Chapter 1

Tristan's POV

Megan Carrick shut the door behind her without a moment's hesitation. She didn't even look back at me before walking out.

I had lost count of how many times she dropped everything to run to her ex-husband, Ian Reynolds, and their son, Aiden Reynolds.

Whenever I complained, she would just dismiss me with an impatient wave of her hand. "Aiden is still my son, no matter what happened between us. Ian is a man—he doesn't know how to look after a toddler.

"You need to be the bigger person here, Tristan Hayes."

The bigger person, huh?

Being the bigger person was why I had tolerated this miserable marriage for three years.

Reaching across the dining table, I swept the birthday cake and dishes straight into the trash can before walking out of the suffocating house.

I wandered aimlessly down the streets. As I passed a restaurant, something in the window caught my eye and made me freeze in my tracks.

Megan cradled Aiden in her arms while Ian stood beside her with an arm intimately wrapped around her waist. He leaned in to whisper something in her ear, which made her laugh.

Looking at them, no one would ever guess they were divorced.

As I looked at Aiden in her arms, a bitter ache welled up in my chest. The son I had with Megan would've been three years old this year if he hadn't died.

Before I knew it, I found myself pushing the restaurant door.

"I never thought our family of three would be together again, Megan," Ian murmured. His gaze was utterly gentle as his arms tightened around her waist.

I let out a mocking laugh. So, this was the important matter she had rushed off for.

I pulled out my phone and snapped a few photos from behind their backs. I didn't bother muting the shutter sound, and the sharp click instantly caught their attention.

When Megan turned around and met my eyes, a flash of pure panic darted across her face.

"Why did you follow me here, Tristan?"

I expressionlessly looked at the photos on my screen and said, "I'm collecting proof that you're cheating."

I kept my voice at a moderate volume, just loud enough to catch the attention of people around us. Curious, gossiping looks were immediately cast in our direction.

Megan's panic vanished without a trace. She shot me an impatient look and snapped, "What are you talking about, Tristan? Aiden is sick! Am I not even allowed to take care of my son anymore?"

Beside her, Ian immediately stepped forward, playing the role of her noble protector. "She's Aiden's mom, Tristan. We have a son together, even if we're divorced."

He stressed the word "son" and shot me a look with a hint of provocation.

I clenched my fists at my sides as a dull ache throbbed in my chest at the mention of our son. That tragedy wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for him or Megan.

When Ian saw me fall silent, he laughed and continued, "But I supposed your child just wasn't meant to live. He died just because he was born a few minutes too late…

"Now that Megan has lost one child, you wouldn't want her to lose a second, would you?"