Chapter 0006

(Allison's POV)

Liam kept grinning at me, waiting for an answer to his question. He was always so eager to know who his dad was, but I always find a way to dodge the topic. I didn’t want to tell Liam about Scott—it would only remind me of the pain he caused and how heartlessly he abandoned me without a second thought.

“Is he my daddy?” Liam asked again, his eyes full of hope. My tongue felt tied as I hesitated, still calculating what to say.

“Hi, little man, I am your—”

“He is not your daddy,” I interrupted Scott sharply. I knew exactly what he was about to say. He’d tell Liam he was his father, forgetting how he never wanted him in the first place. If he had, he wouldn’t have told me to get rid of him when he was still a fetus. Scott shot me a disappointed look, but I glared at him angrily, forcing him to lower his head as the weight of his past words sank in.

“I thought he was going to be my daddy. Mommy, when am I going to see my daddy? All my classmates talk about their daddies and how they play and build castles with them,” Liam said, his voice tinged with sadness.

I felt a pang of guilt for depriving Liam of a father figure, but despite how bad I felt, Scott had no place in his life. Scott's face mirrored his guilt as he watched Liam speak. I knew he wanted to tell Liam the truth, but the weight of rejecting him years ago kept him silent.

Squatting to Liam's height, I forced a smile and gently ran my fingers through his soft, dark brown hair. His blue eyes and brown hair were an undeniable reflection of Scott. “Listen, Liam, Mommy will play with you and build a castle with you, okay?” I said, smiling warmly.

“But...” Liam hesitated, his gaze shifting to Scott, who smiled at him. It was a genuine smile, but I didn’t like it. I couldn’t let a bond form between them.

“Since I don’t have a daddy, can he be my daddy?” Liam asked with an innocent grin. The question made my chest tighten.

I took a deep breath, masking my anger with a forced smile. Liam was just a child, unaware of the past. “I’m sure Aunt Hilda is looking for you. Go find her, and she’ll give you lots of chocolates,” I suggested.

“No, Mommy, I don’t want to leave. I want him to be my daddy. I don’t have a daddy—please make him my daddy,” Liam whined, tugging at my heartstrings.

“I can be—” Scott started, but the deadly glare I shot him silenced him immediately. He seemed surprised by my transformation from the naive woman he once knew into someone much stronger.

“Why can’t you just listen to me, Liam?!” I found myself yelling at my innocent son. His insistence on wanting Scott to be his father, despite my clear objections, was pushing me to the edge. “Go to Aunt Hilda right now and stay with her,” I said firmly.

“Okay, Mommy,” Liam replied in a small voice, his shoulders slumping as he walked away. The guilt of raising my voice at him weighed heavily on me—I had never done that before. It was all because of Scott’s presence.

“You shouldn’t have yelled at him,” Scott said, trying to sound like the perfect father.

“What right do you have to lecture me, Scott?” I snapped, my anger spilling over.

“I know I was wrong in the past, but you shouldn’t have yelled at our son like that. He’s just a kid who wants to know his father.”

“And you think he deserves to know you?” I countered, my voice sharp. Regret flickered in Scott’s eyes, but I didn’t care. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. The weight of his guilt rendered him speechless.

“You have no right to tell me how to raise my son, Scott,” I continued. “I’ve been raising him alone for five years, and I love him more than anything. I wouldn’t have raised my voice at him if you hadn’t shown up here. Do me a favor and go back to the woman you left Liam and me for.” Without waiting for his response, I turned and walked away.

Back at the event, I forced myself to smile for the guests, but Scott’s presence had already ruined my day. When the event finally ended, I headed home.

Liam was in his room, flipping through a book. He couldn’t read yet, but he loved looking at the pictures. However, this time, he wasn’t smiling. I knew he was still hurt by my outburst, and I silently cursed myself for it.

I knocked softly on the door, even though it was open. Liam looked up at me. “Can I come in?” I asked timidly, feeling like a child seeking forgiveness. He stared at me for a moment before nodding. I sat beside him on the bed.

“What’s my handsome son reading?” I teased.

“I don’t know how to read yet, Mommy,” he replied with a small smile, making me feel slightly better.

“Don’t worry, you’ll learn soon, and Mommy will buy you lots of books with amazing pictures,” I said, demonstrating enthusiastically. Liam laughed, easing the guilt that had been eating at me.

“Mommy is sorry for raising her voice at you. You know Mommy doesn’t usually do that, right?” I asked, gently holding his small hands.

“I know, Mommy. I’m sorry too for not listening to you at first,” he said, smiling. I ruffled his hair, signaling that all was forgiven.

“Mommy, is he really not my daddy? I feel like we look alike. He has my dark brown hair and blue eyes too,” Liam asked innocently.

“It’s just a coincidence that you both have the same features,” I lied, guilt swirling within me. I couldn’t let Scott back into our lives. Liam nodded, trusting me, which only deepened my guilt.

“Mommy, can you read this book to me? I see lots of animals, but I don’t understand them,” Liam said, his confusion evident.

Now I understood why he wasn’t smiling earlier—it wasn’t because he was mad at me but because he couldn’t make sense of the pictures. I felt so blessed to have him in my life.

“Alright, sweetheart. Mommy will read it to you,” I said, pulling him onto my lap.

Liam grinned and kissed me. “I love you, Mommy.”

I smiled back. After everything Scott put me through, I never thought I’d find so much happiness in this little boy—the best part of my life.