The Man in the Past

In the end, I took Yvette out for a scrumptious meal and bought her her favorite dress and some toys.

I thought she could take it easy for once since it was Friday, but she still insisted on finishing her homework.

She had always been sensible, knowing that both Harold and I were busy with work. She never once made me worry about her studies.

After Yvette fell asleep, I was about to head to bed myself when I heard some noise outside.

When I went to check, I saw Harold. He was holding Jacob in his arms.

Behind Harold, Susan smiled at me. "Sorry to bother you."

I froze in place. The cold night breeze swept through the living room, chilling me to the bone. "Why are you bringing them back here?"

The words came out through gritted teeth. They pushed us out everywhere else, and now they wanted to invade the only space Yvette and I had left?

At first, Harold avoided my gaze, but after hearing my question, he frowned and suddenly acted self-righteously. "Jacob's condition is unstable, so he needs me around.

"It'd be inconvenient if I stayed at Susan's place. You'd become suspicious again if you found out, so I had no choice but to bring them here. This way, with everything right under your nose, you won't have anything to worry about, right?"

I was stunned by his twisted logic and was just about to speak when a soft, sleepy voice came from behind me. "What's going on, Mommy…"

I turned around and saw Yvette, still half-asleep, standing in the doorway and rubbing her eyes.

But the moment she saw Harold, her face lit up with joy. She was just about to call out to Harold.

Then she noticed Jacob in his arms, and the light in her eyes dimmed instantly. She was disappointed.

However, Harold remained completely oblivious. In fact, when he saw Yvette, he instructed sternly, "Yvette, good that you're awake. Come over and apologize to Jacob. He ended up like this because of you."

To Yvette, those words only deepened her guilt. She looked completely lost. "I…"

I stepped in front of her coldly. "Harold, I told you. Yvette did nothing wrong. You're the one at fault here."

Harold frowned, but then noticed the shopping bags on the living room table. They were gifts I had bought for Yvette that day.

His face darkened as if he'd caught us red-handed. "Yvette, what have I taught you? You did something wrong and still got all these gifts? Are you celebrating what happened?"

Yvette flinched at Harold's harsh tone, her eyes instantly welling up with tears.

I clenched my fists tightly. "I bought those things for Yvette. If you have a problem, come at me!"

Jacob stirred at the sound, his grogginess still evident. He lifted his head and wrapped his arms around Harold's neck. "Daddy, are we there yet?"

Harold glanced at me, panic flashing in his eyes.

I sneered. "Oh, I see. So you won't let your own daughter call you 'Daddy' because you've already gone and picked up a new son outside?"

Harold pressed his lips together and said nothing.

At that moment, Susan interrupted, her tone full of grievance. "Harold was just being kind, helping us out. Please don't be angry, Catherine. If anyone's to blame, it's me. Jacob and I ruined your family's peace. We'll leave."

Then, she turned to Jacob. "Get down from Harold and leave with me."

But Jacob burst into tears. "No! I don't want to go! I like Mr. Jefferson! I want to stay with him!"

Susan wiped at her tears. "You silly child, why are you being so disobedient? It's exactly because Harold is good to us that we can't make things harder for him."

Then, she looked at Harold with a gaze full of sorrow and tenderness. "Harold, thank you for everything you've done for us during this time. Jacob and I are truly grateful. From now on, if fate allows, we'll meet again someday…"

With that, she took Jacob's hand and started walking out the door.

Harold turned to me, disappointed. "Catherine Smith, you've changed."

Before I could respond, he continued, "Let's take some time apart and cool off for a bit."

I nodded and simply replied, "Alright."

Afterward, I picked up a document from the table. "This is the insurance policy I bought for Yvette. Sign it before you go."

In a hurry to catch up with them, Harold didn't bother to look closely. He quickly scribbled his signature on the document.

I watched it all unfold with complete calm. It wasn't until the front door closed behind him that my legs finally gave out. I sank to the floor, feeling completely drained.

Yvette wrapped her arms around me. "Mommy, are we not going to have Daddy anymore?"