Chapter 2
913 Words
Vivian's POV:
Luke looked puzzled.
"Mommy doesn't want Daddy anymore?"
I stroked my son's soft hair.
"Daddy already scores zero with Mommy. How many points would Luke give him?"
Luke ate his breakfast and tilted his head, thinking seriously.
"He doesn't spend weekends with me. He doesn't spend birthdays with me. I give him zero too."
Then he put down his spoon with a very serious look and looked at me.
"Let's find a daddy who can stay with Mommy every day and stay with Luke too."
When I saw how sensible my son was, my nose stung, and my chest tightened with a flood of mixed emotions.
I was about to say something when the doorbell suddenly rang.
I untied my apron and went to open the door.
A young woman in a black dress stood outside, studying me with open judgment.
I recognized her.
She was a promotional model from NovaCore, Jenna Price.
She was also the woman Evan had held in his arms last night.
"Evan isn't home. If you need him, call him."
As soon as I finished speaking, Jenna stated her purpose without any attempt to hide it.
"I know Evan isn't here. That's why I came to see you. Vivian Sinclair, Evan's heart isn't with you at all. Every time he competes, he takes me with him. Why don't you let him go and give him to me?"
I looked at Jenna and felt nothing at all.
"You came here just to say that?"
Jenna touched her barely visible stomach.
"I'm pregnant. The baby is Evan's."
I followed her gaze to her stomach.
"So?"
She seemed surprised that I was so calm. Her voice rose.
"I don't want my child to grow up without a father. Evan doesn't love you, and he doesn't love your son either. If you have any sense, you should let go and let the three of us be a family."
As soon as Jenna finished speaking, the sound of toy blocks tumbling came from Luke's room.
I instinctively turned back and saw that Luke's door was open a c***k.
My heart sank.
I turned back and looked coldly at Jenna.
"Whoever got you pregnant is the person you should talk to. Coming to me won't help you."
With that, I slammed the door shut.
Then I strode into Luke's room. When I saw him rebuilding his toy blocks on the floor, I quickly crouched beside him.
"Luke, did you hear anything just now?"
Luke shook his head and said nothing.
Only then did I feel slightly relieved. I stayed with him and helped him build a little house out of blocks.
When only the last block was left, Luke suddenly asked me, "Mommy, when are we getting a new daddy?"
I placed the final block on the little house. My gaze shifted slightly.
"Soon."
In a few days, I would take Luke away from this city, this house, and Evan Lancaster.
After that, whether Evan built another family of three with some other woman or brought other women home, it would have nothing to do with my son or me.
August 16 was Luke's birthday.
I bought groceries early, made dinner, and ordered a superhero cake.
I sent Evan a message.
Vivian: Luke's birthday is today. Remember to come home for dinner.
I had already decided to leave, but this was still my son's last birthday in this house. As his father, Evan needed to be there.
Luke and I sat in the dining room and waited.
We waited until 8 p.m.
We waited until the whole table of carefully prepared food grew cold, was reheated, and grew cold again.
We waited while Luke, wearing his birthday hat, asked again and again when his Daddy was coming home.
We waited until the tiny hope in his eyes faded little by little.
Evan still didn't come home.
I stood up, added an empty place setting to the table, and placed a photograph beside it.
"Luke, let's stop waiting. The three of us will eat first."
Luke looked at the photo on the table and asked in confusion, "Mommy, why doesn't the person in this photo look like Daddy?"
I looked at the man in the photo. He was wearing a black-and-white flame-patterned racing suit with a gold racing badge pinned to it.
I smiled at Luke.
"This photo was taken when your Daddy was younger. Of course he looks different."
Luke nodded and touched the man's face in the picture.
"Daddy was so handsome when he was young."
After dinner, I sang the birthday song with Luke and ate cake with him. Then I took him to wash up and go to sleep.
At 11:58 p.m., after Luke had fallen asleep, I came out to clear the dishes.
There was a sound at the entryway. Evan walked in carrying a small cake.
"Things were busy at the club, so I'm late. All the bakeries were closed. I could only get this tiny mango cake. Is our son asleep?"
I answered calmly, "He went to bed early."
Evan put the cake on the table.
"Since he's asleep, he can have this for breakfast tomorrow."
After that, he took off his jacket as he walked toward the master bedroom to wash up.
Watching his back disappear inside, I picked up the cake from the table and threw it straight into the trash with a dull thud.
My son didn't need gifts that came too late.
- Writer
