All Chapters of The Road Back No Longer Exists: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

"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 ma

Chapter 2

Even though Beatrice's face was out of view, I couldn't miss the glint of her wedding ring in the top right corner. It was the same ring she and I had carefully chosen when we got married.Nonetheless, she had always worn it on the pinky of her left hand. That placement, of course, suggested she was still single.The irony hit me like a punch to the gut. A ring that was meant to symbolize our marriage had become a mark of Beatrice's so-called single status. On Parker's sixth birthday, she was enjoying a candlelit dinner with her lover at an upscale restaurant.In that moment, all the bitterness I'd carried evaporated, and a sense of calm took over.I gave the post a quick like and set my phone aside.With that, I turned around and helped Parker put on his birthday hat. "Happy birthday, Parker," I said.Under the glow of the candlelight, Parker closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. "My birthday wish is to be with Dad forever," he whispered.I picked up my phone, capturi

Chapter 3

Maxwell let out a startled gasp. "Mr. Bainbridge, what are you doing in Ms. Thorne's home?"As his words sank in, I instinctively stepped in front of Parker, blocking his view. "I—""They're my relatives. They're just staying here temporarily," Beatrice interrupted, her grip on the suitcase tightening with every word.It wasn't the first time she'd said something like this, but each time, it felt like a knife to my heart.Just as I was about to respond, Parker spoke up. "Hello, Aunt Beatrice."I turned around in shock, my gaze landing on Parker's slightly reddened eyes. "Dad, let's go," he whispered.All the words I wanted to say caught in my throat. I forced a smile and responded softly, "Okay."As we walked past, Beatrice grabbed my arm. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she blurted out, "W-what did Parker just call me?"I gave a wry smile, a wave of irony washing over me. "Isn't this exactly what you've always wanted, Ms. Thorne?"For six long years, Beatrice had hidden our

Chapter 4

A sense of dread washed over Beatrice as she stared at the large, bold words in the email.Just as she was about to open it, Maxwell pushed open the door and walked in. "Ms. Thorne, here's the report from last time," he said, placing the file on her desk.With an almost familiar ease, he came closer, his hand settling on her shoulder.Though an unspoken tension had always lingered between them, Beatrice now felt an unfamiliar discomfort creeping in.Sitting up straight, she opened the file. Her brow creased as she scanned the first page. Formatting aside, nearly everything was incorrect. The department's name had even been misspelled.Without warning, she slammed the file onto the desk, her voice sharp and cold. "Who on earth compiled this report? Do they not have even the most basic competence? Call Ms. Hathaway here immediately. Why did HR even decide to hire people like this?"Maxwell's face drained of color. "Ms. Thorne, I was the one who did the report."In an instant, Beat

Chapter 5

Maybe I had already changed after all these years. Maybe……At 6:00 pm, Maxwell accompanied Beatrice to a dinner hosted by her business partners.She hadn't seen me all day. As she held her glass of wine, her mind kept wandering."Did I go too far this time?" The thought struck her suddenly.Beatrice pressed her lips together and downed the wine in a single gulp.She reached for her phone, intending to send me a message. Just as she was about to type, she was interrupted by one of her business partners."Ms. Thorne, regarding the proposal from last time…"Beatrice froze for a moment. She quickly pushed aside her thoughts and slipped back into work mode.Just as everyone was having a pleasant conversation, a voice suddenly cut in. "Ms. Thorne, this dessert tastes so good!"Maxwell appeared, holding a chocolate cupcake in his hand. A naive, almost childlike gleam shone in his eyes.With the conversation interrupted, everyone's expressions darkened.Completely oblivious to the

Chapter 6

At last, the dinner ended. After exchanging farewells with the hosts, Beatrice hurried out.By the time she reached home, the alcohol was beginning to take its toll. Clutching her head, she staggered as she pushed the door open. "Cedric, can you pour me some water?" she called out.Her words were met with nothing but silence.Lifting her head, Beatrice scanned the dark living room. At that instant, she remembered that Parker and I had left yesterday.After switching on the lights, she made her way toward the kitchen.She opened the fridge and grabbed a soda can. As she shut the door, she noticed it was covered in stickers of every shape and size. Most of them were cartoon characters Parker liked.Beatrice found herself laughing at the stickers she normally considered too childish.For a moment, she could almost picture Parker tiptoeing into the study, holding a children's book. He would approach her cautiously and ask, "Mom, can you read with me?"Beatrice hesitated as she took

Chapter 7

Beatrice remained on the kitchen floor throughout the night. It was the first time she had ever felt so completely undone.No matter how late she came home in the past, a light was always left on for her. Someone would quietly wait for her on the couch.But now, everything remained only as a memory.In the vast emptiness of the villa, she sat alone, waiting for dawn.The next day, Beatrice went straight to the office. She didn't even bother to change her clothes.When she opened the door, she saw that my workstation had already been cleared. The sight was almost painful to behold.On the desk sat a lone document, looking like Pandora's box waiting to be opened.With trembling hands, she flipped open the document. Her gaze was immediately drawn to what was written on it. ."Due to irreconcilable differences, the couple's marital relationship has broken down. There is no possibility of reconciliation.""After mutual consultation, both parties voluntarily agree to divorce and her

Chapter 8

It had taken me five years to get close to Beatrice, yet in a single night, she unraveled all my efforts.I forced a smile, determined to keep some measure of composure. Keeping my eyes to the floor, I turned the doorknob. "Come in."Beatrice's eyes lit up, and she hurried to catch up with me."Two sugars and no milk… Did I get it right?" After setting a cup of coffee in front of her, I sank onto the other couch.Her voice was hoarse. "After all this time, you still remember how I like my coffee."A faint smile lingered on my lips. "Since you came to see me, I'm assuming you've already seen the divorce agreement. I'm not asking for half your assets. All I want is custody of Parker."Beatrice took a deep breath and lifted her eyes to meet mine. "Cedric, I don't agree to the divorce."I simply nodded. Her response was exactly what I had expected. "It's fine. I can wait. I honestly don't mind if we live apart for three years."Beatrice set her cup down forcefully, the dull thump o

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