Chapter 2

I wrenched myself free of my relatives' hold.

I grabbed the rope beside me, ready to rush over and strangle the child in Brooklyn's arms.

When they saw I meant it, my relatives went pale with fright.

They held me back, swearing up and down.

"Wanda, Brooklyn is an honest woman. She'd never cheat on your son!"

"Calm down! Today is your grandson's one-month celebration. Do you really want to destroy this family?"

Then they hurried to call my son, telling him to come back.

"Justin, where are you? Get to the hotel right now!"

"Your mother has lost her mind. She insists the child Brooklyn risked her life to give birth to isn't her grandson, and she wants to kill him!"

Unfortunately, before she could finish, I was already standing in front of her with the hemp rope in my hand.

She stared at the hemp rope in my grip, thick as a baby's arm, less than half a meter from her.

At any second I could lunge and strangle her with it.

The relative who'd tipped off my son was so scared she started stammering.

"Wanda, look, I'm not saying the child Brooklyn had isn't your son's."

"And even if it isn't, that's got nothing to do with me!"

"It's not like I put her up to cheating on your son..."

But I went around her and headed straight for the kitchen.

Weed-killer poison could spill, and a rope still had to be pulled tight.

A cleaver was easier.

I grabbed a bone-cleaving blade from the kitchen and went back to the banquet hall.

I moved to strike at Brooklyn and the child as the relatives huddled around comforting them.

But a pair of large hands clamped down hard on my wrist before I could.

"Mom! Haven't you made enough of a scene?"

"I know you've never liked Brooklyn, but that doesn't give you the right to slander her by saying her child isn't mine!"

"You're spreading these lies in front of all these relatives. How is my child supposed to face the world when he grows up?"

But I stood my ground, righteous as ever.

"Bah! A bastard pretending to be my grandson, and he thinks he gets to live like a person?"

"I'll send him to hell right now!"

"Maybe the King of Hell will be kind and let this bastard reincarnate a little sooner!"

I raised the bone-cleaving blade and swung it again at the child in Brooklyn's arms.

But my son threw himself in front of Brooklyn and the child.

I pulled the blow back as fast as I could, but the blade still caught my son's shoulder.

Blood soaked through his coat, and I was horrified.

I grabbed his hand at once, wanting to get him to the hospital.

But my son threw my hand off.

Clutching his wounded shoulder, he looked at me as if I were a stranger.

"Mom, I used to think you just didn't like Brooklyn, and that you couldn't bring yourself to love her child either."

"That's why you made up that lie about an ancestor visiting you in a dream, to humiliate her."

"But I never imagined you could be this vicious, that you'd actually try to kill mine and Brooklyn's child!"

"I don't need your fake concern taking me to the hospital. Get out of my child's one-month celebration now! I don't have a mother like you, and my child doesn't have a grandmother as vicious as you!"

I couldn't believe it.

He was actually driving me out for the sake of this bastard!

The online comments gloated right along.

Serves you right for going crazy and slandering people! Happy now? Your own son won't claim you anymore.

Just apologize to your son and his wife! They're not really blaming you, they just can't stand you causing a scene at the baby's one-month celebration.

As long as you're sincere and bring out that big gold bracelet again, you can still be one happy family!

But I clenched my fists.

My husband died young, and I raised my son alone, being both father and mother to him.

Only I know how much I suffered.

You could say my son is my whole life!

Him disowning me is no different from killing me.

But to make me accept this bastard as my grandson...

I couldn't accept it!

I wiped away my tears and told my son.

"I'll go."

"But this bastard has to die today!"

The moment I said it, I seized the chance while Brooklyn wasn't looking and snatched the child from her arms.

Then I ran for the hotel doors like a madwoman.