Sabrina's POV My steps stopped when I heard the little voice that I had missed so much."Mom!"I turned around slowly, almost in disbelief. There, Charlie stood with his innocent face, his eyes sparkling as he stared at me. Unconsciously, my tears flowed even faster. When he started running towards me, I spread my arms wide, waiting with a heart filled with warmth that I couldn't describe with words.As soon as I reached his arms, Charlie immediately hugged me tightly, as if afraid that I would disappear. I returned his hug with all my heart, feeling his warm and soft little body on my chest, covering all the sadness that I had been holding in. In his arms, I felt whole again.We both fell silent for a moment, enjoying the moment of togetherness that we had been waiting for so long. My heart was filled with gratitude and love that flowed so heavily. After being separated for so long, we were finally reunited.From this incident, I learned that a mother's love can never be replaced by
Sabrina's POV "Forgive me, Charlie..." I whispered, my voice almost lost by my own tears. I could only watch Hazel drag Charlie who continued to cry in pain. My son was still struggling, his little hands reaching out towards me, while his cries begged me to take him. "Mom! Please! Don't leave me, Mom!"I could no longer hold back my tears. My body felt weak, but I couldn't do anything. Hazel finally managed to get Charlie into her car. Charlie was still kicking the car door, his face full of tears and panic. But Hazel quickly closed the door and ignored his cries.I could only watch the car move away, carrying my son who was still screaming for me. The car drove further away, leaving Charlie's little shadow struggling inside.When the sound of his cries disappeared from my hearing, my whole body felt empty. It felt like I had lost a part of myself. I fell to my knees, covering my mouth with both hands to hold back the sound of sobbing so deeply and painfully.Silently, I could onl
Sabrina's POV I tried to hold myself up by holding onto the sink, but the world began to spin faster. Suddenly my body felt so weak and light, that my grip on the sink slowly slipped. My eyes began to blur, my vision blurred, and I collapsed to the bathroom floor, unable to catch myself. As I fell, my hand accidentally knocked over several bottles of skincare that were arranged on a small shelf next to the sink. One by one the bottles fell, producing a faint sound of breaking glass that reached my increasingly indistinct ears.Instantly, the room was silent. I lay weakly on the cold floor, with the faint scent of skincare and blood mixed in the air. Only silence enveloped me as my body felt like it was sinking into darkness, leaving all the suffocating pain behind the bathroom door. In the silence that enveloped me, I felt my head and body start to feel light. Darkness filled my vision, making me feel even more isolated from the outside world. The
Sabrina's POVNicholas tried to approach, his hand reaching out to stop my hand from reaching for another vase on the table. However, I slammed it away with an uncontrollable rage.Nicholas was shocked, his eyes widening at my reaction. He stepped back for a moment, as I picked up a light blue vase made of fine ceramic. The atmosphere in the room was tense as if time had stopped for a moment."Do you really want to do this?" his voice trembled, a mixture of worry and frustration. He knew how valuable the items on the table were, but to me, at that moment they all seemed insignificant compared to the emotions surging inside me."None of this means anything!" I shouted, still holding the vase tightly. "You don't understand how it feels when everything I've built is destroyed in an instant."Nicholas bit his lip, trying to hold back his anger and disappointment. He tried to calm the situation, but increasingly, my emotions took over me. "Let it go! Let it all be destroyed!" I threw the v
Sabrina's POV "Sabrina? What's wrong? What's wrong with your voice?" Clara sounded worried. In an instant, my heart felt a little lighter just by hearing her voice."I... can I meet you now?" I said softly, trying to hold back the tears that were already on the verge of my lips.“Yes, of course. Where are you now? I can come pick you up,” she said without hesitation.“I’ll go to your place. I need to get out of here,” I answered quickly, without giving myself room to think any longer.“Okay, I’ll wait for you. Be careful on the road, okay?” Clara’s voice sounded soft and soothing, like a warm blanket in the middle of a storm. I nodded even though she couldn’t see it.After hanging up the phone, I hurriedly wiped away the remaining tears, tidied myself up as best I could, and grabbed my car keys. On the way to Clara’s apartment, various feelings were raging in my mind. I felt empty, but also full of anger that was ready to explode. I just wanted all of this to end, or at least find a
Sabrina's POV “And don’t you also want to know the real reason why Nicholas married you?” Clara continued, her tone full of concern. “It could be that behind your marriage there is something deeper than just obligation or responsibility. If you never ask, you might never know the answer.”I lowered my head, absorbing Clara’s words. True, I never really asked Nicholas to be honest about why he married me. This marriage always felt one-sided, but I never once tried to dig deeper. I was afraid to hear the truth, afraid that the answer wouldn’t be what I expected. But over time, this fear actually piled up into an unbearable mountain of sadness and anger.Clara squeezed my hand, gently encouraging me. “Sabrina, try to be brave and open your heart. Try to be honest, even if it’s hard. Maybe, behind all of this, there are things you don’t know. Maybe Nicholas also has his own feelings that he never expressed.”I took a deep breath, feeling both fear and courage slowly growing inside me. Ma
Nicholas' POVI sat in my office, staring at the blinking laptop screen in front of me, but not a single word entered my mind. My mind was still stuck on last night. Sabrina… she was throwing her temper like I had never seen before. Her screaming, the way she smashed things in her room, the tears she shed, all of it was still vivid in my mind. That wasn't the usual Sabrina.I remembered when she told me about her dreams for the future, and how she always managed to see the bright side of small things. But last night, everything felt like it had come crashing down. She was like a stranger, trapped in the darkness of her own emotions. But I couldn't help but be silent.I never thought the pressure could change her so drastically. My heart felt heavy thinking about what she must have gone through alone. Why didn't she tell me? Why didn't she share her burden with me?Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the clock ticking slowly as if slowing down time
Nicholas's POVOn one hand, I wanted to believe Sabrina, that what happened was just a misunderstanding. But on the other hand, the worry continued to grow. What if she had changed? What if she really doesn't care about Charlie anymore, like she seems? And... is it true that she feels that much pain just because Hazel is back in my life? I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. Maybe I need to talk to her and try to understand what she really feels. But, on the other hand, there is a fear inside me, afraid to hear the truth that I might not want to accept. My heart and mind seem to be fighting in my head. It feels difficult to find a common ground between the desire to believe in Sabrina and the worry that continues to gnaw at me. Every time I think about what might happen, the image of her change haunts me. Has she really turned away, or is all this just anxiety exaggerated by my own mind? I opened my eyes and stared out the window, se
Nicholas’s POV That morning, I woke up earlier than usual. The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, but its soft light was already streaming through our bedroom window. Beside me, Sabrina was still asleep, her face calm despite our deep conversation the night before.I felt relieved to have comforted her, assuring her that I would always be there for her and Charlie. Seeing her sleep peacefully made me grateful. We had been through so much, and although there were tensions to face, I believed we could find a way out together.As I gazed at her face, my mind drifted back to our conversation last night. Her fear of losing Charlie was very real, and I wanted to protect both of them from anything that could hurt them. I knew that Hazel was part of our past, and although there was hope for change, I had to remain vigilant.I quietly got out of bed, not wanting to wake her. After showering and changing into my work clothes, I left the room and caught the delici
Sabrina's POV My eyes lingered on his face longer than usual. I knew that the fear I had expressed to Nicholas wasn’t just an ordinary worry. I truly didn’t want to lose this child. Charlie meant everything to me. He might not be my biological child, but my love for him had surpassed the boundaries of blood and birth ties. My gaze fell on an object at the edge of the bed. A small toy robot from Hazel. I reached out and gently grabbed it. The toy was still lit, its light blinking softly. Charlie must have been so happy earlier. I could imagine his face when he received it directly from Hazel. But because of that, my feelings churned again. There was a faint yet piercing wound. I stared at the toy, then back at Charlie’s face. I gently caressed his cheek. “I’m sorry if I was selfish earlier,” I whispered softly, more to myself. “I was just scared. So scared…” I took a deep breath
Sabrina's POV I stepped closer, bent down for a moment, then sat on the edge of Charlie’s bed. The little one was still sound asleep, unaware that he had become the center of my worries tonight. Seeing his peaceful face made me feel calmer, even though the weight in my heart still lingered.Nicholas stood by the door, looking contemplative. I could sense the depth of our feelings. We were both parents trying to do what was best for Charlie, even though sometimes our ways were different.I turned my gaze to Nicholas, trying to find a way to bridge our feelings. “We need to be better at communicating,” I said softly, hoping to open the door to a more constructive discussion.Nicholas nodded, as if he agreed with what I was saying. A sense of guilt began to envelop my heart, reminding me that we both just wanted to protect Charlie, even though we often got caught up in differing perspectives.The tense atmosphere began to so
Sabrina's POVI waited in the living room, watching the clock on the wall move painfully slow. It was past nine in the evening, and the house was still quiet. Just a moment ago, I heard the door open and Nicholas's careful footsteps as he carried a sleeping Charlie in his arms.I watched them in silence, holding back the anger that had been rumbling in my chest.“He's back,” I said, my tone icy. My eyes never left Nicholas's face.He turned quickly, perhaps sensing the tone in my voice. “He fell asleep after playing…”“I know he fell asleep,” I cut in sharply. “What I don’t understand is why you took Hazel to meet Charlie… even coming home this late.”Nicholas's face hardened for a moment. He avoided my gaze and walked slowly toward Charlie’s room. I followed behind, watching him lay Charlie down carefully, cover him with a blanket, then stand back with a long sigh.Seeing Nicholas so calm while holding Charlie made me f
Hazel's POV Carefully, I leaned down and kissed Charlie on the forehead. “Goodnight, sweetheart... Mommy Hazel loves you so much,” I whispered softly, trying to hold back the surge of emotions pressing from within.I took a deep breath, then opened the door and got out of the car. Outside, the night air touched my face, bringing a slight chill that didn’t come from the weather but from the heavy heart of leaving my son.Nicholas got out as well and looked at me with an unreadable expression. “Thank you... for giving me this time,” I said, my voice slightly trembling.He simply nodded. “See you, Hazel.”I stood there, watching the car slowly pull away from the parking lot, taking my sleeping child with it. And as the taillights disappeared around the corner, I felt as if a part of me was leaving with him.My steps felt heavy as I entered the apartment. The door closed quietly behind me, leaving a silence that echoe
Hazel's POV Nicholas and I stood at the edge of the trampoline, watching Charlie’s every move. “Be careful, sweetheart!” I called out, though the smile never left my face.Charlie just nodded while continuing to jump. “I can do it, Mom! Look!” He jumped higher, trying to perform some small acrobatic moves.Nicholas looked at me with a broad smile. “He’s so happy. This is great for him,” he said.“Yes, it really is,” I replied, feeling warmth in my heart.Nicholas and I stood on the sidelines, exchanging smiles as we watched our child’s delight.“Look at me, Mom! Look, Dad!” Charlie shouted as he attempted a small somersault.I clapped my hands and cheered, “That’s amazing, sweetheart!” My voice was full of excitement, accompanying his joy.Seeing him so enthusiastic made me want to capture the moment in a video. I took out my phone and recorded Charlie’s happy antics. Each jump and laugh that came from him filled my
Hazel's POV We had just exited the restaurant when Charlie suddenly slowed his steps. His hand, which had been tightly holding mine, slowly slipped away. He turned to look at Nicholas, who was walking behind us. I glanced at the small face that now looked hesitant, his lips seemingly wanting to say something, but he remained silent.I bent down slightly to match his height and gently asked, “Charlie, do you want to go to the playground for a bit? It’s not far from here, just a five-minute walk. I saw something fun earlier.”Charlie looked at me, then turned his gaze back to Nicholas, as if seeking approval. In that silence, my heart felt heavy. I knew that my return to their lives was not something easy for a child to process.But when I saw Nicholas nod slowly, my heart warmed. He didn’t say anything, just looked at Charlie with a slight smile. That moment felt full of hope, and I could see Charlie relax a bit.Charlie turned back to me
Hazel's POV I turned to look at Nicholas, a bit hesitant. I knew this request might be too sudden. But I also knew how precious this time was, how every minute with Charlie was a chance that might not come again.Nicholas stared at both of us for a long time before finally nodding slowly. “If Charlie wants to, of course,” he said in a calm voice. “We can have dinner together.”I could hardly believe it. “Thank you,” I murmured quietly, more to Nicholas, even though I knew he heard me.Charlie smiled again. “Dinner for three? With Mommy Hazel and Daddy Nicholas?” he asked innocently.I nodded with slightly puffy eyes, gently ruffling his hair. “Yes, sweetheart. Just the three of us.”“Can I have spaghetti?” he asked excitedly.I laughed softly, a sound I had almost forgotten. “Of course, you can choose anything you want.”The three of us walked toward Nicholas's car. For the first time in a long time, my steps f
Hazel's POV “One more step,” I whispered to myself, trying to reassure myself. Every second felt like an eternity as we drove toward where Charlie was.I imagined how he would react when he saw me.Would he smile?Or maybe just look at me in confusion?Whatever happened, I knew I had to be ready. Tonight, I would fight to be a part of his life again, even if just for a moment.The car moved smoothly under the evening sky that was beginning to yellow. Through the window, the tall buildings and city traffic moved slowly, contrasting with the turmoil inside my chest. Nicholas remained silent for several minutes, focused on driving, and for some reason, I felt awkward. We used to be so close, knowing each other inside out. But now, everything felt like walking on a thin line.“Charlie… he’s healthy, right?” I finally asked, trying to break the heavy silence.Nicholas nodded without looking. “He’s good. Very active. And…