Just as I turned on the hot water, Yuna's scream echoed from downstairs. My heart tightened, and I quickly shut off the water and rushed down.I saw Silas pulling a soaking wet Yuna out of the fish pond. As soon as Yuna was out, she pointed at Yael, crying, "Yael pushed me!"Silas's gaze turned sharp as a blade, his voice cold and cutting. "Yael, what did you do?!"Yael's face turned pale with fear. He stumbled backward, losing his footing and falling to the ground.Alarmed, I rushed to shield Yael behind me.Silas's anger shifted to me, his voice booming like thunder. "Lena, is this the son you’ve raised? It’s no surprise he’s good for nothing!"I felt Yael tug gently on the hem of my shirt behind me. His voice was weak and hesitant, but after a moment, he stammered, "I… I… I didn’t."Relief and heartbreak washed over me simultaneously. He had spoken—finally—but how much fear and injustice had he endured to utter those words?I stood firm and defended him, "Yael says he didn’t
Before marrying Silas, I owned a small apartment of my own. It wasn’t large at just over 80 square meters, but it was enough for Yael and me to live comfortably.After tidying up the space a bit, I gently coaxed Yael to sleep.I had assumed Silas would act swiftly, and that the divorce papers would be in my hands in no time. However, over half a month passed without a word from him.Then, one day, Silas unexpectedly showed up at my door. Yael and I had just returned from the hospital when I saw him standing there, an abrupt and unwelcome figure.Although Yael’s therapy sessions hadn’t fully restored his previous cheerfulness, he was now able to chat and laugh with me, even if his speech still carried a slight stutter at times.The moment we recognized Silas, both of our smiles disappeared.Leaning against the doorframe, Silas fixed his gaze on Yael. “Yael, aren’t you going to say hello to Daddy?”Lowering his head, Yael timidly murmured, “Hello, Daddy.”It was Silas’s first tim
In the days leading up to Saturday, Yael counted down each moment with uncontainable anticipation. Every morning, the first thing he did upon waking was to open his big, bright eyes and ask me, “Mommy, Mommy, is it Saturday yet?”His little face radiated pure excitement and joy.By Friday night, he carefully laid out the clothes he planned to wear on the edge of his bed and took a long time to finally fall asleep.When Saturday arrived, Yael woke up even earlier than me. After dressing neatly, he sat quietly on the sofa with his hands propping up his chin, staring intently at the door, waiting for Silas to show up.From morning until evening, however, Silas never appeared. The light in Yael’s eyes gradually dimmed, leaving only a forlorn shadow.“Mommy, does Daddy not like me?” he asked softly, his voice tinged with sadness.My heart ached as I looked at his small figure, which seemed especially lonely in the growing darkness. Forcing a smile, I tried to reassure him, “Maybe Dadd
After that phone call, Silas began appearing at my doorstep more frequently. Sometimes, he’d bring tickets to the amusement park, trying to pique Yael’s interest.“Yael, would you like to go?” he’d ask with a hopeful tone.Each time, Yael treated him like air, not even sparing him a glance as he walked away.Other times, early in the morning, when I was taking Yael to school, Silas would be waiting downstairs. “Let me take Yael to school,” he’d offer.Yael never acknowledged him and would only politely but distantly reply, “No thanks, Daddy. Mommy will take me.”A flicker of awkwardness would cross Silas’s face before he stepped aside.One day, however, I had to attend a friend’s wedding in another city and couldn’t make it back in time to pick up Yael from school. Reluctantly, I asked Silas to pick him up.When I rushed back later that evening, I headed straight to Silas’s office but didn’t see Yael.“Where’s Yael?” I asked anxiously.Silas calmly put away his documents. “I h
Yael was still sobbing softly in my arms, his small body trembling in a way that tore at my heart.Silas reached out, wanting to take Yael from me, but Yael flinched at the slightest hint of his touch. He began struggling furiously, refusing to let Silas get anywhere near him.“Bad man! Bad man!” Yael cried, his voice laced with desperation. It seemed his disappointment had reached its peak—he wouldn’t even call him “Daddy” anymore.Silas froze, his hands hovering in mid-air, before retreating helplessly to stand on the sidelines.I took Yael inside and changed him into a dry set of clothes. Then, I sat down on the living room sofa, intending to have a proper conversation with Silas.He seemed to sense what was coming. One moment, he’d excuse himself to use the restroom; the next, he’d say he needed to make a cup of coffee—anything to avoid sitting down.Watching him pace around, I finally called out, “Silas.”He stopped in his tracks and, as though he’d been commanded, stiffly
The divorce agreement came through quickly. Silas practically handed over half of his assets to me. Along with that, he included 10% of the company's shares.I didn’t refuse. I accepted it outright. I wouldn’t turn my back on money since it felt like his way of compensating us for everything.The next time I saw Silas was at the entrance of the civil affairs office. He looked utterly exhausted, his once pristine suit now rumpled and disheveled. "I sent Lily and her daughter abroad. I really have nothing to do with them anymore," he said.I didn’t know what he thought saying that would accomplish. Did he think it would turn back time?Seeing my lack of response, he pressed on, "Do we really have to do this?" His voice was low, laced with a faint plea.I took a deep breath and looked at him. "Yes. This is a relief for both of us. Or you can think of it as letting me go."He lowered his gaze, remaining silent for a moment, before finally nodding.We entered the civil affairs office
“Madam, the young master is back."I rushed downstairs, my heart pounding wildly.In the living room, little Yael Gardner sat blankly on the sofa, his eyes empty and lifeless. He had lost weight, and his face was as pale as a sheet. His once lively, bright eyes were now dull and dim."Yael!" I ran over and hugged him tightly, tears streaming down my face.Yael stiffly let me hold him, showing no reaction at all.I cupped his little face, my heart aching as if it were being torn apart. "Baby, Mommy's here. Don't be afraid."However, Yael just stared at me blankly as if he didn’t recognize me.Fighting back tears, I carefully examined his body. Other than some bruises on his wrists and ankles, there were no obvious injuries. I gently stroked his hair. "I’m sorry, it’s Mommy’s fault for not protecting you."Yael remained silent like a delicate porcelain doll.My heart was burning with anxiety. I turned to Watson and ordered, "Quick, get the car ready. We're going to the hospital!
Three days ago, Yael disappeared while playing downstairs in our residential complex. I was frantic as if my entire world had collapsed.Two hours later, I received a call from an unknown number.The voice on the other end, which was distorted by a voice changer, sounded chillingly cold. "If you want your son to stay alive, prepare ten million dollars. Don’t call the police."My palms turned cold with sweat in an instant. My voice trembled as I asked, "Where do I deliver the money?"The kidnapper gave an address to an old warehouse in the southern part of the city. "Leave the money on the second-floor staircase. Once I see the money, I’ll send the boy back. Be quick. If you’re late, I can’t guarantee what might happen."Before I could say anything, the line went dead.I forced myself to stay calm and drove to Silas’s office while comforting myself, ‘Ten million is a trivial amount for Silas. Yael will come back soon—very soon.’I bypassed the receptionist and went straight into
The divorce agreement came through quickly. Silas practically handed over half of his assets to me. Along with that, he included 10% of the company's shares.I didn’t refuse. I accepted it outright. I wouldn’t turn my back on money since it felt like his way of compensating us for everything.The next time I saw Silas was at the entrance of the civil affairs office. He looked utterly exhausted, his once pristine suit now rumpled and disheveled. "I sent Lily and her daughter abroad. I really have nothing to do with them anymore," he said.I didn’t know what he thought saying that would accomplish. Did he think it would turn back time?Seeing my lack of response, he pressed on, "Do we really have to do this?" His voice was low, laced with a faint plea.I took a deep breath and looked at him. "Yes. This is a relief for both of us. Or you can think of it as letting me go."He lowered his gaze, remaining silent for a moment, before finally nodding.We entered the civil affairs office
Yael was still sobbing softly in my arms, his small body trembling in a way that tore at my heart.Silas reached out, wanting to take Yael from me, but Yael flinched at the slightest hint of his touch. He began struggling furiously, refusing to let Silas get anywhere near him.“Bad man! Bad man!” Yael cried, his voice laced with desperation. It seemed his disappointment had reached its peak—he wouldn’t even call him “Daddy” anymore.Silas froze, his hands hovering in mid-air, before retreating helplessly to stand on the sidelines.I took Yael inside and changed him into a dry set of clothes. Then, I sat down on the living room sofa, intending to have a proper conversation with Silas.He seemed to sense what was coming. One moment, he’d excuse himself to use the restroom; the next, he’d say he needed to make a cup of coffee—anything to avoid sitting down.Watching him pace around, I finally called out, “Silas.”He stopped in his tracks and, as though he’d been commanded, stiffly
After that phone call, Silas began appearing at my doorstep more frequently. Sometimes, he’d bring tickets to the amusement park, trying to pique Yael’s interest.“Yael, would you like to go?” he’d ask with a hopeful tone.Each time, Yael treated him like air, not even sparing him a glance as he walked away.Other times, early in the morning, when I was taking Yael to school, Silas would be waiting downstairs. “Let me take Yael to school,” he’d offer.Yael never acknowledged him and would only politely but distantly reply, “No thanks, Daddy. Mommy will take me.”A flicker of awkwardness would cross Silas’s face before he stepped aside.One day, however, I had to attend a friend’s wedding in another city and couldn’t make it back in time to pick up Yael from school. Reluctantly, I asked Silas to pick him up.When I rushed back later that evening, I headed straight to Silas’s office but didn’t see Yael.“Where’s Yael?” I asked anxiously.Silas calmly put away his documents. “I h
In the days leading up to Saturday, Yael counted down each moment with uncontainable anticipation. Every morning, the first thing he did upon waking was to open his big, bright eyes and ask me, “Mommy, Mommy, is it Saturday yet?”His little face radiated pure excitement and joy.By Friday night, he carefully laid out the clothes he planned to wear on the edge of his bed and took a long time to finally fall asleep.When Saturday arrived, Yael woke up even earlier than me. After dressing neatly, he sat quietly on the sofa with his hands propping up his chin, staring intently at the door, waiting for Silas to show up.From morning until evening, however, Silas never appeared. The light in Yael’s eyes gradually dimmed, leaving only a forlorn shadow.“Mommy, does Daddy not like me?” he asked softly, his voice tinged with sadness.My heart ached as I looked at his small figure, which seemed especially lonely in the growing darkness. Forcing a smile, I tried to reassure him, “Maybe Dadd
Before marrying Silas, I owned a small apartment of my own. It wasn’t large at just over 80 square meters, but it was enough for Yael and me to live comfortably.After tidying up the space a bit, I gently coaxed Yael to sleep.I had assumed Silas would act swiftly, and that the divorce papers would be in my hands in no time. However, over half a month passed without a word from him.Then, one day, Silas unexpectedly showed up at my door. Yael and I had just returned from the hospital when I saw him standing there, an abrupt and unwelcome figure.Although Yael’s therapy sessions hadn’t fully restored his previous cheerfulness, he was now able to chat and laugh with me, even if his speech still carried a slight stutter at times.The moment we recognized Silas, both of our smiles disappeared.Leaning against the doorframe, Silas fixed his gaze on Yael. “Yael, aren’t you going to say hello to Daddy?”Lowering his head, Yael timidly murmured, “Hello, Daddy.”It was Silas’s first tim
Just as I turned on the hot water, Yuna's scream echoed from downstairs. My heart tightened, and I quickly shut off the water and rushed down.I saw Silas pulling a soaking wet Yuna out of the fish pond. As soon as Yuna was out, she pointed at Yael, crying, "Yael pushed me!"Silas's gaze turned sharp as a blade, his voice cold and cutting. "Yael, what did you do?!"Yael's face turned pale with fear. He stumbled backward, losing his footing and falling to the ground.Alarmed, I rushed to shield Yael behind me.Silas's anger shifted to me, his voice booming like thunder. "Lena, is this the son you’ve raised? It’s no surprise he’s good for nothing!"I felt Yael tug gently on the hem of my shirt behind me. His voice was weak and hesitant, but after a moment, he stammered, "I… I… I didn’t."Relief and heartbreak washed over me simultaneously. He had spoken—finally—but how much fear and injustice had he endured to utter those words?I stood firm and defended him, "Yael says he didn’t
During dinner, I carefully fed Yael. While he still didn’t speak, he obediently opened his mouth for each bite. I patiently fed him, spoon by spoon, my heart aching with a mix of sorrow and tenderness.Across the table, Silas sat watching coldly.He suddenly spoke, "Look at you, treating him like a three-year-old. He’s already five. Can’t he feed himself?"Ignoring his ridicule, I focused on taking care of Yael.Yael seemed to sense his father’s disapproval and trembled slightly. I gently patted his back and comforted him softly, "It’s okay, Yael. Take your time, Mommy is here with you."Just then, the doorbell rang.In confusion, I glanced at Silas, but he remained indifferent. "It’s probably Lily. I invited her and Yuna over to visit."My heart sank, but I suppressed my discomfort and got up to answer the door.As expected, Lily and her daughter Yuna stood outside.Lily beamed as she entered. "Silas, we’re here!" When she turned and saw me, her smile dimmed slightly. "Oh, Le
Silas and I were never meant to have a smooth marriage.He developed feelings for the Gardners’ adopted daughter, Lily, and was discovered by his parents. To put an end to it, the Gardners swiftly arranged a marriage for Lily and sent her abroad.Alas, fate loves playing cruel jokes.The night, Silas drowned his sorrows over the news, I was drugged, no thanks to his rival’s scheme, and ended up spending the night with him in my stupor. That one-night stand left me pregnant with Yael, and I became Mrs. Gardner.Now, however, Lily was back. Her life abroad wasn’t all roses and sunshine, and upon learning this, Silas ignored his parents’ objections and brought Lily and her daughter, Yuna, back home.Watching them together, so harmonious and happy, I couldn’t help but admit that they looked more like a family than we ever did.Silas had always treated me with cold indifference. I’d known all along that I was nothing more than a reluctant obligation to him. That disdain even extended
I sold all my jewelry at the speed of light and at the lowest price, finally scraping together enough for the ransom.Thankfully, Yael returned unharmed. If anything had happened to him, I would never have forgiven myself.At the hospital, the doctors conducted a thorough examination of Yael. The results showed that, aside from mild dehydration, he was physically unharmed. However, the psychologist believed that the kidnapping had caused severe psychological trauma, resulting in selective mutism."What the child needs most right now is a sense of security and love," the psychologist said gently. "You should spend more time with him, create a warm and comfortable environment, and consider regular therapy sessions for psychological support."I held Yael’s small hand tightly and nodded firmly. "I understand. Thank you, Doctor."When I stepped out of the hospital, I saw Silas’s car parked at the entrance. He was leaning against the car door, watching us with an expressionless face.I