face at the hospital! I’m crying for this misunderstood love!] [I hate it when characters don't communicate! Just apologize! He’ll run back like a puppy!] [Lyra, think about how much he suffered as a kid! Have a heart!] [I’m having a heart attack. Does she really think he likes Chloe? If she just coaxes our Caleb, he won’t look at another woman.] [Are these comments bots? I’m a VIP reader, not an idiot! He needs a slap, not a hug.]
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387342", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel