All Chapters of Your Penance Means Nothing: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

"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 Leona

Chapter 2

I patted Leonardo's shoulder as he curled deeper into my arms. "Daddy, when are we going to Grandma's house? I don't want to stay here anymore.""Soon. Once I withdraw you from kindergarten, we'll go back. I'm going to ask you one more time. Are you really okay with Dad and Mom getting divorced?" I asked."Yeah. Mommy doesn't like me, so I don't want to like her anymore." My eyes turned red, and I comforted Leonardo to sleep.Just as I was drifting off, my phone buzzed. I checked it and saw an unfamiliar number. But the photos, videos, and provocative messages all told me it was Lucas.In the video call, Emily was telling Adam a story. She was patient and gentle, with Lucas's voice joining in every now and then. They looked just like a genuine family of three.But… Emily had never done any of that for Leonardo.From the day Leonardo was born until now, she had never played games with him or told him any bedtime stories. For Leonardo, all she had were demands and coldness.I used

Chapter 3

I looked down and saw that Leonardo's eyes were red. He was biting his lip hard, stubbornly refusing to cry.I smiled and asked him, "Do you really not want your mom anymore?"He shook his head and said nothing.During the parent-child activity, Emily did everything she could to help Adam win. The three of them looked like a real family, enjoying the event together.Meanwhile, I won a toy for Leonardo.However, Adam suddenly ran over and pointed at the toy in Leonardo's hands. "Mommy, I want that toy."Emily patted his head and smiled. "Okay."She walked up to Leonardo and held out her hand. "Adam wants this toy, Leo. Give it to him."She did not ask him but demanded it from him.Lucas smiled and teased Adam for being naughty, and no one cared that I had won the toy for my own son.Leonardo refused.Emily frowned and said, "Leo, do you still remember what I told you? You need to be generous with Adam."Leonardo still stubbornly refused.Emily's tone turned colder. "Leo, gi

Chapter 4

Emily sounded so urgent, as if she had put a lot of effort into making time for Leonardo's birthday.I looked at Leonardo, who was giggling joyfully, and calmly said, "I brought him back to my parents' place."Emily paused. "When did you leave? Why didn't you tell me?""While you were celebrating someone else's son's birthday." My tone did not change as I answered her question, as if I were talking about something perfectly ordinary.Emily sighed and said, "Jake, I didn't know today was Adam's birthday too. You know his parents are divorced. A child without his mom around is so pitiful. I just wanted to show him some love. I'll come pick you and Leonardo up tomorrow. I'll make his birthday up to him, okay?"The room felt warm, so I went outside and sat on the swing in the yard. I looked up at the stars and calmly said, "Emily, I've thought about this for a long time. Let's get divorced. Leo can stay with me."Emily and I had met through a friend. I fell for her the first time I s

Chapter 5

I was a little nervous.After all, he was still a child. Certain emotions could come and go just as fast. I was afraid he would refuse. I was afraid he still missed Emily.But he looked up and got excited, clapping his hands. "Really? Dad, can we really live here with Grandma? She just promised to buy me a puppy too! I want a Samoyed!"I let out a soft sigh of relief and nodded. "It's true. I'll find you a kindergarten in a couple of days."Leonardo happily ran back inside.My parents did not comment on my divorce. They only said everything was up to me.My younger sister, on the other hand, flew back from overseas as soon as she heard about it.The moment she came through the door, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Leo! Your aunt is back!"Leonardo ran down the stairs and threw himself into Sherry's arms. He called her Aunt Sherry in the sweetest of voices.Sherry lifted him high into the air and held him in her arms. After playing with him for a while, Sherry finally tur

Chapter 6

"Jake!" Emily's tone hardened. She reached out, wanting to grab me. I moved away quickly, as if I was afraid of catching some disease.Emily's expression darkened.Just then, Lucas stepped closer. He smiled with Adam in his hands and said, "Em, Adam hasn't stopped talking about you these past two days. He said his mommy hasn't come to see him in two days. Hold him. Why don't we go to the amusement park?"But Emily did not even glance at him as she stared stubbornly at me. "Jake, let's talk. Do you know how serious divorce is? Do you want Leonardo to grow up in a single-parent family? He'll feel self-confidence issues later."Lucas's expression darkened as he pinched Adam hard on the waist. The next second, Adam's cries filled the room.Lucas looked at Emily, hurt. "Em, look at Adam. Something's wrong with him. He's been crying a lot lately. Let's take him to the hospital, alright?"Emily hesitated.At that moment, a woman and a boy walked in from the cafe's entrance. "Dad!"Leo

Chapter 7

"A game?" Lucas's face went pale, and he murmured, "These past six months… All the kindness you showed us… It was just a game?"Emily smiled mockingly.Lucas looked as if his whole world was crumbling. He shook his head, refusing to believe it before questioning Emily sharply. "That's not possible. You said you'd treat me well for the rest of your life. You said even if I had a son with someone else, you wouldn't care."Emily looked through the glass at Jake and Leonardo outside. "I thought I would always love you too in the past, but my love for you had already faded after all these years. Only now have I finally come to my senses. I have a husband and a son, so why would I destroy my own family because of you?"Lucas, our history ends here. Take your son and get out of my sight."Emily pinched Adam's face and smiled maliciously. "He doesn't measure up to Leo. He isn't cute at all."Adam started crying again, but he still reached out for Emily to hold him.Emily's eyes were col

Chapter 8

Emily pressed her lips tightly together, her hands clenched into fists at her sides as she listened to what I had to say.I was already tired of saying the word divorce.I told Emily she was not allowed near Leonardo again, and she was not allowed to show up around my house anymore. I was determined to get the divorce through.Later on, I asked Leonardo whether he thought I was being too brutal. He simply shook his head and said, "I think having a new mom would be good too."There was only silence in the car.Tammie smiled. "Then… What do you think about me being your mom?"Leonardo cried out in surprise. "That would be so cool!"My face turned red and, for a moment, I could not say anything.Suddenly, Tammie hit the emergency brakes. I hurriedly shielded Leonardo, and my forehead slammed into the seat in front of me. Before I could recover from the shock, startled cries came from outside the window."Oh my God! Someone calls 911!""This is horrible! I wonder if they survived

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