My eight-year-old son was dying of kidney failure, desperately needing money for a transplant. I was worth millions, but I wouldn’t spare a dime. Instead, I went out clubbing.

When my husband, Mark, found me at the club, I was making it rain on some male dancers.

He dropped to his knees, sobbing, begging me to lend him fifty thousand dollars for our son Leo’s kidney transplant.

I flatly refused.

My mother-in-law showed up, hysterical, shoving her phone in my face.

On the screen, Leo’s face was sallow, dark, almost lifeless. He was barely conscious, mumbling, “Mommy, I don’t wanna die.”

Disgusted, I snatched the phone and smashed it on the ground.

“If he’s gonna die, let him die already! Why show me this? Buzzkill!”

Then I jumped onto the stage, grabbed the mic, and yelled,

“Tonight, everything’s on my tab! I’m buying!”

…

The club erupted in cheers and shouts.

Under the flashing lights, I raised my glass, reveling in the chaos and glamour.

The next second—

My mother-in-law stormed the stage, ripped the mic from my hand, and slammed it down.

BANG—!

The feedback shrieked, making everyone cringe and cover their ears. Even the band stopped playing.

SMACK!

She slapped me hard across the face.

“Olivia! Are you even human?! Leo is lying in a hospital bed, about to die!”

“They found a kidney match! All we need is fifty thousand dollars! Just fifty thousand, and he can have the surgery and live! Mark even said we’d borrow it from you, pay it back! Why won’t you agree?!”

“You have money to waste here, money to entertain all these strangers, but you can’t save Leo? He’s your son! Your own flesh and blood!”

“His eighth birthday is just two weeks away!”

She wailed, her voice thick with tears and desperation.

The crowd, forgetting the ringing in their ears, fell silent, all eyes on me.

Annoyed, I kicked her.

“Who do you think you are? You dare ruin my fun, old hag? Touch me again, I dare you.”

She crumpled to the floor, clutching her stomach.

“Mom!”

Mark rushed onto the stage, eyes red, and helped his mother sit up.

He turned to me, his expression a mix of pain and forced patience.

“Honey, Mom’s just frantic about Leo, that’s why she hit you. But how could you hit her back? She might be your mother-in-law, but she’s always treated you better than me, her own son. Have you forgotten?”

I hadn’t forgotten.

Even before I married Mark, his mother had fawned over me. After the wedding, she treated me like royalty, practically offering me the moon and stars. Every time Mark and I argued, she’d take my side without question, yelling at Mark to make me feel better, cooking my favorite foods to cheer me up. She often held my hand, saying she’d always wanted a daughter and was thrilled her son brought home such a perfect daughter-in-law.

Seeing my expression soften slightly, my mother-in-law shifted from sitting to kneeling, wringing her rough, calloused hands as she pleaded again.

“Olivia, honey, I’m begging you, please save Leo! The doctor said if he doesn’t have the surgery today… he might not make it through the night!”

“After Leo was born, I didn’t want you to tire yourself out, so Mark and I raised him mostly. But you gave birth to him! Even a wild animal protects its young! How can you just watch him die?”

“Before he turned five, sure, Leo was a bit naughty. But these last three years, he’s been so good! Anytime there was a treat, you were the first person he thought of. When you had that bad flu, he was so worried he barely ate for two days. He insisted on washing your feet every night… his tiny body struggling with that heavy basin of water, wobbling as he walked, but still smiling, taking care of you.”

“Fifty thousand… for someone worth millions like you, even five million wouldn't be a problem! Mom is begging you, please, save Leo!”

She started banging her forehead on the stage floor, tears and snot smearing her wrinkled face.

Amplified by the dropped microphone nearby, her desperate cries and the sickening thud of her head hitting the stage echoed through the silent club.

The strangers who had cheered my generosity moments ago now stared at me with shock, disgust, and anger.

“She looks so put together, but she’s rotten inside!”

“Ugh! I don’t want drinks from someone like her! Letting her own son die while she flaunts her wealth here? Makes me sick!”

“Using the money that could save her son’s life to buy us booze? What if she tries to blame us later, saying we killed her kid?”

“I feel ashamed just being in the same club as this evil woman! Where’s the manager? Get her out of here!”

“Yeah! Kick her out!”

2

The crowd was furious, chanting for me to be thrown out. Some started throwing snacks, even bottles, my way.

Suddenly, Mark stood in front of me, shielding me.

A glass bottle shattered against his head. Blood immediately started trickling down his temple.

Yet, he kept me behind him, pleading with the enraged crowd.

“Everyone, calm down! Please! My wife… she’s probably just in shock, overwhelmed by what’s happening to our son! That’s why she’s acting like this! Please don’t misunderstand her! Leo is waiting for his mom at the hospital.”

“If Leo saw his mom hurt, the little guy would be heartbroken! Please, stop!”

Maybe it was the sight of Mark’s bleeding head that scared them, or perhaps his desperate, tearful defense actually moved them.

The crowd stopped throwing things.

Mark let out a breath of relief and turned to look at me, his eyes full of pained affection.

“Olivia, I know you’re devastated. But right now, saving our son’s life is the most important thing.”

“I know you like to keep control of the finances… afraid I might betray you if I had money. That’s okay. You can transfer the money directly to the hospital’s account. Our nanny is there with Leo. As soon as you send it, I’ll have her tell the doctors to start the surgery immediately. Okay?”

I slapped away the hand he reached out to me.

Expressionless, I brushed a piece of thrown popcorn from my hair.

“Not okay. If he dies because there’s no money, at least his suffering ends sooner, right?”

“Forget fifty thousand. I won’t give a single penny.”

He stared at me, dumbfounded, as if he couldn’t believe my cruelty. He stumbled back a step, almost losing his balance.

Still, he clung to a sliver of hope, his voice trembling, choked with tears.

“Olivia… Leo really doesn’t have any more time… You’re… you’re still mad at me, aren’t you?”

“Pushing you… I only did that because I was so worried about Leo, I panicked! I didn’t mean it! Besides, you weren’t hurt, right? Once Leo has his surgery, I’ll apologize however you want. Anything. Okay?”

I fell silent.

If he hadn’t mentioned it, I’d almost forgotten how he’d nearly shoved me down the stairs in his rush to get Leo to the hospital.

My mother-in-law started sobbing and pleading beside him again.

The onlookers were moved by their desperation; some were already wiping away tears.

The male dancers I’d thrown money at earlier glared at me with disgust, pulled the cash I’d given them from their pockets, and stuffed it into my mother-in-law’s hands.

They helped her to her feet.

“Ma’am, this is the money your daughter-in-law gave us. It’s not much, but maybe it can help.”

“It’s not enough! This isn’t nearly enough!” My mother-in-law clutched the bills, stomping her foot in anguish.

I shook my head, a cold smile playing on my lips.

“So many kind people in the world.”

“Well, there’s an idea, Mark,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Look at all these generous souls. Why don’t you try asking them? Pass the hat around. Who knows, maybe you’ll scrape together enough. Let’s just hope… the one in the hospital lasts long enough for you to manage it.”

With that parting shot, I turned and strolled away.

My mood was thoroughly ruined. What a drag.

But seeing them so wretched and miserable… should I feel happy? Or maybe… excited?

3

Mark lunged after me, grabbing my wrist. Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang. It was the hospital.

He answered immediately. The nanny’s frantic, sobbing voice came through the line.

“Leo’s coding again! They rushed him back into emergency! The doctor needs to know, are you doing the surgery or not?! There’s no time left! Get back here now!”

He hung up, swaying on his feet.

“What’s wrong with my grandson? What happened to Leo?!” his mother shrieked.

Mark ignored her, his grip tightening on my arm like a vise. He started dragging me towards the exit.

“My son can’t die! Olivia, I’m sorry, but you have to come to the hospital and pay today.”

I fought back, twisting and pulling, almost breaking free.

Suddenly, my mother-in-law grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked me viciously in Mark’s direction.

They shoved me into the car and wrestled me all the way to the hospital.

A crowd of gawkers and self-proclaimed "righteous" people from the club followed us, including a few young men and women holding up phones, live-streaming the whole spectacle.

Mark and his mother pinned my head down, forcing me to use my face ID—or maybe they forced my thumb onto my phone—to authorize the fifty-thousand-dollar payment for the surgery.

We rushed to the emergency room, only to find the nanny slumped against the wall, tears streaming down her face.

“Leo… he’s gone.”

Hearing the news, my mother-in-law’s eyes rolled back, and she collapsed backward in a dead faint.

If one of the bystanders from the club hadn't caught her, she would have cracked her head open on the floor, likely ending up paralyzed.

What a pity.

Mark’s breath hitched. He released his grip on me, ignoring even his unconscious mother, and bolted into the emergency room.

Heart-wrenching sobs echoed from inside.

The nanny, her eyes swollen and red, turned to me, her voice choked with tears.

“Why? Why didn’t you save Leo? He was your son! He was such a good boy! He could have lived!”

I rubbed my bruised wrist, my voice chillingly calm.

“You wanted to save him, so you saved him. He’s dead now. Make sure the hospital refunds my money.”

Honestly, even without me saying it, the money would have been refunded to my account anyway. Hospital refunds always go back to the original payment source.

Ignoring the curses and hateful glares from the onlookers, I turned and walked away coldly.

Seeing that I didn't even spare a glance for my dead son, their insults grew uglier.

One young woman, the live-streamer, followed me relentlessly, filming and narrating my every move. She kept saying she wanted to see if the "evil, heartless mother" would eventually break down and cry in some hidden corner.

I didn’t stop her. In fact, I slowed my pace so she could keep up.

I went straight to my upscale spa, the one I owned, and treated myself to a facial, scalp treatment, and full-body massage.

Crying? Not a chance.

Breathing in the calming aromatherapy scents, I drifted off into a comfortable, deep sleep.

When I woke up, it was noon the next day.

As I walked out of the VIP suite, I noticed the way the technicians looked at me. Their eyes held undisguised disgust and contempt.

Calmly, I opened my phone. Just as I expected, yesterday’s events had exploded online.

My spa was now trending along with my name.

Countless netizens were denouncing me, showering me with vile insults. But when I saw the surge in followers and attention, I actually smiled.

4

The young woman live-streaming was still camped outside the spa entrance. Through her feed, I could see a swarm of reporters and angry people waiting to confront me.

I checked my reflection, adjusted my clothes and hair.

This was exactly what I wanted. Maximum publicity. Then, I would expose the truth in front of everyone and tear off their hypocritical masks myself.

But just as I opened the door, before the reporters could even surge forward, a disheveled woman burst through the crowd, flanked by police officers, and pointed right at me.

“It was her! That vicious woman killed my grandson, Leo! Leo didn’t just have kidney failure! She poisoned him! Arrest her! Arrest her now!”

Oh. It was my mother-in-law. Hair wild, face streaked with grime and tears, I almost didn’t recognize her.

“Mom! There has to be some misunderstanding!” Mark suddenly appeared, stepping between me and the advancing officers. “Leo died because Olivia didn’t pay in time, yes, but… she wouldn’t poison her own son! Our whole family treats her so well! She has no reason to do this!”

Without a word, his mother slapped him hard across the face.

“You love-struck fool! The autopsy report is crystal clear! Leo died from long-term ingestion of juice contaminated with heavy metals! Our whole family drinks juice every day, but only Olivia!”

“Every time you personally juiced the fruit and took it to her room, that was exactly when Leo would be washing her feet! She must have put something in it and tricked Leo into drinking it! That’s why he got sick!”

“You always bend over backward for her, fine! But are you still going to protect her now?!”

Her accusation hung in the air. Dead silence.

For the past six months, Mark and his mother had been cultivating a wholesome online image through short videos on their social media account. They weren’t hugely famous, but locally, they were known as the perfect husband and the doting mother-in-law.

After a few seconds, the silence shattered. A torrent of curses rained down on me.

“Oh my god! You’d get attached to a dog after that many years! This woman is pure evil!”

“I’ve seen their family videos! Her husband and mother-in-law treated her like gold! The kid was so sweet too! I can’t believe she’s such a monster!”

“She should be drawn and quartered! A woman like that!”

“I heard she owns this spa! Let’s trash the place! Give that poor family some justice!”

The enraged crowd surged forward, trying to storm the spa.

The police radioed for backup, struggling desperately to maintain order.

“Everyone, stay calm! Is risking yourselves for someone like her worth it? Please trust us! We will not let any criminal escape justice!”

My mother-in-law, furious at Mark’s initial defense, started hitting him.

“You have to divorce this woman today! And she leaves with nothing! All her assets should go to you as compensation for what she did to Leo, and to you!”

“If you don’t divorce her, I’ll die right here, right now!”

Ah, there it is. The real motive finally comes out.

Mark turned to me, his face etched with agony.

“Olivia! Even if you thought I wasn’t good enough for you, even if you found some richer guy, even if you thought Leo would hold you back… how could you kill him? He was our son!”

“I didn’t want a divorce before because I couldn’t bear the thought of Leo losing his mother! But how could you do something like this?”

“For years, our family practically worshipped the ground you walked on! Wasn’t that enough?!”

With those few sentences, he accused me of infidelity and laid out a clear motive for murder.

Amid gasps of shock, the crowd was now utterly convinced I was an irredeemable monster.

Suddenly, I snorted, then burst into loud laughter.

I laughed until tears streamed down my face.

5

Thinking back, ever since I met Mark, he had been incredibly good to me. Almost… subserviently so.

After we got married, his attentiveness became meticulous. He always hand-washed my socks and underwear. Whatever I craved, no matter how far or how late, he’d happily fetch it for me. Every anniversary, every holiday, he’d conjure up elaborate surprises.

Everyone envied me for marrying such a model husband.

I used to think so too. I believed I must have accumulated lifetimes of good karma to deserve such a happy life.

He played his part so well. He didn't just fool everyone else; he almost fooled me too.

A flicker of malice crossed Mark’s eyes, but he quickly masked it with a look of pained resignation.

“Olivia, what you’ve done this time… it’s unforgivable.”

“I’ll let you keep a small house out in the suburbs. So you’ll have somewhere to go when you get out of prison. As for everything else… just like Mom said… let’s… get a divorce.”

“Divorce? Fine by me.”

I stopped laughing, stood on the top step of the spa entrance, looking down at him.

“But the one leaving with nothing shouldn’t be me. And the one going to jail isn’t me either. It’s you, Mark!”

“You won’t get a single cent of my money! Did you and your mother think just because my parents are gone, I’d be easy prey? You truly are… a heartless, ungrateful snake!”

SMACK!

The crisp sound echoed as my slap sent his head snapping to the side.

Ignoring the sting in my palm, feeling it wasn’t enough, I started kicking him furiously with my high-heeled foot.

My mother-in-law shrieked and lunged at me, but I kicked her down too, sending her sprawling and whimpering in pain.

Seeing his mother assaulted again, Mark finally dropped the act.

He lunged at me with a roar, eyes blazing with fury.

“Olivia, that’s ENOUGH!”

Given his size and strength, my two years of self-defense classes were useless.

Just as his fist was about to connect with my face, the police officers who had arrived as backup managed to tackle him and pull him off me.

“Let me go! She hit my mother! I have to teach her a lesson today!”

He was completely enraged, out of control. It took four officers to wrestle him to the ground and restrain him.

Seeing Mark pinned down, my mother-in-law nearly choked with rage, wailing,

“You’ve got the wrong person! That’s my son! The woman is the criminal! Arrest her!”

The reporters and onlookers chimed in, confused and indignant.

“Yeah, you’ve got the wrong guy! She hit him and his mother first! He’s the victim here!”

“That woman is insane! She poisoned her own son, then attacked her husband and mother-in-law! She’s a murderer! A lunatic! Arrest her!”

“What kind of police are you? Arresting the victim instead of the attacker? Does money mean you can just ignore the law?”

Hearing this, the officers holding Mark hesitated. They exchanged glances with their colleagues. Instantly, two or three officers started moving towards me.

“Stay back!”

I pulled out a small, sharp fruit knife I’d grabbed from a spa tray and held it to my own throat. “The law is supposed to protect justice, yes! But the truth isn’t decided by whoever shouts the loudest!”

I closed my eyes for a brief second.

Finally. It could all end now.