Chapter 13

Mom stared at me, her face etched with shock as if she had aged ten years in an instant. Her lips moved silently for a while before she managed to ask in a trembling voice, "Kaelan, is that true?" Seeing her pained expression felt like a knife twisting in my heart. I wanted to explain right away. I didn’t care what anyone else thought, but I couldn’t let Mom misunderstand. I couldn't let her be hurt even more. "Mom, hear me out—" Before I could finish, Sharon cut me off, "Of course it's true. Kaelan is a murderer. What company would hire him? How else could he have gotten that much money so quickly, if not by selling himself?" Tears streamed down Mom's face as she pressed her lips together, trying to hold back her sobs. She started hitting her legs with her fists, her voice filled with despair. "It's all my fault! I’ve ruined my child! I’m just a burden to you, Kaelan. How could I be so useless?" Startled, I rushed forward to grab her hands. "Mom, don’t say that! It's not what you think—" Mom’s eyes suddenly rolled back, and she fainted. My mind went blank. Without a second thought, I dashed off to find help. Upon seeing the urgency, a passing doctor wasted no time and rushed her into the emergency room. While May and I went to handle the paperwork, my hands shook uncontrollably. When we returned to the emergency room, Sharon was still there, standing calmly in the corner as if nothing had happened. Mom was in critical condition because of her lies, yet she remained unaffected. My restraint shattered. Without thinking, I stormed toward her, eyes blazing with fury. "Sharon, are you human? You’re nothing but ungrateful! Mom treated you so well. Even if you hate me, you shouldn’t have hurt her!" Sharon crossed her arms, still looking down upon me as if she had done nothing wrong. "I was just stating the facts. If your mother can’t handle the truth, that’s not my problem. And don’t forget, she wouldn’t even be here right now if I hadn’t paid for her surgery!" Her shamelessness made my blood boil. I clenched my jaw and uttered, "You should be glad I don’t hit women, or I’d make you apologize to my mother." Sharon smirked, her eyes dark with hatred. "So what? You’d kill me like you killed Wesley? Don’t kid yourself, Kaelan. You’ve never been anything more than a rat scurrying through the gutters." I let out a bitter laugh. "The truth about what happened five years ago isn’t as simple as you want people to believe. Don’t fool yourself with your own lies." Then, I turned away without waiting for a response, heading back to the emergency room. Mom was still inside there, and I needed to be by her side. May had been silent this whole time, but her face was clouded with guilt. "Kaelan, was it because of me? Mrs. Leroy wouldn’t be in this condition if it weren’t for me..." I quickly interrupted her, shaking my head. "May, don’t think like that. This has nothing to do with you. It’s because of heartless people spreading malicious rumors. You’ve done nothing wrong." May sighed quietly. "Mrs. Leroy is a strong woman. She’s going to pull through. But you have to take care of yourself too, Kaelan." I nodded, forcing a smile. "You shouldn’t feel guilty, either. My mom’s able to keep getting treatment because of you. Once she wakes up, I’ll explain everything to her. We owe you a big favor." May’s expression softened slightly. "I’m just glad I could help Mrs. Leroy. That’s all that matters." I turned my head, only to notice Sharon still standing nearby, watching us.