I'm a single mother, and I gave my son all my time, love, and sacrifices. But when his wealthy stepmother dangled luxury in front of him, he chose her and never looked back. Four years later, he stood at my door, his once-proud frame slumped. "Mom... please. I need your help," he cried.

I used to believe love was enough... that if I gave my son everything, even when it left me with nothing, he'd see my sacrifices and love me for them. I was wrong. Love doesn't sparkle like wealth, and in the end, it wasn't enough to make him stay. I'm Alice, and this is my story...

I was 42 years old when my son left me. But I felt decades older.

Life had never been easy, but I never expected it to be. My ex-husband, John, had left when our son, Sam, was only two years old. He popped in and out when it suited him, promising fatherly devotion before disappearing again.

I learned quickly that if my son was going to have stability, it was going to be me who provided it.

I worked myself to the bone. I waitressed, cleaned offices, stocked shelves, and did whatever it took to keep the lights on and food on the table. I had dreams once, but they shrank under the weight of responsibility.

College loans haunted me for a degree I never finished. My future became a cycle of exhaustion and sacrifice, but through it all, I loved Sam with every part of me.

Unfortunately, love wasn't something he could hold in his hands.

"Why do all my friends have better stuff than me?" Sam would snap. "Why am I the only one with an old phone and cheap clothes?"

I tried to explain that rent came first, then groceries, and electricity. But it didn't matter. All he saw were the things I couldn't give him.

"I don't care about the stupid bills, Mom!" he hissed, his voice cracking with teenage anger. "Do you know what it's like to be laughed at? To be the only kid who can't go on the class trip? To have to wear the same three shirts all year?"

I reached for him, my hands raw from cleaning chemicals. "Sam, baby, please understand. I'm doing everything I can to —"

"Everything isn't enough!" he interrupted, tears streaming down his face. "I'm 17... but I feel like a loser. I didn't ask to be born into this life! I didn't ask to be poor! I didn't ask to be your son!"

Those words pierced me like knives, but I swallowed the pain. "We're not poor, Sam. We have each other. That's worth more than..."

"Stop saying that!" he yelled, slamming his fist against the wall. "Love doesn't pay for anything! It doesn't make me feel any better when kids at school call me 'thrift store Sam!'"

And then SHE came — my ex-husband's new wife and Sam's stepmother. Lindsey arrived in our lives like a hurricane wrapped in designer silk.

She was polished, elegant, and most importantly, rich. She pulled up to my tiny cottage in a sleek Mercedes, stepping inside with the confidence of someone who had never worried about overdraft fees.

Then came the gifts — a new iPhone, an expensive laptop, and designer sneakers. And when my ex suggested Sam move in with them, Lindsey sweetened the deal.

"You deserve more, sweetheart," she cooed. "A bigger room. A better school. A car of your own. Think of the opportunities!"

I knew what was happening. She was buying my son's love, just like she had probably bought my ex-husband's. But what I didn't expect was how easily Sam let himself be sold.

"You gave me NOTHING!" he shouted at me that night. "I'm tired of being the poorest kid everywhere! I'm going with Dad and Lindsey, and you can't stop me!"

I begged him. I reminded him of the nights I stayed up when he was sick, and the times I went hungry so he could have a fuller meal.

"Please, Sam," I pleaded. "Don't you remember when you had pneumonia at seven? I didn't leave your side for three days straight. I slept in that uncomfortable hospital chair because I couldn't bear to let go of your hand."

"That was your job as a mother," he spat back, his eyes cold. "You don't get extra points for doing what you're supposed to do."

And just like that, Lindsey pulled up, and my son walked out of my life.

He never called. Never texted. Four years of silence shrouded me. I buried my grief under the monotony of survival and told myself he was happy. That maybe it was better this way.

And then, one evening, I heard a knock.

I opened the door, and there he was — Sam. His once-proud shoulders sagged, his face was hollow and pale.

"Mom," he croaked. "Please... I need your help."

I barely recognized him. The trendy haircut he once wore with confidence now only made him look gaunt. The expensive clothes he used to flaunt hung off his thin frame like they belonged to someone else.

"S-Sam... is that you? Oh my God..." I whispered, tears welling up.

His lower lip trembled. "Mom, please. I'm sick. My kidneys… they're failing. I need a transplant." His voice cracked. "Dad won't do it. Lindsey… she kicked me out. I have no one else."

I felt the words like a slap.

"Your father won't donate?" I whispered, disbelief washing over me.

Sam's eyes filled with tears. "He said... he said he's too old... and that the risks are too high. But I think he's just scared."

"And Lindsey? Your wonderful stepmother?"

A harsh laugh escaped him, turning into a painful cough. "Turns out her love came with conditions. When I got sick, she told Dad I was ruining their image. That my sickness was... inconvenient."

I should've slammed the door. Should've told him to go find another rich woman to save him. But I didn't. Because despite everything, he was still my son.

"Come in," I whispered.

The tests came back a week later, and I was a match.

Lying in that hospital bed, hooked up to monitors, I watched my son sitting beside me, his face buried in his hands.

"I'm so sorry, Mom," he choked out. "I was selfish and stupid… I didn't understand. But I do now. Please, I swear, I'll never leave you again."

I reached out, resting my hand over his. His fingers gripped mine like he was afraid to let go.

"I hope so, Sam," I murmured. "I really do."

Love had taken my son away. But love had also brought him back. This time, I hoped he finally understood that there are some things in this world that no amount of wealth can ever replace.