Mag-log inAt my son Dominic Hatfield's first birthday party, he actually chooses a paintbrush as his gift. Everyone falls dead silent, carefully watching my reaction. Fearing I might get too emotional and hurt Dominic, my good friend, Ruben Tanner, hurriedly carries him aside. Then he lowers his voice and tries to talk me down. "Max, it's Dominic's first birthday party today. Whatever you do, don't get angry. "You just recovered from a serious illness not long ago and didn't recuperate properly—your body's been run down for three or four months, and you still haven't bounced back. "You're in a fragile state, so you can't afford to get worked up. Besides, Carla's already blocked Fred and hasn't gone back to that studio either. She really wants to settle down and make a good life with you now. "So, stop torturing yourself, okay?" I close my eyes and recall Dominic's christening last year, when Carla Ramsey stood in front of Fred Reilly to shield him. Her eyes are full of disgust as she looks at me. Even though she bends over backward to care for me and make it up to me in the six months that follow, I still can't forget that day. I smile faintly. When I open my eyes, a softness has settled into them. I pick Dominic up and gently tease his little face. "I won't torture myself, nor will I let an outsider come between Dominic and me again. We only have each other, after all." The moment I look up, I see Carla's gloomy expression.
view moreGrandma held my hand and tried to persuade me. "Carla's a big-shot boss. She's never touched a needle and thread in her life. But for you and Dominic, she went and learned to sew a jacket. You can't keep living in the past forever."I nodded, taking it in. But what I understood was something else entirely.At night, I felt the air turn cold. Carla was no longer beside me.I threw on a coat and went outside, where I heard her talking in a lowered voice as she stood in the yard.A man's voice came from the other end of the line. Though he kept his voice low, I could still tell it was Fred.I slowly retreated into the room, leaving Carla undisturbed.More than 20 minutes later, she crept back into the room without making a sound. Afraid her hands were cold, she warmed them before getting into bed and gently hugged me from behind.After coming back from my hometown, Carla had a slightly bigger smile on her face.She felt that after this trip, I was finally being nicer to her. She'd
As I passed by the study, I walked in and turned on the computer like I was possessed.Sure enough, an electronic copy of the divorce papers was still in the computer folder.After I printed a copy and organized it, I picked up Carla's fountain pen and signed my own name.When I returned to the bedroom, Carla sat obediently on the bed, waiting for me.She patted the spot beside her and said, "Come quickly. I paused the movie for you, so you don't have to worry about missing the plot." Once, while we were watching a movie together, I went to the bathroom and begged her to pause it and wait a few minutes for me. But when I came back, she had already finished watching it."Why didn't you wait for me?" I asked her aggrievedly."Why should I wait for you? My time is also precious," she replied with a cold expression.She was never willing to stop for me, nor had she ever shown me gentleness or care. And yet, I stubbornly loved her for so many years.I stood at the bedroom door loo
I calmly withdrew my gaze, noticing a flicker of guilt flash across Ruben's face."Max, you didn't see anything, did you?" he asked.I shook my head. "I was playing a game on my phone, so I didn't see anything. What did you see?""Nothing. I was just thinking it's been so long since we went shopping together. I'm really happy that we get to go on a shopping spree later. Today, I'm definitely going to pick out a handsome outfit for you."Ruben was true to his word. We really did buy a lot of things.My hair had gone too long without proper care, so it had grown a bit dry and unruly.Ruben took me to the studio he trusted most to get my hair done, generously pulling out his VIP card. Then, he took me to a cosmetics counter to buy men's skincare products.When the sales assistant helped me try on a primer, she saw the burn scar at the corner of my forehead."Sir, we recently got a new concealer with especially good coverage. Would you like to try it?"I looked at my face in the m
Carla immediately explained, "Max, it's not what it looks like. I've broken things off with him for good. I said I'd take good care of you and Dominic—""It's okay," I interrupted her urgent explanation. My expression was very calm, and there was no longer the stubborn anger of the past in my eyes. "I'm not angry, nor will I make a scene."Seeing me like this, Carla suddenly panicked. She hurried to me and reached out to grab my wrist, cupping my hand in hers. It was as if she were afraid that if she let go, I would vanish before her eyes."Max, what exactly is wrong with you? You have to believe me. There really was nothing just n—""I believe you." I let her hold my hand. The burn marks on the back of my hand were shocking, but my expression was calm.On the contrary, Carla looked like a madwoman.The burns on the back of my hand seemed to scorch her, and she suddenly withdrew her palm. The next instant, with her eyes rimmed red, she hugged me even tighter.I heard her voi






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