I Have Returned with the Truth

The heat from the car crashing into the guardrail still lingered at my fingertips, yet the soft cry of a baby suddenly reached my ears. I suddenly opened my eyes, and the familiar baby room came into view — in an ivory cradle, my son was clenching his little fists and softly humming, sunlight filtering through the sheer curtains and illuminating his chubby cheeks. This was neither the hospital morgue nor the site of a car accident. I lifted my hand to touch my arm—no wounds, no blood. Looking down at the nightstand, the electronic calendar clearly showed the date — five days before her son's full month celebration. My heart pounded wildly. Scenes from my past life surged back like a tide: the glaring flashes at the full month celebration, my mother-in-law thrusting the paternity test report in front of me, guests whispering with contempt... "Stacy Lynn, how dare you bring an illegitimate child into the Jones Family!" my mother-in-law's sharp voice still rang in my ears. I held my son tightly, trying to explain, but my husband, Caleb Jones, pushed me aside. The disgust in his eyes was like an ice pick, piercing me painfully. "Get lost, and never come back with your child." He said. After that, I became the "shameless woman" hated by everyone online, pointed at and gossiped about wherever I went. Until the day an out-of-control truck came charging at me and my son, I held him tightly, only able to cry out "I'm unwilling" in my heart. My son's crying snapped me back to reality. I quickly picked him up and gently patted his back. The little guy immediately stopped crying. With wet eyes, he stared at me, clutching my collar with his small hand. "Baby, don't be afraid. Mommy is here." I pressed my forehead against his, my voice trembling uncontrollably. This time, I will never let the tragedy of my past life repeat itself. My mother-in-law's fake report, Caleb Jones's coldness, the violence online... I will make everyone who has hurt us, mother and son, pay. Footsteps approached outside the door—it was my mother-in-law, Hanna Clark. I quickly laid my son back in the cradle and steadied my emotions. "Stacy, come down to eat when you wake up. Caleb has to go to the company today; don't keep him waiting too long." Her voice came through the door, without any hint of unusualness—just as kind as it was before the full month celebration in the previous life. I took a deep breath and responded, "Understood, Mom, I'll be there right away." The woman in the mirror still looked a little pale, but there was a determination in her eyes that hadn't appeared in the previous life. Reborn once again, I am no longer the weak and easily bullied young mistress of the Jones Family. I am Stacy Lynn, a mother determined to protect my son and uncover the truth.