Chapter 2

For the entire following week, Caspian didn't step foot in our home, nor did he offer a single explanation.

"Mommy, with this paper, do we not have to live like this anymore?"

Alaric sat atop a pile of old newspapers, clutching the photocopy of the divorce papers tightly.

I crouched down, looking into his longing eyes. "Yes, baby. We’re going to leave this place and go somewhere with no lies and no deception."

Alaric nodded vigorously.

I watched their lives unfold through Isolde’s Instagram.

In the photos, Caspian was rowing a boat with Julian in Central Park, cutting Isolde’s steak at a Michelin-starred restaurant, and swiping his black card without hesitation at luxury boutiques on Fifth Avenue.

That fatherly smile he showed Julian... if he had given even a fraction of it to Alaric, my son wouldn't be crying out for his daddy in his sleep.

But now, he was giving all his love and money to someone else!

I scrolled through the screen, my heart bleeding.

Five years ago, we didn't even have a decent wedding; we just ate hot dogs at a roadside stand for our reception.

To help pay off his so-called "gambling debts," I worked three jobs a day, too afraid to go to the hospital even when I fainted from exhaustion.

Five-year-old Alaric had to walk to school every day because we couldn't afford the bus fare, and he was constantly bullied there.

We gave everything for this family, while he was busy pleasing another woman!

How ironic.

Caspian finally returned early in the morning on the tenth day.

The rusty iron gate was pushed open. He stood in the doorway, ordering self-righteously, "Get Alaric changed into something decent. I’m taking him out."

I froze, my hand pausing mid-scrub over the dishes.

He had never taken Alaric out before.

Why the sudden change of heart?

"No need," I refused coldly without thinking. "We don't need your fake charity."

Caspian’s face darkened, filled with impatience. "What do you know? I pulled strings to get him an interview spot at a top-tier private boarding school. It comes with a scholarship, so we don't have to pay tuition. Don't let your ignorance ruin our son's future!"

I was about to argue when a heavy knock sounded at the door.

It was Mrs. Moretti, the landlady from upstairs, here to discuss the move-out inspection.

Caspian frowned, glancing at the door. "Don't let petty trivialities get in the way of the child's future."

I didn't want him to know about my plan to leave for good with our son, so I just brushed it off. "It's just a routine check."

Caspian checked his watch and urged, "You go deal with her. I'll fix Alaric's bowtie."

I hesitated for a moment, watching him squat down and clumsily adjust our son’s collar. He was still Alaric’s biological father, after all. Leaving him alone with the child for a few minutes surely couldn't lead to any disaster.

So, I dried my hands and walked out.

I wasn't in the mood to chat with the landlady, so after rushing through a few pleasantries, I pushed open the door and returned to the basement.

However, I was greeted by a deathly silence.

Caspian and Alaric were gone.

An ominous feeling instantly gripped my throat. I rushed out of the basement and ran down the street like a madwoman.

Someone at the corner told me they saw a black luxury car pick them up, saying something about going to a "genius school."

A school?

I didn't believe for a second that Caspian would be that kind.

Trembling, I opened the GPS app on my phone—I had saved up three months of bonuses to buy Alaric a smartwatch with a tracker to prevent him from getting lost.

The red dot on the screen was moving toward the wealthy neighborhoods of Long Island's North Shore, finally coming to a stop at a remote private villa.

That wasn't a school at all!

I hailed a taxi, practically screaming at the driver to floor it.

An hour later, I stumbled into the high-walled villa.

I followed the sound up to the second floor. Outside a room that had been converted into a laboratory, I heard Caspian on the phone.

"Is this the entrance IQ test you were talking about? Why are you injecting him with that stuff?"

Then came Isolde's voice from the phone, "Caspian, I had to pull so many strings to get this brain development serum from the lab. But I heard it's incredibly potent and still in clinical trials... Alaric grew up in the slums, so he's tough. Why don't we let him try it first?"

Isolde paused for a moment before continuing, "After all, Alaric is your son. I can't bear to see him remain so mediocre."

Caspian hesitated, his voice laced with doubt. "Still in trials? Is it dangerous?"

"Oh, honey, don't you trust me?" Isolde's voice was sugary sweet, dripping with manipulation. "This single shot is worth five million dollars! I see how dull and slow Alaric is; he's simply unfit to be your heir. This is the only way his IQ can catch up to Julian's, the only way he'll get into that elite school. I'm doing this to help you save face with your family. If... and I mean *if*... there are any side effects, well, it's all in the name of science. Besides, what could possibly go wrong?"

Caspian fell silent for a moment. He glanced at Alaric, who was strapped to the bed, eyes wide with terror. In the end, he agreed to the injection.

His voice was low as he spoke. "Okay. Isolde, you always think of everything. I'll transfer you double the five million. If it makes him smarter, it's worth the risk. I'm his father; I'm making this decision for him."