Chapter 3

"Daniel!"

Seraphina's voice rose. Looking at my desperate expression, an inexplicable panic stirred within her.

She could only raise her voice to mask the fear in her heart.

"You're truly insane, cursing your own son like that! He has leukemia; we can't say such things in our family. Why can't you wish him well?"

Yes, why?

For the sake of another man, she could go half a month without seeing her critically ill son.

Brandon chimed in from the side.

"Daniel, I admit I misspoke on the phone that day. Please, don't keep acting out. I apologize to you. Ms. Montgomery has always been very worried about Leo, so please don't upset her."

Seeing Brandon's hypocritical, pretentious face, something inside me snapped.

I raised my hand and slapped him clean across the face.

"Shut your mouth. You're the last person on earth who deserves to mention my son. Get out of here right now, or I'm calling the police."

Brandon stumbled to the ground from the slap.

His words were directed at me, but his face was turned towards Seraphina.

"If hitting me makes Daniel feel better, then go ahead and hit me."

I glared at him, about to say something, when Seraphina shoved me away.

"Daniel, he's the father of the child in my belly, do you understand? Do you believe I'll call the police and say you assaulted me? Assaulting a pregnant woman sends you to jail!"

"I know," I said, my arms crossed, fearless.

"Then call the police."

Leo's funeral wasn't even over. I didn't want to curse the mother my son loved most.

Seraphina was furious. She dialed the police right in front of me, accusing me of maliciously assaulting a pregnant woman.

She looked at me:

"I'm giving you one last chance. Apologize to Brandon, and we'll drop this. Otherwise, if you go to jail, you have no family in this city besides me. Only I can bail you out. In the end, you'll still have to beg me."

Looking at her accusing me, I suddenly laughed.

"Do whatever you want. Make me apologize? Only over my dead body."

She was beyond furious.

"You're utterly unreasonable! Then rot in that police station!"

And Brandon, behind Seraphina, flashed a provocative smile.

As a man, I understood the meaning behind that smile all too well.

It was saying: See? You'll never be better than me.

Seraphina watched as the police took me away.

She said she wanted to grind down my stubbornness, waiting for me to apologize.

My boss heard about the incident and bailed me out.

Heartbroken by my ordeal, he decided to send me overseas ahead of schedule.

I had no objections.

A marriage reduced to this point had long lost any affection.

During the few days Daniel was held at the police station, Seraphina felt a persistent unease.

Every hour, she checked her phone several times.

She just needed Daniel to admit he was wrong, and she would immediately get him out.

Brandon, beside her, said,

"Ms. Montgomery, how about we go shopping now? I really want that Armani suit you promised to buy me."

Seraphina irritably rubbed her brow: "Fine."

She really wanted to go get Daniel out, but she didn't know how to face his stubborn expression.

So, she settled for accompanying Brandon shopping.

As they passed a bakery, Seraphina immediately spotted a strawberry cake.

A brilliant idea suddenly struck her.

"You can take a cab back by yourself later. I'm going to the hospital to see my son."

With that, she ignored Brandon's exasperated look behind her and sped off to the hospital with the strawberry cake.

First, she'd appease Leo, then take him to pick up Daniel.

They would surely be touched, and all the unpleasantness would be forgotten.

After all, that's how Seraphina had always handled things.

No matter how angry Daniel got, as long as he saw her and Leo getting along, he would eventually cheer up.

Seraphina thought, this time would be no different.

Arriving at the familiar hospital room, Seraphina pulled back the curtain, holding the cake high.

"Mommy's little darling, guess what I brought?"

But the bed was empty; there was no sign of her son.

The bed was neatly made, as if no one had ever stayed there. A sudden panic gripped her heart.

Daniel's words echoed in her mind:

"Leo will never eat your cake again, because he's gone."

Seraphina grabbed a passing nurse and asked,

"The little boy in bed 17, Leo, did he change rooms? I'm his mother, I..."

The nurse interrupted her, confused:

"That little boy was cremated seven days ago. You, his mother, didn't know?"