Chapter 2

Since I promised to take care of Colin all on my own, I asked Juliana to guide me over the next few days.

"Aren't you worried I might mess things up while taking care of him alone?"

Colin is her weak spot, and I knew she wouldn’t turn down a plea for help. Regardless of my feelings about Juliana, my love for my child is undeniable.

That night, I had a shocking revelation: babies are so delicate and small. Holding him, I was terrified I might inadvertently hurt him.

She had been breastfeeding, so there wasn't even any formula in the house.

"In the next couple of days, I'll help you switch him to formula. Before I go, I'll leave detailed feeding instructions."

I felt overwhelmed just hearing that. "No way, my son should drink formula? They say breastfeeding makes babies smarter."

Juliana gave me a sarcastic look. "So, let me get this straight. You divorced me, wanted Colin's custody, and now you're trying to hire me as a wet nurse to stay close to you and Reina? Aren't you worried she'd be upset?"

Her words caught me off guard. If that were true, it could interfere with my plans to officially pursue Reina.

Juliana doesn’t understand Reina at all. Reina is genuinely a good person; she never pushed me to be with her. In fact, she always encouraged me to go home and be kind to my wife. She never asked for anything; she simply accepted what I gave. Even the gifts I bought for her, she would politely refuse several times.

Honestly, this whole mess is more about circumstances beyond my control.

Desperate to handle things myself, I started cramming parenting knowledge, eager to free myself from this nuisance, Juliana.

But Juliana kept talking, faster and faster, and then Colin started fussing, and I struggled to calm him. In a flash, she scooped him up.

I noticed her Victorian-style dress, one that could be easily lifted. Her swollen breasts caught my eye, and I frowned.

"Your chest..."

I've been so busy, sleeping separately, I hadn't noticed the state of her breasts, looking sore and damaged.

"Your son’s teething and keeps biting me. It’s been a cycle: it breaks, heals, and breaks again. The doctor said my condition is unusual, and even with medication, healing is slow."

I suddenly wanted to ask if she was in pain, although it seemed beside the point.

She spoke to me without much emotion, but her gaze softened when she looked at Colin.

I began to wonder: what if she lived next door? If anything came up, I could call her over, right? Could she really leave her child behind?

I felt incredibly clever.