Beranda / After my daughter's EpiPen was swapped, I changed her surname / Bab 1 - Bab 8

Semua Bab After my daughter's EpiPen was swapped, I changed her surname: Bab 1 - Bab 8

8 Bab

Chapter 1

"Mr. Lawson, can you please stop cutting my birthday cake?"The whole private dining room went silent after my daughter Mia said that.Nathan was still holding the cake knife.The tip was smeared with frosting.His smile froze, like he didn't understand what he'd heard."Mia, what did you just call me?"Mia sat in her booster seat, face still pale.She was only six.She'd been discharged from the ER just yesterday. The tape from the IV hadn't even been fully peeled off the back of her hand.But when she looked at Nathan, her voice was steadier than ever."Mr. Lawson.""This cake is from Mommy.""Stop cutting pieces for Tommy."Nathan's expression slowly darkened.Serena, sitting beside him, quickly pulled her son closer, her eyes reddening on cue."Mia, are you maybe confused?""Tommy just wanted a little piece. He didn't even know this was your birthday cake."I looked down at the cake on the table.It was six inches across.Strawberry.A little sign sat on top.Happy 6th Birthday, Mi

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Chapter 2

After the car door closed, Mia buried her face in my chest.She didn't cry out loud.Her shoulders just kept shaking.I held her tight. The driver glanced at us in the rearview mirror, then looked away.My phone kept ringing.Nathan.One call after another.Mia touched my phone and whispered, "Mommy, is it Mr. Lawson?"I declined the call."Yeah.""Are you going to pick up?""No."Her grip on my shirt loosened a little.A few seconds later, she said, "Mommy, was I being rude back there?"My throat tightened."No.""But my teacher says it's rude to call my daddy Mr. Lawson.""He's not a good daddy."I stroked her hair."He's the daddy who's let you down too many times."Mia went quiet.By the time the car pulled up to our building, Nathan's texts had come through.You've spoiled Mia rotten.She's only six. How would she even think to change her last name?Claire, stop filling our daughter's head with your resentment.I stared at those lines and suddenly realized there was no point.Befo

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Chapter 3

Mia shut Nathan out.He stood at the door for a long time.He stayed so long that even after Mia finished her bath and climbed into bed, she could still hear him talking on the phone outside."Serena, I'm not coming tonight.""If Tommy has a fever, take him to the hospital.""I'm not a doctor."A second later, his voice dropped."I wasn't snapping at you.""Don't cry."Mia leaned against the headboard, storybook in hand. She hadn't turned a page in ages.I walked over and slid the book out of her hands."If you don't feel like reading, don't."She looked up at me."Mommy, will he leave?"I heard that familiar "I'll be right there" through the door and didn't lie to her."Yes."Sure enough, a few minutes later, the elevator chimed.Mia pulled the covers up to her chin."He left again."I sat on the edge of her bed."Yeah.""Mommy.""What?""Am I just not good enough at crying?"My heart twisted.Mia's eyes were wet."Whenever Tommy cries, Mr. Lawson goes running.""Yesterday when I coul

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Chapter 4

Nathan didn't know the day Mia and I were leaving.He thought I was just taking her to Grandma's for a few days.Before we walked out, Mia stood in the entryway and stared at the shoe rack, half-empty now.She asked, "Mommy, are we ever coming back?"I zipped up the suitcase."No."She nodded.Then she ran back to her room.I thought she couldn't let go of some toy.A moment later, she came out holding a photograph.In it, Nathan was lifting her above his head.That was Mia's third birthday.She was grinning, showing a row of tiny teeth.Nathan had been smiling too, back then.Not like later.Later, his smiles were always for someone else.Mia stared at the photo for a long time, then laid it facedown on the table."I don't want it.""If I bring it, I'll miss him."I didn't try to talk her out of it.The taxi pulled up downstairs, and Nathan called."Claire, did Mia eat breakfast?""Didn't she say she wanted those dumplings from that place downtown? I picked some up. I'll be home soon.

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Chapter 5

The day the divorce judgmente went into effect, Nathan was late.By the time he reached the courthouse, our divorce was final, and I'd already picked up a certified copy of the divorce judgment.I tucked it into my bag.Mia wasn't there.She was at Grandma's house, drawing.Nathan grabbed my arm."Claire, you actually went through with it?"I pulled my hand free."You signed the papers.""Those weren't divorce papers!"I looked at him."You didn't bother to read them."His face went white."You tricked me?""Yes."I admitted it so fast that he was the one left speechless."How could you do this to me?"I studied him for a long moment."Nathan, when you took Mia's EpiPen, did you ever think about what you were doing to her?"His throat seemed to close up."I didn't know Serena would put it in Tommy's backpack.""I thought she was just borrowing it.""Just borrowing it?"I took the empty EpiPen out of my bag.Serena had mailed it back yesterday.The package had a sticky note inside.Give

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Chapter 6

Nathan went to confront Serena at eleven o'clock that night.I wasn't there to see it.The next day, I got a video call from Serena.One side of her face was swollen, her hair was a mess, and she was sobbing like the world had wronged her."Claire, are you happy now?""Nathan almost strangled me last night."I was heating up milk for Mia.My phone sat on the kitchen counter.I glanced at her."Call the police."Serena faltered."What?""I said call the police.""He hurt you. Go to the police. Calling me won't help."Serena's tears dried up fast.She gritted her teeth."Drop the act.""You just want to watch me suffer."I poured the milk into a cup."Mia doesn't like her milk too hot. I don't have time for your theatrics."Her voice went shrill."Claire, you think you've won?""Nathan has always had feelings for me.""If I hadn't gone abroad, he never would have married you."I carried the milk to the dining table.Mia was sitting in her chair, drawing strawberries.I put in my earbuds.

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Chapter 7

The day Serena was taken in, Nathan was at the police station too.When I arrived, he was sitting on a bench in the hallway.He looked like he hadn't slept in days.He stood up the moment he saw me."Claire."I walked past him.He followed."I've already handed over every message she sent me that day.""She lied to me before. She said the bakery made a mistake.""I didn't know she..."I stopped."Nathan.""Do you think not knowing makes you any less guilty?"The blood left his face.I kept walking.Outside the interrogation room, Serena's sobs drifted out in broken bursts."I didn't mean to hurt the girl.""I just wanted to scare Claire.""How was I supposed to know her daughter would react that badly?"At that, I clenched my fists until they ached.Nathan stood behind me, his voice barely audible."I'm sorry."I didn't turn around."Save it for Mia.""She doesn't want to hear it.""Then keep it to yourself."He didn't say anything else.The police asked me to provide additional eviden

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Chapter 8

The first time Mia agreed to see Nathan was six months later.Not because she missed him.Her school was holding a family art show.The theme was My Family.She'd painted a small house with a yard.She'd drawn strawberries in the yard, along with Grandma and me.In the corner, she'd drawn a very small figure.The figure wore a black suit and stood outside the fence.The teacher asked, "Is that your daddy?"Mia said, "That's Mr. Lawson."The teacher didn't know what to say.When Mia came home, she asked me, "Mommy, should I let him see it?"I asked, "Why?"She leaned over the table and thought for a long time."Because he used to be part of my family.""Even though he's not anymore."I texted Nathan.He replied almost instantly.I'll be there.On the day of the art show, he dressed up.He looked more formal than he ever had at a business event.When he saw Mia, he crouched down."Mia."Mia shifted closer to me."Hello, Mr. Lawson."Something dimmed in his eyes."Hello."Mia led him to h

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