Chapter 3

My parents and I exchanged a glance, but none of us said anything.

Vanessa was uneasy and urged me to go home again.

"It's late. Stop bothering your parents. Let's go home."

As she spoke, she reached out to pull me, as if afraid I might stay one more second.

I lifted my hand and stepped back.

"I'm not going back for the next few days."

As soon as I said that, Vanessa's expression changed. She glanced at me in panic.

Seeing that I did not look as if I had discovered anything, she immediately became aggressive.

"What do you mean? What's wrong with home that you won't go back? Our son and I haven't even eaten dinner!

"There are rumors everywhere outside. Our son is older now. Can't you think about him? How is he supposed to face his classmates in the future?"

My son's face darkened as he looked at me.

"Yeah, Dad. What's wrong with you? It isn't like Mom and I kidnapped you. Is it really necessary not to come home? Have you thought about my reputation?"

My chest felt so clogged that I had to bite my lip hard before I barely managed to hold back tears.

Reputation. It was reputation again.

In my previous life, for the sake of his damned reputation, I swallowed all my humiliation and did not divorce.

But when my daughter-in-law married into the family, they locked me in the house.

They treated Caleb, an outsider, as his father.

My son called him Dad with a beaming face.

I was locked in the basement, screaming myself hoarse, nearly dying of respiratory alkalosis.

The first thing I heard after being rescued from the hospital was a storm of blame from him.

"Today was my big day. Did you ever think about me before pulling this stunt? Are you still my real father?"

"You were never presentable anyway. What was wrong with Uncle Caleb helping out?"

After saying that, he cut ties with me unilaterally.

Only a year later, when his wife gave birth, he came back shamelessly to guilt-trip me.

"Dad, I was young and ignorant back then. Don't hold it against me. Now your grandson is here, and Mom isn't in good health. As the grandfather, how can you not help?"

The mother and son sang the same tune and coaxed me back again.

Vanessa, meanwhile, traveled all over the country with Caleb.

Thinking of that, my heart went ice-cold.

When I lifted my eyes to look at my son, my face was full of mockery.

"Aiden Lawson, is your reputation more important than my life?

"You and your mother spent the whole day playing with Caleb, and now you still want me to go home and cook for you? Are you out of your mind?"

My merciless words slapped Aiden across the face. His face turned red at once.

He stood there in disbelief, as if he could not understand how the father who loved him most could say such things.

"Enough!"

Vanessa suddenly shouted, as if the temper she had held back all day had finally exploded.

"Didn't you agree to let us go? Why are you bringing it up now? Our son and I are only worried about you. Why do you have to be so sharp and mean?

"Besides, aren't you fine? Even if you don't think of us, Dad is starving at home. As his son-in-law, aren't you being too unfilial?"

With his mother backing him, Aiden straightened his spine again.

"Yeah, Dad. Look how angry you've made Mom. Stop making trouble."

Making trouble?

In his eyes, his mother was always right.

I truly wanted to know whether, once he learned what kind of beastly thing his mother had done, he would still stand on her side so confidently.

But before I could speak, my father could not take it anymore.

He rushed over, pointed at the door, and shouted, "Get out! All of you, get out!"

Aiden became anxious and hurriedly said, "Grandpa, how can you-- Ah!"

Before he could finish, my mother slapped him across the face.

"You little beast! You're just like your mother!"

Vanessa flew into a rage and rushed forward to shove my mother.

Her voice was sinister. "I respect you as Miles' mother. That doesn't mean you can hit my son!

"Your whole family can't tell right from wrong. I want to see what people will think when they find out!"

With that, she dragged Aiden away and slammed the door behind her.

The doorway was full of people watching the show.

My mother trembled with anger. She had been respectable all her life, and this nearly triggered a heart attack.

My father's eyes reddened. He still wanted to rush out and argue.

I held his trembling body tightly and promised through tears I was forcing down, "Dad, trust me. I'll make them pay."