The Point of No Return

“Sylvester, hear me out…”

Mindy pulled her child behind her. Her instinctive protectiveness was extremely piercing to my eyes.

“This isn’t a good place to talk,” I said, cutting her off. “Call that man over to take the child. We’ll talk after that.”

“Henry’s health isn’t in great condition…”

“Mindy Holmes.” I looked coldly at her. “Do you want me to call your father right now, or have my lawyer send you a letter directly?”

Mindy went silent.

The agreement in my hands was enough to pull her down from her status as a well-known professor and lose everything.

The child behind her, Yvette Holmes, suddenly poked his head out and yelled at me, “Bad guy! Don’t you dare bully Mom!”

Children’s words carried no harm, but were often the most hurtful.

Mindy put her hand over the child’s mouth and looked at me in fright.

“Great upbringing,” I said with a smirk. “Henry's skills in sowing discord have gotten even better with time.”

With that, I turned to leave the police station. It was snowing very heavily outside, and the chill pierced my very bones.

I thought back on five years ago, after I caught her being unfaithful to me.

Mindy knelt before me, crying and saying that Henry had no parents and was an orphan who came from the village without any support whatsoever. She begged me to spare him just once.

At that time, I had just survived a car accident and was just fresh out of surgery for my legs that were badly injured. I was at my weakest and most vulnerable.

I signed the agreement on two conditions:

One, that Henry would drop out of school and leave this city, never to return.

Two, that Mindy would sign this and agree to leaving the marriage of her own accord without a single cent if she were to be unfaithful to the marriage again.

Back then, Mr. Holmes, an academic giant in his own right, was so furious he almost beat Mindy to death with his cane. However, he agreed to it to appease my anger.

Mindy swore, “Sylvester, I only did it in a moment of foolishness. You’re the only man I love. I can give you my money and even my life. As long as you don’t expose me, I’ll do anything to make it up to you for the rest of my life.”

Over the next five years, she really kept her promise.

She video-called me every day no matter how busy she got. She never forgot to give me a gift during festivals and special occasions. She even turned down a research commercialisation contract worth millions.

I thought time would heal all wounds.

What I didn’t expect was for Mindy to be unable to forget Henry and even have a child behind my back.

The snow stopped falling.

Mindy called for the driver to send the child back first.

She didn’t dare to leave. Neither did she dare to let me leave. We sat in the cafe next to the police station.

“Sylvester, things aren’t what you think they are.”

Mindy interlaced her fingers and rested them on her forehead, the voice low.

“Henry…did drop out of school and leave the city back then. However, I found out I was with child. I didn’t dare to tell you so I used the excuse of further studies for half a year to secretly give birth and hand the baby over to him so that he could take care of her…

“The baby was born with asthma and congenital heart issues. Her medical fees were exorbitant, and Henry hadn’t completed his studies at that time. He couldn’t secure any decent jobs and couldn’t afford the expenses.”

“So you brought them here?” I said as I stirred the coffee with a spoon. “Not just that. You arranged for a luxury apartment for them and would visit them once a week. Mindy, are you doing charity or hiding a kept man?”

“I go there only to see my child!” Mindy explained anxiously. “Sylvester, the child’s innocent. Yvette was born weak and sickly. She always cries for me when she falls sick. What can I do? I can’t just stand idly by watching her die, can I?”

“So you just stand idly by watching me look like a fool kept in the dark?” I asked her back. “Mindy, do you think that as long as you don’t appear before me with either of them, it’s considered keeping to the contract? What did the oath you swore back then mean, then?”