Forced to Watch My Son Call Her 'Mom' - Chapter 1: Chapter 1

At my mother-in-law's seventieth birthday party, my husband, Victor, decided to put on a show for appearances—not only did he publicly deny our marriage, but he also forced our son to call his childhood sweetheart, Erin, "Mom."
"Look at yourself—a complete mess. You're not fit to be my wife. I only have one wife, and that's Erin!" he spat.
When I confronted him, my mother-in-law—who had always treated me with kindness—suddenly turned on me, calling me a curse and ordering me to leave. I refused to accept it, but friends and relatives joined in, mocking me as a discarded nuisance and shoving me out the door.
Even my own son, the boy I'd raised for sixteen years, sneered, "You don't deserve to be my mom! Dad would only be happy with someone as beautiful as Erin. Why don't you just get hit by a car and die? That way, Erin and Dad can finally be together—they're true love!"
Staring at my husband and son, now strangers to me, I realized in that moment—I was nothing but a joke to them.
Inside the banquet hall, Victor had seated me at the lowest-ranked table. Once, I was the one by his side, but now, Erin sat there, glowing in her designer dress.
When guests shot questioning looks at Victor, he proudly announced, "Erin and I are married now. She's my wife. As for Liane…" He paused, his cold gaze locking onto me.
I stared back, desperate for him to remember everything I'd sacrificed for this family—to take back his cruel words. But his eyes held nothing but disgust.
With a mocking smirk, he said, "Just look at her—dull skin, ragged clothes, barely even a woman anymore. We divorced ages ago."
My son, Frank, chimed in with a sneer, "A hag like her was never good enough for Dad. Erin owns her own beauty shop—she's everything Mom isn't. And yet, Mom still has the nerve to show up here, just like she shamelessly chased Dad back in the day!"
The room erupted in laughter.
One of Victor's cousins smirked at me. "Victor, is it true she spent four years in college chasing you? Buying your meals, fetching your water, even fighting to wash your underwear?"
Victor's lip curled in disgust. "Don't remind me. I was in a rough place back then, and she took advantage. Now? I can't believe I ever wasted time on someone so… unrefined."
My chest burned with bitterness.
All those years of devotion—and this was how they repaid me?
I'd given up everything for them—my time, my youth, my pride—and now they mocked me for it.
Then Erin, sweet as poisoned honey, nestled into Victor's arms, gazing up at him. "Victor, it was my fault back then. I didn't realize how much you loved me before I left for abroad. But fate brought us back together." Her fingers trailed along his waist as she whispered, "I'll never leave you again."