Chapter 3
Quilla gasped in surprise and asked, “Ms. Langley, what are you doing at Mr. Grant’s house?”
The moment I heard her, I pulled Tyler behind me to block her view.
“I—”
“They’re relatives of mine. They’re staying here for a while,” Matthew said. He cut me off before I could finish.
My grip on the suitcase tightened.
Even though I had heard it before, every time he said things like that, it pierced my heart.
I was about to speak, but Tyler beat me to it. “Hello, Mr. Grant.”
I turned to him in disbelief and only saw his teary eyes.
“Mom, let’s go.”
My throat closed up. I forced a faint smile and whispered, “Okay.”
As we brushed past, Matthew grabbed my arm.
He stared at me, stunned. “What did Tyler just call me?”
I smiled as I found it ironic. “Isn’t this what you always wanted, Mr. Grant?”
In the last six years of our secret marriage, he had never acknowledged that we were husband and wife, and he had never let Tyler call him “Dad.”
The only difference was that before, he forced our son to call him Mr. Grant. Today, Tyler chose to draw the line himself.
I lowered my eyes and tried to pull my hand away, but his grip stayed firm.
His gaze was complex and heavy. “Give me a few days. I’ll explain things to Tyler.”
I reminded him, “Quilla is waiting for you. Let go.”
It was only then that Matthew seemed to realize what he was doing. He reluctantly released me.
I let out a cold laugh, took Tyler’s hand, and turned to leave.
“Wait.”
He hurried to his car, grabbed a cake box, and handed it to me.
“Happy birthday, Tyler.”
Quilla chimed in at just the right moment. “That cake was meant for me, but what a coincidence! It’s your son’s birthday. Ms. Langley, I hope you don’t mind.”
The cake in my hands felt unbearably heavy.
I was about to return it, but the spark of joy in Tyler’s eyes stopped me. My heart softened.
He did not understand the battles between adults. He only looked at Matthew with hopeful eyes.
“Will you eat it with me?”
Matthew hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Tyler cheered and dragged me into the living room. He urged me to get the cake out.
I patted his head and quickly cut the cake.
However, the moment I tasted it, my smile froze.
“Spit it out! You can’t eat this!”
Panic gripped me as I snatched the cake from his hands.
Matthew’s face darkened. “Whitney, are you crazy?”
I raised my head, and my eyes were stinging with tears. “Tyler is allergic to mango. You didn’t know?”
Matthew’s expression shifted to alarm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
He was sorry again.
Since Tyler was born, I had heard that word far too many times.
Tyler froze and stared at Matthew with wide eyes. The hope in them dimmed.
“It’s okay. He couldn’t have known.”
With that, Tyler buried his face in my embrace and refused to look at him again.
Without hesitation, I stood, carried Tyler, and walked out.
Even as we left the house, I could still feel Matthew’s regretful, frantic gaze.
This time, neither Tyler nor I wavered.
…
I went straight to the office and packed up my things.
I had wanted to say goodbye properly, but it did not matter anymore.
After setting the signed divorce agreement on the desk, I let out a deep breath.
I picked up my suitcase and took Tyler to the airport.
Before boarding, I asked him, “Will you be upset if I take you away?”
He shook his head and pressed his face against mine. “Mom, I only need you.”
My tears finally fell. All the pain dissolved into relief.
I pulled out my phone and blocked Matthew on every platform he could use to reach me.
I thought, ‘Matthew, this is goodbye.’
The next morning, he showed up at the office right on time.
After what happened yesterday, he had been feeling uneasy.
He opened his email and froze at the approval notice.
“A resignation letter?”
You may also like
