The cab came to a halt, and I fished some cash from my bag before stepping out of the car. I paid the driver and glanced at my house. It looked so familiar and warm. It hadn't changed one bit.

With a warm smile, I walked to the gate and once I passed through, I approached my house excitedly, but the sight that greeted me upon entering made me cold.

I saw my son and my husband standing close to a cake, with someone I hadn't expected.

Vanessa. My ex-best friend.

She wasn't my friend anymore because of what she did to me. This woman had been attempting to ruin my life for twenty years now. Why was she here again? Why did my family look so happy around her?

My heart sank as their birthday song echoed in my ears. They hadn't even noticed me.

"Happy birthday, Liam," Vanessa cooed, feeding my son his cake.

I felt so upset. That should be me.

"Thank you," Liam giggled as she kissed his cheeks.

The cake trembled in my hands as I saw the affection my son showed her. But the worst part was when she straightened herself to kiss my husband, Brandon.

"Vanessa!" I yelled, and she pulled away.

"How dare you?!" I snapped, storming towards them.

I placed the cake on the table and shoved her away from Brandon.

"Get away from him!" I yelled, glaring at her. "What the hell are you doing here? Didn't I warn you never to get close to me or my family again?"

"Lucille, relax, I just came to fill the void of your absence and help your family cope," She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"By kissing my husband?" I shouted, my frail body trembling with rage. "You're completely insane, Vanessa!"

"Lucille, stop this, you're frightening the poor child," She faked concern, pulling my son close to her.

"Haven't you done enough? Stealing two of my husbands hasn't sufficed?" I yelled, my voice shaking and my heart quivering.

Over the years, Vanessa had seduced my former husbands, leading them to divorce me. She hadn't spared one.

"Lucille, you need to calm down, you're ruining your son's birthday," She said calmly, as if she wasn't the one trying to take my family away from me.

"Let go of my son," I sneered and attempted to pull my child from her, but Liam pushed my hand off.

"Mommy, I don't want her," He cried, wrapping his hand around Vanessa's waist.

An intense pain rippled through my heart. Did my son just call her...Mommy? What the hell was happening?

"Baby..." I called softly, but he clung to her. "I'm your Mommy," I said, tears pooling in my eyes.

"Lucille, stop all this. You're creating a scene," Brandon said, grabbing my arm and pulling me back.

"Let go of me!" I cried, yanking my arm out of his grip.

"Brandon, how could you do this to me? You know how much time..."

I swallowed hard, unable to finish my sentence. I didn't have much time left. I had a terminal disease that had taken so much from me. I just wanted to spend my remaining days with my family.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I asked, my tears spilling. "Is this why you haven't been visiting?!" My voice hitched, my frail body shaking.

"You don't look good. You should go back to the hospital, where you belong," He uttered, his voice cold, void of remorse.

Gasps left my lips at his words, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

"I thought you were different."

When I met Brandon, he was great to me, and when I married him, he was even better. I told him about my ordeal with Vanessa and my previous husbands and he treated me so good, just to make me trust him. Our marriage for five years had been exceptional unlike my previous marriages where I only spent one year each.

But then, Vanessa appeared.

"You should have stayed in the hospital," He added, dismissing my feelings.

I couldn't even recognize him anymore.

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