Mom, flustered, let the ladies surround me.
She grabbed Ethan and ran.
He screamed. My insides twisted. My palms
bled. The last shred of affection for my
mother vanished.
They wanted to play dirty? Fine.
The ladies let me go once Mom was gone. I
took pictures of them, sent them to the cops.
“My son was just kidnapped! You’re all
accomplices! My phone’s been recording this
whole time! The police heard everything! Expect a call!”
I ignored their pleas, followed Mom and
Jessica. I’d put a tracker in Ethan’s clothes
after Jessica’s release. I knew she’d come
after me.
I sent the tracker’s location to the cops. We
followed, converging on an abandoned
warehouse.
Ethan and Leo were inside. Leo tied to a
chair. Ethan listless on a bed.
Jessica saw me, laughed. “Knew you’d come!
You wouldn’t let your precious son die!”
“But what about Ethan? You raised him! How
can you watch him suffer?”
“Give me David’s money! I need to buy the
medicine! And you’ll sell your house, too!”
Living with Ethan had worn her thin. Her
money was gone. She’d drained Mom’s
Not this time.
“Jessica, get real. I’m not paying for your
son. You made this mess, you clean it up!” “You knew he might have asthma! You chose
to have him! This is your responsibility, no
one else’s!”
Her face twisted in rage. She walked to Leo.
“You bitch! This is your fault! If you’d just
paid for Ethan’s treatment, none of this would
have happened!”
She yanked Leo’s chair over, sending him
crashing to the floor.
“Give me the money, or your son dies with
him!”
Leo screamed. I fought back the tears. I
needed to end this, once and for all.
“Leo, don’t cry! Mommy’s coming! Be brave!
You’re a big boy!”
I blinked back tears. Ethan woke up, called
for me. “Mommy!”
Jessica spun around, slapped him. “Who are
you calling Mommy?! I’m your mom! She doesn’t want you! Shut up!”
“Just like your worthless father! Little
bastard! Choosing her over me! Why should I
even bother saving you?!”
She lunged at Ethan, shaking him violently.
Mom tried to intervene, got kicked to the
ground.
“Leave him alone! He’s the reason I’m
divorced! Broke! He chose her! I wish I’d
never had him! I wish he’d died at the
hospital!”
She was losing it.
I snuck over, quietly untied Leo while Jessica
was ranting. Mom saw, trembled, but stayed
silent.
I took Leo’s hand, started to leave. I stepped
on a branch. It snapped.
Jessica whirled around. “Trying to run? Not a
く
She pulled a knife, charged at us.
I pushed Leo. “Run!”
I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain. It didn’t
come.
Instead, a thud. Jessica collapsed, blood
gushing from her head.
Mom stood there, trembling, a wooden club in
her hand.
Her eyes, filled with horror and… grief.
“Jessica… Jessica…‘
