Part 3The Celebration: An Unexpected Son

I didn’t fight with them that night. I didn’t want to scare my daughter.

Mark drove me home. The car was silent. He knew I wasn’t easy to fool.

The second the car stopped, he started his explanation, his voice laced with a deliberate, placating tone. “Honey, I didn’t handle things well today. My parents are getting old, don’t take what they said to heart. They’re just soft-hearted, they can’t bear to see a child suffer.”

“Mm-hmm,” I replied calmly.

My placid reaction seemed to surprise him. He clearly hadn't expected me to be so composed. But ultimately, he was relieved.

In a corner of the car I couldn’t see, he secretly texted Melissa: [Don’t worry, she won’t find out. Leo is my son, I’ll take care of him.]

I saw his little maneuver later that night when I reviewed the car’s security footage. So clever.

Before she went to sleep, Eleanor told me something. “Mommy, the last few times Daddy took me to Grandma and Grandpa’s, he left with them and Leo and was gone for a long time.”

“Is that so?” My heart clenched.

“Yes. And Leo… he just transferred to my class. He’s always bullying me.”

As she talked, I learned that my daughter was being tormented at school. She said Leo told the other kids that she had stolen his dad, that she was shameless. She had tried to explain, but no one believed her.

She had told Mark about it. But Mark had simply told her that Leo was a good boy and wouldn't bully her.

The bullying had made my daughter withdrawn and quiet. I traveled so much for business, I had been home very little these past few months. The time difference when I was abroad made it hard to even talk to her.

I hugged my daughter tightly, overwhelmed with guilt. “I’m so sorry, baby. It won’t happen again.”

I had thought that by working so hard to give her a head start in life, I was doing what was best for her. But I had completely neglected her emotional well-being.

Just then, a message came in from the private investigator.

“I found her. Melissa is the woman Mark married in a village ceremony ten years ago…”

The more I read, the more my blood ran cold. So I was the other woman?

The investigator added one last thing: “I also found that your husband has been making frequent visits to banks and real estate agencies recently. You might want to be careful.”

“Okay, thank you for your hard work.”

I held my daughter even tighter. In the darkness, my eyes narrowed.

I can understand that people change. What I cannot accept is someone daring to plot against me and my daughter.

After Eleanor was asleep, I got up and texted my lawyer. “I want to divorce Mark. And I want him to leave with nothing.”

Two days later, Eleanor’s school was holding an arts festival. I got her excused for the day and took her to my parents’ house.

Mark was visibly relieved. “A little break will do Eleanor good,” he said with a smile. “Oh, by the way, I have something to do later, so I’ll be back late. Don’t wait up for me.”

“Okay,” I said, giving him a long, meaningful look.

The moment he left, I followed him.

As I suspected, he went straight to the school.

A wave of hatred washed over me. He had always used the excuse of being too busy to attend any of Eleanor’s school events. But now, for Leo, he had all the time in the world.

The auditorium was filled with parents. I put on a mask and found a seat. Before long, I saw Melissa and Leo sitting diagonally from me. She was staring at the stage, where Mark was speaking as a parent representative, her eyes shining with adoration.

The principal smiled at Mark. “Mr. Collins, would you mind sharing some of your parenting wisdom with us? Leo has made incredible progress since he transferred here this semester. Could you tell us your secret?”

I smirked. Leo’s dad, indeed.

Mark smiled and raised the microphone. After a few pleasantries, he looked down at Leo in the audience, his eyes filled with pride. “It’s really not my doing. He’s a smart kid, just a little mischievous. I’m usually busy, but I try to spend as much time with him as I can…”

The other parents nodded in approval.

But then, a student suddenly shouted, “Whose dad are you, anyway?”