Chapter 1

Irithel complained while playing with my son's long hair, 'When are you going to cut Zon's hair? People mistake him for a girl.'

The length of his hair now reaches beyond his shoulders, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's mistaken for a girl, even though he wears boy's clothes.

'You know why I've kept his hair long, Rith,' I glanced at her, and she just rolled her eyes at me.

I'm attempting to tie my hair into a neat bun, but it ends up looking messy. They're behind me, on the bed, my son engrossed in playing with his toy cars and robots.

'You know why I've kept his hair long, Rith,' she copied, exaggerating her expression. 'Psh! Like duh? No matter what you do, your son still looks like a Cavanaugh! The blood of the Cavanaughs runs in his veins, Calista,' her frustration evident on her face. 'You're really trying to hide your child—'

'I'm not, he rejected us,' I cut her off. It's useless because I'm not hiding my son; if I were, I would have gone to a different country.

'How would he know he has a child with you if you didn't tell him? What "rejected" are you talking about? Because you didn't tell him! That's why he pushed you away!' my sharp-witted friend argued. She really won't back down when it comes to this topic.

'What if I did tell him, Irithel? What if he had the child aborted?' I pouted and applied a light lip gloss, checking the mirror to make sure I didn't mess up. I moved the lip gloss away from my lips for a moment to speak. 'And besides, he's been with other girls. We don't know, right? He might have gotten other girls pregnant besides me. He doesn't want his cherished surname to be tainted,' and I continued applying a little lip gloss.

I'm not really into cosmetics, but it's necessary for a woman going out to a bar, so I have to bear with it.

'I don't know about you, but it won't be long before he finds out about Zon. His magnate brother, Laki Cavanaugh, found out about this. What about him?' she insisted, determined to get what she wanted.

'Even if he finds out or already knows, I swear he won't do anything. Why? Because if he really cared, he wouldn't have left me in the first place,' I emphasized, explaining why she looked annoyed. 'Hello? Earth to Irithel! We're not in a movie or a novel; this is reality. Boys run away from the girls they've accidentally impregnated. It's different from movies and novels where the guy chases after the pregnant girl who's hiding.'

My fantasy-driven friend just gave me an annoyed look. She's been my best friend since high school. I really thought she'd be disgusted or distance herself from me because I got pregnant early, but she didn't.

She was actually excited when she heard I was pregnant, but she also got angry when she found out I didn't tell the guy who impregnated me.

Maybe Lazarus knew about this all along? It's impossible that he didn't know. He has a lot of connections, and the reason I suddenly stopped going to school was all over the university, but I continued my studies online.

I'm homeschooled. I only go out for exams. It turns out it's more expensive when I study online, but there are universities that accept online schooling, so continuing my education wasn't a problem.

'Momma, can I come too?'

I turned to see my son. He clumsily stood up from sitting on the huge bed, and Irithel helped him stand properly on the bed. With just one movement, the bed started moving because of the string underneath.

I shot Irithel a dirty look, and she responded with her teasing smile.

I really don't want to talk about Lazarus while Zon is here.

I approached them and picked up my son, who immediately clung to my neck. 'No, baby. You have to sleep; it's late.'

He nodded and pouted. My son got his father's rosy, thin lips, and even his cute pointed nose. I can't deny that my son has a wealthy complexion.

My family isn't that rich, just comfortably well-off. We have a business, but it's not that big. Unlike Lazarus' family, they have their own company. Mom and Dad migrated to Canada because of their work, and I was supposed to follow because they were my only connection to go to another country. But it all fell apart when the embassy found out about my situation here.

My migration didn't push through.

My parents support me by sending money for me and Zon, so here I am, alone with my son in a simple two-story house in a subdivision.

I have a job though. I just graduated this year with a degree in business administration and immediately started looking for work.

'Don't cry, baby. Momma will be home soon,' Irithel's voice was gentle when she saw the sadness on my son's face, as if he might cry any minute or throw a tantrum.

'I'm not crying, Tita...' he tried to slip in the word 'po.'

I taught him that. When he's talking to someone older, he should always use 'po' or 'opo.' He's a fast learner.

Sometimes when he's in a sulk, which he probably inherited from Lazarus, he doesn't pay attention to anyone else around him except me.

'Let's go to sleep, okay? I promise, when you wake up, Momma will be right beside you, hmm?' I persuaded my stubborn son. He really won't stay put.

He's just five years old, turning six in the next seven months.

He's obedient, but often he doesn't listen to me. He's very stubborn and fidgety when I try to give him a bath.

I sighed as he tightened his grip on my neck.

'No, Momma, I want to come!' my son's voice was a bit angry.

He really doesn't want to be left behind.

"Oh, if Lazarus used to almost push you away, this child of his almost doesn't want to be apart from you," Irithel whispered to herself, but it was obvious and I still heard it.

I don't want anyone to mention Luzon's father.

It's almost ten in the evening. I usually put my son to bed by 8 pm.

Irithel is behind this. I don't need to go to bars or anything to enjoy my life, she says. I'm happy and contented with my son; I don't need a man.

In my situation, would any man accept me? My body has returned to normal after almost two years of taking care of my son. I take care of myself too. I go to the gym to fill my free time, and I bring my son with me since the gym is owned by Irithel's older brother. It's fine because I can watch my son while I'm at the gym.

"Momma, please? Let me come with you..." my little boy lowered his voice, as if trying to be endearing to get me to allow him to come along. "Promise, Momma. I won't bother the boys who come here," he still pronounced the letter 'r' with a flourish. He even pressed his cute face against my neck.

I really don't know why he scowls at or even fights with the boys who visit here. They're just my friends or colleagues.

There are only two guys he really vibes with.

Laki and Domino. Domino is Irithel's older brother.

"But baby, you have to go to sleep now," I stroked his back since he really likes it whenever he's in my arms.

"No! I'm not sleepy yet!" He moved his face away from my neck and faced me. He widened his brown eyes in front of me. "See? Momma, I'm not sleepy yet!"

"But babies aren't allowed where I'm going."

"I'm not a baby anymore! I can walk!" he stomped his foot while I held him. It means he wants to get down, so I gently placed him on the cool floor since he's wearing his white socks anyway. He marched back and forth in front of me, laughing heartily, while Irithel watched in amusement. "I can walk, Momma! I'm not a baby anymore! I can... Hmm—" he pretended to think. "I can also protect you from bad guys, Momma! Uncle Laki taught me how!" his little hand reached for my clothes. He wanted to be carried again.

"Whatever Laki teaches your son, Cal, he's insane," Irithel said, barely holding back her laughter.

I carried my proud son. I carried him for almost half an hour, and he kept boasting about the things Uncle Laki and Uncle Domino taught him until sleep finally overtook him.

I gently laid him on the soft bed to avoid waking him up. His long, soft hair spread over the baby blue pillows beneath his little head and on both sides. I placed pillows on either side of him.

I kissed my son's little forehead before getting dressed and leaving the room with Irithel.

"Rith, watch over him, okay? Just call me if he wakes up and looks for me. I probably won't be too long—"