The Ex-Factor and My New Mom

I broke up with my boyfriend and took his mom with me. My A-list ex-boyfriend then posted on social media: "This is absolutely insane, globally speaking. I hate you."

Days later, he was knocking on my door every other minute: "Give me back my mom!"

I stubbornly refused: "No, you can have a different one."

He quickly changed his tune: "Then let's get back together. My mom's a bonus."

From behind me, Eleanor, his mom, drawled, "Six. You're going to kill me with your filial piety, eventually."

Chapter 1

"Can you just talk normally?" I snapped, curling my legs and nudging Ethan with my knee.

Ethan flopped back onto the sofa, letting out a theatrical wail. "Willow Hayes, you're so mean!"

"You're treating a sick person like this, boo-hoo-hoo."

His public image was notoriously arrogant and rude; aside from his fans, most people couldn't stand him. Thinking of this, I leaned closer, cupping his face in my palm, and cooed softly, "Keep faking it, and I'll smack you."

Ethan's face stiffened, and he silently sat up.

"I've always talked normally. You just don't believe me."

I probably have a strange, little-known quirk: seeing Ethan look all wronged and pathetic made my heart flutter. My poker face was about to crack. "Well, you can't act like a melodramatic drama queen every time you see Liam, being all passive-aggressive."

"Oh, you feel sorry for him," Ethan said, putting on an even more aggrieved expression, his tone growing stranger. "You kicked me when I was sick, Willow Hayes, you're truly too much."

"You got me, and now you don't cherish me anymore. All women are like this, I guess."

I took a deep breath, trying to sound as detached as possible. "Yes, all us women are like this."

"Ethan, let's break up."

Ethan froze, then straightened up. "That's not funny. I don't think that's something to joke about."

"I know." As I said the words, Ethan seemed to relax, as if a weight had been lifted.

It was harder than I thought, and I kept steeling myself.

Perhaps a long time passed, or maybe it was just a few seconds.

"But I'm serious."

"I've already packed my things. I'm leaving right now."

Ethan's lips were pressed into a thin line, and he was silent for a while before suddenly forcing a laugh. "What new script is this?"

He put on a pained expression. "Willow Hayes, you're so cruel. I'll never fight with Liam over trivial things again."

"Even if I'm just a concubine, I'm willing."

"Don't say things like that." I calmly cut him off. "I'm very serious, very clear-headed, and I've thought about this for a long time."

"To be honest, I don't really know how to end a relationship. I just don't think we're a good fit." It was a terrible excuse.

"If there's a problem, we can solve it. You can't just think about solving me, Willow Hayes." Ethan loved calling me by my full name. He said it felt more intimate, that it didn't matter how he said my full name.

"But being with you, I feel exhausted. Ethan, love is restraint."

I forced a casual laugh. "So, don't try to stop me."

As I turned to leave, Ethan murmured, "Willow Hayes, it's almost midnight, and it's my birthday."

My movements faltered.

"I know. I did it on purpose."

Chapter 2

I moved out of Ethan's apartment that very night.

My best friend, Chloe, worried I'd do something impulsive, so she drove over as soon as she heard the news.

But after I recounted everything from start to finish, Chloe's first words were, "Did you take a 'Heartless Blade' class or something?"

I didn't stop peeling an orange for her. "Have you heard that saying? 'To sever ties with someone, one must speak harsh words, not out of heartlessness, but out of fear of regret.'"

"I was afraid I'd regret it."

Pulling out a tissue, I wiped my hands and handed her the peeled orange. "Here, eat."

She grabbed my hand and swallowed it in one gulp.

Finally, that mouth was silenced.

Then, a new mouth arrived.

Ethan's mother, Eleanor Riley.

Eleanor had always been wonderful to me. Since I started dating Ethan, she'd showered me with care and even created eight burner accounts just to argue with negative comments about me online.

When I found out, I was genuinely touched for a while.

But my breakup today, from Ethan's perspective, was indeed quite unreasonable.

Chapter 3

"Eleanor, Ethan and I—"

Before I could finish, Eleanor quickly interrupted me. "Don't say another word. Don't let a man affect our relationship."

"I really like you, dear. Being with Ethan just clogs me up everywhere – my eyes, my heart, my liver, my lungs."

"The moment I heard you left, I swear, Ethan became an eyesore, a heart-sore, a liver-sore, a lung-sore to me."

The more she spoke, the angrier she got, suddenly blurting out, "Let's not talk about that useless thing anymore."

Eleanor's eyes sparkled with hope. "Would you be willing to live with me? We can be just like before."

Eleanor was truly beyond reproach. She was so patient with me. She remembered my dietary restrictions and preferences, always brought me something when she went shopping, and learned to buy me things young women liked.

I even once saw her post on a social media app, asking netizens: "I love buying things for my son's girlfriend, and I like to fuss over her a little. Recently, her hands have been cold, so I've been having someone make her ginger tea with longan and red dates every day. Will she find this annoying but be too polite to say so?"

When Ethan and I had small disagreements, she always sided with me. Honestly, when we broke up, I even considered taking Eleanor with me.

But that was too absurd; I only dared to think it, never to do it.

Now Eleanor was here...

"I will never make things difficult for you, dear. I won't go anywhere I shouldn't. And I'm not trying to take advantage; I'll cover all your food, clothes, and living expenses."

"It's just that I'm getting old, and I can barely live without you at home."

Not hearing my response, Eleanor grew more anxious. I grabbed her hand. "Don't say anymore, Eleanor, I'd be delighted. Please, come in."

Chloe was still devouring oranges. Seeing Eleanor and me walk in, chatting and laughing, she stopped.

"What's going on with you two?"

"I was so bored at home, so I came to stay with Willow," Eleanor quickly answered for me.

Chloe paused, stunned, then exclaimed, "Wow, I've heard of people asking for money back, or clothes, or even underwear after a breakup, but I've never heard of someone kidnapping the ex's mom!"

"And here I was, kindly comforting you, pouring my heart out, and you were holding out on me. Willow Hayes, you're seriously something else."

I gave her an awkward smile.

But it was okay. I had a mom again.

Chapter 4

After Chloe left, Eleanor and I talked for a long time.

She told me many things, like how you can't spoil men, or they'll go crazy; and about some recent news. She even told me that my fans said I'd been looking great lately.

Listening to her, my mood brightened considerably.

Until I yawned, and Eleanor urged me to go to bed.

It really felt like having my mom back.

I have a habit of silencing my phone when I sleep.

When I woke up, my phone screen was flooded with messages.

My agent, Brenda's messages were the most striking because, besides texts, she'd bombarded my shopping, music, and payment apps.

I quickly tapped in, seeing a screen full of urgent messages: "Check the trending topics, check the trending topics, check the trending topics!"

"It's all you! My dear Lord, we've finally made it big, this is incredible!"

So urgent, was she the Queen of Impatience?

So impatient.

It's just me moving out of Ethan's house overnight, and the breakup, whatever.

Trending Topic #1:

#EthanSaysWillowIsAbsolutelyInsane #EXPLOSIVE

Trending Topics #2 and #3:

#EthanHatesYouWillowHayes #EXPLOSIVE
#WillowReturnHisMom #HOT

Something felt off. I tapped to see more.

Ethan Riley V: Ethan Riley and Willow Hayes, Ethan Riley and Willow Hayes are having relationship problems. My girlfriend, Willow Hayes, who unilaterally broke up with me, ran off with my mom overnight. This is absolutely insane, globally speaking, and looking back over five thousand years of history. I hate you.

This was indeed urgent.

My head buzzed. With my messy hair, I quickly called Brenda back.

Pick up! One second passed, still no answer. What was Brenda doing?

I was dying of anxiety.

After a few rings, Brenda finally picked up.

"Why did you take so long to answer? I was so worried!"

Brenda, however, seemed to have gotten over her excitement, her voice unusually calm. "Worried about what? So impatient, are you the Queen of Impatience?"

That sounded familiar.

"This is great news, you know? Go check how many followers you've gained from this."

With a pounding heart, I opened my social media app. My followers had surged by nearly seven million overnight.

Was this the power of an A-list celebrity?

Terrifying.

For once, I felt a spark of ambition, vowing at that moment to dedicate my life to my career.

Until I opened my DMs:

"Sister, you're so brave. Did you move out overnight because Ethan, as rumored, farts a lot in his sleep?"

What kind of ridiculous rumor was that?

"Breaking up on his birthday, Ethan earned the title 'Birthday Sad Dog.' I don't know how you tolerated Ethan, but congratulations on escaping the misery."

Be careful, Ethan will know, and he'll sic his dogs on you.

"Just die, you cheap thing. Don't you have a mom?"

I sprang from a rock, you rude thing.

"Break up is break up, why take his mom? You're terrifying."

I am terrifying. Say more, and I'll eat you.

"Are you some kind of sorceress, sister? Teach me, I'll immediately apply for the head of Willow Hayes's anti-slander squad."

I'm a thirty-sixth-tier nobody, and I have an anti-slander squad? That's new.

I scrolled through dozens of messages. They only cared about gossip and entertainment; no one cared about my career.

My newfound ambition was ruthlessly crushed by these indifferent people.

I whimpered and complained to Brenda.

Brenda's tone was dismissive. "Just say you're too lazy to work, stop making excuses."

"I still have high hopes for you, go for it, you useless piece of fluff."

Me: ...

Having an agent like you is truly a blessing.

"So, should I respond?"

Brenda: "Respond to what? That you..."

[Story appears to continue...]