He walked over to me, his tear–streaked face
vulnerable for the first time. He took my hand,
his voice choked with tears. “Mommy, I’m
sorry…”
He’d called me “Mommy.” But all I could see
was that rainy evening, him shutting the door
on me and my mother. I couldn’t soften.
Looking at him, I felt a tremor of anger. I’d
carried him, given birth to him, but his heart
belonged to Ethan. He’d looked down on my
mother, on my background, convinced that his
father, despite his neglect, was a superior
being. He’d been so proud when Ethan showed
up for a parent–teacher conference, showing
him off to his classmates. I’d never had that
privilege.
I pulled my hand away. “Don’t call me ‘Mommy.’
I was your nanny, wasn’t I? You could fire any
other nanny, but not me, so you bullied me,
hoping I’d leave. Right? Well, I’m leaving.”
Evan shook his head, clinging to me. “No!
You’re my mommy!”
I pushed him away gently. “Evan, you’re not
three anymore. You say you’re a big boy, so act
like it. You have to take responsibility for what
you’ve done.”
I called Ethan’s driver and sent Evan home. As I
closed the door, I remembered Evan’s words.
through the intercom on that rainy day. I smiled
<
faintly. “Your mommy doesn’t want you
anymore, Evan.”
I shut the door on his cries.
A few days later, Ethan contacted me. He
agreed to the divorce. I stared at the text, then
gathered my things and went to meet him.
He was back in his usual attire, a tailored black
suit, his expression cold and aloof. The divorce
papers were on the table. I was asking for a
lump sum of cash, nothing else. No house, no
car, no Evan. It was a pittance compared to his
wealth, practically a clean break for him. I
wasn’t returning the company shares or the
jewelry he’d given me over the years. I wasn’t
walking away with nothing after ten years, his
recovery, and a son.
Ethan watched me sign the papers, his hands
clasped in his lap. He didn’t move to sign
himself. A cruel smile twisted his lips. “Did you
really think you could just walk away?”
I met his gaze. “Are you going to try and get
revenge?”
He scoffed. “You’re not worth it.” His eyes
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raked over my face. “You want to leave me? I won’t let you. You’ll stay with me, whether you like it or not.”
