The next day, the boy didn't come.
He had already told her he was only allowed two visits a week.
She understood that—she truly did—but understanding didn't make the emptiness any easier to bear.
Without him, the ward felt colder. Quieter.
When she finally left her room to get breakfast, something felt… wrong.
Everyone was staring at her.
And it wasn't the usual stare she had long grown accustomed to in this place.
No, this was different—sharp, judging, and… disgusted.
It was as if they were looking at a crazy woman. (Even though they are all crazy in their own ways for being there)
Some were even mumbling to each other.
She just went to join the line, ignoring everyone's stares.
But the words still reached her.
"—can't believe she is such a person."
"That beauty is just to hide her true nature."
"Haven't you seen the scars on her body? She did all that to herself."
"Crazy bitch."
She paused mid-step and glanced at the group. Their faces were filled with thinly veiled contempt, some even wearing satisfied smiles.
After a few seconds, she continued walking.
She didn't care about others' opinions, nor did she want to know how they knew about it.
It was obvious who had spread it.
When she reached the end of the line and took her tray, she stood before the woman who was serving her.
The woman was middle-aged, with light wrinkles beside her eyes. She usually had a warm presence, especially towards quieter patients like Sera.
But today, her gaze was cold.
Disgusted.
"I thought you were a good person," the woman said, her voice trembling as she avoided meeting Sera's eyes.
"Judging by your behavior… but how could you—"
She stopped, swallowing hard.
Sera stared at her silently, confused.
"–-How… just how could you do that to your own child?"
Sera froze.
Her icy-blue eyes widened, trembling violently.
"What kind of mother are you?" the woman continued, bitterness seeping into her voice.
"You're just a monster… Tch. Take this and go away."
She slapped a scoop of food onto the tray with unnecessary force.
"Go. Get lost."
Still in shock, Sera turned away and walked toward an empty seat, forcing herself forward despite the sudden weakness creeping into her legs.
'Their opinion doesn't matter. They don't know anything.'
She repeated it again and again as she walked, trying to stop her mind from bursting apart.
As she sat down, some people laughed stiffly or commented in lowered voices.
One woman in particular was giggling openly to herself.
The mean-looking woman.
The one who had told everyone about Sera's past.
Sera ate her food quietly.
Then the chair across from her scraped loudly.
The mean-looking woman—Beth—sat across from Seraphina.
"Oh, Seraphina! How are you?" she said sweetly.
"Remember me? We met yesterday."
Sera turned her head towards her,
"You did it, right?"
Her tone was flat, empty.
Beth's eyes twitched.
"I did," She replied with a smirk.
"So what? Are you gonna complain to your husb–ah! No, Ex-husband, right?" She laughed mockingly.
"Can't believe he had to live with a woman like you."
Hearing her words, Sera chuckled coldly, like she had heard something absurd, then continued eating as though nothing had happened.
Beth's smile twitched.
'This bitch is too calm. Again.'
Her eyes flicked to Sera's hair, searching for the hair tie—but it wasn't there.
Seraphina had kept it hidden safely in her room.
'Ah, right!'
"I heard that you abused your son?"
The spoon in Seraphina's hand stilled.
She slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes colder than ice.
"Oh!" Beth continued eagerly.
"And then he went missing and died in an accident. Maybe it wasn't even an accident—maybe he tried to kill himself after all the t—Ahh!"
The next moment, Beth was slammed to the ground, crashing the chairs aside.
Seraphina's hands were wrapped tightly around her neck, fingers digging into her skin. Her blue eyes burned with fury—trembling yet terrifying.
"Don't you dare," she whispered, her voice shaking violently.
"Don't you ever say anything about my son."
Beth clawed at her wrists, gasping for air, her face rapidly turning red. In desperation, she punched Seraphina's stomach.
Seraphina staggered back and fell.
That was enough.
Beth lunged at her, beating her down without mercy.
"Who do you think you are, haa?!" she screamed.
"Just because you are a bit beautiful, you think you can do anything!? You are just a murderer who killed her son!"
Her slaps echoed through the hall, striking Sera's face again and again.
Jealousy twisted Beth's expression—just looking at Seraphina's face made her furious, so she struck her there deliberately.
Seraphina didn't fight back.
Her body was weak from malnutrition, making her barely able to resist. And the words… the words hurt far more than the blows.
So she stopped defending herself.
'I didn't… I didn't do anything.
It was all his fault.'
Tears slipped from her eyes—not because of the pain, but because of the wounds carved into her heart by every cruel word spoken about her son.