Lucy took the opportunity to push Ethan into my arms, saying:"You watched this child grow up. Sarah is so cruel, abandoning him without a care. Poor Ethan cries for you every day, asking for his dad."I looked at the crying child in my arms, who should now be called Ethan Larson, and instinctively started to comfort him. In such a short time, he had lost a considerable amount of weight, which was truly heartbreaking to see.However, I had no intention of being fooled again by raising their child willingly.Seeing me with Ethan, Lucy quickly turned to leave. Larry Palmer, my business partner who knew the whole story about Sarah and me, rushed to stop her.After calming Ethan down, I placed him back in Lucy's arms and said coldly, "This child has nothing to do with me. I won't be responsible for him. Please don't disturb my life again, or I'll call the police.""Also, tell Sarah to salvage whatever little dignity she has left."It was likely Sarah's idea for Lucy to come find me.
I'm not afraid of people laughing at me for being cheated on. I didn't make the mistake of having an affair, so I don't need to feel embarrassed on their behalf. However, since everyone's talking about it, it's better to explain everything clearly. That's why I said, "Oh, and Mr. Larson, please come pick up your son as soon as possible."Sarah has been consumed with her own thoughts these past few days.She left the child at the Sheldons' house and went into hiding.Without me as her personal ATM, she doesn't want to spend any more money on the Sheldon family, who seem to have endless needs.Lucy still doesn't know that Ethan isn't my child. She calls me every day, urging me to come pick up the kid.It would be dishonest to say I have no feelings for Ethan. I do feel somewhat connected to him, but we're not meant to have a father-son relationship. It's better to end it quickly rather than prolong the pain.If he ever blames anyone when he grows up, it should be his irresponsible
Without me being their ATM anymore and with Sarah turning a blind eye, David wouldn't be able to come up with the money to pay me back, and the court would seize his property.Peter and Lucy finally realized the gravity of the situation and came to my workplace, crying and making a scene.Lucy put on a full show - crying, shouting, and threatening suicide. Like a shrew, she sat in the company lobby, cursing me as a despicable person. She listed all my supposed wrongdoings, claiming I neglected my wife and child, disrespected my parents-in-law, and even forced my wife's brother into a divorce.It was lunchtime, so a crowd of employees gathered at the entrance to watch the drama unfold. Everyone sympathized with the tearful Lucy, whispering about me, their faces full of disdain."I never imagined he'd be this kind of person.""Exactly. You would've never guessed.""Someone so cold-blooded toward his own wife and child managed to climb up to supervisor?"Before I could defend mysel
The next day, I arrived early at the kindergarten entrance, and finally, I saw a woman who somewhat resembled the woman in the photos. If it weren't for the little girl she was holding hands with, who looked very similar to Ethan, I wouldn't have been sure it was her.The woman in the photos was slim and tall, with delicate features. The person before me... was rather overweight, and her once-fine features were obscured. Only her height remained unchanged, but due to her weight, she appeared even more imposing.Susie dropped off her child at the kindergarten, and I quickly approached her."Ms. Leonard, excuse me. I have some photos of Mr. Larson that might interest you."Susie was wary of my sudden appearance but curious about what I had to say. Seeing this, I quickly pulled up a photo on my phone.When Susie saw the image, her eyes widened in shock."Can we talk privately?"This time, Susie readily agreed, angrily leading me to a nearby café with decent privacy.I showed S
Just who could be his father, I wondered.Sarah didn't seem to have many friends, and she rarely kept in touch with her old classmates.As far as I knew, she hardly ever went out except for occasional visits to her parents' home.Ding ding—A phone notification interrupted my thoughts.It was Sarah.Of course, the Sheldons were probably getting restless.In the past, whenever Sarah went back to her parents' home, I'd show up at their door with gifts within two days.This time, five whole days had passed without a word from me.The Sheldon house was spacious enough for Peter, Lucy, and Sarah's brother's family.But with Sarah and Ethan there too, it must be cramped.Besides, in Peter and Lucy's minds, they have always preferred her brother to her.It was fine to help out, but they wouldn't want her freeloading for long.[Damien, are you very busy with work lately? Why aren't you coming home?]Sarah's message caught my attention. I clearly remembered not telling her about m
"Yes, I got promoted. The salary change takes effect next month."I glanced at Sarah, who was holding our child and standing beside a packed suitcase.It was a familiar scene.Whenever I refused to meet their unreasonable demands, Sarah would take our child and go back to her parents' house.They believed that I would be the first to give in, go fetch Sarah back, and accept their outrageous requests, all because I couldn't bear to lose them.As expected, Lucy launched into another round of criticism and belittlement."You figure out how to get that money yourself. It's only natural for an older sister to help her brother. There's no reason to ask for money back once it's given. It's embarrassing to even suggest it."Peter, sitting nearby, put out his cigarette and impatiently interjected, "I'm taking Sarah and the child with me now. You think about this carefully and come see us when you've made up your mind."Lucy quickly stood up, grabbed Sarah's luggage, and headed towards t