Fallen Leaves And Faded Love

Chapter 3 Being Framed

Two days later, Ethan was discharged, and Amber moved in with Jensen as if she practically owned the place. Debra Graves rushed to greet her, shoving a gift into her hands, beaming.

"Finally! I told you to come earlier, but you had concerns. Though I get it—having a PhD from abroad to tutor Ethan… it's beneath you."

Susan's heart sank—Debra had known about Amber all along. She was the only one kept in the dark.

Debra then pulled out a family pearl necklace, draping it over Amber's shoulders. Jensen frowned. "Mom, that's Grandma's necklace—you never let Susan touch it. Why are you giving it to Amber?"

Debra shot Susan a disdainful glance.

"A country girl like her doesn't deserve this necklace. You know how much Amber has helped you in business in the past three years, and now she's helping raise your son. Giving her one necklace is nothing."

Amber read the room instantly, quickly unclasped the necklace from her neck, and held it out to Susan with a deferential tone. "Susan, I had no idea this was a family heirloom. Please, you should wear it."

Before Susan could react, Amber gave it a sharp, hidden tug. The strand snapped, pearls scattering across the floor. Ethan stepped on a pearl and slipped, slamming his forehead into a chair and bursting into tears.

Susan rushed to hold him, but Amber falsely accused her. "If you didn't want me to wear it, you could've just said no. Why did you have to break it?" She crouched to comfort Ethan, and the boy instantly pushed Susan away, clinging tightly to Amber.

Susan stood there, arms empty, bitterness and helplessness churning in her chest. She remembered when Ethan was eleven months old, learning to walk—he'd fallen countless times, but only wanted her comfort. Holding him then had filled her with quiet, pure joy.

Now, even hurt, he rejected her without a second thought.

'Am I really such a failure as a mother?'

Debra flew into a rage at the scattered pearls, pointing an accusatory finger at Susan.

"Susan! How dare you break the family heirloom? You want to kill me over this?!"

Susan lifted her head, eyes red and swollen. "I didn't touch it! The necklace snapped on its own! Jensen saw everything—tell her!"

She turned to him, a flicker of hope still lingering in her chest.

His voice cut through the air like shards of ice. "I saw you break it. Apologize to my mom. I'll have it fixed."

Susan crumpled to the floor, face ashen. 'He must have seen Amber's trick. Why is he still accusing me?'

Memories flooded back—eight years ago, a client had tried to coerce her and lied that she had ruined his sample. Jensen had crushed the sample under his shoe, growling, "I'll pay ten times the price! Don't you dare touch her!"

'He fought for me with no hesitation back then. When did that man disappear? Has he grown tired of me… or fallen too hard for Amber?'

Her lips trembled as she spoke, voice hollow and broken.

"If I refuse… are you going to use Ethan to threaten me again? Jensen… I won't be fooled this time."

Enraged, Debra hurled a teacup at her head.

Susan couldn't dodge in time. Searing pain exploded across her forehead, blood streaming down her cheek.

Ethan scrambled out of Amber's arms, grabbed the first-aid kit, and pulled out iodine and gauze.

Tears pricked Susan's eyes—blood was thicker than anger, after all.

But Ethan tossed the supplies straight into the trash, sneering. "They're all expired. You can't use them!"

Susan froze, lips quivering uncontrollably.

He then handed Debra blood pressure pills and said sweetly, "Grandma, don't be mad. Here are your pills. If you fall ill, who's going to spoil me?"

Debra grinned ear to ear. "Thank you, Ethan. What a sweet boy."

Susan felt as if she had been plunged into a tub of ice.

Jensen stared at her blood-streaked face, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes before it hardened into indifference.

"Never mind. Just gather the pearls. This ends here." He frowned dismissively. "My mom's temperamental. Don't take it personally. I'll compensate you later."

Susan said nothing, refusing to meet his gaze. She knelt and picked up the pearls one by one, tears falling onto each cold bead.

She spent a full two hours gathering all sixty-six beads, their icy, hard surfaces digging into her raw fingertips—sharp, unforgiving, just like the ache in her heart.

Back in her cold, empty bedroom, she pulled up a divorce agreement and hit print.

Her hand shook violently as she reached for the pen. Eight years of memories crashed over her: Jensen's tight jaw as he shielded her, his bloodshot eyes outside the ICU, and the bright smile on Jensen's face when Ethan first babbled, "Mom."

Those happy fragments now felt like needles, piercing her raw.

Her phone rang suddenly. "Mrs. Graves, your test results are in. You're two months pregnant. Please come in for a checkup."

Susan's hand froze mid-sign.