Abandoned by My Son, Reborn for Revenge / Chapter 2: The End and the Beginning
Abandoned by My Son, Reborn for Revenge

Abandoned by My Son, Reborn for Revenge

Author: Harold Hayes


Chapter 2: The End and the Beginning

When the apartment manager found me, maggots had already started growing on my leg.

I was lying face-up on the linoleum, the TV still playing late-night reruns. The smell of sickness was everywhere, sharp and metallic. My world had become so small—just this room, just this pain.

Only a single breath kept me alive.

Each inhale rattled in my chest, like the last note of a song you don’t want to end. I clung to it, afraid of letting go.

It was the first time so many people had come to my place.

Suddenly, my little apartment was crowded—strangers and worried faces, the apartment manager talking in a low voice, neighbors peeking in from the hallway, the faint echo of someone’s dog barking outside.

There was the apartment manager, some folks from the local community center.

I caught snippets of conversation—"Found her this morning," "No family listed," "Is that her son on the wall?"—like radio static in my foggy mind.

A young care worker gently fed me, encouraging me to hang on. Her voice had that Georgia sweetness, gentle and warm as a summer breeze. Her latex gloves were cool against my skin as she offered me a spoonful of apple sauce. "C’mon now, ma’am. You’re tougher than you look. Don’t you give up just yet."

Someone asked, "This illness wasn’t hard to treat at first. How did it get this bad? Where’s her family?"

I couldn’t speak.

My mouth felt full of dust. Words tried to come out, but nothing happened.

They recognized my son from the photos covering the wall.

There were old school portraits, graduation snapshots, and a framed article clipped from the Wall Street Journal. All those years of motherly pride, displayed in cheap dollar-store frames.

"Her son is so famous—a big entrepreneur, on the Forbes list."

"Weird, why didn’t he take her with him when he moved to the States? Last time in the interview, he clearly said all his family was by his side."

Their voices were full of curiosity and confusion, as if I were a riddle they couldn’t solve.

Not long after, they helped me get in touch with my son.

I tried hard to lift my head, wanting to see the man on the screen clearly. The nurse propped up the tablet, and the FaceTime screen flickered. His face glitched on the screen, pixels blurring the lines I used to know by heart. My hand trembled as I reached for it, eyes straining for a glimpse of the boy I remembered, not the man he’d become.

It had been nearly twenty years since I last saw him. Now, he was already a fifty-year-old man. But in my eyes, he was still the same as when he was young. The lines on his face couldn’t erase the memory of his gap-toothed grin, the way he’d once begged for bedtime stories.

I used almost all my strength to call out his name: "Ethan..."

The word caught in my throat, like an old song I hadn’t sung in years.

He just stared at me, then said, flat as a parking lot: "Why are you still around?"

He said it coldly, not a flicker of emotion in his eyes, as if we were nothing more than strangers caught on a glitchy Zoom call.

After saying that, he hung up.

The volunteer called him again.

"How can you do this? Your mother is holding on to her last breath just to see you."

The volunteer’s voice shook with disbelief, her eyes darting between me and the silent screen. She tried to reason with him, to plead.

"The doctor says she doesn’t have much time left. Shouldn’t you come back and handle her affairs?"

There was a sound of impatience on the other end—a sharp click of the tongue.

"To tell you the truth, to me she’s just a stranger. Whether she lives or dies has nothing to do with me."

His words landed like blows, echoing in the sterile apartment. Even the neighbor’s dog went quiet.

"Whether you bury her or scatter her ashes at sea, do whatever you want. Just don’t bother me."

My eyes grew moist.

The tears stung, blurring the photos on the wall, the faces of those watching. I felt hollow, every part of me aching.

Scenes from my son’s childhood to his adulthood flashed before my eyes, one after another.

His first steps across the faded carpet, his hands sticky with peanut butter, his voice on Christmas morning. All the tiny memories that made up a lifetime together.

Suddenly, one scene froze.

I was dazed for a moment.

The world around me faded, replaced by the shine of birthday candles and the echo of laughter from years ago.

I found myself standing in front of the bathroom mirror, my face young again.

For a split second, I thought it was a cruel joke—the kind you only see in the movies. But the face in the mirror was mine, the years unwritten, the hope unbroken.

This chapter is VIP-only. Activate membership to continue.

You may also like

Reborn to Serve My Villain Daughter
Reborn to Serve My Villain Daughter
4.7
I died as a mother, and was reborn as a maid—only to find the cold, feared mistress of the governor’s mansion is my lost daughter from a past life. Everyone whispers that Mrs. Reynolds is a monster who destroys anyone who crosses her, but I refuse to believe the sweet child I once loved could become so cruel. To protect her and uncover the secrets that broke her soul, I’ll risk everything—even if she never knows who I truly am.
My Daughter Is the Reborn Heroine
My Daughter Is the Reborn Heroine
4.7
When my rebellious daughter suddenly became obedient, begging for private school tuition, I thought she’d finally changed. But pop-up comments only I can see reveal she’s the heroine of a second-chance romance, scheming to run away with her bad boy boyfriend—and in her last life, I was the villain who ruined her happiness. Now, as she plots behind my back and strangers invade my home, I must decide: fight for her future, or let her go and risk losing everything—including my own life.
Reborn to Ruin the Valedictorian
Reborn to Ruin the Valedictorian
4.9
After Caleb Monroe betrayed my family and left me for dead, I woke up ten years in the past—the day he came to propose. This time, I’ll expose every secret, free the housekeeper he truly loves, and destroy the golden boy before he destroys us again. In Silver Hollow, revenge is colder than the winter pool he left me in.
I Let My Wife Die for My Mistress
I Let My Wife Die for My Mistress
4.8
The night my wife needed me most, I chose my first love instead—and my son will never forgive me. Now, haunted by guilt and shattered trust, I must rebuild a broken family with the woman who tore us apart. But when my son’s rage turns icy and unforgiving, can love ever wash away the blood on my hands?
Reborn as My Own Son, President Again
Reborn as My Own Son, President Again
4.7
I died as President, only to wake up in my son's body—now I must mourn my own funeral and lead a divided nation with my secret identity on the line. My loyal wife is a ruthless tactician, my family is crumbling, and political enemies circle like vultures. But when a blood bond threatens to swap our souls forever, can I save my son and my country, or will my own legacy destroy us both?
Banned by My Own Son
Banned by My Own Son
4.9
After sacrificing everything for her ungrateful family, a devoted mother is blindsided when her son tries to sabotage her one dream: taking her eighty-year-old mom to D.C. for Memorial Day. Family loyalty turns to betrayal in a flurry of accusations, ultimatums, and a viral group chat war—forcing her to choose between her son and her mother, and to finally stand up for herself before it’s too late.
Rejected Twice by My Real Family
Rejected Twice by My Real Family
4.7
After my birth family finds me, the girl who stole my life walks into the sea—and everyone blames me. Beaten, shunned, and framed by my own blood, I’m cast out and forced to choose between begging for love or building my own future. But when fate rewinds and gives me a second chance, I pick the one person who truly wants me—my outcast Grandpa—and vow never to crawl for their affection again.
Divorced for a Son That Wasn’t Mine
Divorced for a Son That Wasn’t Mine
4.6
After ten years of loyalty, Jason betrays his devoted wife for a younger woman who finally gives him the son his family always demanded. But on the day his new heir is born, his ex-wife’s chilling words threaten to shatter his perfect life—because the baby he sacrificed everything for may not be his after all. When the truth comes out, will Jason lose everything to the woman he cast aside?
Reborn as the Villain’s Dead Wife
Reborn as the Villain’s Dead Wife
4.8
Ten years after my death, the system drags me back—scarred, memoryless, and forced to save the ruthless villain who destroyed the world for love. But everyone knows his late wife was his obsession, and every imposter before me has died horribly. The twist? My new name is Natalie Carter—his wife’s name—and even his icy son suspects I’m not who I claim to be.
My Daughter Framed Me for Her Betrayal
My Daughter Framed Me for Her Betrayal
4.7
I sacrificed everything to give Natalie a safe, happy life—only to watch her choose a cruel family and sell us out piece by piece. When I finally drew the line, she branded me an abuser in front of my college and the whole town, shattering my reputation overnight. Now I have to decide: do I fight for the daughter I raised, or let go before she destroys us all?
My Son Stole My Wife
My Son Stole My Wife
4.8
The night I planned to hand over my company, I discovered my own son and young wife betraying me behind closed doors. Every deal, every embrace—now just weapons in their twisted game for power and passion. If they want to write me out of my own life, they’ll regret not finishing the job—because this time, I’m fighting back.
My Father Killed Me—So I Saved Us All
My Father Killed Me—So I Saved Us All
4.9
Death was just the beginning. My father’s hands stole my breath at twenty-nine, but fate gave me a second chance—and I swore I’d rewrite our story. Born the daughter no one wanted, I watched my mother die from heartbreak and my father parade his ‘real’ son, leaving me with nothing but scars. But when I woke up in my childhood bedroom, on the very day I could save my mom, I seized the moment. Now, armed with memories of betrayal and survival, I’ll outsmart the man who destroyed us—turning his golden boy against him, risking everything for a future that’s finally mine. But as my past hunts me and danger closes in, will this new life be enough to break the cycle, or am I doomed to repeat my fate? One thing is certain: this time, I’m not running—I’m fighting for us all.