Share

Chapter 3

Author: Walking on Clouds
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 pick out clothes for the day.

Shayne was the CEO of the company, so he dressed quite formally.

Zach, being a kid, wore clothes where comfort and convenience were most important.

Once I finish pairing the outfits, I put the clothes in their respective bedrooms. Shayne and Zach were just about done washing up.

Since I had time, I ladled out the chicken broth and started cooking the ravioli.

The chicken broth was already hot, so it was easy to bring it to a boil.

After I added enough ravioli for three people into the pot, I quietly waited for the ravioli to cook.

"Mom!"

Hearing Zach's angry voice, I turned around and saw him charging toward me with the tablet in his arms.

He furiously demanded, "Did you delete Ms. Luna's number and leave the group?"

I looked at his youthful face, which was unusually lively because of his anger, and shook my head. "I didn't."

But I understood Zach well. Although he was too young to be able to distinguish right from wrong, Luna's willingness to indulge him and let him eat and play freely made her the person he liked the most.

Even though we adults cut off his contact with Luna for his own good, he definitely wouldn't be able to just accept it.

I had already mentally prepared myself to face his anger. Still, I didn't expect what he said to be so hurtful.

"Who else would do that?" Zach glared at me with red eyes. "No wonder they all say Dad doesn't like you. A woman like you who likes to control others' lives and every move doesn't deserve anyone's affection!"

Even though I had anticipated that he would say some extreme things out of an emotional outburst, I told myself that as a mother, I should be understanding.

But...

I still overestimated myself.

His words were like sharp arrows, effortlessly breaking through the defenses in my heart and piercing deep within.

It turned out that my son thought I was such a detestable person.

My hands trembled uncontrollably as I asked, "If Dad doesn't like me, who does he like?"

Zach puffed his cheeks angrily. "Of course, it's Ms. Luna! He said it himself. He has liked Ms. Luna for a long time!"

"Really?" My mind went blank. "How do you know this..."

Zach looked at me with his head tilted. "Dad told me, of course. Why would he take me to play with Ms. Luna every time otherwise?"

His naivety made his innocent and straightforward inquiry even more hurtful.

Indeed…

If Shayne didn't like Luna, he wouldn't be in contact with her.

And yet, their recent interactions had been terrifyingly frequent.

Shayne's feelings for Luna were evident.

It felt like a huge hand was tightly gripping my heart. I was instantly filled with a sharp pain.

"Dad must really like Ms. Luna. The way he looks at Ms. Luna is different from how he looks at you. Dad said that the reason he doesn't want a divorce is that he's afraid I'll end up becoming a child from a single-parent family like you. It wouldn't be good for my psychological growth. He's also worried that you would cling to him and end up hurting others when you lose control!"

I looked at Zach.

He was only five years old, speaking in a cute, childish tone that was nothing short of innocent.

However, the things he said were incredibly extreme and hurtful.

I desperately comforted myself, telling myself that he only said these things because he was upset.

Even so, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking.

The ravioli was cooked then.

As the aroma wafted into my nose, I forced myself not to think about this "innocent talk." I started serving him a bowl of ravioli. Afraid it would burn him, I placed the bowl on the table.

"Go ahead and dig in."

However, Zach picked up the bowl from the table with both hands and slammed it down onto the floor.

Clang!

The porcelain bowl shattered into pieces. There was chicken broth and ravioli everywhere.

"Zach Pearce! There's a limit to throwing tantrums. Have you forgotten the manners I taught you?"

I was also getting angry. Our eyes met, and neither of us backed down.

Not getting the result he wanted, Zach disgruntledly pushed me away. He cried as he left, "I don't need you to teach me! I hate you!"

He wasn't strong, but I was still pushed off balance, nearly falling over.

I watched Zach's retreating figure in disbelief.

We had always gotten along well. But because he was still young and his thinking wasn't mature enough, he would say and do the wrong things. Although it occasionally hurt me, I would calm down and later tell him what he had done wrong. He would then understand how to correct himself.

Usually, at times like this, he would come over and wrap his little arms around my neck, cooing, "Mom, I shouldn't have said that just now. I made you sad, didn't I? I'll remember to never say it again."

Then, he would gently nuzzle his face against mine.

But now…

I steadied myself against the stove, but drops of tears fell uncontrollably.

Why had he turned out this way?

Was there really something wrong with how I raised him?

I seriously reflected on myself and how I used to be overly strict with him.

Since Zach was just a child, he didn't understand that everything I did was for his own good. He only felt oppressed.

Luna's reckless indulgence just happened to make him feel relaxed...

He was slowly being influenced.

Gradually, he was moving away from me and getting closer to Luna.

Would our relationship improve if I were to lower my expectations of him in the future?

I took another bowl from the rack.

Zach's breakfast was all over the floor.

Shayne hadn't eaten yet. I didn't thoughtfully serve the ravioli in advance as I usually did. Instead, I placed the empty bowl on the table and sat beside it.

I had to admit, my emotions were a mess at this very moment.

Shayne paused when he sat down and saw the empty bowl. "What's wrong?"

I held back my emotions which were on the verge of erupting and replied, "Yesterday, I left the group and deleted Luna's contact. Zach got really upset and threw his meal. I guess he doesn't feel like eating what I made today. You can just take him to school for breakfast."

Shayne nodded in agreement. "Okay."

He then got up to serve himself some ravioli. "Don't be upset, honey. There's no need to argue with a child."

As I looked at him, Zach's words echoed in my ears. I opened my mouth, wanting to ask him what was going on.

But then I stopped.

If he questioned me later, how could I explain that I took what our son said in anger seriously? How would I respond?

But if I didn't ask anything, I would feel stifled...

With frustration building up inside me, I finally mentioned, "About yesterday..."

"Don't worry." Shayne seemed to know what I was concerned about. He smiled and raised his hand, ruffling my hair over the table. "Since I promised you, I'll handle it well."

Hearing his reassuring response, I finally felt a bit relieved. "That's good. Let's eat."

Once he cut off contact with Luna, I would also try to act as if his feelings had never wavered. He was still my loving husband and a devoted father.

After all, we used to be a happy family.

After Shayne finished his meal, he went to the bedroom to call Zach for school.

Zach came out dressed. When he saw me, he huffed and turned away, sulking as he took Shayne's hand and stormed off to the door.

Meanwhile, Shayne stood at the door and said goodbye to me.

Like every other day, they left.

I was left alone at home.

My task was to repeat the same boring routine of cleaning up the mess they left behind.

The shattered bowl on the floor, the scattered ravioli, the broth that had spilled everywhere, the used empty bowls on the table, and the dirty laundry from yesterday…

After finishing the chores, I finally started mopping the floor, moving from the living room to the bedroom, and then to the study.

As I pushed open the study door, I saw a photo and two opened letters on the desk.

It was an old photo of Luna looking youthful and vibrant.

The letter on the left was in Shayne's familiar handwriting.

He had only written two sentences.

"Luna, even though you hurt me deeply when you betrayed me, I would forgive you.

"As long as you're willing to reconcile with me, I can cancel the wedding with Aralyn immediately."

Boom.

My mind went blank.
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Comments (3)
goodnovel comment avatar
Balogun Adejoke
he only cares about himself and that's bad
goodnovel comment avatar
Elma Nagtalon Cruz
next chapter please
goodnovel comment avatar
Mariam Aj
I think he using aralyn just becoz she was there when Luna left him
VIEW ALL COMMENTS

Related chapters

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 4

    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

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 5

    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

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 6

    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

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 7

    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

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 8

    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

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 9

    Shayne said regretfully, "I have a child with her.""So, that's why you let Luna interact with Zach behind Aralyn's back, right?" someone asked, surprised. "As long as Zach accepts Luna as his mom, you can finally be with your first love!"They started teasing him, "You're smart, man. You even planned this out!"It turned out that Shayne was the one who told Luna to get close to Zach.No wonder…Shayne would send Zach to Charlotte, and Charlotte would then send him to Luna's house, allowing them to bond.No wonder…The teachers at the kindergarten thought Luna was Zach's mother.And here I was, foolishly convincing myself to keep forgiving him.I couldn't stop trembling. Despite how I desperately tried to calm down, it was useless.Shayne hadn't even answered the question when his phone rang.He answered immediately, "Luna?"What? You're saying Zach slit his wrist?"Wait for me. I'm coming right now!"I was completely shocked.Zach had chosen Luna over me at the school g

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 10

    I looked at him in surprise.Shayne immediately handed me the test results, clearly excited about the arrival of this new life. "You fainted last night; it really scared me," he said. "The doctor pushed you in for a check-up and found out that you're pregnant."However, with all the stress you've been under recently, your emotions have been up and down, which has caused the pregnancy to be a bit unstable. You'll need to stay in the hospital for a while to rest and let the pregnancy stabilize."I took the results from him absentmindedly, my gaze fixed on the image of the barely formed baby. My heart, which had been shattered and bruised, found a moment of comfort in knowing that I was pregnant.Instinctively, I placed my hand on my abdomen and caressed the new life inside of me. Countless thoughts flooded my mind. As my father passed away early, I was raised in a single-parent household. I didn't want my children to go through the same kind of childhood I had.So, I spoke up, "Sh

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 11

    Shayne jumped to his feet, exclaiming, "That's impossible!""So much has happened these past few days." I locked eyes with him. "First, Zach has firmly chosen Luna..."Shayne, always calm and restrained, now spoke with a fearful tremor in his voice. "That's just him being immature, honey. I've never crossed any lines with her. You can be angry at Zach or blame me, but you can't leave me."By the end of his sentence, he was almost pleading.But again, he shifted the responsibility onto Zach, seemingly unaware that all the hurt I endured stemmed from his silent acquiescence and indulgence. He couldn't see how, after all these years, the love I had for him disappeared entirely the moment I fell down the stairs."And then," I continued, "even though you promised me you wouldn't keep in contact with her, it turned out that you two are still in touch."Shayne opened his mouth, but no words came out. It was obvious he hadn't expected me to know about what he was doing behind my back. He

Latest chapter

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 780

    "I'm not busy," Mark said.He probably had been busy for so long that he had gotten used to it. Now, he handled many things with ease."Since I'm taking so much money from you, it's only right that I help you handle all these things. But since we're starting a company, can I invest in it?"I was stunned. "But right now, our profit-sharing is about the same."If he invested, wouldn't that mean I'd be making less and less money?Mark quickly explained, "Don't worry. Even after I invest, our profit-sharing will remain the same."The main reason was that he believed I had top-tier strategic thinking and operational ability. Besides, I was the one who created this brand.After hesitating for a while, he finally revealed his true thoughts. "My position isn't irreplaceable to you. But it's different if I invest."I understood what Mark meant—he wanted to have a real stake in the company. "Alright. But if we're setting up a company, shouldn't we buy an office building? We might not be

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 779

    I remembered something about the part-time business and was about to call Mark when he pushed the door open and walked in.His face was full of excitement. "I have good news for you.""Hmm?"Mark leaned in and asked, "Do you remember when I told you that the collectibles are selling really well?"I nodded. "Of course.""It also boosted our peripheral merchandise sales."Mark estimated the numbers roughly. Next month, the money I would receive would be at least several tens of millions and possibly even over a billion.His share wouldn't be small either.Mark's heart was practically in his throat. In the past, he would never have imagined that working for someone else could one day earn him this much money."Right now, whether it's the comics or other merchandise, sales have skyrocketed. The printing factory has ramped up production significantly. I heard that employees over there have started working overtime, and the overtime pay is really high."However, they still can't ke

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 778

    Shayne's company was doing well. Ever since they had collaborated with Shayne's company, their revenue had skyrocketed. Buying these things was no problem for him."Is just this one set enough?" he asked.Luna was making her own money now, so she understood how hard it was to earn. But on second thought, since Shayne was willing to spend, she might as well let him.Hence, she pointed to a few more sets."I'll take all of these," Shayne said to the salesperson."Pick out a few sets for the kids too."Luna wanted to choose expensive, value-retaining jewelry. But those were obviously not suitable for children.Her heart raced. The total for these sets was already close to tens of millions. She should be satisfied.She then picked out gold jewelry for the children.Shayne paid for everything.Luna didn't like Shayne. But because of these pieces of jewelry, she found him much more pleasing to the eye. "You're so nice.""I hope that when I'm broke, you'll still want to be with me.

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 777

    "I learned a lot of things today. Mason told me that your divorce from Rowan wasn't because Rowan's family went bankrupt," Shayne uttered slowly.Luna pushed Shayne away and looked at him. "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?""I'm sorry for misunderstanding you," he apologized.Luna didn't mind. "I wouldn't really call it a misunderstanding. Maybe I was too firm in my decision when I left you, which led you to misunderstand me."Shayne looked into Luna's eyes. "Aralyn said if I don't cherish you, I might regret it in the future. I gave it some thought, and I think she's right. So, from today onward, I want to cherish the days I spend with you."Luna smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Okay. But I've been busy with my career, so I might not have much time.""I'll help you," Shayne replied."Thank you," Luna said sincerely.Having been used to not having money for so long, Luna had developed the habit of saving. Now that she could earn her own money, she was thinking what she should

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 776

    Shayne suddenly felt that Mason was incredibly smart, but he didn't dislike that kind of intelligence. "Okay."…Shayne dropped Mason off at kindergarten.Then, he drove to Willow's kindergarten. When he saw me about to get into the car, he quickly stepped in front of me. "Let's have a proper talk."I knew that if I didn't give him a chance to speak, he would keep blocking me here until I was willing to talk to him.To avoid wasting time, I decided to settle this quickly. "Alright, what do you want to say?"Shayne wanted to say a lot of things. But the moment he saw me, it was as if all those words got stuck in his throat. He couldn't say a single thing.In the end, he only managed to squeeze out, "Lately, I can't stop thinking about the days we were together."If he only wanted to chat casually or reminisce about the past, that would be a complete waste of my time."So what?"Shayne was used to my indifference, but it still hurt him a little. "Back when I pursued you, I trul

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 775

    "Back then, Mommy had some savings and used all of it as our expenses. Daddy felt that we couldn't keep living like that, so he resigned from their company. Then, they came over and scolded Mommy."Mason's tone was full of sarcasm. "They said Mommy had instigated Daddy to quit. Mommy was really upset and cried at home secretly. But when Daddy came back, she still greeted him with a smile."Mommy only suffered all this injustice because she married Daddy, so when Mommy stayed quiet about it, I took the initiative to tell Daddy."He patted my head and told me he would handle it. Then, he went to the balcony. I overheard him telling Grandpa and Grandma to stop interfering in his life. He said that since he no longer worked for them and wasn't taking their money, he was already living independently."No one should have anything to say about his wife. That day, Grandpa and Grandma got really mad. Daddy just listened quietly and then hung up the phone. Back then, they were both under a l

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 774

    "They'll bring that woman and her child into the house, then ask me if she and Daddy make a good match," Mason said.The more Mason spoke, the angrier he got. His cheeks puffed up unconsciously. "They want to set Daddy up with her and hope I'll help them, right? If I refuse, they'll just say I'm not as sensible as her son."Shayne felt that talking to a child about these things seemed pretty inappropriate..But then again, would anyone really be that outrageous?Just then, Mason's phone rang again.He answered and asked, "Do you need something?""Yes!" the two elders replied in unison."Your daddy hasn't been in touch with us lately. Do you know where he is?""No," Mason replied without hesitation.Even if he did know, he wouldn't tell them."When Mommy and I moved out, you said you hoped we would never come back and that you wouldn't contact us. What's going on today? Having regrets?"Mason hadn't planned to speak so harshly.But he really didn't want to have too much cont

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 773

    Mason sat in the car, looking out the window. After a long time, he finally mustered the courage to turn back and look at Shayne. "Will you still get angry with Mommy in the future?"Shayne didn't understand why Mason suddenly brought this up, but he still answered politely, "I've never been angry with your mommy."Mason was confused. "Then why haven't you come to see us for so long?"Shayne casually made up an excuse. "Because I've been busy with work.""Oh, okay."Realizing he had misunderstood Shayne, Zach quickly apologized, "Sorry.""If I do have conflicts with your mommy in the future, what would you do?" Shayne asked."I wouldn't bother with you. Mommy treats me well," Mason said seriously."When I was very little, I always knew that Mommy really loved money. She always put money first, so when she and my daddy got divorced, I thought she wouldn't want me because raising me is really expensive."Mason's voice carried a trace of sadness. "But Mommy still chose to take me

  • A Heart Reclaimed: The Love I Deserve   Chapter 772

    Willow felt she had once again become the happiest child in the world, and her lips curled into a smile.Julian got up and followed behind us.After washing up, Willow pulled us along for a morning run. When we finished, we took a shower and had breakfast together.The food prepared by the chef at home suited our tastes perfectly.Willow ate in big bites, then started drinking her milk.Finally, Julian and I took her to school together.…Mason woke up in the morning.When he walked into the living room and saw Shayne still there, he didn't show any displeasure. Instead, he smiled brightly. "Dad, you really stayed!"Shayne felt deeply gratified. "That's right.""Take me to school today," Mason said eagerly."Most of my classmates have their parents drop them off, but I… It's always the driver who takes me to school. If this keeps up, they'll think I don't have parents."The more he spoke, the quieter his voice became. And by the end, he sounded pitiful.Shayne couldn't hel

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status