Buried in Ashes, Reborn with My Son

On our fifth wedding anniversary, Julian stood me up again. I stared at his icy text—[Working late tonight]—and was about to reply when I accidentally tapped into an outdoor livestream on my phone. The camera panned across a sunny park, and Julian’s face suddenly filled the screen. My heart stopped. I rewound the stream over and over, desperate to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. It wasn't just that Julian had lied about working late. It was the boy in his arms. The boy looked identical to my son—the one who supposedly died premature five years ago. My pulse pounded in my ears. I traced the livestream’s location and raced straight there. Just as I arrived, I heard the boy call the woman standing next to Julian "Mommy." That woman was Lana, Julian’s foster sister. Julian had his arm wrapped around her waist, his voice dripping with affection: "If you hadn't been unable to carry a child and wanted one so badly, I never would've married Chloe. She carried him just for you. When I told her the baby died at birth, that idiot actually believed me." "Lana, you’re the only woman I’ve ever loved." I froze in place, feeling like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head. All these years, I was never a wife to him. I was just a walking incubator. "Julian Vance!" My scream shattered the quiet park. Julian whipped around. When he saw me, the color drained from his face. He quickly stepped forward, physically blocking me from getting closer. "How did you find this place? Are you stalking me?" Tears burned my eyes as I glared at him with pure hatred. "Why did you lie to me? Why did you tell me Leo was dead?! You knew how much I loved that baby! After I lost him, my postpartum depression almost killed me. I tried to end my life multiple times!" "Get out of my way! Let me see my son!" Julian’s brows furrowed deeply. He clamped a hard hand around my wrist and dragged me backward. "What son? Leo is Lana’s boy now." "Get the hell home right now, and you can keep your title as Mrs. Vance. Keep throwing a tantrum, and we’re getting a divorce!" I struggled against his grip, but I couldn't break free. Staring into his cold, dead eyes, my heart turned to ash. "Divorce me then!" I screamed. "I’ll sign whatever you want, but I’m taking my son with me! He’s my baby!" Seeing that I wouldn't let it go, Julian lost all patience. Without another word, he hoisted me over his shoulder. Ignoring my desperate punches and kicks, he hauled me to his car and shoved me into the back seat. The engine roared as he sped back to the estate. Before I could even catch my breath, he dragged me down the stairs and threw me roughly into the dark basement. "You're hysterical right now. Stay down here and cool off." "Once you can control your emotions, we’ll talk about Leo." SLAM! The heavy iron trapdoor banged shut above me, cutting off every sliver of light. The space was cramped, pitch-black, and suffocating. Claustrophobia clawed at my chest like a monster. I hurled myself at the door, pounding against the cold metal until my knuckles bled. "Let me out, Julian!" I begged, my voice raspy with panic. "You know I have severe claustrophobia! You can't do this to me! A panic attack will kill me! Please... please open the door!" My chest felt like an anvil had been dropped on it. Air wouldn't reach my lungs. I gasped frantically, spots dancing across my vision. My nails scraped painfully against the metal. "My pills... my medication is upstairs in the bedroom!" "Julian, I can't breathe..." Julian’s voice drifted down from the other side of the iron door, completely indifferent to my torment: "I’ll let you out." "The second you sign over full custody of Leo and promise to never bring this up again." Sign him away? Never. Trembling with pure fury, I gasped out between ragged breaths: "Julian... in your dreams!" BAM! Julian violently kicked the metal door from above. "Then rot down there until you come to your senses!" His heavy footsteps faded away. The absolute silence combined with the crushing walls triggered a full-blown panic attack. A piercing ringing filled my ears. My limbs twitched uncontrollably. My skull felt like it was splitting open. My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the freezing concrete floor, falling completely into the dark. ... I didn't know how much time had passed. A faint scraping noise came from above. Someone was struggling to push open the heavy trapdoor. I forced my eyes open and looked up toward the thin crack of light. In that hazy glow, a small, cherubic face peeked down. Leo was lying on his stomach by the opening, reaching out his tiny hand toward me. "Ma'am, hurry! Come out!" I scrambled up the stairs on my hands and knees. The second I dragged myself into the light, I pulled Leo into a fierce hug, pressing my cheek against his, laughing and sobbing all at once. "Leo, I’m not just a stranger..." "I’m your mommy." Leo looked at me with wide, confused eyes. His little lips parted, trying to form the word. "Mom...?" Before he could finish, a woman's shrill shriek tore through the hall: "You little brat! Who told you to let this bitch out?!"Lana glared at Leo and me as if she wanted to tear us to pieces. My maternal instinct kicked in, and I tried to run with Leo in my arms. But her bulky bodyguards grabbed my arms, twisting them behind my back while yanking Leo from my grip. Lana pointed a finger at Leo’s tear-stained face, screaming: "I spoil you rotten every single day, and you won't even call me Mom!" "You see this pathetic stranger for five minutes, and you call her Mommy?! Ungrateful little bastard. Maybe a beating will teach you some respect!" Lana raised her palm, aiming straight for Leo’s face. My heart leaped into my throat. "Stop it!" I screamed. "He’s just a four-year-old child! Hitting a toddler? Lana, are you even human?!" Lana’s hand stopped mid-air. She slowly turned her head toward me. With a cruel sneer, she dropped Leo’s collar and strutted in my direction. "You filthy bitch. Who the hell do you think you are, lecturing me?" SLAP! Without a second of hesitation, Lana struck me hard across the face. The blow sent my head snapping to the side. The metallic tang of blood filled my mouth. Before I could recover, pain flared across my scalp. Lana grabbed a fistful of my hair, jerking my head back, and slapped me again with the back of her hand. My ears rang violently. The corner of my lip split open, blood dripping onto my collar. Leo was pale with terror. He rushed forward, throwing his tiny arms around Lana’s leg, crying hysterically: "Stop hitting her! Leo will be good!" "I’ll call you Mommy! Please stop hurting her! Leo is begging you, Mommy!" Lana glanced down at the sobbing child, kicked him away with undisguised disgust, and barked at her guards: "Pin him down! Don't let him get in my way!" A bodyguard held Leo down, muffling his desperate whimpers. Lana took her time releasing my hair. She pulled a set of documents and a pen from her designer bag, tossing them onto the floor in front of me. "These are divorce papers." "Divorce Julian, give up all custody rights to Leo, and then get the hell out of our lives." Sign it under duress? No way. I grabbed the papers and ripped them into shreds. Lana let out a mocking laugh. "Tsk. You had the easy way, but you chose the hard way." She drove the heel of her shoe straight into my kneecap. A blinding pain shot up my leg, dropping me to the floor. Her bodyguards immediately pinned me down, grabbing my thumb to force my print onto an ink pad. When I fought back with every ounce of strength left in my body, Lana and the guards rained kicks and blows onto my ribs and back until I could barely breathe. In the end, the print stamped onto the custody agreement wasn't ink. It was my own blood. Lana admired the blood-stained paper with deep satisfaction. Just as she was about to order the guards to dump me on the curb, the front doors swung open. Julian walked in. His eyes swept across the chaotic living room, landing on my battered, bleeding body. He frowned at Lana, his tone sharp: "You said you just wanted to talk to her." "Why did you make such a mess?" The viciousness on Lana’s face vanished in an instant. She put on a sweet, vulnerable pout and moved to throw her arms around Julian’s neck. "I got a little carried away, Julian... but she signed it! Look!" "When are we going down to the courthouse to get married?" To her shock, Julian sidestepped her embrace completely. Instead, he crouched down and lifted my limp body from the floor. Over his shoulder, he said, "The papers are signed. There's no rush for that." "I'm taking her up to rest. Don't pull this crap again." My entire body throbbed with agony, and I had no choice but to lean against him as he helped me into bed. He left and returned with a first-aid kit. When he tried to dab an antiseptic swab against my face, I jerked my head away. "I signed your damn papers." "I’ll divorce you, Julian. But I am taking Leo. Lana is a monster. She won't take care of him—she tried to hit him today!" Julian grabbed my chin firmly, his hand unyielding as he pressed the swab against the gash on my lip. Without looking up, he said flatly, "No." I swatted his hand away with pure fury. "What more do you want from me?! If you never loved me, why did you marry me?!" "You stood by for three years watching me fall for you, watched me walk down the aisle thinking I was the luckiest woman alive! You gave me the silent treatment, stole my baby, and cheated on me with your foster sister. Does making me suffer give you a sick thrill?!" "Sign the divorce! Then you can marry Lana out in the open!" Julian pulled his hand back, staring at me with icy eyes. "I'm not divorcing you. Lana is my foster sister. Even without blood ties and without legal adoption on the books, society will talk if we get married. Leo stays with Lana." "If you want a baby that badly, we can always have another one." I stared at him, my stomach churning with horror. "What are you saying? You want me to stay your wife just as a shield to hide your sick relationship with your foster sister?!" "I am a human being, Julian! Not an object!" Julian went completely silent. Seeing his closed-off face, I forced myself to calm down. Challenging him right now was suicide. I turned my back to him, closing my eyes, and began plotting how to escape with Leo. After a long time, the mattress dipped behind me. Julian slipped onto the bed, wrapping an arm loosely around my waist from behind. He whispered against my neck: "Chloe, don't be like this." "I do care about you."Five years of marriage, and this was the first time Julian had ever spoken to me with such tenderness. Yet to my ears, it sounded like the hiss of a venomous snake. It made me sick to my stomach. I didn't believe a single word. Before I could even rest, sharp knocks rattled the bedroom door. "Julian, I don't feel good," Lana’s whiny voice called out. "Come stay with me, please?" Julian pulled his arm away almost instantly and tossed the covers aside. Then, as if suddenly remembering he had a wife, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "I’ll just check on her. I’ll be right back." He never returned that night. The next morning, I cracked the door open and saw him walking out of Lana’s bedroom down the hall. His pajamas were rumpled, his expression satisfied. Julian opened his mouth to explain: "Chloe, I—" I was already numb. Before he could finish his sentence, I walked past him without a word and headed downstairs. Fortunately, Lana assumed I was completely powerless, or perhaps she wanted to flaunt her victory to push me over the edge. She hadn't locked Leo away in a hidden nursery like before; she had him staying in the ground-floor playroom while she claimed the room right next to the master suite. This gave me a chance to slip into the playroom. Leo was clearly traumatized by yesterday's violence. He didn't dare speak or call for me. He just glanced up at me with huge, anxious eyes, then quickly lowered his head, fidgeting with a pile of wooden blocks. I didn't push him. I sat down beside him on the rug, quietly handing him blocks to help build his castle. Leo kept watching me out of the corner of his eye. After a long silence, his tiny finger reached out to tap a tilted block I had just placed. "That one... goes there." The wall between us broke. I followed his instructions, stacking block after block. Suddenly, Leo tilted his little face up, staring into my eyes with grave seriousness. "Are you really my mommy?" "Yes, sweetheart. I am." Leo nodded slowly. After thinking for a moment, his little hand clutched my sleeve. "Mommy... can you take me away?" "The other mommy hits me all the time. Leo doesn't want to get hit anymore." A sharp ache pierced my chest, tears flooding my eyes. I couldn't hold back any longer. I gathered him into my arms, hugging him tight. "Yes. Mommy is taking you away, I promise!" "Don't be scared, baby. Nobody is ever going to hurt you again. Mommy is here." Before we could even finish our embrace, the playroom door was violently kicked open. Julian stormed in, his eyes blazing with fury. "Chloe Bennett, why did you leak information about me and Lana to the press?!" I stared at him blankly. I had no idea what he was talking about. Lana followed right behind him, weeping dramatically, her shoulders shaking as she pointed a trembling finger at me: "Why are you trying to ruin my life?! The internet is tearing me apart! Everyone is calling me a homewrecker and a monster on Twitter and TikTok! You’re driving me to suicide!" "I can't live like this! I can't!" The moment she finished speaking, two security guards grabbed my arms, dragging me toward the hallway. "Chloe, it seems a little time in the basement wasn't enough to teach you manners," Julian snapped coldly. "You really thought using cheap tabloid tactics would force my hand to give up Leo?" The guards dragged me violently across the floor. Leo stumbled after us, tears streaming down his face as he threw his little arms around my legs: "Let go of my mommy! You bad people, leave her alone!" Julian waved his hand in irritation, signaling the guards to move faster. "Lock her in the basement for a few days so she can clear her head." "And this time, keep an eye on Leo. Don't let him touch that door again." THUD! Leo had no idea what to do. He could only chase behind the guards, crying at the top of his lungs: "Let go of my mommy!" "Stop it! Let her go!" SLAM! Another heavy metallic thud rang out. I was hurled down into the dark basement once again, and the iron trapdoor was locked tight from above. The suffocating blackness swallowed me whole. My throat constricted as if a pair of hands was choking the life out of me. The ringing in my ears came back, louder and sharper than before. My body convulsed. I passed out, woke up screaming in the dark, and passed out again. And this time, no one was coming to open the door.I was trapped down there for what felt like an eternity. Aside from a silent maid who occasionally cracked the door open just wide enough to drop two bottles of water and a few pieces of stale bread, there was no sign of life. No matter how hard I screamed for help, only hollow echoes answered. Eventually, the bread and water ran out. More days blurred by. I didn't even have the strength left to stand up. Finally, footsteps sounded above my head. A maid’s terrified voice drifted through the floorboards: "Miss Vance, are we really doing this while Mr. Vance is out of town for business?" "He only said to teach her a lesson. By his orders, we were supposed to let her out two days ago! If Mr. Vance finds out about this, we’ll..." SLAP! Lana smacked the maid across the face. Her shrill, hateful voice cut through the air: "What 'Mrs. Vance'? You dare call that bitch Mrs. Vance in front of me?! In this house, I am the only mistress!" "If you're scared, shut your mouth and pour the gasoline! Make sure it burns hot and fast. Once Chloe is reduced to ashes, what can Julian do? Him and the kid will be mine forever anyway!" The maid was trembling, but after Lana kicked her, she began sloshing the liquid around. My blood ran cold. I dragged myself up against the wall, trembling violently. Through the ringing in my ears, I heard the splashing liquid, and then gasoline began dripping down through the cracks of the trapdoor. I gathered every last shred of strength in my lungs and screamed: "Lana! What are you doing?! Arson is murder!" "Help! Somebody help me! She’s trying to burn me alive!" Lana stomped her high heel on the iron door above and laughed coldly: "Save your breath. The door is padlocked from the outside. You brought this on yourself. If you had just signed the papers and walked away, I would’ve let you live. But you had to fight me for Julian and Leo? You don't deserve either of them!" "Burn in hell, bitch!" CLICK. A lighter flicked. The crackle of flames followed immediately. Lana let out a pleased giggle. Once she made sure the fire had caught, she sprinted toward the front gates, screaming in mock terror: "Fire! Somebody help! The house is on fire!" Accelerated by the gasoline, the flames spread like wild beasts. Thick, suffocating smoke poured into the basement. I didn't want to die. I threw my entire weight against the iron door, pounding, pushing, ramming it until my fingernails cracked and bled. The door didn't budge an inch. Toxic smoke filled my lungs. Soon, I couldn't even scream. I could barely take half a breath. My body gave out, and I slid down the charred concrete wall. My vision blurred. A carousel of my life’s memories began flashing before my dying eyes. Just as I prepared to close my eyes for the last time, a familiar scratching sound echoed above. The trapdoor was shoved aside by a tiny, trembling force. Leo’s soot-stained face appeared through the smoke. He reached down with a little hand covered in gasoline, crying out with all his might: "Mommy, hurry!" "Leo is getting you out!" Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in the corporate conference room of the Vance Group’s regional branch. Julian’s assistant, Mark, burst through the double doors without knocking, not even waiting for Julian to ask what was wrong. His face was pale as a ghost as he shouted: "Mr. Vance, your estate is on fire!" "The blaze is out of control! Your wife... she didn't make it out! And Leo is trapped inside with her!"