Your Penance Means Nothing

"Mom, I'm bringing Leo home for a while. Yes, just the two of us. Emily... isn't coming." I had barely hung up when Emily came home.

She looked exhausted with dark rings under her eyes. She did not say a word to me and went straight into the bathroom. I could hear the sound of water starting to run inside.

Before long, her phone started to buzz over and over.

I knew her password, so I unlocked her phone without asking her.

As expected, the messages were from Lucas Hall. He had sent her a flood of photos and videos of his son. Reading, playing with building blocks, calling Emily mom…

[Adam misses you, Em. Are you coming over tonight?]

[This little guy doesn't even want me now that he has you.]

My fingers trembled. I took a deep breath and forced down the anger building in my chest. Even now, staying calm was still impossible.

They were just... Too disgusting.

I had just set the phone down when Emily came out.

She was drying the wet ends of her hair as she asked, "Where's Leonardo?"

Leonardo had come down with a high fever last night and rain was pouring outside. I had called Emily dozens of times, hoping she would come to the hospital and accompany Leo.

And while I was sick with worry, what had she said?

"You're using our son as an excuse? You're definitely not winning father of the year. Do you really think I'll still fall for it after you've thrown so many tantrums? I hope you know when to stop with this jealousy. Because you'll never compare to Lucas, and Leonardo will never compare to Adam either."

At that moment, I felt a chill down my spine. But somehow, I calmed down.

I wiped my face and calmed myself before driving to the hospital alone with Leonardo in my arms. The heavy rain blurred my vision and the car even skidded several times. I gritted my teeth and was too overwhelmed to pay attention to Leonardo's crying.

We finally reached the hospital in one piece.

But just as I was picking up Leonardo's medicine, I saw my wife rush in carrying another man's son.

She called frantically for the doctors and nurses. The man beside her looked heartbroken, and the child in her arms was crying at the top of his lungs. Yet after the examination, Adam only had a small cut on his hand from a knife.

It had barely even bled.

And Emily had spent the entire night scared for him.

-

Back at home when we were in our room, I smiled bitterly and said calmly, "Got to bed."

Emily frowned, visibly relieved.

So she found another reason to mock me for being jealous instead. "Didn't you say he had a high fever? Why didn't you make a big deal and ask me to take him to the hospital tonight? Look at yourself, Jake. So absorbed in that jealous husband act. Good thing I didn't fall for it."

I nodded as if she had a point. "Yes, I'm a jealous husband. But don't worry. I won't be jealous from now on. Are you satisfied now?"

Emily's frown deepened, and suspicion appeared in her eyes. After a while, she sneered and said, "You'd better mean that."

Just then, her phone rang. The name on the screen was Lucas.

Her expression softened instantly. She walked to the balcony and deliberately closed the door behind her.

I watched her smile as she spoke to the person at the other end of the call. I listened to her soft, gentle voice and a deep sense of helplessness stirred inside me.

I lowered my gaze and turned around, only to see Leonardo standing behind me. His face was red with his hair messy, and his dull eyes were fixed on that figure on the balcony.

When he met my eyes, he grinned and said, "Dad, can you read me a story?"

I smiled and nodded, then took his hand and led him into his room. Leonardo did not mention Emily at all as he lay quietly in bed, but his eyes stayed fixed on the door.

He probably had not heard a word of the story.

The last trace of hope in Leonardo's eyes disappeared when the sound of a door closing came from outside.