A Mother Forsaken, a Marriage Broken

On the day the privileged heiress, Olivia Cruz, and I register our marriage, she leaves me and Mom stranded on a deserted road before running off to her childhood sweetheart, Brad McCoy.

Rage triggers Mom's cardiac arrest, so I call Olivia in anxiety, begging her to come back and save Mom.

But she just says a cold line before ending the call, "Not this again. Every time I have to step away, your mom suddenly has heart pain. Your family sure knows how to put on a show, huh?"

With that, Mom misses her chance at rescue and dies.

That night, a mutual friend posts online. "Growing up together is a whole different kind of bond!"

The post shows Olivia perched on Brad's lap with his hand resting on her waist. It's the perfect picture of intimacy that leaves little to the imagination.

I expressionlessly tap on the like button before typing my comment. "Is this what you meant by 'something important'?"

The friend sneers. "Relax, it's just a game of Truth or Dare. I can't believe you're taking it so seriously."

Olivia doesn't even bother to explain, but when I walk away without a word, she finally panics.

"I'm done, Olivia. We're over."

I sent Olivia Cruz the text without a flicker of emotion, right after boxing up the last of Mom's belongings.

She believed I was sulking. A minute later, she took a screenshot of our chat and posted it online. "Guess some people never outgrow being petty."

Her friends, eager to watch the show, piped up in the comments.

"Like mother, like son. Probably learned it from that hick woman."

"He's just a lapdog. Who told him he mattered?"

"Don't you dare forgive him this time, Olivia. Put him in his place!"

Smiling, Olivia replied, "Of course."

I slammed my fist into the photo frame. As the glass shattered, blood seeped through my knuckles.

I had stood by her for six years, cared for her, and obeyed her every word.

She grew up with money, but I came from an average, modest family. If she wanted a designer bag, I had to work two, sometimes three, jobs and save for months until I could place it in her hands. It was all just to see her smile. My palms blistered and my nails split, but I never complained.

She occupied the biggest place in my heart. When she caught the flu and couldn't find the medicine at home, I dragged myself through my own fever just to bring it to her doorstep.

And yet, she burned through the money I bled for. Worse, she funneled it behind my back, time and again, into the startup of her childhood sweetheart, Brad McCoy.

After hearing what Olivia had offhandedly said, Mom emptied her savings just so she wouldn't feel shortchanged and could have the grand wedding she deserved.

But on the day we were supposed to register our marriage, Olivia answered Brad's call and left us stranded on a