That morning at the hospitalNico stood at the door of the hospital room with a face full of doubt. His suitcase was already in the car, the plane ticket was in his hand. It was only a matter of time before he left to leave everything behind, including Celine and Calvin. But there was something he had to do first. He knocked lightly on the door, then opened it. Inside, Calvin was drawing at a small table, while Celine sat leaning back on the bed, her face looking more refreshed although her gaze was still cold. "Can I come in?" Nico asked softly, his voice almost a whisper. Celine didn't answer, just gave him a glance before looking away again. Calvin, on the other hand, immediately smiled widely. "Daddy!" he exclaimed happily as he jumped up from his chair and ran towards Nico. Nico lifted the boy into his arms, kissing his forehead gently. "Hi, Calvin. Did you eat breakfast?" "I did, Daddy," Calvin replied excitedly. "But why has Daddy been absent for so long? I miss you!"
Celine looked at Nico with a look in her eyes that was hard to interpret. Calvin had already fallen asleep in his small bed after being tired of crying. Now there were only the two of them in the room, and the atmosphere was heavy. "I want to clarify something," Celine finally opened her voice. Her tone was cold, different from before. Nico, who was standing by the window, turned his head. "What is it, Celine?" Celine took a deep breath. "What I said earlier, about forgiving you... it's not entirely true." Nico looked at her, his forehead furrowed. "What do you mean?" "I only said that for Calvin's sake." Celine looked directly into Nico's eyes, her tone firm. "I don't want him to feel even more devastated. But that doesn't mean I've forgotten everything you did." Nico was silent. He didn't try to defend himself, nor did he show anger. He just nodded slowly, as if he had expected the answer. "I understand," he said finally, his voice low. "I know I deserve that." Celin
"So what if Calvin asks that we don't live in the same house?" Nico asked later. "Well, we still live in the same house. We'll pretend to be married. Later, I'll find a new Daddy if it's suitable, then get divorced."Nico was stunned to hear that statement. Celine looked at him without hesitation, as if the sentence she had just said was the most logical solution that could be taken. "We live in the same house?" Nico repeated, making sure he hadn't heard wrong. Celine nodded, her face remaining cold. "Yes. For Calvin's sake. He doesn't need to know what's really going on between us. We pretend to be married, living like a normal family in front of him. If I find someone suitable, we can divorce gracefully." Nico felt something hit his chest. He wanted to refuse, wanted to say that it wasn't fair, but the words seemed to get stuck in his throat. "Are you serious, Celine?" he asked in a trembling voice. "Seriously," Celine replied firmly. "I don't care how you feel about this
Calvin sat on the edge of the bed, hugging his favorite doll with a sour face. He looked up at his mother with eyes that were almost brimming with tears. "Mommy, where's Daddy? Why isn't Daddy here?" he whined in a small voice full of confusion. Celine, who was folding the blanket at the end of the bed, tried to put on a gentle smile. "Daddy went away for a while, dear. He bought some fruit for you. Calvin likes apples and oranges, doesn't he?" "But it took so long!" Calvin snorted. "I want Daddy now!" Celine came over, sat beside Calvin, and gently smoothed her son's hair. "Be patient, honey. Daddy will come back. Now, how about Calvin draw a picture first? Daddy will see the picture when he gets home." Calvin gave a small nod, though his face was still sullen. "But Mommy said Daddy won't leave again." Celine was silent for a moment. She knew this little lie wasn't a good solution, but she also didn't know how to explain the situation to Calvin. "Daddy's only gone for a l
At Nico's apartmentNico's cell phone vibrated on the small table in front of him. He immediately grabbed it when he saw Celine's name on the screen. "Hello?" "Nico," Celine's voice sounded firm, though a little hurried. "Can you go to the hospital now? Calvin keeps looking for you. He's starting to run a fever again, probably from too much stress." Nico stood up immediately. "I'll be there now." Before he could grab his jacket, his mother sitting on the sofa gave him a sharp look. "Wait a minute, Nico." "I don't have time, Mom," Nico replied quickly, but his mother was already standing and blocking his way. "This is your chance," his mother said in a low, stressful voice. "Celine asked you to go there. She needs you. Use this to make her see that you can still be her savior." Nico sighed loudly, frustrated. "This isn't about me or Celine, Mom. This is about Calvin. That boy is sick!" "Exactly," his mother replied quickly, her eyes narrowing. "And who's there for Calvin?
In the Hospital CorridorAfter making sure Calvin was fast asleep, Nico and Celine stood facing each other outside the room. The corridor was quiet, only the sound of the hospital staff's steps could be heard occasionally passing by. "Celine," Nico began, his voice low, almost a whisper. "I want to talk about something important." Celine looked at him with a flat expression. "What else, Nico?" Nico bowed his head, trying to string together the right words. "I know I'm nothing now. Everything I used to have, it's all gone. I lost everything, including you. And it's my fault." Celine remained silent, waiting for what Nico would say next. "But I don't want to continue like this," Nico continued, his voice starting to sound more determined. "I want to get back on my feet, Celine. I want to work, build my career from scratch. I want to be able to stand on my own feet, without having to rely on anyone." "So?" asked Celine briefly, her eyes narrowed, trying to read Nico's intenti
Morning at the HospitalAll night, Celine couldn't sleep. Nico's words kept ringing in her mind. She knew Nico had made many mistakes in the past, but his earnestness that night felt different. There was an honesty in the man's gaze that she found hard to ignore. As the sun began to rise, Celine finally decided on something. She picked up her cell phone and typed a short message to Devano. [Meet me at the office this morning. We need to talk]-Celine's Office Devano knocked politely on Celine's office door, then entered after being invited. The man wore a neat suit as usual, his face calm yet thoughtful. "Is there anything I need to do, ma'am?" asked Devano, sitting in the chair in front of Celine's desk. Celine looked at her faithful assistant, then sighed softly. "I need you to open access for Nico." Devano raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised. "Open access? By that you mean, removing his name from the blacklist of companies in this city?" Celine nodded. "Yes. She s
In the Interview RoomNico sat nervously in front of three interviewers. They were carefully examining his CV. Despite being well-dressed and prepared, Nico felt small under their piercing gazes. "So, Mr. Nico," one of the interviewers, a middle-aged man with thick glasses, began, "you have quite a bit of experience as an operations manager, but we also noticed a long gap in your career. Can you explain why?" Nico took a deep breath. He knew this question would come up. "I had some personal issues that impacted my career. But I've resolved them all, and now I'm ready to start over from scratch. I want to prove myself that I am still capable of making a great contribution." A female interviewer with short hair notes something in her notebook. "Can you give us an example, Mr. Nico, of your strategy to improve efficiency in the operations team, based on your previous experience?" Nico smiled slightly, feeling a little more confident. "One of the things I always prioritize is clea
After Nico left the break room, Celine stood still. For a moment, her instinct told her to run after Nico, apologize, or at least explain everything more deeply. However, she sighed heavily and shook her head lightly. "Never mind," she muttered to herself. "I'm not going to force anything anymore. If she won't listen, there's nothing I can do."She stepped out with a heavy heart. But in her head, she began to make a new decision: just focus on her career and Calvin. All of this was too exhausting to pursue.After that, Celine decided to return to the Mansion. Arriving at the Mansion, Celine sat in the living room with Calvin who was busy playing with his new toy. Calvin's laughter filled the room, making the atmosphere feel lighter. "Mommy, look at this!" Calvin exclaimed while showing the robot he had just finished building. "Wow, what a great kid Mommy," Celine praised with a smile. She stroked Calvin's head gently. "Daddy bought this for me," Calvin said proudly, then adde
Celine stared at her cell phone screen, which showed another missed call. Nico was not answering his phone. For the first time, she really felt annoyed and anxious at the same time. Did this mean Nico had really given up on her?She stood up from her chair, grabbed her bag, and walked out of the office without saying a word to anyone. If the phone wasn't answered, then she would have to go to Nico in person. She didn't care if it had to be done in front of all of Nico's coworkers.Arriving at Nico's workplace, it was busy as usual. Celine entered the building with quick steps. One of Nico's coworkers who recognized her immediately said hello."Good afternoon, Mrs. Celine. Can I help you?" the man asked politely."Where's Nico?" she asked without preamble."Looks like he's in the break room, lunchtime," the man replied as he pointed towards a room in the corner of the building.Without waiting any longer, Celine stepped there. She opened the door to the break room and immediately found
Celine sat on the edge of her bed with the divorce papers in hand. Her eyes stared at the papers for a long time, but her hand made no move to sign. It felt like something was holding her back. Calvin's soft voice calling Nico earlier, Nico's smile as he hugged Calvin-all came back to mind. Why did he feel so heavy to finish this?He took a deep breath and put the letter on the bedside table. In the silence of the room, her mind continued to wrestle. She knew Nico had betrayed her, but she also knew why. And now, when Nico seems to be getting farther away from her, why is her heart even more chaotic?Suddenly, she reached for her cell phone. She didn't know what prompted her to dial Nico's number, but she just wanted to talk to him. After a few rings, Nico's voice came from the other side."What's wrong, Celine?" Nico asked in a flat tone, as if he was holding back his emotions. Celine was silent for a moment before finally answering, "I just want to know what relationship you have w
Late at night, Celine finally could no longer bear the feelings of guilt and worry that were mixed in her heart. She reached for her cell phone and searched for Nico's name in the contact list. Her finger hesitated before she finally pressed the call button. On the other end, Nico's cell phone vibrated on the small table in his apartment. Nico was sitting with his head bowed, staring at the floor unfocused. The sound of his cell phone rang out loudly amidst the silence, making him look up. He saw Celine's name on the screen. His heart seemed to be cut again, but he didn't want to face the conversation right now.After letting the phone ring for a while, Nico picked it up and simply said, "Why?" his voice sounded flat, emotionless.Celine tried to hold back her irritated tone, but she couldn't hide her frustration. "Nico, why didn't you come? Calvin waited for you all day. He even slept hugging his doll because he was disappointed!"Nico was silent for a moment, swallowing his bitter-
Today is a weekend day. Nico is walking alone in the aisle of a large toy store. The atmosphere is so crowded. Nico's face looked serious, but there was a small smile as he imagined Calvin's face would light up with happiness when he received his gift. After getting his first paycheck from his new job, Nico felt this was the right thing to do. However, the small smile on his face vanished instantly when his eyes caught a very familiar figure. Bryan. The man was standing not far from where Nico was, picking through the toys on the shelf. Nico frowned. "What is he doing here?" he thought. However, before Nico could turn around or dodge away, Bryan had already noticed him."Oh, Nico." Bryan smiled slightly as he walked over. His hand held a box of toy cars.Nico didn't answer, just looked at Bryan coldly."Shopping for Calvin?" Bryan started the conversation in a friendly tone, but there was something in his voice that made Nico feel uncomfortable."Yeah," Nico replied briefly, not inte
That morning, the company where Nico worked was busy. Employees milled around with files and laptops in hand. In the large meeting room, Celine had just arrived with her team for an important meeting. She wore an elegant ivory-white suit that made her look authoritative. As she walked towards the room, her eyes accidentally met the figure of Nico who was standing near the stairs. Nico was wearing a light blue shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves, looking serious as he was reading a document. In that instant, Celine's heart was in turmoil. She wanted to greet Nico, but her pride held her back."Nico," she muttered to herself, hoping he would notice her presence.However, Nico only gave her a glance, then turned around and continued his work without saying a word. Nico's cold demeanor made Celine's chest feel tight. Anger mixed with disappointment began to rule her mind. "Do I really not matter to him anymore?" she thought, biting her lower lip to hold back her irritation.A few hou
Two days after Nicp left. Celine parked her car on the side of the road near a small cafe. She found Nico's location through the tracking app still installed on her phone. Her hands gripped the steering wheel, her heart pounding as she gazed at the café through the windshield. She was determined to get over her ego and have a heart-to-heart talk with Nico. However, what she saw inside left her transfixed.From the window of the cafe, Nico was sitting with a woman. The woman was Elissa. They seemed to be talking seriously, and soon after, Elissa hugged Nico tightly. The hug looked so intimate in Celine's eyes. She felt her chest tighten. Her breath was held. "So it's true, they are in a relationship?" thought Celine, her body feeling weak. She bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears from falling. She had come with the hope of making things right, but the sight destroyed all the courage she had gathered.Inside the cafe, Nico looked down, a grim look on his face. "I'm tired, Lis,"
That morning, Nico sat in the living room with his suitcase beside him. He had completed all the preparations. The divorce papers had been signed last night, just waiting for Celine's signature. His heart was still heavy, but he knew that this was the best decision-for him, for Celine, and maybe for Calvin too.Celine came down the stairs with an expressionless face. She wore her usual work suit, looking elegant but cold. She walked slowly towards Nico without looking directly at him. Calvin was behind Celine, his face full of confusion and sadness.Nico stood up, trying to smile even though his heart was aching. "Celine," he called softly, handing her the document in his hand. "This is the letter. All you have to do is sign it. After that, everything is done."Celine accepted the document without speaking. She just looked down, staring at the white paper that marked the end of everything. Celine's hand trembled slightly, but she hid it well. "I'll sign later," she said briefly.Nico
That night, Nico sat in the corner of the room, staring at the back of Celine who stood with her back to him. She was busy with her laptop, but Nico could tell her focus wasn't really there. The atmosphere in the room was cold and tense, although the dim lights gave the impression of warmth. Nico clasped his fingers tightly, trying to find the strength to say what he had been thinking all night."Celine," Nico finally called out. His voice was calm but deep, carrying a weight that was hard to explain.Celine turned her head briefly. "What's wrong?" she asked coldly, though there was a hint of hesitation behind her tone.Nico took a deep breath. He stood up from his chair and walked over, standing about two meters away from Celine. "I want to talk. One-on-one."Celine closed her laptop slowly, looking at Nico with a flat expression. "Alright, just talk. I'll listen."Nico bit his lower lip, his heart at war with himself. However, he knew he had to finish this. If not now, when?"Celine