Chapter 1
"Hello, could you please draw up a divorce agreement for me?" Edith Lane dialed her lawyer, briefly confirmed the divorce arrangements, and then ended the call.
Suddenly, a chubby little hand tugged at her sleeve. Leo's big, round eyes were a little teary.
"Mommy, are you really going to divorce Mr. Carter?" Leo asked.
After a moment of silence, Edith let out a deep sigh, looking completely worn out.
"Yeah, it's too exhausting being with him. I don't want him anymore. Leo, will you leave with Mommy?" As she spoke, Edith gently rubbed Leo's head.
Leo's hand slowly slipped away, and he hesitated before speaking. "But... But Mr. Carter kissed you today, and he gave me a piggyback ride. He loves us, doesn't he?"
Looking into her son's hopeful eyes, Edith felt her own eyes grow teary.
She didn't know how to tell him that no father would ever have his own son call him "Mr. XX".
Besides, Jason Carter had only acted that way because he was drunk and feeling cheerful today.
He was happy because his ex-girlfriend, Selina Evans, had returned to the country.
*****
Back in college, Jason was the campus heartthrob, and Selina was the campus belle. They were the most famous couple at Westbridge University.
Edith was an ordinary girl with a secret crush.
She secretly loved that dazzling boy, Jason, but never dared to say a word. She watched helplessly as he and Selina were together, studying in the library, eating in the cafeteria, and kissing in the hallways without a care in the world.
She was like a shadow in the corner, always watching their happiness from afar.
Then, before graduation, right when Jason was about to propose, Selina dumped him without warning. She cut him off completely and left the country.
When Jason finally tracked her down, all he heard was that she'd gotten married in a whirlwind.
From then on, the campus legend fell from his pedestal. Heartbroken and lost, Jason never recovered, turning into a regular at the bars who never went home sober.
Edith was worried sick about Jason, so she always followed him from a distance, but she never dared to let him see her.
But trouble still found Jason. One girl couldn't take her eyes off Jason's stunning looks. After trying to flirt with him a few times and getting nowhere, she spiked his drink when he wasn't looking.
That night, Edith saved Jason.
She got him out of there and helped him get through it.
Fate had it that, because of that one unexpected night, Edith ended up pregnant with Jason's child.
Jason married her out of a sense of duty, but they kept their marriage a secret for five years.
Jason never really liked Edith, so he barely acknowledged her, always cold and distant.
Because he couldn't stand Edith, he couldn't stand their son Leo either. He wouldn't even let Leo call him "Daddy".
When Leo was learning to talk and called Jason "Daddy" for the first time, Jason walked away without a word and didn't come home for an entire month.
When Leo came home, thrilled after earning a gold star at school, and called Jason "Daddy", Jason shoved him aside. Leo fell and hurt his head, and there was blood everywhere.
When Leo got carsick and called Jason "Daddy" for the third time, Jason dumped him right there on the highway.
Leo spent the whole night crying in the rain on the highway and almost didn't make it out alive.
Now, Jason finally got the woman he'd been waiting for all these years.
Edith squatted down and hugged Leo tightly. Her heart twisted with pain as tears blurred her eyes.
She couldn't bring herself to break Leo's innocent dreams, so she kept quiet, holding him close.
Just then, Jason's drunken voice could be heard from the room.
There was a strange gentleness in his voice, something Edith and Leo had never expected from him. "I'll learn to be a good dad..."
Leo only caught the first part, and his eyes sparkled as he looked at Edith, full of excitement.
"Mommy, did you hear that? Mr. Carter said he'll be a good dad. Does that mean he'll love me now?" Leo asked.
Edith gave a bitter smile, her heart twisting painfully.
Leo didn't catch the whole sentence, but Edith did.
The name Jason called out was Max, Selina's son.
He'd rather be a dad to Selina's kid than to his own son.
Edith avoided Leo's question and gently redirected the conversation. "Leo, leave with me. We don't belong here."
Leo's smile froze, and the light in his eyes dimmed. He looked up at Edith with pleading eyes. "Mommy, you'll need a month to handle divorce, right?
"If Dad is nice to us even once during this month, can we stay?"
Edith paused, knowing in her heart it was just wishful thinking.
But when she locked eyes with Leo's hopeful look, her resolve melted. She couldn't bring herself to crush his dreams.
"Alright, but if he doesn't make the most of this chance, then we'll have to let him go for good," Edith said.
"Okay." Leo nodded hard, grinning from ear to ear.