Louisa's first love, Simon, had returned to the country, and our old classmates organized a welcome dinner for him. He had once left due to financial issues, but now, during the gathering, he asked Louisa publicly, "Am I now qualified to stand by your side?" Louisa fell silent. Everyone thought he was joking, but then she firmly said, "You’ve always been my only choice."

In the sudden hush that followed, I was the first to raise my glass and toast them. Simon's gaze toward Louisa was filled with a love that had been pent up for five years. They were once the couple everyone in school envied. However, five years after they had gone separate ways, Louisa and I now had a cute son, Eddie.

Our old classmates assumed Simon's question was a joke, but after a pause, Louisa reiterated, "You’ve always been my only choice." The lively atmosphere turned awkward. Some of the gossiping girls looked at me with teasing eyes, but I acted unfazed, calmly raising my glass.

"Then let me be the first to wish you both a long and happy life together," I said. A few friends who knew me well patted my shoulder with concern.

"What's going on? Haven't you loved Louisa for ten years? Are you out of your mind?"

"Your son is a big boy now! Are you drunk? We haven't even started drinking yet!"

I smiled and waved it off. "I'm serious. I'm tired. We've already divorced."

Louisa's face fell, and she gave me an accusing look.

"I was just joking. Everyone knows I didn’t mean it. Are you crazy?" she said.

A bitter taste filled my mouth when I heard her righteous tone.

It was indeed hard to forget a love that had lasted for ten years. Even having a child hadn't softened her heart toward me. If I hadn't accidentally discovered her secret, I might still be in the dark.

Two weeks ago, our son Eddie had a high fever and was hospitalized. I stayed up all night caring for him. When I went home in the early morning to get a change of clothes for him, I found Louisa asleep on the couch. I meant to carry her to bed, but when I tried to lock her phone, I saw a chat between her and someone she called her "advisor."

"The man I loved for eight years has come back home. How can I divorce my current husband and leave him with nothing?"

That sentence shattered me. I stood there, stunned. Ten years of love had turned into a joke. They were together for only three years, which meant that during our five-year marriage, Louisa had been thinking about her first love, Simon. She had asked that advisor numerous questions, mostly about how to win Simon back after they were separated due to family circumstances. My hands shook as I scrolled through the chat, tears slipping down my face and dripping off my stubble. At that moment, I looked at her sleeping face, unable to recognize her.

I quietly took Eddie's clothes and left. While driving, my mind replayed the chat messages. I almost ran red lights several times; luckily, the roads were mostly empty. I slapped myself to let the pain clear my head. My son was waiting for me. But as soon as I hit the gas, I received a call from the hospital. Eddie's high fever had led to pneumonia, and he had been rushed into surgery. I gritted my teeth and said, "I see... I'll be there right away."

After hanging up, I shook my head to push those thoughts aside. When I arrived at the hospital, Eddie was still in surgery. The anxiety nearly overwhelmed me. My marriage was failing, but I couldn't lose my son. As the sun rose, the doctor finally emerged from the operating room, looking exhausted.

"The surgery was successful, but someone needs to stay with the child at all times. What kind of parent are you?"

I lowered my head, unable to argue. "I'm sorry. I went home to get some clothes for him. It won't happen again. Thank you."

The doctor snorted and walked past me. "I don't know what the mother is doing..."

In the hospital room, Eddie looked even paler than before. I wanted to get him breakfast but hesitated to leave him alone. After some thought, I called Louisa. The phone rang once before she answered.

"What now? Didn't I tell you I would be busy today? There's a company matter I need to attend to. Don't call me. Text me if you need something. I'm heading out."

The call ended, and I stood there, phone still in hand. When I returned home earlier that morning, the clothes scattered on the couch meant she had been carefully choosing her outfit. Today was the day Simon returned. I paced around the hospital, eventually paying a hefty fee to hire a caretaker to get some breakfast for me. By the time breakfast arrived, Eddie was just waking up.

"Where's Mommy?" he asked.

I paused, the spoon of oatmeal halfway to his lips. A bitter smile briefly crossed my face. "Mommy’s busy today." Eddie had tears in his eyes, and he whispered, "Daddy, I want Mommy..."

I coaxed him into having some oatmeal, but I couldn't bring myself to call Louisa again. Eddie’s eyes were full of confusion and tears. I finally took a deep breath and dialed her number. The phone was picked up quickly, but Louisa’s voice was impatient.

"What's your problem? Didn't I say I was busy? Are you incapable of functioning without me? I have a client here; I'm hanging up!" Before Eddie could call out "Mommy," she hung up. His teary eyes were filled with confusion. Just before the call ended, I heard an airport announcement in the background. The woman I had loved for ten years no longer had the patience to talk to me.

Bitterness spread, and jealousy and frustration grew uncontrollably. I spent an hour calming Eddie down enough to rest. But then, I saw Simon's post on social media. It was the reflection on a floor-to-ceiling window: in a hotel room, a man and a woman were embracing. The pair of high heels beside the bed was the birthday gift I had given her.

I clenched my phone so tightly that my knuckles hurt from the pressure. I stepped out of the hospital room, took a deep breath, and dialed her number again. As the phone rang, I kept telling myself, "This is the last time. I'll humiliate myself just one more time. I only want my family to remain intact, and my child has a loving mother."

But the sound of her hanging up was starkly clear and felt almost mocking. I forced a bitter smile and repeatedly opened that photo, my heart racing as if it might burst out of my chest. The comments from our old classmates only added to the sting.

"Wow, isn't this our class heartthrob? He’s back in the country? Let’s meet up!"

"He came back for his girlfriend; it’s true love!"

"Left for love, came back for love—impressive!"

I closed my eyes, fighting the urge to dwell on it, and turned off the app. Thankfully, Eddie was out of danger. I fell asleep by his bedside but was woken the next morning by the sound of a heated argument.

Louisa’s sharp voice cut through the air, "My son was in critical condition, and you didn’t inform me? If anything had happened to him, I’d never forgive you!"

As I rubbed my temples, trying to wake up, I heard Simon’s voice.

"Louisa, don’t get upset. Maybe Damien was just trying to protect you from worrying. Let’s go see how Eddie is."

With that, the door opened. My disheveled appearance contrasted sharply with Simon’s neat suit. I clenched my fists.

Louisa didn’t even look at me as she rushed to Eddie’s side. He was still asleep, and only then did she seem to remember to show some concern. I tried to reassure her, "Eddie is out of danger, so there’s no need to—"

Before I could finish, Louisa cut me off with an angry glare. "You didn’t tell me our son was in surgery just because I didn’t answer your calls for a few days? Damien, how could you be so selfish? If something had happened to him today, what would you have said to me? You should be thankful he’s okay, or I’d never forgive you!"

Her outburst woke Eddie. Louisa always only cared about herself; this wasn’t the first time. If Eddie hadn’t been eager to see her, I might have confronted her. Simon gently patted her shoulder, his eyes filled with a taunting look that Louisa didn’t see.

Eddie looked at his mother, still unsure if he was dreaming. In the past, I would have been desperate to apologize, willing to do anything to make her happy. But now, I turned and left the room without saying a word. I went to the bathroom to freshen up. When I returned with breakfast, I overheard voices through the door.

"Damien was just worried about the kid. You haven’t answered his calls for days. Maybe you should talk to him," Simon was saying.

Louisa’s voice was unusually gentle, "If it hadn’t been for... I wouldn’t have married him. My son doesn’t need his concern. I’ve explained why I didn’t answer his calls. If he’s going to keep being unreasonable, there’s nothing I can do!"

Not wanting to hear more, I pushed open the door and saw Eddie eating fried fast food. I dropped what I was holding in shock.

"Eddie just had surgery. How can you give him this?" It was the first time I spoke to Louisa with such a demeanor. She looked surprised, and her face twisted with anger.

"My son doesn’t need your interference! You’ve already put him through enough. Stop meddling!"

Ignoring her, I rushed to Eddie and tore the junk food away from him, making him cry loudly. Louisa slammed her phone down on the table.

"Leave your food here. My son doesn’t need you!"

Seeing the raw hatred and disgust on her face, I said coldly, "Let’s get a divorce. I’ll take custody of Eddie. That should suit you just fine. There’s need to consult your advisor online anymore."

My fists clenched tightly, nails digging into my palms to keep myself steady. For five years, I had been fooling myself. It was time to wake up from those youthful dreams. Hearing the word "advisor," Louisa’s expression shifted. She quickly stepped up and slapped me, leaving five bloodied marks with her sharp nails. She seemed surprised I didn’t flinch, then angrily accused me, "How dare you look at my phone? That’s an invasion of my privacy! I could call the police! You’re disgusting!"

My gaze fell on Eddie’s face, filled with hurt and fear. I chose not to respond to her accusations, wanting to protect her image in front of Eddie. After her outburst, she turned and left the room with Simon.

My thoughts were pulled back by the increasingly loud discussions in the private room. Hearing me raise a toast for them, Louisa seemed very displeased. The atmosphere in the room grew eerily quiet.

Seeing my silence, Louisa snapped. "How long are you going to make a scene? Isn’t half a month enough to cool off? If you keep acting crazy, I won’t be so civil anymore! You were the one who snooped through my phone without permission, and now you’re making a fuss about it? Haven’t you had enough?"

No wonder she had been so quiet these past two weeks and hadn’t contested Eddie's custody. Apparently, under Simon's persuasion, she had believed I was the one being unreasonable. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

Several classmates tried to mediate, "Damien, you shouldn’t have looked at her phone without permission. Trust is crucial in a marriage."

I sipped my drink and replied calmly, "I just saw she was anxious and wanted to help her fulfill her youthful dream. How would it feel to be married to me while thinking about someone else? They seem like a good match now, don’t they?"

Louisa’s expression turned even more grim. I shifted my focus to the other friends in the room and changed the subject. Throughout the dinner, I didn’t give her a single glance. But I could feel her eyes boring into my face as if trying to decipher my thoughts.

When she saw I wasn’t reacting, she deliberately raised her voice to sweetly serve Simon some food. When the waiter brought in seafood, the space left on the table was in front of Simon, but before the plate could be set down, Louisa shrieked, "Don’t put it there! He’s severely allergic to seafood! He can’t even smell it!"

I froze with my drink halfway to my mouth. So, Simon was allergic to seafood as well.

After the party, I called for a designated driver, but Louisa wobbled her way into my car. Seeing her clear-eyed expression, I frowned in displeasure. "What are you doing?"

Her response was nonchalant. "Going home."

After answering casually, she closed her eyes to rest. I hadn’t been home for half a month, and judging by her reaction, she hadn’t been back either. After a while, she murmured in a dreamy voice.

"Damien... cut a grapefruit for me!

"Damien, help me wash my coat..."

She tilted her head. I tried not to let her lean on my shoulder, so I gently supported her neck. We soon arrived at our residential area, and the car stopped downstairs. I woke her up.

She looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Aren’t you coming in?"

I shook my head and asked the driver to start the car. From behind, Louisa shouted in frustration, "Damien, if you’re not coming back tonight, don’t bother coming in ever again!"

I closed my eyes and rested, but my phone suddenly rang with Louisa’s call. As soon as I picked it up, it became clear that she hadn't been home for the past two weeks.

"What’s this about? A divorce agreement? How dare you talk about divorce? Damien, you’re a bastard! What gives you the right to fight me for custody of Eddie? Who do you think you are?"

I replied coldly, "I’m his father. You’ve always wanted me to walk away with nothing, right? Fine, I agree."

Her response was a cold laugh. "His father?"

Not wanting to engage in pointless arguments, I hung up. I knew she wasn’t drunk. Before, she had managed to drink through entire events without getting drunk. Tonight, she only had three glasses of wine.

When I got back to my new place and opened the door, Eddie ran into my arms. "Daddy, you’re finally back!"

Seeing Eddie’s pale face from blood loss after the surgery, I felt a wave of guilt. The hospital's blood supply was insufficient, so I arranged for a blood type match. Eddie was my son, and I needed to take good care of him!

The next morning, as I was leaving, I saw Louisa waiting at the door. I didn’t know how she found me, but with dark circles under her eyes, she said, "Damien, I’m not giving up custody of Eddie, so you’d better not push for a divorce."

I was taken aback that she was using Eddie’s custody as a bargaining chip. Just as I was about to argue, the hospital called.

"Hello, Mr. Oneill. The results for the blood type match you requested have come in."