Chapter 2

Nyra stood up and answered instinctively.

Just as she was about to leave the room, she turned back to me and said, "I'm going to play with Zoe for a bit. She's a little girl. Jacob—"

I cut her off. "No need to explain. I trust you."

Nyra froze for a moment, then said, "I'm glad that you trust me."

With that, she walked out the door.

Jacob's daughter, Zoe Griffin, had been calling Nyra "Mom" from the day she moved in.

I had voiced my frustration about it before.

Nyra pointed at me and snapped, "Tyler Sloane, how can you be so heartless? Zoe is just a kid. It's already sad enough that she doesn't have a mother."

Every time I heard Zoe call her "Mom", it used to sting. But this time, I felt nothing.

I touched my chest and smiled brightly. It turned out that deciding not to love her could keep me from getting hurt.

Outside, laughter and playful shouts carried through the air.

Zoe called out "Mom" every now and then, and Nyra's voice softened in reply.

As I listened to the noise, I thought about what to do next.

After a while, my phone rang. It was Mom.

She asked if I'd had any cake and blown out the candles.

Upon hearing that, I realized I hadn't eaten a thing all day.

Before hanging up, Mom nervously asked when I'd be coming home.

Throughout my five years abroad, I'd gone back only a handful of times.

At first, my work wasn't stable. Later, Nyra said the back-and-forth was too much trouble.

Just as I stepped out of my room, Zoe suddenly hurled a toy at me. "Bad guy! Why are you in my house? Are you trying to steal my mom again?"

Before I could say anything, Jacob bent down to apologize. "Sorry, Tyler. Zoe's just a kid. Don't mind her."

Standing beside him, Nyra said seriously, "This isn't a big deal. No need to apologize. Besides, Zoe only acts like this because he scared her before."

As she said that, she stood protectively in front of Jacob and Zoe. "Tyler, you're not seriously going to get mad at a five-year-old, are you? If you do, I'd be embarrassed for you."

I didn't say a word, and somehow all the blame fell on me. "Continue with what you were doing. I'm just grabbing something."

After saying that, I opened the fridge and noticed the cake I had made was gone.

I glanced at the living room, only to find a cake on the table, completely mangled.

Noticing my gaze, Nyra said with total indifference, "That cake was yours? Zoe said it didn't taste good, so she left it there. If you want, I can buy you another one."

I tossed my homemade cake into the trash and said flatly, "There's no need."

Then, I opened the door to leave.

After a few steps, Nyra chased after me and grabbed my arm. "Tyler, where are you going?"

I looked at her, puzzled.

This was the first time Nyra left Jacob behind to come after me.

"Why did you follow me out?" I asked.

Nyra seemed taken aback by the question.

Before, I'd be thrilled if she chased after me. No matter what she'd done, I'd forgive her.

Nyra's expression faltered. She didn't expect me to be so cold. "Y-You left without saying anything, so I came out to check."