My wife doesn't love me. She doesn't love our child either. On the day our son is born, she doesn't even look at him. She just drops him into my arms.

Later, her first love returns. For the first time, the cold, distant woman drinks herself drunk at home. She laughs as she holds our son in her arms, and he wraps his arms around her neck in surprise.

"Daddy, what's wrong with Ms. Sutton?" he whispers afterward.

I kneel and hold him close. My eyes are red as I explain, "Someone Ms. Sutton loves has come back. We shouldn't bother her anymore. It's time for us to move out."

After putting my son, Jonathan Lane, to bed, I, Jasper Lane, returned to the guest room. I opened my laptop and started drafting the divorce agreement.

This year marked the seventh year of my marriage to Zoey Sutton. It was also the seventh year we had been living apart.

I was finally ready to let her go.

Jonathan knocked on my door and walked in. My seven-year-old son was holding his airplane model as he asked, "Daddy, are we really moving?"

He looked at me, clearly reluctant to leave. "But Ms. Sutton hugged me tonight. Doesn't that mean she's starting to like me?"

I froze, momentarily disoriented.

Seven years of marriage, yet Zoey had never let Jonathan call her "Mommy".

When he was two, she had taken him grocery shopping. On the way, they had run into an acquaintance.

Because Jonathan had accidentally called her "Mommy", Zoey put him down and made the barely walking toddler go on by himself. By the time they got back, his knees and palms had been scraped raw.

When he was four, he had begged for weeks to go to the amusement park. That day, another careless "Mommy" slipped out.

Zoey had let go of his hand, letting him get lost in the crowd. By the time we found him, he had been hiding in the bushes, crying so hard he could barely breathe.

From then on, he learned to call her "Ms. Sutton", and our family became nothing more than a joke.

My nose stung at the memory, and I pulled Jonathan into my arms.

"Jon," I said quietly, "someone she loves is coming back. We can't stay in this house anymore."

His gaze dimmed, and then he quickly held out his airplane to me. "But Daddy, Ms. Sutton gave me a gift tonight. If she didn't like me, why would she do that?"

He looked desperate, as if he were trying to prove that his mother loved him.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

How could I explain it to him? What was I supposed to say? Should I tell him that Zoey was happy because her first love was returning? Or that the gift hadn't truly been her idea?

I couldn't say any of that.

I swallowed the bitterness in my heart, hiding it as I always did, and chose to protect Jonathan with a polished truth. I kissed his forehead and wiped my tears where he couldn't see.

It was a facade a father would uphold, even at the height of his pain.

Forcing a smile, I asked, "Jon, if I want to take you away from Ms. Sutton, would you come with me?"

He stiffened, then whispered, "Can't we stay? I haven't even been allowed to call her 'Mommy' yet…"

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I struggled to keep them from falling.

"Jon, she doesn't want us to stay in her house. Will you let me take you?"

Jonathan hugged his airplane tightly. He remained silent for a long time before speaking.

"I want to give Ms. Sutton three more chances," Jonathan said. "If she really doesn't like us, then we'll leave her forever."

I closed my eyes and agreed to his request. "Alright."

Jonathan and I would give Zoey three chances. After that, we would no longer consider her family.

It was Friday, the day Zoey's first love returned from abroad.

They had been college sweethearts, engaged right after graduation. But a month before the wedding, Sean Henderson had fallen in love at first sight with a Frocian woman. He abandoned Zoey and left for Froca to pursue his so-called true love.

Just like that, they were separated.

Zoey sank into despair over him, and it was then that I started working as her assistant. One drunken night led to a child. I became her husband in secret, and she never acknowledged Jonathan.

After printing the divorce papers I drafted yesterday, I began preparing my resignation.

Unlike Jonathan, I had witnessed Zoey's cruelty too many times to foolishly hope she would ever change. Seven years had been enough to destroy every illusion I once had.

A colleague glanced at my screen and whispered, "Jasper, are you really going to resign?"

I smiled and delivered the excuse I'd already rehearsed. "Yes, my wife is working abroad. I'm taking my son to join her so we can be together as a family."

My colleague nodded. "That's good. It must be hard raising your son on your own here. Honestly, we all thought you were a single father."

I laughed bitterly when I heard that. I wasn't a single father, but compared to one, I had it worse.

Eyes stinging, I forced a smile before submitting my resignation.

That was when Zoey walked in with Sean.

He was walking in front, smiling tenderly. Zoey followed, unable to tear her eyes away from him.

A colleague nudged me, whispering, "Jasper, look at that. Even someone like Ms. Sutton can fall in love."

I managed another smile, though bitterness flooded my chest. Zoey could be gentle, I realized, just never with me.

As she walked past me, I couldn't resist calling after her. "Zoey—"

Her icy eyes froze me mid-word. "What is it, Jasper?"

The warning in her tone told me to swallow my words and remember my place. I lowered my head, hiding the redness at the corners of my eyes.

"It's nothing, Ms. Sutton. I'm sorry."

Zoey hummed and withdrew her gaze, fixing her attention on Sean, as though the rest of the world had faded away.

She was my wife and Jonathan's mother, yet here she was showing affection for another man. The irony was sobering, and the thought drew a self-mocking smile from me.

I had wanted to tell her about my resignation, but it seemed unnecessary. She had never cared about me, about Jonathan, or about this hollow marriage.

When I returned to my desk, I received a call from Jonathan's smartwatch.

"Daddy, there's an early dismissal today for a parent-teacher meeting. Ms. Chance has brought me to your office."

I froze for a moment, then instinctively rose and headed for the exit.

That was when I saw Zoey fixing Sean's hair.

Nearby, Jonathan stood by the elevator, watching his mother with another man. She was gentle and patient in a way we had never seen.

I wanted to take him away, but Zoey noticed him. Her body stiffened, and she withdrew her hand. But the next second, she stepped in front of Sean and walked past Jonathan as if he were a stranger.

My heart ached. I quickly led Jonathan back to my desk.

Before I could explain, his eyes welled up with tears, and he asked, "Daddy, is that the person Ms. Sutton likes?"

I lost the strength to speak and could only nod, my vision blurring. He didn't ask further, quietly working on his homework, though tears soaked the paper.

I pulled him into my arms and held him tightly. He was all that mattered to me.

Zoey had two chances left before she lost us for good.

We packed up and headed home.

On the way, Jonathan asked, "Daddy, can Ms. Sutton come to the parent-teacher meeting tonight?"

Zoey had never attended Jonathan's parent-teacher meetings.

Seeing the hopeful look in his eyes, I couldn't refuse. I quickly sent her a text message.

"Jonathan has a parent-teacher meeting tonight. Are you free?"

As always, there was no response.

Jonathan lowered his head, hugging his backpack. "She doesn't want to come, right?"

Then, pretending not to care, he smiled softly and added, "It's okay. She's busy. I understand."

His words crushed me, and I felt as if a massive stone had been placed on my chest.

Just as I was about to speak, my phone buzzed. Zoey had replied.

"I'm free. I'll come."

My heart leaped, and I showed Jonathan the message immediately. "Jon, look. Your mommy is coming."

He was stunned for a second before breaking into a bright, happy grin.

For the first time, Zoey had agreed to attend a parent-teacher meeting.

Excited, Jonathan couldn't stop talking on the way home. He told me about his grades, his teachers' praises, his awards, and how he had been elected class monitor. The teacher had promised to announce it during tonight's meeting.

Suddenly, he asked me, "Daddy, Mommy will like me more if she knows I'm doing so well in school, right?"

I froze, then my heart ached even more. Silently, I prayed that Zoey wouldn't back out.

Before leaving, I wanted Jonathan to get what he wished for, even if it was only a comforting illusion.

The clock on the wall ticked on. The time for the parent-teacher meeting drew closer.

Zoey still hadn't shown up.

Meanwhile, Sean had uploaded a post on Instagram.

In the photo, Zoey sat next to a boy I didn't recognize, guiding his hands as he built Legos.

The caption read, "A future good mommy."

I turned toward the living room.

Jonathan sat quietly on the couch, playing with his Legos.

Same toys, same age, and the same need for attention. But Zoey had never been there for Jonathan.

Sensing my gaze, he seemed to realize something.