Chapter 2

Now it was the two of us, and the atmosphere was a bit tense.

Matthew stared at me, his gaze intense, like he was trying to see right through me.

"How have you been these past six years?" Matthew finally broke the silence, his voice carrying a hint of concern.

"I've been fine, thanks for your concern, Mr. Foster," I replied, my tone still cool. "Is what they said on the news true? Do you have terminal cancer?"

I didn't want to get tangled up with Matthew again. I wanted to cut to the chase.

"So, after all these years, this is why you finally came to see me?" Matthew asked.

His gaze was still fixed on me, but now his eyes had lost some of their brightness, as if my words had genuinely hurt him.

Seeing him act so wounded, I almost wanted to laugh. He betrayed me back then.

Yeah, I felt sorry for him being sick, but I was not some saint who'd forgive him. If it weren't for Silas, I wouldn't have bothered coming here, even if he was dying.

"Yes, Mr. Foster. I'm here for your inheritance," I said.

Matthew looked genuinely stunned by my bluntness. I could see the disbelief in his eyes. He was shocked that his once gentle, dutiful wife had turned so cold-hearted.

"Wren, we've been divorced for six years. What makes you think I'd leave my inheritance to you when I'm gone?" Matthew asked.

He was right. Legally, we had nothing to do with each other anymore.

"Do you have something to bargain with?" Matthew raised an eyebrow, leaning in a little closer. "Is it that little boy who came to Jinlward with you?"

My heart clenched tight. I stared at him in shock. How did he know Silas came to Jinlward with me?

"Don't look so surprised. This is Jinlward," Matthew said.

Yeah, this was Jinlward, and he had eyes everywhere and all the connections anyone could dream of.

"That kid's listed as four years old. So there are only two ways this could go. Either he's my son, and you messed with the records, or you had him with someone else after we split," Matthew said.

I had to admit, Matthew was clever. That was the thing that attracted me to him back then.

When I first met him, I was a freshman, and he was the upperclassman giving a speech at the freshman orientation party.

It was the classic story. I fell for him at first sight.

But because of who we were, all I could do was watch him from a distance, quietly stashing away the love letters I wrote for him.

It wasn't until I happened to see his stepsister, Magnolia, come looking for him at school that I overheard their conversation. He told her, "Magnolia, stop coming after me. I already have a girlfriend."

"Seriously? I asked your friends, and they all said you're single," Magnolia shot back.

"Come on, they're not mind readers. I keep my relationship under wraps. How would they know?" Matthew replied.

"So where is she? Bring her out, and let me see her," Magnolia demanded.

"She's not here today. Next time, I'll bring her so you can meet her," Matthew promised.

I remember it so clearly. Magnolia broke down emotionally, bursting into tears and running off.

That same night, it was like I'd been hit with a wave of reckless courage. I waited outside his dorm and blurted out, "Matthew, I like you. If you don't already have a girlfriend, would you let me be yours?"

Thinking back on that moment, I still cringed. I had no idea how many times I had to listen to those sappy ballads to work up the nerve.

"Yeah, why not?" he said.

I never imagined he'd agree like that.

"Are you serious?" I blurted out.

"Of course. Having the campus queen confess to me? That's a privilege," he replied.

And that was how we started dating. Then, we got married.

I really thought I was the happiest girl alive, the one who rescued him from Magnolia, his clingy stepsister.

Who would've thought that, in the end, it was Magnolia who became the reason for our divorce?

Honestly, it was almost a joke. If those two were so into each other, why did he even marry me in the first place?

That was why I went ahead and changed Silas's age and gave him my last name. I didn't feel bad about it at all. He deserved every bit of it.

"Looks like it's the first one, huh?" Matthew's words snapped me back to reality.

I shook off my memories and glanced at him. There was real joy in his eyes.

He wore a knowing smile that made him look almost radiant, like he'd uncovered the truth. For a moment, he looked nothing like a sick man.

"Is the boy really my son?" When I stayed silent, he moved in even closer, practically buzzing with anticipation.

I watched him get all worked up, but honestly, I felt nothing. "So what if he is? So what if he isn't?"

"If he's not, there's no way I'm leaving my fortune to someone else's kid. But if he is, we're getting remarried," Matthew declared.