Chapter 2

When he spoke again, there was a hint of awkward approval in his voice:

"It looks decent. I'll wear this to the dinner party tonight."

He paused, then added:

"Send me your address. I'll have someone deliver the jewelry I had made for our anniversary."

I refused:

"No need. Briar and I have different tastes."

Briar was Kevin's first love.

Ever since she returned to the country and became Kevin's personal assistant, she managed everything around him, from his big travel plans to the smallest gift choices.

Kevin's tone turned frigid when I mentioned Briar:

"Who do you think you are? How dare you compare yourself to Briar?"

I let out a silent chuckle, saying nothing.

Kevin was left speechless by my words.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, I continued:

"Please have Briar arrange a time for you as soon as possible.

Just text me once the date is confirmed. No need to call again."

I was about to hang up, but Kevin quickly changed the subject:

"Noah's right here. He wants to say a few words to you."

Before Noah could even open his mouth, I pressed the off button on my phone.

Just as quickly and decisively as Noah had blocked me on SnapChat that day.

I put down my phone and held Grandma Rose's hand, watching a movie with her.

A week flew by in a blink.

While waiting for someone at a hotel, I received a call from an unknown number.

It was Noah's school counselor.

He said Noah had gotten into a fight with a classmate at school.

The argument started because the other student had heard rumors and, in front of the entire class, asked Noah about the reason for his parents' divorce.

I said:

"It's not a rumor. Noah's father and I are indeed divorced.

Custody of the child isn't with me. Please contact his father to handle this matter."

After I finished speaking, the counselor sounded awkward as he explained that Noah would only give them my number.

So, I had no choice but to ask the counselor to put the phone on speakerphone.

In front of the injured student and his parents, I calmly told Noah:

"You were wrong to hit someone. When you make a mistake, you admit it, isn't that the principle you and your father always believed in?

Also, whether it's your father or you, no matter what happens in the future, please don't call me again.

Noah, you need to understand, we have nothing to do with each other anymore."

With that, I hung up, and while setting my phone to 'do not disturb,' I waved with a smile at my best friend Chloe and her daughter, Zoe.

When I was pregnant with Noah, I always dreamed the baby would be a girl.

Yet, even though he was a boy, I still cherished Noah and raised him with all my heart.

Before he was six, Noah would plant little trees in the backyard for the cartoon cat that died.

He would also secretly hide a small red flower after preschool, then discreetly place it behind my ear when I wasn't looking.

Later, Kevin started taking Noah to the family mansion frequently.

After Noah turned eight, he stopped crying, and he rarely smiled.

He started complaining that Grandma Rose's house wasn't as modern as the city's skyscrapers.

He told me:

"You grew up in a place like this? No wonder Grandma always looked down on you."

Zoe, Chloe's daughter, brought me back to reality by offering a bite of her cheesecake.

Seeing me eat the cake, Chloe said:

"Now that you've eaten, you have to promise to come to her competition."