My Son Called His Father’s Mistress “Mom”—Until I Walked Away

After three years of marriage, we became the couple everyone in the city envied. I truly believed Edmund and I would be happy forever—until my sister, Avery, returned. Everything changed. My husband’s constant favoritism toward her and my son’s growing coldness left me unable to carry on. On Christmas Day, I walked into the courthouse. When the judge asked me one last time if I wanted to fight for my son’s custody, I simply shook my head. “Your Honor, I waive my right to custody, and I agree to the divorce.” Out of our seven years of marriage, two had been spent trapped in endless legal battles. I was utterly exhausted. This time, I chose to let go. I dialed a number and called my old professor, Robert, overseas. “Professor Robert, that research project you mentioned before... I’m in.” Chapter 1 Professor Robert was ecstatic to hear my response. “Victoria, is this true? That’s wonderful! You are incredibly talented in this field, and I know your involvement will lead to a breakthrough for our project. I’ll book your flight for next week right away.” “Thank you, Professor,” I replied before hanging up. When I stepped back into the courtroom, the judge handed me the divorce agreement and the custody waiver. I picked up the pen and firmly signed my name. Just as I handed the paperwork back to the judge, the heavy doors burst open from the outside. It was Edmund and David. The moment Edmund saw me, his face darkened, his eyes filling with a poorly concealed disgust. “Victoria, can you stop being so reckless? Today is Christmas. Why couldn’t you just let David enjoy the holiday in peace? “David isn’t a toddler anymore. He has every right to choose who he wants to live with. You keep dragging me to court over and over—have you ever stopped to think about how David feels?” My son, David, hid behind Edmund. His gaze was cold and full of resentment. When his eyes met my questioning look, he spoke without a shred of hesitation. “I want to live with Dad and Aunt Avery. I hate you.” A sudden memory flashed through my mind—a video Edmund had sent me. It showed the three of them celebrating Christmas together, laughing and radiating warmth. Seeing how happy they were only made me look like the wicked witch in a fairy tale. “This is all your fault,” David snapped. “If it weren’t for you, we’d be unwrapping presents under the Christmas tree right now.” ‘But, David, I bought a present for you, too. We were supposed to be a happy family. Edmund was the one who broke our home, not me. Why did you have to hate your own mother?’ I thought. “Mom, you’re just an evil witch! Why can’t you leave us alone? “I don’t like you. I like Avery. I want Avery to be my mom.” It felt as though a blunt knife had been brutally driven into my chest. A dull, agonizing ache radiated from my heart, spreading to every inch of my body. In an instant, all the strength was drained from my limbs. The custody battle I had fought for over two years turned into a complete joke. He was right. I had spent so long fighting for him, yet I had never stopped to ask if David even wanted to be with me. Perhaps he simply did not want me as his mother at all. “Fine,” I said softly. “I’ve already signed the custody waiver with the judge. I don’t want you anymore, either.” David never expected me to abandon him. His eyes instantly welled with tears. “You’re lying! If you didn’t want me, why did you cling to Dad for so long?” “Victoria, have you actually thought this through?” Edmund interjected, his tone shifting. “Are you really giving up? Don’t you love David more than anything? “Victoria, you know I don’t actually want a divorce. As long as you behave yourself, we can go right back to how things used to be, okay?” The way Edmund counterfeited heartache made me physically sick. “No.” By the third year of our marriage, Edmund and I had started having non-stop arguments over Avery. We had been tearing each other apart for four long years. The only reason I had fought so hard for custody was that I remembered how he, as a little boy, had sobbed and begged me not to leave. But too much time had passed, and everything had changed. Edmund and David grew resentful, and I grew profoundly exhausted. I chose to let go—to free them, and to finally free myself. I slid the divorce agreement over to Edmund. “Sign it.” Chapter 2 Edmund looked at my gaunt face and then down at the divorce agreement in his hands. A flicker of heartache actually flashed across his eyes. “Victoria, can you stop making a scene? Why can’t we go back to the way things were? Are you truly willing to throw our family away?” “Edmund, don’t talk as if I’m the one who ruined this family. Didn’t this happen because you cheated?” I stared intently at Edmund’s face, desperately searching for even a shred of guilt. But there was none. His expression was full of absolute confidence, as if he were entirely certain I would never actually go through with the divorce. Perhaps that used to be true. I really had loved him to a fault. Seven years ago, our marriage had faced fierce opposition from Edmund’s mother. She believed a woman like me was completely beneath her son. After the wedding, she made my life miserable in every possible way, treating me like an unpaid maid and denying me the most basic respect. She constantly humiliated me in public, even going so far as to openly mock me at a gala, calling me a low-class, money-grubbing girl. Back then, Edmund would always step in to shield me. But as time went on, he gradually stopped caring. Then came a Christmas when I got pregnant with David. Just as I was bursting with joy and preparing to share the wonderful news with Edmund, his betrayal arrived before my happiness could. “Victoria, today is Christmas,” he had said. “I don’t want Avery to spend it all alone. “I know what happened to your parents, but Avery was just a child back then. She was a victim, too.” Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced myself not to let them fall. His words were nothing less than a sharp blade driven brutally into my heart. Why? Why did it have to be like this? One was my sweet, loving husband, and the other was the illegitimate sister I loathed more than anyone else. Edmund knew exactly how much I despised my sister, and how much I detested unfaithful husbands. It was because of my own father’s infidelity. When my mother had hysterically confronted him all those years ago, her pain was met with a single, cold sentence: “I’m sorry, but I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with her.” “That’s exactly what you told me back then,” I whispered. Ultimately, my mother died on impact in a car crash on her way to finalize the divorce from my father. I was only twelve years old. Not long after, my father brought that other woman into our home. It was only then that I discovered they had a daughter named Avery, who was just two years younger than me. At that exact moment, I truly felt the crushing weight of my mother’s agony. My heart was so painfully numb. Watching the man in front of me openly admit his affair made him overlap completely with the memory of the man who had once sworn before God to love me forever. Except now, his eyes looked entirely like a stranger’s. “Edmund, I hate you,” I choked out. “How could you do this to me?” My voice was incredibly raspy, and my tears finally spilled over, betraying my resolve. Suddenly, my vision went black, and I collapsed. When I finally woke up, Edmund was kneeling beside my hospital bed. The rims of his eyes were crimson, filled with tears and an unspeakable amount of remorse. “Victoria, you’re finally awake! You’re pregnant... I—I’m going to be a father!” Edmund was so overwhelmed that he was practically incoherent. He gripped my hand tightly, terrified that I might vanish the next second. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I’ll cut ties with Avery. I promise.” I had placed my hand over my stomach and, in the end, I chose to forgive him. But history proved that constant forgiveness can never win back a man who has already lost his heart. “Victoria, something came up at the company. I need to take care of it.” “Victoria, there’s an issue with the project. I have to go check on it immediately.” “Victoria, I have an important meeting today. I might be home a bit late.” Eventually, Edmund did not even bother making excuses anymore. What he did not know was that Avery sent me photos of the two of them every single time. Even on the day I went into labor, Edmund was out on a date with her. Unable to bear the torture any longer, I had finally filed for divorce. “Just sign it quickly,” I said, my tone cold and unyielding as I stared him down. “We won’t ever have to see each other again.” Then, I looked down at David, my voice completely detached. “And I won’t bother you anymore, either.” “Fine! See if I care!” David yelled back at me in a fit of pique. “Avery will take care of me anyway! Dad, let’s go back to Avery right now. I haven’t even unwrapped my presents yet!” Hearing his words made me want to laugh. It turned out I was the only one who had ever cared about this family. For all these years, I had been the only one desperately holding it together. Perhaps my childhood trauma had made me over-dependent on the idea of a family. But now that I was calm, I realized that divorce was truly the best outcome. Edmund took the paperwork and finally signed his name. As I walked out of the courthouse once more, the cold wind hit my face, clearing my mind completely. Suddenly, the phone in my pocket began to vibrate. Chapter 3 “Merry Christmas, Victoria.” “Merry Christmas, Professor Robert.” “Victoria, what’s wrong? You don’t sound very happy.” Professor Robert was quick to notice my low spirits. The sudden, genuine concern made my nose prickle with tears. After my mother passed away, the professor was the first person to truly care about me. “It’s... it’s nothing, Professor,” I choked out, trying to steady my voice. “Good girl. If anything is bothering you, you can always tell me. Today is Christmas, and I’ve prepared a gift for you. Come on over, Steve and I are waiting for you. “The flight I booked happens to be right after Christmas. Talk it over with your family. This project requires absolute confidentiality. Once you enter the research institute, you won’t be able to return for three years.” “There’s no need to discuss it, Professor,” I replied. “I’ve already made up my mind.” After exchanging a few more pleasantries, I hung up and drove toward the professor’s house. Halfway there, my phone suddenly rang. “Hello, is this David’s mother? David was just in a car accident. He’s currently at the hospital…” The moment I heard the words car accident, my heart leaped into my throat. My body trembled uncontrollably as sheer terror consumed me. I sped toward the hospital, my heart pounding violently against my ribs as tears streamed down my face. I desperately prayed to God over and over, begging Him to keep David safe. I tried calling Edmund repeatedly, but he didn’t answer a single time. My heart sank deeper into an abyss with every missed call. Yet, when I finally rushed to the door of the hospital room, the sound of bright laughter and joy drifted out from inside. “David, let’s place a bet,” Avery’s voice echoed from within. “Let’s see how many minutes it takes for your mom to get here.” “Mom won’t come,” David replied sullenly. “She said she doesn’t care about me anymore.” “Don’t worry, David. Your mom will definitely show up. After all, she fought a custody battle for you for two whole years, and she didn’t even hesitate to quit her job at the research institute just to take care of you. “How about this? If your mom comes, you tell your dad that you want me to be your mom. If she doesn’t show up, I’ll buy you that Spider-Man toy you wanted. Deal?” “Deal.” Standing outside the door, listening to them use my desperation as a gambling chip, I felt completely frozen. I violently threw the door open. The moment they saw me, the smiles froze instantly on their faces. Avery was the first to recover. She immediately wore a slightly provocative smile and said, “Look, David, what did I tell you? Your mom always shows up.” David’s expression instantly shifted from embarrassment to delight. But before he could speak, I cut him off. “Why did you lie to me? Who taught you to do this?” Terrified by my sudden outburst, David looked on the verge of tears as he stared at Avery in distress. “It wasn’t me…” “Victoria, stop it. You’re scaring him,” Avery said, instantly rising to shield David behind her. She walked over and tried to grab my hand. “Victoria, I know you’re sensitive about car accidents. But if I didn’t say that, how else would I get you to come see David? “He really wanted to see you. I didn’t have a choice.” I saw the triumphant gleam in her eyes. She had done this on purpose. She knew perfectly well that my mother’s death was the deepest wound in my heart, yet she deliberately ripped the scab open. Slap! I struck her across the face with everything I had. Seeing this, David instantly jumped out of the bed, threw himself in front of me, and began swinging his small fists at me. “Why did you hit Avery? You bad woman! I don’t want you to visit me anymore! Go away! Get out!” “If you didn’t want me to visit, why did you lie?” David looked up at me, his eyes burning with resentment. Avery quickly stepped forward and pulled David into her arms. “I’m sorry, Victoria, it’s all my fault. I just thought there was some misunderstanding between you and David, and I wanted to get you both together to have a good talk. “I know you don’t want to see me, and it’s all my fault. Please don’t take your anger out on David. He’s just a child.” Disgusted by Avery’s hypocritical performance, I spat out a single word. “Get out!” Right then, the door to the room swung open again. Edmund walked in, immediately stepping in front of Avery. He frowned at me, his face twisting in anger. “Victoria, what kind of madness is this now?” Chapter 4 I looked at the three people standing across from me. They looked exactly like a real family, while I was left playing the villain. “I’m losing my mind, Edmund? Aren’t you two the ones who drove me to this? “You swore before God that you would love me and only me for the rest of your life. You knew perfectly well that my mother died because of my father’s infidelity. You knew an unfaithful husband was the one thing I loathe above all else. “Yet, you betrayed me over and over again. Aren’t you the sole reason for the mess we’re in right now? “You pushed me to the edge step by step, and now you have the nerve to blame me for breaking? Don’t you find all of this completely pathetic?” Confronted by my questions, Edmund stood speechless. He lowered his head, a flicker of guilt crossing his features. But right then, Avery stepped forward. She dropped down to her knees before me in a display of absolute humility, her voice thick with grievance. “I’m sorry, Victoria. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have fallen in love with Edmund. But no one can truly control matters of the heart. Edmund has supported you financially for all these years, yet you do nothing but blame him. Do you have any idea how hard he works out there? “I am truly sorry about what happened to your mother, but I was just a child back then. I was a victim, too. I’ll keep making it up to you, so please, just forgive me. “If you’re angry, take it all out on me. Hit me, curse at me—I swear I won’t ever fight back. Just please forgive us.” She wept openly, reaching out to grab my hand. Disgusted, I violently shoved her away. “Get away from me! Don’t touch me, you make my skin crawl.” Avery took the opportunity to collapse heavily onto the floor. Edmund and David instantly rushed to her side in a panic. Avery slid smoothly into Edmund’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably, while David glared at me with pure rage. “You bad woman! Get out of here! Stop hurting Avery!” Edmund looked up, his eyes burning with absolute fury. “Apologize!” he demanded coldly. “Why on earth should I apologize to a mistress? You two are the ones who owe me an apology.” I could never forget the day David turned one. Filled with joy, we had taken him to Edmund’s company to celebrate his birthday, only for me to overhear a devastatingly familiar voice. “Edmund, do you think Victoria would actually divorce you if she caught us? She absolutely despises cheating husbands, after all.” At that exact moment, the blood had frozen in my veins. I had stared at the scene before me, completely unable to believe my eyes. I couldn’t comprehend how Edmund, who had once expressed nothing but disdain for Avery, could suddenly fall in love with her. We had been so deeply in love before. And now, even the child I had raised with every ounce of my love was choosing Avery’s side. “Victoria, what is it going to take for you to finally leave Avery alone?” Edmund snarled. “I’ll leave her alone when she’s dead,” I replied, my expression completely blank. “Fine, Victoria! Is my death the only thing that will make you forgive Edmund? I can’t bear to see you two constantly tearing each other apart because of me anymore!” Before anyone could comprehend what she was doing, Avery bolted upright, grabbed the paring knife from the bedside table, and plunged it fiercely into her own stomach. She moved so fast that no one in the room could react in time. It was only when bright red blood began pooling through Avery’s clothes that everyone snapped out of their shock. “Avery! How could you be so foolish?” Edmund lunged forward, gathering her into his arms, his heart breaking at the sight. “David, go get a doctor right now! Avery, stay with me! Look at me!” David scrambled out of the room in a blind panic. Edmund turned his head toward me, his gaze twisted with murderous malice. “Are you satisfied now, Victoria? I swear to you, if anything happens to Avery, I will make you pay with your life!” Edmund scooped Avery up and rushed out of the room. He slammed right into me on his way out, sending me crashing to the floor without a second thought. Or perhaps, he simply didn’t care. The angle of my fall was brutal. The side of my forehead struck the sharp corner of the cabinet, and blood began to seep from the wound. My head throbbed violently, and my vision blurred into darkness. In the distance, my phone began to ring its familiar tune, but I no longer had the strength to answer it. I found myself wondering... if I died right here, would my mother and the professor be sad? When I finally opened my eyes again, Professor Robert was looking down at me, his face etched with deep worry. “Victoria, you’re finally awake. How are you feeling?” “Professor Robert? Why are you here?” The sharp throb in my forehead cleared my head slightly. I forced myself to sit up. “You never showed up, and I got worried,” the professor explained softly. “When I called your phone, a nurse answered. She said they couldn't get a hold of any of your family members, so I rushed right over.” Of course. In Edmund’s world, Avery would always be infinitely more important. The professor took in my pale complexion, but ultimately chose not to press for details. “Professor, can we leave early?” The professor studied my face intently for a long moment before nodding. “Alright. I’ll change the flights. Do you need to go back and pack your things?” “No need, Professor.” Meanwhile, in another ward, a pale Avery leaned weakly into Edmund’s chest. “Edmund, I’m fine now. You should go check on Victoria. She must be absolutely devastated.” “Don’t waste your breath on her,” Edmund replied coldly. “She crossed the line this time. Once you’re fully recovered, I’ll make sure she comes here and apologizes to you face-to-face.” “I don’t mind suffering a little,” Avery murmured, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. “As long as it calms her down and stops her from making things difficult for you.” When Edmund looked away, a triumphant smirk spread across Avery’s face. But by then, I was already sitting on a plane bound for another country. Watching the city shrink into the distance beneath the clouds, an indescribable wave of emotion washed over me. I was finally free.