Chapter 3
Even when I was drenched in soup, he refused to let me take a break and insisted I keep working.
My coworkers looked at me with sympathy, but I no longer cared.
After a long, hazy afternoon of nonstop work, I went home covered in stains.
As soon as I stepped through the door, Theo ran toward me. He was still little, but he’d already learned how to read people. The second he saw the state I was in, worry flooded his golden eyes.
I didn’t comfort him. Instead, I scooped him up in excitement.
“Theo, your dad actually got you a present this time! I saw it!” I exclaimed.
But instead of lighting up with joy, Theo gently touched my cheek with his small hand. His voice was full of concern as he asked, “Mom, did someone bully you? What happened to your clothes? Are you hurt?”
My heart clenched. I held back the sting in my chest and forced a sheepish smile.
“No, sweetie. I was just clumsy and bumped into someone.”
That seemed to ease his worry a little.
He wanted to say something else. But before he could, we heard the front door open.
Ethan was home.
I straightened instinctively. Theo quietly gripped my hand. His palm was damp with sweat.
We both turned toward the door and froze.
Ethan had actually come home empty-handed. Yes, there was nothing in his hand.
Just like that, my heart plummeted from soaring hope into a freezing abyss. I instinctively looked at Theo.
A flicker of disappointment flashed across his face, but he didn’t burst into tears like he did last time.
And somehow, that quiet acceptance hurt even more. It meant he’d already stopped expecting anything from his father.
I swallowed my bitterness and was about to speak when Ethan suddenly pulled me into the bedroom.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice low and concerned. “I think you might have hit your shoulder earlier.”
Before I could respond, he went to the closet, took out the first aid kit, and reached for my shirt to check for injuries.
I gently brushed his hand away. The movement was small, but the rejection in it was unmistakable.
“Where’s the toy?” I asked.
He froze. “What do you mean?”
I bit my lip. My eyes stung with tears.
My voice trembled as I continued, “The toy car you promised Theo. When you were having lunch with Mira, I saw it right there by your left hand.”
His eyes flickered. He rubbed his nose and lowered his voice.
“Mira was the one who invited me out today. I didn’t buy that toy, and I had no right to give it away. I’ll buy one for Theo tomorrow.”
It was another promise of tomorrow again.
I forced down the wave of emotion and turned away from him, heading straight into the bathroom.
To save on bills, I only ever took quick cold showers. The water was icy, but it still didn’t compare to the chill inside my heart.
A few minutes later, I turned off the tap in a daze and wrapped a towel loosely around myself.
Just then, my phone lit up. It was a friend request from an unfamiliar number.
I stared at it for a couple of seconds, and an odd sense of unease crept over me. Before I knew it, I had accepted the request.
Soon, a profile picture popped up—it was Mira.
She didn’t send a message. But somehow, I already knew what this was. My fingers trembled as I opened her profile.
She had just posted an update.
“Thank you to the richest, strongest werewolf in the world. Liam and I both love the gifts from Ethan.”
The photo showed the limited-edition remote-control car Theo had been dreaming of for months. Alongside it were high-end skincare products I didn’t even dare to think about owning.
I stood there frozen, like I’d been nailed to the floor. I even forgot to breathe.
I slowly looked up at this cramped, run-down bathroom.
A discount shampoo sat by the mirror. A bar of soap worn down to scraps lay on the rack. And beside it was Theo’s old toy pup—its paint was chipped, but he refused to throw it away.
Grief came crashing over me like a tide. I could no longer hold myself up. My body gave out, and I slid down the wall.
Tears fell silently on the floor, drop by drop.
