Lucas' POV

“It is you! It’s really you, Janette!” I exclaimed, shock written all over my face. I had seen her walking into the school premises whilst holding the hand of a little boy. I thought my eyes were deceiving me and had waited patiently for her to come outside. When she didn’t come out, I thought I was just hallucinating, but then she came out and… and, I can’t believe my eyes. Janette is right here in front of me, looking all different from the woman I knew six years ago. She had become even more beautiful than I remember.

Oh, Janette! I couldn’t help my joy at the sight of her.

Without thinking, I rushed into her arms, but she pushed me away.

“What do you think you are doing?” she snapped, wiping her body with her face scrunched up in disgust. “How dare you lay your filthy hands on me? Have you no respect?”

I gasped and couldn’t believe my ears. “Janette, it’s me, Lucas. You haven’t forgotten me, have you?” I asked, my voice laced with hurt.

I couldn’t believe she was treating me with so much contempt and acting like she had no idea who I was.

She scanned me from head to toes. “I don’t care who you are, but the next time you come that close to me again, I will make you regret it.” She tried to get into her car, but I held her hand.

“Janette,” I called, my heart aching. “I…” I trailed off. She yanked her hands away from me as if my touch repulsed her. “I saw you walk in there with a little boy. Who is he?”

“Why do you care to know? It’s none of your business.” she scoffed and made to get into the car again, but I held her.

“Please, Janette, who is he? He looks a lot like me.” I said, and she went quiet for a while without saying anything.

Suddenly, she burst out laughing and I creased my brows, wondering what was so funny.

“Looks like you? My son? Looks like you?” she scoffed and pointed her index finger at me. “I have no idea where you got your imagination from, but that child is my son and is in no way related to you. In case you don’t know, I have a fiancé, and we are getting married soon, so stop this gibberish you’re saying.” She huffed and I could feel my heart bleed.

“Fia… fia… fiancé? You’re getting married?” I asked and she flashed me a smile I could swear didn’t reach her eyes.

“Yes, Lucas, I am getting married. I’m single after all.” she said matter-of-factly and got into her car.

“Janette! Janette! Please, we have a lot to talk about. Please hear me out.” I clasped my hand together in a pleading manner.

“Hey, do I know you? I have no idea who you are so stop pestering me, okay?” she spat in disgust and turned the car on.

“Janette, please, please, Jane!” I called but she ignored me and drove out.

I ruffled my hair and clutched to my chest, my eyes watering. Janette just said she had no idea who I am. After searching for her for six years, she claims not to know me and now has a son and a fiancé?

“Fuck!” I exclaimed and looked around. I knew I deserved whatever she just did to me. Everything I did to her six years ago was still fresh in my head. Bella had tricked me into believing that Janette was sleeping out and had done numerous abortions, which is why she wasn’t able to get pregnant. Coupled with the pressure from my family about having a child was my anger and resentment towards her for cheating on me.

I thought I would feel better if I cheated on her as well with Bella. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth was what I went along with, and I ended up hurting her and asking for a divorce.

After that, I thought I would be happy, but I was hurt instead. Bella soon became a thorn in my flesh when I refused to get married to her, and she left me, but not without mocking me about believing her lies and not trusting my wife.

After she left, I realized just how much I needed Janette and searched for her. I even went to her adopted family’s residence but was told they had passed away and Janette was nowhere to be found. I realized how much of an incompetent husband I was. I didn’t even know what was going on with my wife and left her all by herself to face her problems alone, and still she loved me and wanted to be with me, but I chased her away from my life.

Tears rolled down my cheeks. “Will you ever forgive me, Janette?” I muttered under my breath.

I walked into the school and made my way to the kindergarten. Since I was one of the school sponsors, I had the leverage to come in anytime I wanted, and so for today, I used that to my advantage and went into the kindergarten.

I stood by the door and used my eyes to search for the little boy Janette had brought to school. I found him, in no time, sitting while listening attentively to the story the teacher was reading to them. He looked like a mini me, and I couldn’t shake off the feeling of this little boy being my son.

He suddenly turned and our eyes met. He held my gaze for a while, a look of curiosity in his eyes, before his face softened into a cute smile. My heart melted and I found myself smiling. I quickly broke eye contact and rushed out of the school.

I stopped in front of my car and massaged my temple. “Could it be that Janette was actually pregnant six years ago?” I asked myself and an idea struck me.

I know the only person that’ll have an answer to this question. And so, I got into the car and drove straight to the hospital I knew she frequented when we were still together. I was lucky enough to see Doctor Bree outside and rushed to her.

“Good morning, Doc. I really need to ask you a question. Would you kindly spare me like five minutes of your time?” I asked.

“Sure, Mr. Lucas. What’s going on?” She inquired and I sighed.

“I believe you know Mrs. Janette Wayne? She usually comes here for pregnancy tests six years ago.”

She smiled. “How can I forget Mrs. Wayne? She set a record—”

“Good,” I cut in. “How did her tests go?”

“The last time she visited the hospital, I can recall she was bleeding, but fortunately, we were able to stop it and she and her unborn baby survived.”

“So, she was pregnant?” I asked, and Doc. Bree nodded.

“Yes. Her baby should be five years old now. Are you her relative or something?” She asked and I nodded.

“Thanks for the information,” I rushed back to the car and rested my head on the wheel.

Janette was pregnant! She was actually freaking pregnant… for me and I divorced her. I could still recall the smile on her face when she rushed to me and gave me the test results. I didn’t believe her.

She told me she was bleeding, but I thought she was faking it and ignored her.

And then I realized, and my confusion cleared as tears rolled down my cheeks again.

That little boy….

That little boy is my son.

That little boy she said wasn’t related to me is my son… my heir!

Janette’s POV

I sat in the event, my thoughts drifting far from what was happening on stage. I couldn’t believe it. I saw Lucas, that scumbag! Never in my life did I imagine that I would see that jerk again.

After all these years, after six fuckìng years, he had to show his face to me again and open closed wounds. He had to come back into my life at a crucial time like this, a time that I was getting out of the ashes he put me in.

Why the heck did I have to see him of all people and ruin my day, huh? Why? Why him? After leaving the country, and surviving the harsh reality of his behavior towards me, I saw him as dead to me and never wanted to see him again, but fate had to be so cruel to me and make us meet again. Why didn’t he remain dead? Why—

“Ma’am,”

I gasped and turned to see Rosa looking at me with a worried expression on her face.

“Are you alright?” She asked, and I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“Yes.” I answered.

“Good because it’s time to cut the ribbon and announce the hospital officially opened. They’ve been calling you to come up for a while now.” She relayed, and I quickly stood to my feet, embarrassed that I had zoned out in my own grand opening ceremony.

I rushed to the stage and gave them an apologetic smile before holding on to the scissors along with the shareholders.

“And with great joy and pride, we announce the official opening of the Janette Heart Care Hospital!”

“JHC Hospital!” The crowd cheered, a sea of clapping hands and happy faces surrounding me. I let out a sigh of relief, my nerves slowly dissipating.

“This hospital is not just a building,” I started, addressing the crowd. “It represents hope, healing, and the power of second chances. It is a symbol of my own journey, from pain and loss to triumph and success.”

The shareholders beamed proudly at my words, and I felt a surge of gratitude towards them for making this dream a reality, especially Liam. It would have been better if he was here by my side.

As the celebration continued, I mingled with the crowd, answering questions and accepting congratulations like I should, trying to ignore the gnawing feeling in my chest. Remembering how Lucas ruined my day did me dirty. As much as I tried to get rid of his face from my head, it kept coming back to me.

After the celebration, Rosa came to me. “The doctors that will be assisting you will join you soon. I have also posted job openings for professional nurses and cardiovascular experts like you asked.”

“Thank you so much, Rosa. How about the nanny I asked you to find for Ethan?” I asked the most important thing on my list.

Due to how busy my schedule was going to be, I needed to hire a nanny to take care of Ethan.

“I haven’t found any that meets the descriptions and qualifications you gave me, but I will keep looking.” She answered, giving me a small smile and I nodded.

“Inform me as soon as you get one, okay? I will be doing the interview myself. It has to be someone I can trust.” I stood to my feet and started heading for the elevator.

She followed me immediately. “Noted.”

We took the elevator to my office on the top floor of the hospital. The windows offered a stunning view of the city, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in what I had achieved.

I looked around the office and took a seat.

“Is there anything left for me to do again today?” I inquired, but she shook her head.

“You’re all good.”

“Alright. I’ll stay here for a while before going to pick Ethan up. You can leave now and rest. We will have a lot of work to do soon, and you need to relax before then.” I stated, and she nodded with a slight bow before walking out, her heels kissing the floor as she left.

I took my phone and called Liam again. He answered after the second ring and switched it to a video call.

“Babe!” He called, a wide smile spreading across his face.

“Today’s meeting must have been so hectic. I haven’t been able to reach you since morning.” I pouted and exhaled.

“Yes, it was. I almost died of a heart attack but seeing your face now just healed me completely.” He winked at me, causing me to chuckle.

“You and your sweet words. When will you be coming to New York? We still have our wedding to plan.”

“I’ll be back soon, okay? I saw your hospital’s grand opening on the news today. Congratulations. I am very proud of you, babe.” He smiled, and I couldn’t help but return it.

“Thanks. I wouldn’t have done it without you. You’re the best.” I blew him a kiss, and he acted as if he caught it and placed it on his chest.

“I miss you so much. I know it hasn’t been long since you left, but it feels like years already.” He sighed.

“I know, right?” I giggled.

“Mr. Liam, you have a meeting in 10 minutes.”

I heard a male voice yell, and he looked at me apologetically.

“I have to go now. I’ll call later in the evening to see Ethan, okay?” He hung up before I could answer, and I sighed, dropping the phone on the desk.

“Liam and work,” I sighed with a smile and stood to my feet, grabbing my phone and car keys. It was already time to pick Ethan up from kindergarten.

I drove to the school and rushed in. It’s been hours without him and I already miss him so much. As I walked through the hallways, I could already picture the smile on his face when he sees me, and feel his tiny arms wrapped around me.

I got to the classroom, but the teacher wasn’t in. I used my eyes to look around.

“Mommy!” I heard his cute voice and my face lit up with smiles, but my smile died the moment I saw who he was with.

There with my son was that jerk, Lucas, stacking building blocks with him. He stood to his feet when he saw me and I frowned. I stormed to where they were and held Ethan’s hand, taking him out of there immediately.

“Jane! Janette!”

I ignored him and got to the car, but he somehow caught up with us and held my hand.

“Janette, please hear me out.” He demanded, but I yanked my hands away from him.

“I want to hear nothing from you. Stay away from me and most especially my son!” I snapped at him and put Ethan in the car, closed the door and wanted to get into the driver’s seat, but he held me again.

I wanted to slap him so bad, but I held back because Ethan was in the car.

“It was all a misunderstanding, Janette. I’m sorry for everything I did to you. I was misled—”

“Shut up!” I snapped at him, my voice breaking. “I don’t want to know whether it’s a misunderstanding or not. I want you to stay away from me. I do not know you. Stay the hell away from me and my son!” I sassed and slipped my hand away from his.

“He is my son too!” He said, and I froze. “Ethan is my son, my blood. I know I have hurt you badly, and I know sorry isn’t enough to mend what I’ve broken but—”

“Don’t, Lucas! Don’t! Go away!” I turned, but he grabbed me and pulled me to himself. I struggled to get out of his grip, but he didn’t budge.

I looked up and our eyes met. I couldn’t explain what I saw in his eyes. Longing? Regret? No way!

What he said next made my eyes widen and threaten to burst out of its sockets.

“Dear Ex-Wife, Let Us Restart.”

Author’s POV

Janette couldn’t believe what just came out of Lucas' mouth. She glared at him, her eyes literally spitting fire. “Let go of me right now!” she ordered but Lucas shook his head.

He felt like if he left her, he wouldn’t see her ever again. He wasn’t ready to lose her anymore. He has suffered enough trying to find her and is still suffering for everything that happened.

“I can’t let you go, Janette. Please, let’s forget about the past and start over.” he pleaded and Janette couldn’t believe how heartless he was. After everything, he expects her to forget?

Forget? That was not happening!

Janette pushed him away and moved back. “Did I hear you correctly? You expect me to forget everything, act like it never happened and start over?” she snickered as she stared at him with a scowl on her face. “Do I look like a fool to you? What do you take me for?” she snapped at him, fighting back the curses she desperately wanted to rain on him. She was so pissed; so pissed that she wanted to hit him badly.

“Janette, please,” he tried to touch her but her hands met with his cheeks, slapping him hard on the face.

She had wanted to control herself but this was too much. She couldn’t take it anymore. His pleadings only added to her anger. “Incase you have forgotten, let me remind you of what you did to me. I won’t mention the rest, but I will mention the one that hurt me deeply. I was bleeding, Lucas, I was fucking bleeding and you asked me to plead to death!” she yelled, her tears falling now.

“I barely escaped a miscarriage. Even after that I told you about my pregnancy, hoping that would change your mind and make you love me again, but you called me a liar and abused me as well; you still went ahead to divorce me. Now I am back and you’re here babbling nonsense! Do you know how much I suffered to get here? I doubt it,” she sniffled and wiped her tears.

“I don’t want to see you ever again. You are dead to me, Lucas. Everything ended six years ago, so I’d appreciate it if you leave me the hell alone.” she snapped and got into her car, leaving Lucas standing with his hands on his cheeks, his heart aching badly. He was so hurt he felt like his heart was being ripped apart.

After she drove off, he released a long breath. He wondered what he was going to do to make Janette forgive him. He knew he had done numerous things to her in the past and he was ready to make amends. Now that she wasn’t ready to forgive him, he had to look for ways to win her heart all over again.

***

Janette tried to calm herself down as she drove out of the school premises. She didn’t want to drive angry and also wanted to avoid Ethan seeing her angry as well. The little boy was very inquisitive and he would demand to know why her mood was ruined.

Ethan watched his mum closely from the backseat. Janette might try hiding her emotions but he was a smart kid. He could see through her facade.

“Mommy,” he called and Janette cleared her throat before humming. “Who is that man you were speaking with? Is he my daddy?” he asked and Janette was shocked.

She cleared her throat. “He is no one.” she answered but he was not satisfied with her response.

“Mommy, you told me that if we came here, I would see daddy but you don’t want to show me who he is.” he complained, his expression turning sour.

Janette’s grip on the steering wheel tightened and she sucked in a breath. “Ethan, I’ve always told you that Liam is your—”

“Mommy, I call him uncle Liam. How can Uncle Liam be my daddy?” his adorable face contorted into a cute frown.

“Mommy will get married to uncle Liam and he will automatically become your daddy. That’s what I meant when I said that I would show your daddy to you when we get here.” she explained, hoping to make him forget about this issue but the little dude was a persistent and smart fellow.

He snorted. “I am not a fool, Mommy, so don’t think you can twist my brain. If you marry uncle Liam, he becomes my stepdaddy. That man who came to build blocks with me today looks like me. I think he is my daddy.”

Janette couldn’t believe this boy. How on earth did he learn to say all these things? She knew her son was smart, but sometimes, he says things she finds hard to believe are coming from a five year old.

“Ethan, you shouldn’t talk to strangers. Because he looked like you didn't make him your father. And what did I tell you about making friends with people Mommy isn’t comfortable with?” she asked and he took in his bottom lip.

“I am sorry, Mommy. He seemed nice and offered to play with me, that’s why.” he explained himself and Janette sighed.

“We will talk about this later, okay?” she smiled at him through the rear view mirror and he nodded cutely before looking down at his hands.

When they got home, he ran into his room and she sat on a couch in the living room with her legs crossed as her thoughts drifted to what happened today. She knew keeping Ethan away from his father was not the best thing to do as he needed that intimacy with his biological father, but what was she supposed to do when his father was a complete jerk, who almost ruined her life?

She was grateful to have found solace in Liam, who she knew wanted the best for her, and he would come to marry her soon, so what was she supposed to do? Forget about Liam and run into the arms of the man that abandoned her?

She scoffed and shook her head. That was not going to happen. She would just have to make Ethan see that Liam was the best father figure he needed. She hoped the little boy would forget about Lucas soon.

If he doesn’t, she was ready to make him. She knew she was being impulsive by doing this, but she wanted to protect her son from a monster like Lucas.

If Lucas could hurt her, there was no doubt that he would hurt Ethan as well.