Chapter 10
1585 Words
Jane stepped into the house, the warm smell of home-cooked food already filling the air.
As she closed the door, little footsteps ran toward her. “Mom! You’re back!” Clara called out excitedly.
Jane opened her arms, ready for a hugnbut Clara came to a sudden stop, squinting at her instead.
“Mom... what are you wearing? That outfit is a crime against fashion.”
Jane blinked. “Wow. Thanks, sweetie.”
Honestly, it made sense why Clara’s fashion sense had grown so fast she’d been styling her mom since she could talk.
“I think you look amazing,” Benjamin said as he walked over, his face full of admiration.
Clara gave him a look like he’d just said the sky was green. “You’re a straight guy. Your opinion doesn’t count.”
Benjamin opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. He knew better.
“I think she looks great too!” Liam added with a grin.
“Fair skin, pretty face, long legs totally star material,” Bryan chimed in.
Clara threw up her hands. “Ugh! That’s three straight guys now. Someone save me!”
“Alright, alright,” Genevieve said from the kitchen, “your mom just got home. Let her breathe. Let’s sit down and eat, yeah?”
“Thanks, Gen,” Jane smiled, slipping off her heels with a sigh. “I’m going to wash up and change first.”
When she came back, the six of them were already seated around the table like little angels.
Seeing their happy faces, Jane felt her heart soften. As long as they were safe and healthy, what more could she ask for?
She sat down. “Alright, let’s eat.”
Genevieve gave her a quiet look but said nothing.
“Mommy, was work hard today?” Scarlett asked, her voice gentle.
“Not really. Feels the same as working overseas,” Jane replied with a small smile.
“Any cute guys at the office?” Isabella grinned.
Jane raised an eyebrow. She should’ve seen that coming. “Nope.”
“What? A huge company without one hot guy?” Isabella gasped. “Even the airport has better options.”
Then her eyes lit up. “Wait! Mommy,I met a guy at the airport? Young, tall, handsome kind of looks like Liam. Should I set you two up?”
The room went still, as if time itself held its breath. Jane’s hands trembled beneath the table, her fingers clutching at the fabric of her skirt to steady herself. Her lips curled into a faint, practiced smile but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Genevieve watched her closely, her own heart tightening. She could see the subtle rise and fall of Jane’s chest, the way she struggled to keep calm.
She hadn’t told her—hadn’t said that Isabella might’ve crossed paths with Logan at the airport. Jane was finally beginning to heal, to stitch herself back together after being torn apart.
Genevieve couldn’t bring herself to shatter that fragile peace. Not yet. Not when Jane was still learning how to stand again after being broken.
“That handsome uncle looked like a movie star.
I saw him at the airport when we came back!” Isabella said excitedly, moving closer. “Brother, you saw him too, right? He was really good-looking! He even looked a bit like you. I added him on WhatsApp.”
Liam didn’t respond to the compliment. He looked at her seriously. “Didn’t you learn not to talk to strangers?”
“I did,” Isabella nodded.
“Let me see your phone,” Jane said, holding out her hand.
Isabella handed it over, noticing the serious look on Jane’s face. “What’s wrong, Mom? Is something bad?”
Jane didn’t answer. She opened w******p and found a new contact recently added but there were no messages.
Then she opened the man’s profile. It was completely empty.
No posts.
No photos.
Just a profile picture of a starry sky.
Nothing helpful.
Isabella saw the worried look in her mother’s eyes. “Mom? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just don’t talk to strangers, even if they look nice. And don’t add people without knowing who they are,” Jane said, handing the phone back.
“Okay, Mama,” Isabella said softly, looking a little guilty.
“Thanks, but I think I’ll pass,” she said, ruffling Isabella’s hair
“Mommy,” Clara chimed in, “there’s a young, smart, and handsome principal at our school. He kind of looks like Trevor Noah. Do you want to meet him?”
It almost felt like the sisters were having a competition who could find their mom the best boyfriend and perfect dad.
Genevieve listened for a bit and then realized what they were trying to do. These smart little ones were trying to set Jane up!
Jane smiled and played along. “Really? Maybe I’ll visit school one day and check him out.”
“I already looked him up,” Clara said proudly. “He only had one girlfriend, but she moved abroad two years ago. He’s single now and a really good man."
Clara smiled proudly. “I even found out what kind of partner the principal likes. Mommy checks all his boxes! He doesn’t care much about looks, but I think Mommy is way above his standards.”
Bryan looked at her with surprise. “So that’s why you’re always hanging around the principal!”
Clara rolled her eyes at him. “What did you think? That I’m like you boys, just playing around all day?”
Scarlett nodded seriously. “The principal really is a good man. He’s polite, good-looking, and kind.”
If Scarlett said he was good, then he must be.
Jane laughed softly. “Alright then, I’ll pick you up from school one of these days and meet this amazing principal myself. Clara, it’s your job to bring him out, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am!” Clara grinned.
Genevieve watched them talk and couldn’t help smiling. Their family didn’t act like a typical mother and kids. They felt more like close friends.
After dinner, the six kids offered to help with the chores. At first, Genevieve was worried, but when she saw how well they handled everything, she remembered Jane once saying the kids took care of her when they were living overseas. So she let them do it and watched in admiration.
In the living room, Genevieve walked over and sat beside Jane, her voice gentle. “What’s wrong? You look like something’s bothering you.”
Jane didn’t hide it. “The man Isabella saw at the airport… it might have been Logan.”
Genevieve froze for a moment. “And if it was?”
“I don’t want the kids to have anything to do with him,” Jane said quietly.
“You might be overthinking it,” Genevieve said carefully. “I doubt he even realized she was his daughter.”
“I hope you’re right,” Jane murmured, but worry still clouded her eyes.
Then something else came to mind. “Vanessa showed up at my office today.”
Genevieve’s eyes widened in surprise. “What did she want now?”
“She told me to stay away from Logan… and not to reveal who I am to him.”
Jane let out a bitter laugh. “She even offered me a million dollars to disappear.”
“What?!” Genevieve exploded. “I can’t believe Logan’s such an i***t to want to marry that woman!”
Jane gave a tired smile but then added, her voice low and steady, “I’ve been thinking… I want to change the direction of the project.”
Genevieve narrowed her eyes slightly. “Change it how?”
“I want to use it to destroy his company,” Jane said calmly. “Piece by piece. The way he tore me apart.”Genevieve sat back, staring at Jane, the weight of her words sinking in. “You’re serious,” she said softly.
Jane nodded, her eyes steady. “I gave him everything, Gen. My love, my loyalty… our children. And he left me with nothing but scars. If he thinks he can go on like none of it ever happened, he’s wrong.”
“But Jane… are you sure this is what you want?” Genevieve asked gently. “You’ve finally started healing. Revenge might feel satisfying, but it can also drag you back into the pain you’ve worked so hard to leave behind.”
Jane looked down at her hands, her voice quieter now. “This isn’t about revenge. It’s about protecting myself… and the kids. I can’t let him ruin our lives again.”
Genevieve was quiet for a moment, then took Jane’s hand. “Then we’ll make sure your plan is flawless. But promise me something?”
Jane looked up. “What?”
“Don’t lose yourself in this. You’re not the same broken woman who left. You’re stronger now. Wiser. Don’t let him turn you into someone you’re not.”
Jane gave a small smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I won’t. I’ve got six reasons to stay grounded.”
Genevieve looked at her best friend, heart heavy, but nodded. “Then I’m with you.”
Then a troubling thought crossed Jane's her mind — if Logan didn’t know she had returned, then who sent that message the day she arrived back in the country?
- Writer
