Cast Back into the Crowd

However, just as I prepared to initiate the divorce proceedings, Jacob was diagnosed with acute leukemia.

The doctors explained that a bone marrow transplant offered the best chance for recovery. I underwent testing immediately, but I was not a match.

In my despair, Marcello's test results came back positive, transforming him into my final lifeline for saving our son.

For Jacob's sake, I postponed the divorce. Marcello donated bone marrow twice, and both procedures succeeded, gradually stabilizing Jacob's condition.

But then, Chloe announced her pregnancy. She consulted a supposed mystic who proclaimed that her child was a lucky star for the Golden family, destined to bring unending prosperity. The entire household treated the unborn baby like a precious gem.

Chloe complained that her current room had poor orientation and coveted our master bedroom. Marcello permitted her to evict me to a storage room.

She then insisted that Jacob's well-lit room would be ideal for her child's nursery. I watched as the staff discarded his beloved toys and books into the trash, and I could no longer contain myself.

I rushed forward to intervene. "You cannot touch my son's belongings!"

But the bodyguards Marcello had hired specifically to protect Chloe obeyed her commands and restrained me on the floor. She reclined on the sofa, her lips curled in a provocative smirk. "Want me to spare his room? Sure. Lick my shoes clean, and I'll call them off."

"You're delusional!" I glared at her. "You wretched woman! You'll get what you deserve!"

No sooner had the words left my mouth than my hair was seized, followed by a sharp slap across my face that left my cheek swollen and burning.

Marcello loomed over me, his gaze devoid of warmth. "Have you lost your mind? Chloe is carrying the future of our family. How dare you curse at her like that?"

In the past, even a minor scrape on my skin would have caused him distress, yet now he was striking me for another woman.

From that day onward, life for Jacob and me became increasingly unbearable. Under Chloe's influence, the housekeeper served us spoiled meals. Our cramped storage room was dim and chilly, lacking heat during the winter months.

One midnight, Jacob woke me up, crying, "Mom, I'm hungry."

I attempted to sneak to the kitchen for food, but Chloe discovered me and shrieked accusations of theft.

With temperatures plummeting to ten degrees below zero, Marcello confined me to the outdoor garden for the entire night.

I shivered until my lips turned purple, repeatedly reminding myself to endure just a little longer. Once Jacob recovered, everything would improve.

The doctors assured me that a third bone marrow transplant would restore his health completely. Clinging to that hope, I tolerated every indignity and torment. Yet I never anticipated Marcello's ultimate betrayal.

The day before the scheduled surgery, I noticed the household staff packing luggage, which triggered a wave of unease.

I confronted him, and he responded as nonchalantly as if discussing the weather. "Chloe prefers to give birth in Eloavale, and the company requires expansion overseas anyway, so we're relocating tomorrow."

My blood ran cold. "What about Jacob's surgery?"

He shrugged dismissively. "I've secured a new donor for him. The procedure will proceed as planned. Don't worry. Once I sort things out abroad, I'll be back."

I immediately called Jacob's attending doctor to confirm, only to learn the surgery was canceled—with no new donor in sight.

In a frenzy, I demanded answers from Marcello. "Why did you cancel it? Are you trying to kill him?"

He snapped back, impatient. "Stop being unreasonable! You're simply fabricating issues to prevent our departure!"

To ensure no delays in his plans, he ordered us locked in the wine cellar.

My phone rang, interrupting the painful recollection. Assuming it was my daughter calling for a bedtime story, I answered promptly.

Instead, Marcello's furious roar echoed through the line. "They claim Jacob is gone!"