5: Betrayal

SOLACE

“Mommy!” Soren hugged me tightly as he arrived from school, he looked so happy. It's been years and every time he knew his daddy would arrive, it excited him more than usual in the past years. “Daddy will come home today, right?” He asked, which made me smile too.

“Yes, he will be here any minute. Change your clothes now, so we can start dinner once he arrives,” I said and looked at the clock.

“Okay!” He ran to the second floor full of energy. Smiles slowly formed into my lips, I could feel the lightness in my chest. Soren is my precious baby, the child I love more than anything. He was born with a heart condition and spent much of his childhood in and out of hospitals.

I spent countless sleepless nights by his bedside, holding his tiny hand and praying he would be okay. Everytime his condition worsened, I need to rushed him to the hospital no matter what time or day. I plead and consulted the doctors, and fought back my fear to strong for him.

On the other hand, Trenton was always overseas, too busy with work to come home. Even when doctors warned me that our child’s life was in danger, my tearful pleas for him to visit him were met with nothing but excuses.

Each time,I could only wipe away my tears and face everything alone, because our child needed me; my baby Soren needed me.

 I'm glad the operation a year ago was successful, all my sacrifices were paid off. He can run and play like any other child now, it was the outcome I’d fought so hard for.

Yet, Trenton hand barely been there for any of it but still, he’s Soren’s father. He went time to time to visit our son to made for his shortcomings as a father.

For years, that is our arrangement. He went home for a few weeks to visit Soren and took him somewhere to enjoy then come back to abroad to handle the project.

Our marriage has become like a co-parenting arrangement; all his time was only for Soren, and sometimes I’m not even included in their outings. Not because I don’t want to, but he insists I need to focus on my work too without even asking if I want to join them.

But as long as Soren is happy and Trenton still makes time for our family, I’m okay with it. I understand that everything he’s doing is for Soren’s future; once the project is over, I know we’ll go back to the way things used to be between us.

“Daddy!” I heard Soren scream as he ran toward the door, he jumped into Trenton arms and hugged him tightly. “I miss you! Will we go somewhere again like last time? Will Mommy As–” What did he say? I wasn't able to hear his voice clearly when Trenton’s cellphone fell off.

“Baby,” Trenton interrupted his words.

“Oops, sorry daddy! I forgot that’s our secret!” He exclaimed.

Secret?

“What secret are you guys talking about?” I ask as I walk toward them, I help Trenton with his luggage and look at them.

“It’s just the promise I said last time that I will take him somewhere he likes, it’s nothing.” He rumpled  Soren’s hair and smiled. “I will take you there soon buddy, don’t worry,” he said as they walked past me.

Again, nothing.

No question if I want to come with them, not from Trenton nor from Soren like I was invisible in their eyes.

I cleared the lump on my throat and heaved a deep sigh, I should be accustomed to it now yet being ignored still sting a bit.

“Oh! By the way, Solace,” my head immediately looked up to him when he called me, there is something inside my chest that is still hoping. “I already ate dinner on my way and I also bought pizza for Soren.”

Before I could even speak, they already turned their back on me. I was left on the dining table full of foods I had prepared earlier.

Soren usually fights with Trenton to eat with me, yet this past year… even Soren starting to distance himself from me.

I woke up the next day to find them gone from the house; no one had woken me up, and no one had asked if I wanted to tag along. I was greeted only by the silence of the surroundings and the cold food on the table that I hadn't managed to eat last night. 

I didn't overreact nor call them, I simply prepared the things I needed for work, just like I always do whenever they leave and I'm left behind to head to work.

I kept myself busy with work all day; I preferred staying occupied rather than dwelling on where they are right now and what they are doing, not until five noon when my phone vibrates, it’s Soren’s teacher.

“Hello, Mrs. Rivera? Sorry for the inconvenience; it’s time for the children to go home. Soren said his dad would pick him up, but Mr. Rivera still hasn't arrived. I would like to ask if you’re able to pick him up instead?” She hesitantly said.

I fell silent for a moment, but in the end, I quickly agreed. I knew I couldn't bear to turn Soren down, no matter what; he was one of the main reasons I keep trying to make the marriage work.

I didn't have time to change my clothes; I headed straight to the school gate on my e-bike and immediately looked for Soren. I quickly spotted him not far off; there were still a few students waiting to be picked up too.

"Soren!" I called out and waved, instantly catching his attention—as well as that of the other kids hanging around there. “Sorry to keep you waiting, there’s a traffic and–”

“Who is that, Soren? Where are your daddy and mommy, I thought they were gonna pick you up again with the sports car like this morning,” one of the kids asks as he looks at me and Soren with confusion.

Daddy and mommy, and what sports car?

“Right? We also wait because you promise to let us hop in that cool sports car, but why does someone pick you up with some garbage bike?” The child on his left speaks arrogantly.

“I…” Soren's cheeks turning bright red, even his hand is shaking. “Maybe mommy and daddy are busy, that is why they sent our nanny to pick me up,” he said and looked away from me.

What did he call me? A nanny?

“Soren, what did you call me?” My voice was shaking, almost cracking. I feel like I’m about to cry, I don’t know if it’s because I’m sad or I’m angry.

“I will go now,” he didn’t answer me, he quickly said goodbye to his friends and got on the e-bike ahead of me; I watched him for a moment, but he didn't look back at me even once. I want to question him now, but where in the public.

“We will talk once we get home,” I said seriously and started to drive. No matter how angry I am, I can’t bring myself to humiliate him in public…

As soon as we arrived in front of the house, he hurriedly walked inside, so I quickly followed and stopped him by the arm. I made sure not to grip too tightly so I wouldn't hurt him, even after what he said.

"We still need to talk—"

"No,” he shouted and slapped my hand. “I don't want to talk to you! You’ve done nothing but humiliate me in front of my friends and classmates. Why did you even go to the school when you didn't need to be there?! I hate you."

“Soren, don’t raise your voice at me. I’m your mother, don’t speak to me like that!” I couldn’t help myself to raise my voice too.

He flinched, he looked shocked that I raised my voice to him. Guilt immediately crawled to my chest, I can’t help but hold his both arms.

“Soren, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to raise my voice to you–”

“I hate you! I want mommy Aster to be my real mother instead of you!” Soren shouted at me, then ran up to his room on the second floor. I was left stunned in the living room; all I could do was watch his back vanish from my sight.

Aster?

Trenton’s secretary?

Something finally came to my mind, whenever Trenton is home… he lets Aster to meet my son too.That woman, I thought she was already done chasing Trenton but I’m wrong. Now, she also wants my son.

I clenched my fist tightly; I didn't know what Trenton's secretary had been telling him over the past few days. I need to talk to Trenton and tell him not to let Aster get close to Soren again!

I stood and strode quickly to Trenton’s office. I knew he was busy managing the business to recover from the losses, but I could no longer wait to talk about this matter.

I was about to hold the doorknob when my hand hung in the air; I heard a familiar voice.

"Trenton, have you still not transferred that woman's shares to Soren? It’s been eight years; you promised you’d leave her once we got back from abroad and transfer everything to Soren, but you haven’t done anything yet, or are you actually falling for that woman and you really want your married life with her?"

"What? Do you hear yourself, Aster? Me, falling for that woman?" He laughed sarcastically. "As I said, I only married her for the sake of the company and nothing else. Only a crazy person would fall for her, and you know perfectly well that you’re the only woman I want.”

"T-Trenton, it's too deep!" Her sultry moan echoed right against my ear. "Take it easy, or you might get me pregnant again," she said between heavy breaths, accompanied by a soft giggle mingled with their moans.

“So what? We have someone ready to take care of our child; look at how she loves Soren right now. She’s ready to take numerous jobs for him, and I easily fooled her about the bankruptcy; we can easily fool her again to be our free nanny for our second child.”

W-What?

What does he mean by that?

My body shivered; I felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over me. I felt the lump form in my throat, and my chest felt incredibly heavy.

“Oh no, don’t be so heartless. What will be her reaction when she knows that all this time, the child she’s taking care of is our child? And hers? That premature freak might be dead right now after we threw it away at that cheap orphanage.” She said it without remorse.

They threw my baby away and let me take care of their own child. For years, the child I gave my everything to is not even mine?

I moved my hand once again to open the door to confront them, but I knew that doing so might make it even harder for me to learn the truth from them and see my own child. They will feed me with their lies again and again…

I didn't know what to do; the only thing that came to mind was to go to the orphanage where they had left my child.

I want to see my child, my baby.

I clutch my fist tightly until I feel the sting sensation of nails digging into my flesh, I want to go inside and shout and curse them.I gripped the doorknob tightly, then let go. Before punishing that cheating pair, I wanted to find my child first.

 When I thought of my baby, I felt like crying. I had gone through so much to bring my child into this world, yet I had never even seen them. I didn't even know whether my baby was a boy or a girl.

I had failed my child. I hadn't protected them. I wanted so badly to know if my baby was doing well, to hold those tiny hands of theirs, even just once.

I sped toward the orphanage, my hands trembling slightly with excitement as I drove. I was almost at the entrance when a car suddenly came crashing toward me. I didn't have time to swerve out of the way.

My phone buzzed, it’s him.

“Do you think I didn’t know you heard us, Solace? What, planning to find your son? Sorry to burst your bubble, darling, but you won’t be able to now.”

“W-What do you mean?” My heart was beating fast, I somehow knew what he meant but hearing it made my mind black.

“Remember the paper I gave you a few years ago for you to sign? It’s beneficiary insurance, I’d never thought I would have this kind of opportunity. Marrying you is worth it after all, even your death is useful to me. Rest in peace, honey!” He whispered on the other end.

“Trenton, you–” My words cut off, a loud bang behind made me lose control of the steering wheel. I tried to set the break but nothing happened, it’s like someone tampered with it.

A loud buzzing filled my ears as my vision went blurry, I felt my warm blood dripped down from my head down to my face. I wanted to wipe it away, but my hand could no longer move. 

Numbness crept over me…

Everything clicked now, it’s all planned from the beginning.

He didn’t love me even a tiny bit, it’s all just my wishful thinking.

If only I could go back in time… I will make sure to not fall to his same tricks again and I wish I could make them pay for everything they did to me ten fold.