Tears Brewed in Empty Love

The moment our daughter said that, the guilt on Ethan Caldwell’s face vanished.

He shot to his feet and pointed at her, then turned to me with open outrage.

“Claire Bennett, is this what you’ve been teaching her?”

I calmly pulled my daughter behind me.

“What’s wrong with it? If she can’t have love, the least she can have is money.

“At least she learned that lesson early. I had to go through a divorce before I figured it out.”

That shut him up.

Then his phone rang again.

A little boy’s voice burst through the speaker.

“Uncle Ethan, hurry up! You promised you’d ride the Titan Coaster with me a hundred times!”

My daughter tightened her grip on my shirt.

Ethan noticed. For once, he didn’t say yes right away.

He reached out, wanting to pat her on the head.

“Mia, be good. Go to the hospital with Mommy today, okay?

“When you’re all better, Daddy will take you to the amusement park. Deal?”

Mia ducked away from his hand. Her wide eyes blinked innocently as she repeated,

“It’s okay, Daddy. Just send me the money.”

Ethan’s face darkened completely.

On his way out, he threw one last bitter line over his shoulder.

“Claire, go ahead and keep spoiling her.

“You're both completely unreasonable.”

The front door slammed so hard the walls seemed to shake, and my heart jolted with it.

Mia tugged on my arm and lifted her kids’ smartwatch so I could see the screen.

“Mommy, Daddy sent a lot of zeros.

“Is it enough for my surgery?”

At the sight of her face, I had to fight back the sob rising in my throat. I pulled her tightly into my arms.

“It’s enough. Once your surgery is done, Mommy’s taking you away from here.”

While we were waiting for her test results, a few notifications popped up on my phone.

Paparazzi photos.

Ethan, Vanessa Parker, and her son at an amusement park.

The headline read: Caldwell Heir Spotted on Family Outing with New Flame—Child Already Calling Him Dad!

I zoomed in on the photos and looked at Ethan’s face.

Relaxed. Easy. Happy.

I couldn’t even remember the last time he smiled like that in front of me and Mia.

My hand shook as I backed out of the post. When I refreshed the page, it had already been deleted.

A second later, Ethan called.

“Claire, don’t be upset. The media was just making things up.

“I already paid to have every article taken down.”

I froze for a moment before realizing he was talking about Vanessa’s son calling him Dad.

“I’m not upset,” I said flatly. “He’s just a kid. Kids say things.

“Besides, if I’ve already rented you out to them, then you should focus on keeping them company.”

Before he could answer, I hung up cleanly.

Not long after, Mia’s test report came back. The doctor said her condition was being managed well. If everything stayed stable, they could schedule her bypass surgery next month.

My whole body went weak. I nearly collapsed right there.

Back when Vanessa and her son came back into Ethan’s life after her divorce, he’d decided I needed to be taught a lesson.

He hired the best divorce attorney money could buy and forced me out with nothing.

The very next day, Mia was diagnosed with myocardial ischemia. At any moment, her condition could trigger sudden cardiac death.

Because of Ethan, no company dared hire me.

Not one friend. Not one relative. No one was willing to lend me money, either.

I watched my daughter’s health get worse and worse, and in the end, I bowed my head to Ethan after all.

But now, finally, Mia was out of immediate danger.

After locking in the surgery date, I went ahead and submitted visa applications for both of us through an agency.

Then a message from Ethan popped up:

"When are you coming home? I made your favorite dishes."

I didn’t reply.

An hour later, I pushed open the front door.

Ethan was sitting at the dining table, serving food onto Vanessa and her son’s plates.