"Mom, can you please divorce Dad?"It was 9:00 pm. I was trying to put Zach to sleep. Just when I thought he was about to drift off, he suddenly asked that question.That short question left me stunned for a long minute. My hand patting on his back also froze.I felt a painful twinge in my chest.Over the years, my relationship with my child's father had been pretty good. Logically, a child nurtured by love should feel happy living in such an environment.And yet…Why did he have such thoughts?Puzzled, I asked, "Why do you say that?" I softened my voice in case I unintentionally scared him."You never let me eat fried chicken or ice cream..."As he was almost asleep, his voice was unclear and tinged with the innocence typical of his age.I didn't know whether to feel amused or disappointed.To think that he wanted me to divorce his dad because of something so trivial...Children sure were naive.As I listened to his breathing gradually grow steady, I knew he had fallen as
With the tablet in my hands, I left Zach's bedroom and headed straight for Shayne's study.But I couldn't understand...Out of everyone, why Luna?The first time I heard about Luna was at my wedding.Shayne treated me well back then. When I was feeling down, he would tell me it was okay, and that nobody was perfect. He would patiently stay with me until I felt better. When I got sick, he would drop everything to take care of me.Because of that, I resolutely decided to marry for love, even if that meant moving far away from home.Just as I was in a pure white wedding dress, holding a bouquet that signified purity and looking forward to our life together, I overheard his friends discussing his first love."I always thought Shayne and Luna would end up together. They were so passionately in love back then.""Exactly. They looked like a match made in heaven.""What a pity."The regret in their voices was genuine.At that moment, I began to doubt whether Shayne truly loved me.
Shayne's other hand pinched my chin, forcing me not to evade, and then his lips pressed down on mine."You'll like it."…Zach was in the senior class of kindergarten.School started at 8:00 am every day.It took about 20 minutes to drive to the kindergarten. To avoid being late, he would leave home at 7:30 am every day.I, on the other hand, got up at 6:30 am to cook breakfast.Today's breakfast was a bit simpler. It was ravioli that I prepared last night.The broth was the troublesome part. I needed to simmer fresh chicken broth.I lay bay leaves at the bottom of the ceramic pot, placed a whole cleaned chicken inside, and finally placed a few sprigs of thyme on top. I then covered it and turned the heat to high.Once the water boiled, I lifted the lid, and the rich aroma of chicken broth wafted up to greet me.After adding a bit of salt, I turn the heat down to simmer.Now that I was done with this, I happily left the kitchen and went to the dressing room to help the boys
Did Shayne write Luna this letter on the eve of our wedding?The other letter was Luna's reply to him."I'm sending back your letter with mine. Shayne, I am happy now. I hope you wish me happiness. And please don't contact me in the future; I'm afraid my husband will misunderstand."After I read these two letters, I could connect almost all the information in a way that made sense.Luna was clearly Shayne's first love. And yet, Shayne hated Luna so much.I subconsciously tightened my grip on the mop.So, it was because Luna had once betrayed Shayne. However, he convinced himself not to dwell on the mistakes Luna had made or the hurt she had caused him. All he wanted was for her to return to him.Unfortunately, Luna still rejected him.It was only at this moment that I finally understood why he was so emotional when his friends mentioned Luna at our wedding.But what about now?Why did he bring out these two letters?Was he trying to remind himself of Luna's heartlessness a
What?That short sentence left me in shock. I couldn't regain my composure for a long time.I only stared at Shayne in disbelief.He said he took Zach to his mother's place, didn't he?Zach's grandmother should know about Zach's condition. She wouldn't let Zach eat just anything.So, why was Zach in the hospital?And how did Luna know about Zach's condition?"Which hospital is it?" Shayne hurriedly picked up the clothes that had fallen on the floor and put them on in a panic.Luna cried on the phone while telling him the name of the hospital.Worried about Zach, I could only follow behind Shayne.It was then that Shayne noticed my presence.I knew my expression was grim as if I was on the verge of exploding, but I ultimately held it in.He opened the car door and got in immediately.I also got into the passenger seat.We were silent the entire journey.My head, messy with information, slowly started to clear up during this 20-minute journey.In other words, Shayne was s
Zach's innocent yet blunt words pierced my heart like a needle. While sick and in his most vulnerable moment, the person he thought of was still the very woman responsible for making him ill.I looked down at him. The illness had clearly taken a toll on him. After saying just two sentences, he had already fallen back asleep.Shayne had heard Zach's words too. He took my hand, uttering, "Honey."I didn't feel like talking to him and tried to pull my hand away.However, he tightened his grip, refusing to let go. "What happened today was just an accident. Mom acted on her own. Zach only said that because he's sick; he didn't mean to say that—""I can understand where Zach's coming from," I said as I carried Zach and headed toward the exit. "He's infatuated with Luna, so naturally, he thinks she's perfect in every way."I paused for a moment before continuing, "And yet, I've strictly forbidden Zach from seeing Luna. He's bound to react strongly against it at first. "Zach is not a b
With his head tilted, he looked up at Shayne. His teary eyes held the unique innocence and confusion of a child. He looked both pitiable and endearing.When Shayne squatted down, Zach no longer had to look up. Zach met Shayne's gaze and sobbed, "Dad, won't you say yes?""You're still young." Shayne sighed, clearly affectionate toward his son. He reached up to ruffle Zach's hair. "Zach, if you keep losing your temper at Mom like this, you'll regret it in the future."Zach shook his head. "No, I won't!" As if worried that Shayne wouldn't believe him, he wiped away his tears. "Dad, let's leave Mom and live with Ms. Luna. I dream of having Ms. Luna as my mom!"Every word he spoke was firm and resolute.Instead of responding, Shayne only patted Zach on the shoulder before standing up. I bitterly turned to look at Zach. I had always thought his desire to be a family with Luna was just a fleeting whim... However, he had had more than one outburst. His attitude didn't seem like a joke
At the school gate, in front of so many other parents, my son repeatedly denied that I was his mother and insisted that Luna was his mom.Even though my heart was already shattered into pieces and bleeding profusely, I forced myself to remember that he was just a child. He had no idea what the consequences of his words were."Zach, I'm giving you one more chance! I want you to look at me, calm down, and think hard. Who should you choose between her and me?"Everyone's eyes turned to Zach.Zach hid behind Luna, pressing his forehead against her back. "Of course, I choose my mom."As soon as the words left his mouth, Luna gave me a strange look, then hugged him tightly and began to walk away. "What a lunatic."I couldn't let her leave. Panicked, I tried to catch up and stop them, but someone stepped in front of me.Losing control, I shouted, "I need to go after my child. You can't stop me!"The crowd around me began gossiping about me disdainfully."Have child traffickers' tacti
Only then was Alice satisfied. She looped her hand through mine and asked, "What's there to feel sorry about?"As she spoke, she looked around. Once she was sure that no one was around, she quickly pulled me into the office. She then closed the door and said, "Did you know that I've successfully infiltrated the gaming department? Whether it's the latest happenings or old gossip—I know it all very clearly!"However, after she knew everything, she didn't feel good keeping it bottled up inside her. After much consideration, she decided to skip work and come over to tell me.I sat on the couch and put my purse on the table beside me. "You're that good, huh?"Alice sat down next to me, lifting her chin proudly. "Of course!"I couldn't help but smile upon seeing her proud expression. Young ladies nowadays were full of life.She wasted no time and immediately began sharing the gossip she had overheard.I was stunned as I listened.Once she was done talking about her coworkers, she sud
Eventually, we sat down in a dessert shop. The two men each ordered a small cake and tea for themselves.The driver used his fork to pick up a piece of the mille-feuille and placed it into his mouth. Once he swallowed, he mustered up the courage to speak. "Don't you think your attitude toward Zach is excessively cruel? He's only five this year. He's just a clueless little kid. Do you know that he cries silently every day at the school gate when he sees you picking up Willow? "He loves you so much. How can you bear to ignore him just because you divorced his father?"He didn't understand my decision. In his mind, a mother was supposed to love her child unconditionally.I was much calmer than he was in his agitated state. "Have both of you ever considered what he did to me before deciding to ask me this question?"The driver shook his head. "I don't know what he did, but how bad could a child's actions possibly be?"I used to think the same. That was why I always unconditionally
Zach could no longer hold his tears back. They dripped down his face as he replied, "I do. I miss you so much right now. Mommy, when will you come back? It's okay if you hate Dad. Just take me with you."I'll bring along all the money and shop rentals you saved for me. With the rent and savings, it'll be enough for the two of us to live out the rest of our lives together."His tears were especially visible on his blanket. Zach knew that Aralyn no longer wanted him anymore, so no matter how hard he cried, she wouldn't comfort him anymore.He miserably wiped his tears away and continued through their chat history. He suddenly realized that before his parents had gotten divorced, it was always Aralyn who texted him first, and he barely replied to a single text.Zach couldn't put his feelings into words at that moment. His chest felt tight, and he wanted to cry.During that time, he remembered his dad would bring him to meet Luna every day. He would always praise Luna in front of hi
"When I used to go out drinking with you guys, she would always worry about my health and remind me to drink as little as possible—or better yet, not drink at all. When I got home, she would carefully take care of me and even cook me some soup."Those memories were sealed away in his mind.Now that he was recalling what Aralyn had done, he finally realized that he had let go of someone who genuinely cared about him. "And now, it's over. No one will ever care for me the way she did."As he spoke, he started wailing.Seeing how heartbroken Shayne was, Spencer couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. He said softly, "The main issue was your attitude toward Luna and Aralyn. It was too easy for others to misunderstand. Since you like Aralyn, then why was your attitude toward her so awful?"Back when they were still married, Shayne's attitude was mostly dismissive whenever he mentioned her in front of them. He even gave them the impression that Aralyn was throwing herself at him
I said unhurriedly, "Think about what a doll looks like, and then think about the person you want to talk to. If you were to custom-make a doll like them, what would it look like?"Willow thought about it seriously and asked, "Then what?"I smiled and replied, "Wouldn't you be able to talk to them normally once you have the image of their doll in your mind?""That's true!" Willow exclaimed in amazement. She clearly didn't think there would be such a good solution. "However…" she added, her eyes sparkling. She seemed like she was thinking of something mischievous."What is it?" I asked quickly.She chuckled happily and replied, "Doesn't that mean everyone in the world would become dolls in my eyes?"Seeing her expectant expression, I played along and said, "That's right, a world of dolls just for you."Willow grew even more excited....Julian sat in the living room, quietly awaiting Aralyn. She would chat with him for a while every day in the past."She's accompanying Willo
This question left me confused. I asked back, puzzled, "Why would I mind?"Julian knew full well that if a woman genuinely liked a man, she would inevitably feel possessive of him. The fact that I didn't mind now meant that I didn't love him yet.Julian felt rather dejected but knew that some things could not be rushed. So, he smiled and said, "That's true."…After sending Ximena back to her home and confirming that her ex-husband and Pamela weren't nearby, Julian and I finally left feeling at ease.Once I returned home, Willow immediately flung herself into my arms upon seeing me. "Mommy!"I bent down to pick her up."Yes?" I asked.She put her little cheek on my shoulder and asked, "Do you remember the goal I set for you? Back then, I said that I would definitely be able to talk with people other than you and Daddy normally within a month! It hasn't even been a month, and I've already reached my goal!"Willow then raised her head and looked at me expectantly. "I did so well
When we got home, Willow dragged the whole family along to exercise with her.After finishing, Willow took Pamela and her grandparents upstairs.Only Julian, Ximena, and I remained in the living room.Ximena glanced upstairs and said, "I thought Pamela would need to help her, but who would've guessed she'd recover on her own?""Yes," I agreed, sighing. "Children recover much faster than I ever imagined."Ximena couldn't help but chuckle. "Exactly. Look at Pamela. When she lived with her dad, she'd come home acting like a quail—so timid and cautious. But after just a few days with me, she's slowly returning to how she used to be."It was evident that Ximena loved Pamela. "If I had known that switching to a less stressful job would make life easier for my daughter, I definitely would've left my old company a long time ago."As a mother myself, I understood Ximena's guilt. Patting her shoulder reassuringly, I uttered, "It's not too late to change now."Ximena nodded. "Yeah."Juli
Hughes Group had excellent landscaping. The green plants on both sides were lush and flourishing.The tree shade blocked the harsh sunlight, creating a tranquil atmosphere.I turned to look at Julian. "Have you finished all your work?"As he did not like someone to lie, Julian replied honestly, "Not yet."He hadn't forgotten Gabriel and Lilia's advice—to appear vulnerable in front of Aralyn. "I just feel a bit tired.""It's a pity I can't help you much," I said regretfully. "But the account and selling peripheral products could bring me a lot of income."This was an answer I had thought about for a long time. "If your company runs into trouble and can't hold on, you can come to me for help. I can take care of you and Willow."Julian was very confident that his company wouldn't run into any problems, but he hadn't expected that Aralyn would already consider such a scenario.He even thought that if the company really did go bankrupt, wouldn't that also bring him closer to Araly
As soon as he finished speaking, the server brought over a large bowl of broth fondue and placed it on the table. "Enjoy your meal," he said with a smile."Thank you!" I picked up a piece of the beef. The crunchy and tender texture was simply irresistible.I ate several big bites in a row, only to notice that Julian still hadn't started eating. Curious, I asked, "Are you not going to eat?""Of course I am," Julian said, picking up his cutlery.…Shayne returned to his office, thinking about the things Aralyn had said. It dawned on him that he had indeed made far too many mistakes.Ever since he'd married Aralyn, he had taken her for granted because she was too sensible and understanding. He hadn't even noticed how much she had suffered.At this moment, Shayne was desperate to divorce Luna and make amends to Aralyn.Resolute, he called Luna."Yes? Miss me?" Luna's sweet voice came through the phone."I'm sorry." After saying those words, Shayne felt a sense of relief.Why was