When Love Turned To A Living Hell

ntally delayed son, Leo. Life was a relentless grind, but I held our shattere

onstruction site. My son, Leo, ran to get help, o

ed me. She mocked Leo's death, then brutally kicked me in the stomach, causing intern

d attacked her. He threw a razor at my head, call

sed me of cheating. In the struggle, they shattered the urn, scattering my s

oices clear and strong. They had faked his paralysis, stolen his company's assets, and Celeste had even wished fo

pte

xis

on, the pain, the constant gnawing fear in my gut. My husband, Gavin, was paralyzed. His tech startup had collapsed, leavi

d me. And then there was Celeste, Gavin' s sister. She was infertile, a widow, and always aro

he world around him, quietly. They saw our worn clothes, the cheap food. I felt their judgment like a physica

alloused. My back ached constantly. I dragged myself out of bed before sunrise and didn't stop until long after dark. It was the

the constant stress in our lives. He loved to draw, to quietly play with his worn teddy bea

ter another, my muscles screaming in protest. The heat shimmered off the ground, blurring the edges of my vi

ommy, wake up!" he cried, his voice barely a whisper. He looked terrified. He started to

voice wouldn't come. I watched his small figure disappear around a pile of lumber. A sudden, sharp bar

nd aggressive. I tried to push myself up, fear lending me a sudden, desp

he sounds were fading. A terrible silence fell. I rounded the lumber pile,

e

Blood pulsed from a dozen wounds. His eyes were wide open, staring at the unf

member the world tilting, the ground

hand. They told me about the construction company's settlement. A small amount, barely enough to cover Leo's funeral, but I ha

orture I inflicted on myself, each item a fresh stab of pain. His worn picture books, his crayon dr

the seam. I ripped it open. Tucked deep within the stuffing was a ti

ak, slurred tones he used from his wheelchair. "It's all set, Celest

so gullible. Working herself to death for her 'paralyzed' husband and that... tha

nks she's carrying the world on her shoulders. Let he

them talking about the money, about how they'd planned it all. The fake par

.. always underfoot. Such a burden. Imagine if he were gone. I

were the practical one. But for now, let Alexis deal with her p

en a searing heat spread through my veins, quickly followed by an icy tremor. Gavin. C

my mouth onto the worn carpet. The room swam around me. The betrayal was too much. The pain