Chapter 4

On the seventh day, the money was not returned.

Claire sent Victoria a formal demand letter and notified her that I was preparing to file for divorce.

She also forwarded the evidence to Hale Systems' board of directors and corporate counsel, triggering an internal investigation and restitution process.

When Victoria came home that night, she slammed the documents onto the table.

"Ethan, did you really have to take it this far?"

I asked calmly:

"What did you expect? For me to wait until you left Lucas and me with absolutely nothing?"

Her eyes were bloodshot. "Our five-year marriage..."

I cut her off.

"You destroyed it with your own hands."

"Every single time you chose Daniel, you were destroying our marriage."

"Every time you stayed silent, you were telling me that Lucas and I came second to him and Noah."

She went silent again.

That weekend, I took Lucas out to buy some new clothes.

When we got back to the apartment, I could hear laughter before I even opened the door.

I pushed it open. The living room had been turned into a children's party.

Balloons, streamers, and toys covered the floor. Noah and Victoria were playing, their faces flushed with laughter.

Daniel walked out of the kitchen. Seeing me, his smile froze.

His voice went small and pathetic.

"Ethan, hey. It's Noah's birthday. Your place just has so much more room, I figured..."

Victoria put Noah down and walked over, looking embarrassed.

"Ethan, let me explain..."

"Who let you in?" My voice was pure ice.

The living room went dead silent. The kids all stared at me.

I enunciated every word. "This is my home. Who gave you permission to bring outsiders in here?"

Daniel's eyes welled up with fake tears.

"I'm sorry. I'll leave right now. Noah, let's go..."

"Daniel!" Victoria grabbed his arm, then turned to glare at me.

"It's a kid's birthday, Ethan. Are you seriously doing this right now?"

Are you seriously doing this?

I was so sick of hearing that phrase.

"Get out," I said.

"Ethan!"

"Get them out. Now. Or I'm dialing 911 for trespassing."

Noah suddenly shrieked. He ripped his hand out of Daniel's grasp and charged at me.

"Bad man! Don't yell at my dad!"

He slammed into me with surprising force. Caught off guard, I stumbled backward.

But I was still holding Lucas.

As I fell, my instincts took over, and I twisted my body to shield my son.

But in the chaotic tangle of limbs, Lucas slipped from my grip.

The back of his head slammed directly into the sharp edge of the glass coffee table.

"Lucas—!" My scream tore from my throat.

Lucas lay limp on the floor, his eyes tightly shut, completely motionless.

"Blood... there's blood!" one of the kids screamed.

Victoria rushed over, but I shoved her away violently.

I fell to my knees, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I checked Lucas's breathing.

It was so faint I could barely feel it.

"Call 911! Call 911!" I roared until my vocal cords felt like they were bleeding.

In the back of the ambulance, Lucas wore an oxygen mask, his small face terrifyingly pale.

I held his freezing little hand, calling his name over and over again.

The EMTs were working frantically, but the look in their eyes already told me everything.

Lucas was rushed straight into the PICU at Seattle Children's Hospital.

I waited outside the resuscitation bay for four hours.

Victoria arrived just as the light above the door flicked off.

The doctor walked out, pulled down his mask, and shook his head at me.

"I'm so sorry. We did everything we could. The intracranial bleed was just too severe, and with his heart condition..."

I didn't cry.

I just stared at the ceiling, my mind completely blank.

By the time I was allowed into the PICU, Victoria was already standing by Lucas's bed, her eyes bloodshot.

"Ethan, I'm so sorry..."

"Get out."

"We're still young. We can..."

"Get out!"

She didn't move.

I grabbed a glass cup from the bedside table and hurled it at her feet. It shattered into a hundred pieces.

"Get the hell out!" I roared, my voice raw and broken.

Victoria finally backed out of the room.

I sat by Lucas's bed and gently stroked his cold cheek.

When we left the house this morning, he had tugged on my hand and said:

"Daddy, I want ice cream."

Now, he would never speak again.

The last thread tying me to Victoria was severed forever.

The next day, I slid the divorce settlement agreement across the table to Victoria.

"Sign it."

She looked down at the documents, her head snapping up.

"Ethan, you..."

Chapter 4

On the seventh day, the money was not returned.

Claire sent Victoria a formal demand letter and notified her that I was preparing to file for divorce.

She also forwarded the evidence to Hale Systems' board of directors and corporate counsel, triggering an internal investigation and restitution process.

When Victoria came home that night, she slammed the documents onto the table.

"Ethan, did you really have to take it this far?"

I asked calmly:

"What did you expect? For me to wait until you left Lucas and me with absolutely nothing?"

Her eyes were bloodshot. "Our five-year marriage..."

I cut her off.

"You destroyed it with your own hands."

"Every single time you chose Daniel, you were destroying our marriage."

"Every time you stayed silent, you were telling me that Lucas and I came second to him and Noah."

She went silent again.

That weekend, I took Lucas out to buy some new clothes.

When we got back to the apartment, I could hear laughter before I even opened the door.

I pushed it open. The living room had been turned into a children's party.

Balloons, streamers, and toys covered the floor. Noah and Victoria were playing, their faces flushed with laughter.

Daniel walked out of the kitchen. Seeing me, his smile froze.

His voice went small and pathetic.

"Ethan, hey. It's Noah's birthday. Your place just has so much more room, I figured..."

Victoria put Noah down and walked over, looking embarrassed.

"Ethan, let me explain..."

"Who let you in?" My voice was pure ice.

The living room went dead silent. The kids all stared at me.

I enunciated every word. "This is my home. Who gave you permission to bring outsiders in here?"

Daniel's eyes welled up with fake tears.

"I'm sorry. I'll leave right now. Noah, let's go..."

"Daniel!" Victoria grabbed his arm, then turned to glare at me.

"It's a kid's birthday, Ethan. Are you seriously doing this right now?"

Are you seriously doing this?

I was so sick of hearing that phrase.

"Get out," I said.

"Ethan!"

"Get them out. Now. Or I'm dialing 911 for trespassing."

Noah suddenly shrieked. He ripped his hand out of Daniel's grasp and charged at me.

"Bad man! Don't yell at my dad!"

He slammed into me with surprising force. Caught off guard, I stumbled backward.

But I was still holding Lucas.

As I fell, my instincts took over, and I twisted my body to shield my son.

But in the chaotic tangle of limbs, Lucas slipped from my grip.

The back of his head slammed directly into the sharp edge of the glass coffee table.

"Lucas—!" My scream tore from my throat.

Lucas lay limp on the floor, his eyes tightly shut, completely motionless.

"Blood... there's blood!" one of the kids screamed.

Victoria rushed over, but I shoved her away violently.

I fell to my knees, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I checked Lucas's breathing.

It was so faint I could barely feel it.

"Call 911! Call 911!" I roared until my vocal cords felt like they were bleeding.

In the back of the ambulance, Lucas wore an oxygen mask, his small face terrifyingly pale.

I held his freezing little hand, calling his name over and over again.

The EMTs were working frantically, but the look in their eyes already told me everything.

Lucas was rushed straight into the PICU at Seattle Children's Hospital.

I waited outside the resuscitation bay for four hours.

Victoria arrived just as the light above the door flicked off.

The doctor walked out, pulled down his mask, and shook his head at me.

"I'm so sorry. We did everything we could. The intracranial bleed was just too severe, and with his heart condition..."

I didn't cry.

I just stared at the ceiling, my mind completely blank.

By the time I was allowed into the PICU, Victoria was already standing by Lucas's bed, her eyes bloodshot.

"Ethan, I'm so sorry..."

"Get out."

"We're still young. We can..."

"Get out!"

She didn't move.

I grabbed a glass cup from the bedside table and hurled it at her feet. It shattered into a hundred pieces.

"Get the hell out!" I roared, my voice raw and broken.

Victoria finally backed out of the room.

I sat by Lucas's bed and gently stroked his cold cheek.

When we left the house this morning, he had tugged on my hand and said:

"Daddy, I want ice cream."

Now, he would never speak again.

The last thread tying me to Victoria was severed forever.

The next day, I slid the divorce settlement agreement across the table to Victoria.

"Sign it."

She looked down at the documents, her head snapping up.

"Ethan, you..."