The Road Back No Longer Exists

"Ms. Hathaway, I'll be going overseas for further studies next month. Here is my resignation letter."

The HR manager, Kelly Hathaway, looked at me in surprise. "What's with the sudden notice?" she asked.

I gave her the explanation I'd prepared long ago. "My son's mother is in Austera. I'm planning to take him there so we can be reunited as a family."

Kelly nodded. "That's good. It must be hard for you to raise a child alone here. We all thought you were a single father."

I smiled. I hadn't been, but that was about to change.

As soon as I stepped outside, I ran straight into Beatrice Thorne and Maxwell Conrique. Not only was Beatrice my superior, but she was also the mother of my child.

Seven years ago, I had been her personal secretary. One drunken night, we ended up conceiving a child.

This year marked the sixth year of our secret marriage. It was also the sixth year she had refused to let our son call her "Mom".

Beatrice walked slowly, deliberately matching the pace of the man beside her.

Maxwell held a report in one hand, his other arm draped around Beatrice's waist. The closeness between them was almost suffocating.

As we brushed past each other, my heart skipped a beat. Unable to stop myself, I called out, "Beatrice…"

Beatrice halted abruptly, her expression cold and unyielding. "Good morning, Mr. Bainbridge."

Her polite, distant tone carried an unspoken warning, as if reminding me that this was the office and our roles were strictly professional.

I caught the hidden meaning in her words and forced myself to suppress my emotions. "Good morning, Ms. Thorne," I replied.

Beatrice responded with a faint nod. She kept walking, as if I were nothing more than a stranger to her.

I smiled bitterly, the words of my resignation hanging in my throat.

But then again, she probably wouldn't have cared.

Suddenly, my phone lit up. It was a message from my son, Parker Bainbridge, sent via his smartwatch. "Dad, will Mom come back to celebrate my birthday?"

I was caught off guard and instinctively turned around. Beatrice was looking up at Maxwell with a gentle smile, speaking to him as if they were the closest of friends.

As someone walked by, she instinctively nestled into his arms, her gaze revealing a tenderness she couldn't hide.

Fighting the bitterness that twisted in my chest, I sent Beatrice a message.

"Today is Parker's birthday. Will you be free tonight?"

Across the corridor, I saw Beatrice pick up her phone. But within moments, she set it down again, her face betraying no emotion.

Staring at the unanswered message on my screen, a bitter smile curled at my lips. "Cedric, when are you going to wake up? You already knew her heart was cold. What did you expect?" I thought.

With my phone back in my pocket, I took a deep breath and turned to leave.

It wouldn't be long before Beatrice had her freedom.

…

After leaving the office, I went straight to the kindergarten to pick up Parker.

As soon as he saw me, he exclaimed, "Dad, today's my birthday!" Almost immediately, he asked, "Will Mom be here to celebrate with me?"

In the middle of the busy street, my eyes suddenly welled up with tears. "Your mom—"

Before I could finish, my phone buzzed. Beatrice had finally replied. She said, "Yes, I'm free. I'll be back."

A wave of surprise and joy washed over me, and I nodded eagerly. "Don't worry, Parker. Mom will be home."

Parker clapped his hands and threw himself into my arms.

In our six years of marriage, this was the first time Beatrice had agreed to celebrate his birthday.

That night, I cooked a full spread of dishes. Parker even finished his homework early.

An hour passed. Then two. Then three...

I sent Beatrice a string of messages. As always, silence was all that came back.

Sensing something was wrong, Parker looked at me warily. "Dad, is Mom too busy?" he asked.

A sharp pang struck my heart. Though I wanted to explain, I couldn't bring myself to defend Beatrice. In the end, all I could say was, "It's alright. I'll always be here with you."

Parker didn't push for more answers. Instead, he quietly picked up his birthday hat. "Daddy, can you help me put it on?" he asked.

I nodded. Just as I reached for it, my gaze was drawn to Maxwell's latest post on social media.

"Today was amazing, I loved every bit of it."

The attached photo showed a gourmet meal at a high-end restaurant.