Son’s Chemo vs. Her Bonus

1
To raise the astronomical sum for my son's cancer treatment, I flew into a war zone. I went to the Middle East alone, risking my life to sign a hundred-million-dollar deal for my company.
But the day I returned, I got a call from the hospital.
My husband had stopped our son's treatment.
And the money, our son's lifeline, he'd given all of it to his female secretary as a "bonus."
I couldn't understand how Mikkal could just halt Leo's chemotherapy.
I stormed into the hospital room to find Mikkal sitting by the bed. Leo was lying there, his face as pale as a sheet of paper, so fragile he looked like he might shatter.
"Mikkal, how could you do this!"
Mikkal stood up, avoiding my eyes, his voice devoid of any warmth. "This disease of Leo's... it's a drain on money and energy. Each round of chemo costs hundreds of thousands, with no guarantee it will even work."
"The company is just starting to get back on its feet. We can't let this drag it down."
A woman, Isla, was pressed against Mikkal's side, one hand resting lightly on his arm. Her voice was as soft as water, but every word was a dagger. "Mikkal is just thinking long-term, Ava."
"There's no point wasting time and money on a child with no hope."
I stared at Mikkal in disbelief, waiting for him to deny it, to say anything.
But he was silent. He didn't refute a single word.
After a few seconds, he finally looked up, his tone so firm it sent a chill down my spine. "Isla understands the bigger picture better than you do. She's a better partner for me."
"If you really can't let go of Leo, then you can stay here and take care of him. Don't worry about the company. I'll send you money for living expenses every month."
"Don't worry about it?" I repeated his words, the absurdity of it all hitting me like a physical blow.
Why did he think I'd risked my life in a war-torn country? So he could take the credit I earned with my blood and sweat and use it to impress his new flame? So he could take my son's life-saving money and hand it out as a bonus to another woman?
I forced myself to stay calm, taking a step toward him. "When you say there's no hope for Leo, is it because you truly believe he can't be saved, or because you've already planned to cast us aside?"
His pupils contracted, and he looked away again. "That's not what I meant. The company is just in a difficult spot right now."
I couldn't hold it in any longer. "The advance on that hundred-million-dollar deal is already in the bank! You're telling me you can't afford a few hundred thousand for his chemo?"
Leo must have woken up. He opened his weak eyes and looked at us, scared.
My heart instantly softened, and the pain became almost unbearable. I went to his bedside and gently took his small, cold hand.
"Daddy, I want to get better..." he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I want to live... I want to be with you and Mommy..."
Mikkal's face tightened, but his heart remained hard as stone. "The doctors said there's no hope!"
"Leo, sweetie, I know you're in pain," Isla cooed from the side, her sympathy utterly fake. "But Mikkal is just doing what's best for you, for the family."
"Shut up!" I shoved her away. "This has nothing to do with you!"
Isla stumbled back, shrinking behind Mikkal as her eyes instantly welled with tears. "Ava, I was just trying to help share your burden..."
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Share my burden? Or share my husband and my son's life-saving money?"
Seeing Isla so "wronged," Mikkal's face darkened completely. "Ava, you're becoming more and more unreasonable!"
The tears finally fell. "We've been married for twelve years. I was with you when you had nothing. And this is how you treat me? Leo is your own son!"
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, they were filled with nothing but ice.
"I've said what I needed to say. If you want to take care of Leo, stay. If not, leave. I won't force you. But stay out of the company's business."
2
News of the company's celebration gala spread through the industry while I was in the hospital, giving Leo a sponge bath. They said Isla had become the new hero of Vance Corp, the woman of the hour.
A few days later, a former colleague sent me a photo.
Isla, sitting in my executive chair, her picture frame on my desk. All of my personal belongings had been tossed into a storage closet in the corner.
The message read: "Ava, Isla has completely taken over your responsibilities. She said you should just focus on taking care of your son."
I stared at the photo of the office, so familiar yet now so jarringly foreign. All those late nights I'd spent working there, erased as if they'd never happened.
But I didn't have the energy to fight.
Leo's condition was unstable. He was in and out of critical care. One night, the light in the ICU stayed on all night as the doctor issued another critical condition notice. I sat outside the door, sleepless.
Just as dawn broke, Isla arrived.
She was wearing a champagne-colored evening gown, the hem trailing on the floor, her makeup flawless. It was the same one Mikkal had custom-made for me years ago, after we landed our first ten-million-dollar contract. He'd said he wanted me to always be his leading lady.
Now, it was on Isla's body, a dazzling, painful taunt.
"Ava, Mikkal sent me to give you an update." She sauntered over, her tone light and dismissive. "The company has decided to put me in charge of the energy project moving forward. I've already taken over all of your client contacts."
Just then, the ICU doors opened. Leo had just been pulled back from the brink of death. He was pale and so weak he could barely open his eyes.
The moment he saw Isla, he flinched as if terrified, his small hand struggling to clutch the hem of my shirt.
Isla, however, leaned down, reaching out as if to stroke his head. "Don't be scared, little one. I don't mean any harm."
I slapped her hand away. "Get out! You're not welcome here!"
Isla retracted her hand, the smile fading from her face. "Ava, don't be so emotional. I'm just here to pass on Mikkal's message."
"Besides, Leo's illness... even if you keep treating it, there's no guarantee of a good outcome. It might be better to just let go."
"Shut your mouth!"
Isla just shrugged and said no more. As she turned to leave, her dress swept across the floor, leaving behind a cloying, suffocating cloud of perfume.
I thought that was the worst they could do. I was wrong. Mikkal and Isla had a far more vicious plan in store.
A few days later, I was served with a court summons.
3
Mikkal had conspired with Isla to forge evidence, accusing me of accepting bribes during my negotiations abroad. They weren't just seeking legal action; they were trying to strip me of my visitation rights for Leo.
The evidence was faked transaction records and so-called witness testimonies, all of it fabricated.
I took the summons and went straight to the condo Mikkal had bought for Isla.
When I pushed open the door, Isla was lounging on the sofa watching TV. Mikkal sat beside her, a glass of red wine in his hand.
The decor was a mirror image of our old home. Even the paintings on the wall were the same. But that familiar comfort now felt like a nauseating betrayal.
"Mikkal, why are you doing this to me?"
He set down his wine, looking up at me as if I were a complete stranger. "I'm relaxed with Isla. She can give me the life I want."
He paused, his gaze softening as it fell on Isla's stomach. "Including... a healthy child."
Isla nestled into his embrace, looking at me with triumph in her eyes.
My heart sank into a frozen abyss. I couldn't breathe.
I stared at him, my voice hoarse. "You know that evidence is forged."
"So what if it is?" Mikkal said dismissively. "The court only looks at evidence. Who's going to believe someone accused of bribery?"
I was shaking with rage, but I couldn't find the words to respond. This wasn't the man who had once treated me with such tenderness. The man before me now saw only profit and his new love.
Back at the hospital, Leo's temperature spiked. He started convulsing. The doctors rushed in with a crash cart.
"Mrs. Vance, your son's condition has suddenly worsened. He needs a bone marrow transplant immediately!" the doctor told me urgently. "The surgery will cost a million dollars. You need to get the funds as soon as possible."
A million dollars. Right now, it felt like an insurmountable mountain.
Left with no choice, my hands trembling, I dialed Mikkal's number again.
It rang for a long time before he finally answered. The background was noisy; I could faintly hear the thumping music of a bar and Isla's laughter.
"Mikkal, Leo is in critical condition! He needs a bone marrow transplant, it's a million dollars!" I pleaded, my voice breaking. "Please, save him. He's your son, too!"
I sobbed, praying for a shred of compassion.
But his voice came back, cold and distant. "I'm out with Isla. She just closed a huge deal for the company, and I'm not about to ruin her night. I'm not paying for Leo's surgery. Give it up."

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