Chapter 2: He Doesn’t Want Me Either

Ethan was about to say something when his phone rang.

The moment he took it out, I saw the caller ID.

Bianca.

He answered. Whatever was said on the other end made his face change instantly.

"I understand."

He hung up and glanced at me.

"We'll talk when I get back."

Then he left without looking back.

I watched him walk away, my face calm.

Ethan had a lot going for him. He was tall, good-looking, and successful.

But his flaws were just as obvious.

He was arrogant, selfish, and never took my feelings or efforts seriously.

I used to have hopes for Ethan, so I put up with his coldness and contempt. But not anymore.

I was done living for him. From now on, I was living for myself.

...

That night, I packed my bags and walked out of that house.

The night air was cold. At some point, it had started raining.

I tilted my head back and blinked. Raindrops hit my face, the cold cutting right through me.

I'd arrived seven years ago with one suitcase. Now I was leaving with one suitcase.

I looked down. The rideshare app on my phone still showed no drivers available.

By the time I got to my best friend's place, I was soaked to the bone.

Jasmine froze, then pulled me inside. "Oh my God, what happened?"

I told her about the divorce.

She was quiet for a long time, her eyes going red. "Ethan is such an asshole! You gave him a child, took care of his parents, handled everything — and this is how he treats you!"

Then she grabbed my hand, her face full of concern.

"What about Aiden? Who gets custody?"

I looked down. "He'll stay with Ethan. Of course he will."

"You're really okay with that?" Jasmine pushed back. "You almost died on that operating table bringing him into the world. And all these years, while Ethan was off working, you were the one raising Aiden. Why should Ethan get him?"

"Because Aiden doesn't want to come with me."

I smiled, though it hurt. "Right now, the only person in his heart is Aunt Bianca."

Jasmine frowned, still not buying it. "Kids are easily influenced. But you're his mother."

I didn't say anything this time.

Was that really enough?

I thought back to all those years of caring for Aiden.

He was born with a heart condition. I managed every detail of his diet and daily routine myself, terrified of making even the smallest mistake.

Aiden used to curl up in my arms and say Mommy was the best.

But it had been a long time since we'd had a real conversation.

Just then, my phone rang.

It was Aiden. My heart jumped when I saw his name.

Had he noticed I wasn't home? Was he calling because he was worried?

I picked up. "Aiden, why are you still awake? It's so late."

"I'm at Aunt Bianca's!" The excitement in his voice when he talked about someone he loved was impossible to miss. "She has so many yummy snacks here!"

My heart sank.

"Mommy, I heard Daddy and Aunt Bianca talking."

Aiden's voice turned careful. "Aunt Bianca was crying. She said you went crazy because you were jealous of her. She said you were the one who copied her work, not the other way around. She said the award-winning piece was hers."

I gripped my phone tighter. "What do you think, Aiden? Do you really think Mommy would lie about something like that?"

A few seconds of silence.

"Mommy, Aunt Bianca is really talented. You stay home every day cooking for Daddy and me. What would you know about designing jewelry?" Aiden's voice was laced with irritation. "Can you please just stop going after Aunt Bianca?"

Me, going after Bianca?

His words hit me like a dull blade dragging slowly across my chest.

He was definitely Ethan's son. They made the exact same choices.

I wanted to tell him that I used to be a brilliantly talented jewelry designer too.

But the words died in my throat.

What was the point of explaining any of this to a six-year-old?

He'd already made up his mind. The Aunt Bianca who bought him LEGO was the good guy. The mommy who set limits was the bad guy.

"Aiden, take care of yourself from now on. The doctor said no outside food, no staying up late, and you can't—"

"I know!"

He cut me off before I could finish, his voice impatient. "Mommy, you're always like this. So annoying. So naggy. Aunt Bianca never talks to me like that!"

Then he hung up.

The dial tone rang in my ear for a long time before I slowly lowered the phone.

Naggy?

Maybe I was.

But soon, there wouldn't be any more chances for that.

Jasmine looked at me carefully. "What did Aiden say?"

I shook my head, unable to speak.

I don't know how long it took before the pain in my chest finally eased a little.

"Jasmine, I want to design again."

Her eyes lit up. "Finally! You should've done this years ago. Remember when you won that international award? The judges called you the rising star of the design world. If you hadn't gotten married, by now you'd already be..."

She stopped, realizing she'd said too much.

But I just smiled at myself. "Maybe. But it was my choice. I can't blame anyone else."

After Aiden was born, I walked away from my career.

Looking back now, seven years of marriage had done nothing but drain me dry.

Then a text came in from my bank.

【Your savings account ending in 8876 has been restricted. Please visit a branch to resolve.】

I stared at it for a few seconds. Then I laughed.

"What's wrong?" Jasmine asked.

"Ethan." I took a slow breath. "He froze my account."

Jasmine's eyes went wide. "What is he trying to do?"

"It's simple." I put my phone down. "He wants me to think it over and come back."

"He thinks cutting off your money will make you crawl back to him? What does he think you are?"

What did he think I was? I didn't even know anymore.

"It doesn't matter. I wasn't going to touch his money anyway."

I had my hands. These same hands once created designs that turned heads on the international stage. They still could.

Once we got settled, Jasmine could tell I shouldn't be alone. "It's the weekend tomorrow. Let me take you out to dinner. There's a new French place downtown that's supposed to be amazing!"

I said yes.

...

The next evening, we headed to the restaurant.

The hostess led us to our table. The moment we sat down, I heard a familiar voice.

"Congratulations on winning the gold medal."

Ethan.

I went still and turned around.

Not far from us, Ethan, Aiden, Bianca, and a few of her friends were seated together.

The table was covered with beautiful dishes, and in the center sat a cake that read: Congratulations on Bianca's Victory!

The three of them looked just like a family.

Aiden was eating crab, talking with his mouth full. "Aunt Bianca is the best! Mommy never lets me eat stuff like this!"

Bianca smiled. "So who does Aiden like more — me or Mommy?"

"Aunt Bianca, for sure!" He answered without a second thought. Then his little head drooped. "I wish Aunt Bianca was my mommy."

Bianca said nothing. She just looked at Ethan.

"Ethan, do you feel the same way?"

He was quiet for a moment. Then, in a flat voice: "Yes."

My chest tightened like something was squeezing it from the inside, the pain draining the color from my lips.

Maybe I was staring too hard, because Ethan looked over.