Chapter 2

Edward rubbed his nose, feeling a bit uneasy.

He hesitated, then said, "Didn't you always ask me to do it before?"

Edward's eyes held a subtle hint of hope.

Yeah, before the divorce, I was pretty spoiled. I always relied on Edward for everything.

Sometimes he'd help, sometimes he wouldn't, but every single time, I had to practically plead with him to get him to do it.

But things had changed. Now, I was more worried about catching a cold.

I took the hair dryer from him and dried my hair until it was half dry.

"It's okay, I got this. It'll be quick," I said.

I avoided looking at the slight disappointment on Edward's face.

I headed back to the living room.

There, sitting on the couch, was our only son. Lucas Shaw.

It had been three years since I'd last seen him, and he'd grown so much.

Before we split up, I was crying and begging to take him with me.

Back then, Lucas hated how I always nagged him about not eating pizza or drinking soda.

When he heard he'd have to live a tough life with me, he didn't hesitate to push me away.

"You're bad. I don't want to go with you. I want to stay with Dad and Aunt Emily and be happy," he said.

He was a kid, didn't really know what he was saying, but those words still broke my heart.

Later, when I was shivering under the covers with a high fever and no heat in the middle of winter, I couldn't help but feel a little relieved I hadn't taken Luke with me.

If he'd really had to go through those freezing, miserable days with me, I'd have hated myself for the rest of my life.

Before I even reached the dining table, Lucas suddenly stood up.

Emotions flickered across his face, his lips trembling.

After a long pause, he finally whispered, "Mom."

I felt awkward, though I couldn't really say why.

Honestly, coming back home in such a mess screamed failure to me.

It was like I was telling everyone, "Look, I'm a total wreck. Without Edward, my life falls apart."

I forced a smile at Lucas and said, "Come on, sit down. If you're hungry, dig in."

The table was piled high with dishes—slow-braised pork belly, seafood glazed braised ribs, roast turkey, you name it.

And in the corner, there was a giant bottle of Coke.

Emily Lane was sitting off to the side, and when she sensed the tension, she quickly handed Luke his cup.

"Luke, you must be hungry. Go ahead and eat," she said.

"Here, this is Coke, it's your favorite. Aunt Emily bought it just for you," she added.

Luke pushed the Coke aside.

"I'm not drinking it. Mom won't let me," he said.

My brain froze. Cold sweat broke out all over me.

Honestly, I was scared that if I caused any trouble, Edward would kick me out again and I'd have to go through hell all over.

Luke's grandpa had hereditary diabetes, so ever since he was little, I was terrified he'd get it too. I was always strict about his diet, keeping a tight rein on anything high in sugar or calories.

Sometimes, when Edward's parents spoiled him, I'd put up a fight right in front of them, going all out to oppose it.

So, from the time he was a kid, Luke really resented me always being on his case.

In our circle, I got a reputation as a tiger mom—people would mock me and talk behind my back all the time.

It wasn't until after the divorce that I found out I was actually the Sutton family's switched-at-birth child, and Luke wasn't at risk for diabetes after all.

Honestly, it didn't make sense for me to keep policing his diet anymore.

I slid the cup back to him.

"It's okay, Luke. If you want to drink it, go ahead. Mom won't make a fuss," I said.

I gave Emily a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, Ms. Lane. I wasn't trying to make things difficult for you," I said.

Edward's face suddenly darkened.

He shot me a look.

"Why are you apologizing to an employee?" he asked.

Then he turned to Emily. "Ms. Lane, if you don't have anything else to do, you can head home. I want to have a family dinner with us."

He really told her to leave.

Emily Lane stood frozen for a moment, then finally left, clearly unwilling.

As she walked out, her sharp gaze felt like it was sizing me up, making my skin crawl. I started to regret saying yes to getting back together with Edward so rashly.

Now that I had lost my family's support, there was no way Edward Shaw would ever like me again.

So what am I supposed to do with my life now?

Lost in my thoughts, I realized my palms were getting sweaty from all the anxiety.

Edward reached out and gently touched my palm, looking a bit surprised.

"What's wrong? Are you hot?" he asked.

He quickly called the maid to turn the AC down.

He was being so considerate and caring.

I couldn't even manage a polite reply to him.

My mind was a total blank. Even when Luke spoke to me, I couldn't answer.

I absent-mindedly ate my dinner, barely paying attention, then rushed back to my room.