Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

Even though Dylan had his own room, he rarely slept there. When Ajax was home, he’d snuggle up with his dad, and when Ajax wasn’t around, he slept with the nanny. So, he'd never shared a bed with me or slept alone. 

From this, I inferred that aside from the night Dylan was conceived, Ajax and the original Gwyneth had always kept their distance, even after marriage. I speculated that the original Gwyneth must have put in a lot of effort that night to get pregnant.

What a crazy woman.

Reflecting on their relationship, I realized that Ajax was aware that the original Gwyneth had trapped him into marriage. Naturally, he didn’t have a favorable impression of her. Despite this, the original Gwyneth had insisted on keeping the baby, pushing for marriage while also claiming they could continue living their separate lives. She didn't care what Ajax did in his free time; all she wanted was a comfortable life provided for her.

Ajax must have found her confusing. While he didn’t want this unconventional marriage, he ultimately agreed to it because he didn’t want his child born out of wedlock. They weren’t partners in any meaningful sense—more like roommates who managed to coexist in harmony for four years without arguing. Their lives were so separate that they rarely even saw each other, which meant conflict was minimal. The original Gwyneth was solely focused on money and a lavish lifestyle, while Ajax had never wanted this marriage in the first place.

As Dylan looked up at me with his irresistible charm, he announced, "I want to sleep with Mom tonight!" He tried his hardest to be cute, determined not to leave.

Honestly, this kid was the type who’d take a mile if you gave him an inch. After I had been affectionate with him today—hugging and kissing him—his memory seemed to have turned as short as a goldfish's; he had forgotten all about how I had neglected him until now.

I hesitated for a moment. Growing up, I had always slept alone and even made sure everyone had their own beds when traveling. But Dylan sensed my reluctance and flopped onto the bed, pretending to be asleep. "I'm already asleep! Don't wake me up, Mom!" 

He was committed! What a naughty child.

As an adult, I found kids can be a handful, but when I saw how pitiful he looked, my heart softened. I decided to be patient with him, pulling the blanket over him. "Alright, go to sleep," I said.

I realized playing with him was more physically demanding than I expected. One minute he wanted to do puzzles, the next we were playing hide-and-seek. By the end of the day, I felt completely worn out—a feeling akin to being an old dog.

Once I lay down, I quickly fell asleep. I don’t know what happened but I’m sure I must be dreaming, everything was apparently black like I was in void, but soon I found myself the original Gwyneth. 

Her haughty, indifferent demeanor came through as she declared, “I’m giving that man to you. That child too. Don’t think about going back to your world. Even if you could, I’m not coming back here.” 

Flabbergasted, I replied, “They're not my husband and child! Why should I take on the family you’re abandoning?” How presumptuous could she be? Has she really gone crazy!?

Before I could tell her my sentiments, she disappeared like a bubble.

When I woke up the next morning, I couldn’t tell if that was just a dream or if I had actually conversed with the original Gwyneth. Instinctively, I felt it was a real exchange. 

I wanted to curse under my breath, pleading not to encounter her again in my dreams. If I did, I might be driven mad by her nonsensical attitude. It was one thing to abandon a husband; both were adults. But to give up her own child so easily? That was beyond comprehension! 

Thinking about her actions later in the story, I felt a wave of relief. I had booked tickets for noon, and traffic permitting, it would take about 40 minutes to reach the airport from the house. 

I checked my phone to ensure our flight hadn't been delayed and confirmed that we still had some time before departure. After the housekeeper-nanny finished cooking breakfast, I let her know that she could take the time off while we were gone, and she’d still be paid her normal wages.

Her face lit up at my words. She enjoyed working there, finding us generous and easygoing employers. 

Breakfast was a feast: hard-boiled eggs, waffles and pancakes, and steaming mushroom soup. Dylan peeled a hard-boiled egg and placed it on my plate, looking at me expectantly. "Mom, you can eat the egg white. I’ll have the yolk."

I couldn’t help but feel touched by his sweetness. Even at that age, I could see he would grow into a handsome young man. It was no wonder the female lead had fallen for him early in the novel, but eventually left him.

Poor child.

During breakfast, he was well-behaved and didn't need any help eating. His chubby frame was a result of his healthy appetite. 

After we finished eating, I took Dylan and a rolling suitcase to the airport.

Even though I hadn't made much effort with my appearance, we attracted attention at the airport. I could see heads turning, drawn by the striking beauty of the original Gwyneth combined with the adorably chubby kid by my side.

This beauty is a blessing and a curse.

Dylan was particularly excited, looking around with wide eyes. “Are we really going up into the sky?” he asked, eyes sparkling.

I laughed and nodded. “Yes, we’re really going up into the sky.”

“Can I roll around in the clouds?” he wondered.

I put on a serious face and said, “Nope, you’re too heavy for that. If you were lighter, maybe you could.” I teased as I poke his chubby cheeks.

He looked disappointed and pouted, to which I just smiled and giggled.

While we waited, a young man sitting nearby, wearing sunglasses, chuckled at our conversation. When I turned to face him, our eyes met.

“Your younger brother is really cute,” he remarked. I couldn't blame him for the misconception; at 25, I was youthful and beautiful, so it was natural he would mistake our relationship. 

I raised my eyebrow at him as doubt crept in. Sometimes, a guy looked good with sunglasses, but I figured if he took them off, he might not be so charming after all.

Before I could respond, Dylan piped up, “I’m not her brother. I’m her precious son.”

The young man’s expression froze.

Then, Dylan added, “Uncle, Mom and I are going to see Dad. I have a Dad.”

I quickly covered his mouth with my hand and smiled at the young man. “Kids say silly things. Please don’t take it personally.”

The chubby kid huffed but didn’t pull away. Once the stranger left, he turned to me and said, “Mom, you can’t not want me. You can’t not want Dad either.”

I shot him a look. “You’re quite wise for your age.”

If the young man hadn’t meant to flirt with me, it was clear Dylan had a strong sense of territoriality.

I just nodded my head to the young man and left him while he was still in shock.

When we finally boarded the plane, we settled into the first-class seats I had booked. I figured there was no harm in treating ourselves a little extravagantly—after all, the original Gwyneth came from wealth. Though, I reminded myself, it was her husband who was the wealthy one.

Dylan quickly realized that sitting in a plane seat was a bit underwhelming. He looked disappointed, clearly expecting more from this experience. I could tell he had imagined being able to get up, exit the plane as it took off, or at least open the window to touch the clouds.

***

Meanwhile, after finishing the last details of a joint project, Ajax hopped into the car. He checked the flight number Gwyneth had sent him and confirmed online that it would arrive on time. “Assistant Jean,” he instructed, “call the hotel’s reception later and book another room, preferably one next to mine.”

Assistant Jean blinked in surprise but quickly composed himself. As an assistant, he understood it wasn’t his place to pry into his boss’s personal life. “Let’s head to the airport.” Ajax gazed out the window as he added in a flat tone that hid his emotions, “My son is coming here.”

Having worked as Ajax's assistant for several years, Assistant Jean was fond of the cute, lively boy. Whenever Ajax brought his son to the office, all the female secretaries would coo over him, almost plotting to kidnap him. Yet, he remembered that the boy was only three years old; he couldn’t have come here on his own. So who had brought him?

A wave of confusion washed over Assistant Jean. He knew his boss had no close relatives, and it couldn’t be the rumored Mrs. Montclair, could it? He had seen Mrs. Montclair a couple of times, but she was either at a distance or wearing sunglasses. The office was rife with gossip about her—the stunningly beautiful woman who had captivated the entire office when she briefly worked as a part-time employee during college. After a short stint, she vanished, only to reappear later as Ajax’s wife and the mother of his child.

There were whispers that she had married him using “devious means” to secure her place in his life. Yet, regardless of the rumors, it was clear that they were married. Oddly enough, Mrs. Montclair had never shown up at the company again, even during annual meetings or celebratory dinners. Some speculated that Ajax’s jealousy kept her hidden away at home.

But Assistant Jean wasn’t convinced. Over the years, he noticed that Ajax rarely mentioned his wife and seldom appeared with her. His intuition told him that the couple's relationship was fraught, not out of jealousy, but simply because they were distant.

Earlier that morning, Gwyneth sent the flight number to Ajax, albeit an obligatory informant. As she and Dylan made their way out of the boarding area, she was pleasantly surprised to see him waiting for them.