After an arranged marriage, I suddenly had a 4-and-a-half-year-old son. Before meeting him, I was dreading it. I imagined a miserable life with a husband who ignored me and a stepson who pretended I didn’t exist. But when I saw that adorable little boy shyly calling me “Mommy” while clutching my shirt, I instantly melted. I even asked my husband, “If we divorce, can I keep our son?” My husband: “???” When my family’s company ran into trouble, my father didn’t hesitate to arrange my marriage to a successful businessman who already had a son. Of course, I was thrilled about this. After all, I was a committed bachelorette. If he already had a son, I wouldn’t have to worry about having kids in the future. Plus, he was a workaholic who never had time for his son. The boy was mostly raised by nannies. I figured I could just coast through life. My husband was a big CEO, so I wouldn’t even need to take care of the kid. The wedding was a small, simple affair without many guests. I didn’t see the child there either. True to form, my workaholic husband left for the office right after the ceremony. As he was leaving, he said, “I’ll be busy at work for the next few days.” “Ethan is already at home. Get to know him when you get back.” Ethan Quinn. That was my stepson’s name. My parents were divorced and I wasn’t close to my father. I didn’t take much when I left home – just a necklace pendant. “Mrs. Quinn, young Master Ethan is waiting for you in the living room,” the housekeeper cheerfully informed me as soon as I walked in. Ugh… was he going to try to intimidate me already? Whatever, I could handle a little kid. How scary could he be? But… Who was this adorable little dumpling sitting on the sofa?! So tiny! So cute! So squishy! While I was standing there stunned, the little dumpling toddled over to me. In his sweet little voice, he said: “Miss… Wilson, this is… a gift… for you.” It was a pink teddy bear. Even though the bear was bigger than him, he was still trying his best to hold it out to me. Despite this being our first meeting, he was so friendly towards me. I was incredibly touched and quickly took the teddy bear. Then I crouched down and gently held his chubby little hands. “Wow! Thank you so much, sweetie! I love it! Your name is Ethan, right? I’m your new mommy. No need to be so formal – we’re family now. You can call me Mommy if you’d like.” Oh my gosh, he was so cute! I just wanted to hug him! That jerk of a husband of mine was truly heartless to neglect such an adorable boy. My poor son had it so rough! Yep, from now on, he was my own son! The little dumpling seemed surprised by what I said. His tiny body trembled slightly and his chubby cheeks turned bright red. He nervously gripped the hem of his shirt and shyly called out: “Mo…mmy?” After saying it, he ducked his head in embarrassment, peeking up at me now and then. Oh my goodness! Forget about the dad – this son was all mine now!! I cleared my throat and gave a solemn “Mm-hmm.” Then I turned to the housekeeper who had been standing nearby and said, “I’ll take care of the child from here. You can go about your business.” “Very well, Mrs. Quinn.” This feeling was absolutely amazing! I tried to contain my excitement and act nonchalant as I gently scooped up the little dumpling. Then, with Ethan in one arm and the teddy bear in the other, I headed upstairs. I’d been to the house a few times before the wedding, so I was familiar with the general layout. My husband really lived up to his big shot status – a six-story mansion with three elevators and two small gardens. Even the decor was grand and impressive. I brought Ethan to the room Nathan had prepared for me and placed the teddy bear next to the pillow. “Ethan, I’m sorry I didn’t have a gift prepared for you. But this necklace pendant is very important to me. Would you like to keep it safe for Mommy?” “I’ll look at it every day,” he promised solemnly. I fastened it around his neck and he looked so happy. “How about you sleep with Mommy tonight, and then tomorrow I’ll take you to preschool? Is that okay?” I asked, keeping my voice soft and gentle. If my friends could see how sweet I was being, they’d probably think I’d been possessed or something. “Okay,” came his soft reply. So adorable. I was lost in my own thoughts and didn’t notice the brief flicker of tension that crossed the little dumpling’s cherubic face. That evening… “…And so the little fox and his mommy lived happily ever after.” After finishing the story, I looked down at the sleeping Ethan and quietly set the book aside. Just then… my phone started ringing loudly. I nearly dropped it in shock and quickly hung up. Hearing Ethan’s steady, even breathing, I breathed a sigh of relief. I tiptoed out of the room and only called back once I was far enough away that he wouldn’t hear. “Amber Wilson, how dare you hang up on me!” the woman on the other end shouted indignantly. “I was putting my son to bed. And it’s my wedding night, for crying out loud. Why are you calling so late?” I said, exasperated. “Oh please, everyone knows your husband isn’t even home. He went straight to the office after the ceremony.” “Wait, what did you just say? Son? Since when do you have a son?” she exclaimed in shock. I frowned slightly. “My husband’s son. But he’s my son now too.” It made sense that she didn’t know. I only found out myself when I was told I’d be marrying Nathan. Nathan had kept the child’s existence very private. But now the news about the boy was public. “And keep your voice down, will you?” “I thought you hated kids. I know you’re all alone on your wedding night, so I called to cheer you up,” Sarah said brazenly. How was I supposed to know the little dumpling would be so adorable? I thought that to myself, but didn’t say it out loud. “What’s up?” I asked instead. “You have to come to the class reunion this Saturday. That little goody two-shoes is going to be there too. Remember – you better look smoking hot and put her in her place!” I could tell from her tone how angry Sarah was. Her expression was probably just as ugly. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Come on, it’s been years. I’ve forgotten all about that stuff.” She just huffed and didn’t say anything else. We chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up. I stood by the fifth floor window, staring blankly at the sky. Suddenly, I found myself thinking back to the summer after high school graduation. In high school, Sarah, Chloe and I were super close friends. At a group dinner after the SATs, the most popular guy in school suddenly confessed to me. Everyone was egging us on and making a big fuss. I was annoyed by all the commotion, so I turned him down point-blank. What I didn’t know was that Chloe had liked him for a long time and had been secretly pursuing him. Because of my rejection, the guy got upset and started dating Chloe instead out of spite. People said she only got to be with him because of me. Our relationship just kept getting worse after that. I thought once we went off to college, I’d never have to see her again. But to my surprise, even though we weren’t at the same school, she still went around spreading rumors about me and trying to make my life miserable. She and that guy didn’t last long though – he ended up cheating on her. I heard she’s going to be at the class reunion on Saturday too. “Ugh, what a pain!” I groaned, messing up my hair in frustration. But you know what? It’s been so long, maybe she’s forgotten all about it. Thinking that, I relaxed a bit. For the next few days, I just stayed home with Ethan. Other than dropping him off and picking him up from preschool each day, I worked on my fashion designs. I’m a designer for a famous brand, you know. I wasn’t about to give up my career just because I got married. That would be way too boring! Lately, Ethan has inspired so many new ideas. I’d be doing a disservice to my profession if I didn’t put them to use! On Saturday morning, I watched Ethan quietly playing with his blocks, a big smile spreading across my face. But then I thought about who I’d have to deal with that afternoon and couldn’t help but sigh. Why did I have to go to a class reunion instead of a PTA meeting? Noticing my mood, Ethan looked at me with concern. “Mommy, are you sad?” I gently pinched his chubby little cheek and said, “Mommy has to go to a party this afternoon. Can you play by yourself at home, sweetie?” After spending the past few days together, Ethan had grown much closer to me. “Can Ethan come too? Ethan will be very good,” he promised. Thinking about how she would be there, I started to refuse. His bright eyes immediately dimmed. “Okay, Ethan will wait for Mommy at home.” Oh no, the guilt was setting in. It should be fine to bring him along, right? I’d keep a close eye on him. Leaving him home alone would make me no better than his dad. “You can come, sweetie. Do you want to go with Mommy?” “Yes~” Seeing his eyes light up again, I breathed a sigh of relief. But why did I feel like I’d just been played? The reunion was being held in a private room at a restaurant. By the time we arrived, it had already started. “If it isn’t the goddess Amber! Why are you so late? We’ve been waiting for you!” someone called out as soon as we walked in. So much for quietly slipping into a corner. I smiled and waved hello, then saw Sarah frantically gesturing at me from across the room. I headed over, leading Ethan by the hand. At that point, everyone else stopped what they were doing. “Amber’s here! And who’s this little one…?” someone asked. I sat down and pulled Ethan onto my lap, frowning slightly at all the bottles of alcohol on the table. “My son,” I replied. Then I turned to a nearby waiter and asked quietly, “Do you have any drinks for children?” “Of course, of course.” After getting Ethan settled, I looked at Sarah. “Wipe that look off your face before you scare my son.” Sarah grinned mischievously. “Your son is so cute! Does he need a godmother?” She was clearly up to no good. “Get lost,” I said, giving her a disgusted look. We started eating and chatting. A little while later, I smelled an overpowering wave of perfume. The next second, Ethan sneezed. At the same time, a familiar voice rang out: “Amber, I heard you recently married a man with a child. Are you that desperate? Don’t tell me you’re…” She trailed off, but I knew what she was implying. “Chloe John, who the hell do you think you’re insulting?!” Sarah’s temper instantly flared up and she glared furiously at Chloe.
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