Share

Chapter 4

Penulis: Perfect Timing
Hearing the sarcasm in my voice, Dominic did not flare up like before. Instead, he stared at me, stunned, as if he could not process what just happened.

After all, I never even laid a finger on him before. If he so much as bumped into something, I would fuss over him endlessly.

"You pushed me? How could you push me?"

His face was filled with confusion and a hint of hurt.

Maya quickly pulled out a packet of spicy snacks and waved it in front of him.

"Don't waste your energy on someone like her, Dominic. Here–have some spicy strips. Don't be upset."

"Hmph, Aunt Maya treats me the best! I like Aunt Maya the most!"

Dominic snatched the snack from her hand and started eating happily. But his eyes kept drifting toward me, as if he were waiting for my reaction.

He had a weak stomach. I rarely ever let him eat junk like that.

However, I did not care anymore. I only gave him a cold glance before turning and walking away.

As I reached the door, I ran straight into Leo, who just came back from the supermarket, his hands full of snacks, vegetables, and fruit.

He clearly did not expect to see me here–he froze for a moment.

Dominic, as if spotting his lifeline, immediately ran to complain–

"Dad, you're finally back!

"When I opened the door earlier, she pushed Aunt Maya to the ground! She even pushed me just now!

"I don't want her to be my mom anymore. Can you divorce her and let Aunt Maya be my mom instead?"

Maya stood to the side, looking at me with barely concealed triumph.

"Shirley, your temper is getting worse and worse.

"So what if you were injured in that fire? You've already been discharged from the hospital. Maya's family is in trouble, and she's struggling with depression–she's already having a hard enough time on her own. Why are you still making things difficult for her?

"Can't you be a little kinder?"

I did not look at Leo. My gaze fell instead on the bags he was holding.

So many times before, I asked him to go shopping with me–there were things at home that needed buying, and I couldn't carry them all myself.

However, he always had an excuse. Either he was too busy with work, or he did not have the time.

Even on the rare days he had off, he would say he was too tired to go out.

Now it was clear–he was not too busy, and he was not too tired.

He just did not want to go with me.

A faint, mocking smile curled on my lips again, though I didn't know what about it set him off.

Leo's expression darkened immediately.

"Shirley. Apologize to Maya."

He spoke like it was an order–just like he had countless times before.

I could not help but wonder, was I too accommodating all this time?

I rolled my wrist, then swung my arm without hesitation and slapped him across the face.

Leo froze. Dominic froze. Maya froze.

None of them expected me to lay a hand on him.

"Leo, we're getting a divorce. The child is yours–I don't want custody."

I walked out the door without looking back.

However, I still heard their voices behind me–

"Leo, don't be angry. Shirley is just throwing a tantrum."

"Exactly. If she really wanted a divorce, how could she not fight for custody?"

"Sigh, if she really does divorce, that'd be great. Then Aunt Maya could be my mom."

I let out a small laugh.

I hoped he would get exactly what he wished for.
Lanjutkan membaca buku ini secara gratis
Pindai kode untuk mengunduh Aplikasi

Bab terbaru

  • They Lost Me in the Fire   Chapter 11

    I was honestly tired of their persistence. I looked down at the father and son with cold detachment."You said it yourself–that was the past. And what did loving him ever get me?"It got me him claiming there was no one left in the fire after I was rescued. It got me him standing in the hospital, asking why I didn't just die!"If that's the kind of son you raised, then keep him."I picked up my phone."The two of you–stop coming here. I'm not giving you another chance to hurt me."Leave now. Or I'm calling the police."The two of them left in a daze, like men who lost their souls.Later, I heard from an old neighbor that Leo voluntarily reported himself–admitting that he abandoned someone in the fire. He was dismissed from his position and reassigned to a small county town.Dominic transferred schools and left with him.Before they left, both of them sent me messages."Can you wait for us to make things right? Give us one more chance–we'll love you properly this time."I ig

  • They Lost Me in the Fire   Chapter 10

    Leo's face went pale as he stared at me in disbelief.He was not like Dominic. After we separated, he did not stay in contact with me for long.This was the first time he was seeing just how sharp I became.My words were like a blade, ripping apart the fragile cover he was hiding behind."Leo, you don't love anyone. The only person you love is yourself."You should go check on your son. Goodbye."I went back to my own place.Looking at the familiar room–tidy, spotless, everything exactly where it belonged–I suddenly let out a long breath.Thank God. Thank God my parents loved me enough to give me a way out.Otherwise, I don't know how much courage it would have taken to start over from nothing.If I stayed in that house, with two people as selfish as them, sooner or later they would have drained me dry–every last drop of my blood, every ounce of my strength.Someone like Maya, just as selfish, was far better suited for them.Not long after, a colleague who worked in the sam

  • They Lost Me in the Fire   Chapter 9

    I went to work as usual every day.That afternoon, I took one of my students–a child from a struggling family–to the cafeteria. I carefully picked out the fish bones from his meal. When I looked up, Dominic was standing there, eyes red, staring at us.The little girl sitting beside me shifted uneasily, about to give up her seat, but I gently held her back."It's fine. Stay and eat. You don't need to worry about him.""But, teacher!""If you feel uncomfortable and want to move, that's okay. But if it's because of him, there's no need."She nodded, stole a glance at Dominic, then lowered her head and continued eating quietly.As for me, I treated him as if he did not exist.Dominic said nothing. He just stared at the hand I used to place food on the girl's plate.Five minutes later, his face turned even paler. His vision went dark–and he collapsed.When he opened his eyes again, I was by his bedside.Before he could feel any joy, the doctor began scolding me."What kind of mo

  • They Lost Me in the Fire   Chapter 8

    I did not know how much he overheard, but his eyes widened as he stared at me in disbelief.He probably thought that without him and his father, I–the woman who once loved them more than life itself–would fall apart.Unfortunately for him, he greatly overestimated his place in my heart now.From that day on, no matter what I did, as long as I was at school, there was always a little shadow trailing behind me.I watched coldly as his condition worsened–his expression growing more listless, his face paler by the day, his clothes increasingly dirty and unkempt.Dominic used to be popular among his classmates. Like his father, he was blessed with a good-looking face. Kids these days matured early–he was handsome, so they admired him.However, now, with his filthy appearance, everyone avoided him.Someone as proud and self-assured as Dominic could never accept that kind of fall.One day during break, I saw him curled up in a corner, crying alone.When our eyes met, there was a flic

  • They Lost Me in the Fire   Chapter 7

    "Y-you, what could you possibly be busy with? You're my mom–why won't you take me with you?"Dominic sounded deeply aggrieved, his voice trembling with both hurt and anger.However, this time, I did not respond with the patience I used to have. Instead, irritation slipped into my tone."Didn't you say you didn't want me as your mother? Well, now you've got what you wanted. So don't bother me anymore."Before he could even process what I said, I hung up.Taking a child to the hospital alone was never easy–especially when they were still young.I used to carry him in my arms, coax him into waiting patiently for his number to be called, soothe him when he felt unwell so he would not cry or fuss.I glanced at my left hand.From years of holding him for too long, I developed tendonitis. Even the slightest strain would send sharp, pulsing pain through my hand.However, back then, when I looked at my child, I endured it all–the exhaustion, the pain.Maybe that's just a mother's inst

  • They Lost Me in the Fire   Chapter 6

    Watching the two of them–one big, one small–cling to each other, Dominic looked at me like I was some unforgivable villain.A dull ache stirred in my chest.There was a time, when he was little, that he said he would protect his mother when he grew up.However, somewhere along the way, the so-called mother he wanted to protect became someone else.The thought made everything I'd ever done for him feel worthless."You've got something wrong," I said coldly, "Leo, I want a divorce. We won't be husband and wife much longer. And this is my house."Without my permission, none of you are staying here."I pulled out the divorce papers. My name was already signed at the bottom.Leo's expression shifted."You're really divorcing me over something this trivial?""Trivial?" I let out a faint, humorless laugh. "Maybe it's trivial to you."After all, you weren't the one left in that fire. Of course, you think it doesn't matter."I slammed my hand against the dining table."Now get out

Bab Lainnya
Jelajahi dan baca novel bagus secara gratis
Akses gratis ke berbagai novel bagus di aplikasi GoodNovel. Unduh buku yang kamu suka dan baca di mana saja & kapan saja.
Baca buku gratis di Aplikasi
Pindai kode untuk membaca di Aplikasi
DMCA.com Protection Status