Chapter 7

The next morning, Josh threw himself into Alison's arms, pouting sweetly.

"Mom, our kindergarten is organizing a study tour, and they said parents have to come along. Can Daddy and I go?"

So this was what Jessica meant by Ivan "making it up" to her.

Alison lowered her gaze. In her arms, her son was chattering excitedly while secretly making faces at Jessica.

When he finished, he affectionately rubbed his cheek against hers.

She gently cupped his face, her fingers tracing the soft curves. This was her son. Aside from his mouth—so much like his father's—everything else was a reflection of her.

If Ivan had cheated for the thrill, then what about Josh?

Back then, she couldn't see a thing. Every time the doctor described her baby during a prenatal check-up, she would quietly imagine what he might look like.

Because of her blindness, she had to be ten times more cautious than other expectant mothers. To avoid any mishaps, she'd even sacrificed her dignity—refusing to use the bathroom unless the nanny was right there, as she was terrified of bumping into something.

After all the months of carrying Josh, she finally brought him into the world. And now, her son was calling the mistress "Mom" behind her back.

If it weren't for the striking resemblance between his face and hers, she might've suspected someone had swapped her child.

Sensing her silence at last, Josh finally looked up at her. "Mom?"

Ivan chimed in from the side, "Traveling and seeing the world in person is always better than just reading about it. And this trip is organized by the kindergarten. It's not something we can just skip. If your eyesight weren't an issue, we'd never leave you behind."

They'd come up with the one reason she couldn't possibly reject.

Confident in her answer, Ivan had already instructed his secretary to book the tickets.

So much for asking her opinion. It was just an official notice.

Alison glanced at the destination. It was that European town she'd always wanted to visit, back when she could still see.

"It's fine. You two go ahead," she said.

Before leaving, Ivan gathered all the nannies and gave them detailed instructions, like he were preparing to hand over a billion-dollar project.

"Put a glass of water on Alison's bedside table before she goes to bed. Make sure she won't get thirsty at night."

"Help her take a walk around the garden every day. She needs the exercise."

"Feed her blueberries and other essential fruits by hand. She might hurt herself using a fork…"

He went on like this for half an hour.

Finally, he gave her a quick kiss.

"We're leaving now. If anything happens, call me. I'll come back right away. The study tour won't last long. We'll be back in time for your next eye treatment."

Josh clutched her hand. "Mom, I'll bring you a present!"

Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, Alison watched Ivan holding Jessica in one arm and leading Josh with the other.

They really looked like the perfect happy family.

Ignoring the sympathetic glances from the nannies, she turned away and went back to her room.

From what she could tell, her husband and son were having the time of their lives.

Before, when Ivan worked a full day at the office, he'd call her ten times. Now, she hadn't heard from him once.

Even Josh seemed to have forgotten her.

The only person who seemed to remember her at all was Jessica, who took every chance to gloat.

"Today, Ivan kissed me in front of a priest at the church. He said he loves me."

"Your precious son keeps calling me "Mom." Everyone at the hotel thinks we're a perfect family."

"Even though I'm pregnant, Ivan can't keep his hands off me. We ran out of protection, and he had to go buy more."

Every word was a show of how deeply Ivan loved her.

But none of it stirred the slightest emotion in Alison anymore.

She was waiting for the day she'd already planned… to leave.

It was almost here.