For ten years, I was Jack’s secret lover, and during that time, I secretly gave birth to a child. In those days when I sought neither fame nor fortune, Lucas was my only salvation. Later, Jack found out about Lucas’s existence and said he wanted to give the child a family. I was moved to tears. Until that day, I saw Olivia, his first love who had disappeared for ten years, getting out of his car with a child. “Jack, are you sure that child can save Lily?” “Of course! I made her have my child to save Lily!” “I’ve been secretly monitoring his health condition, and all the test results are good! The doctor said as long as the bone marrow matches, Lily can live!” What I thought was stolen happiness turned out to be an elaborately designed scam. That night, I dialed a number I had never called before: “Can Lucas and I become your legal family?” “I’ll take care of the legal documents,” Noah’s firm answer rekindled my hope. As long as the change of Lucas’s guardianship is completed, Jack won’t be able to sign the surgery consent form! After hanging up the phone, I immediately canceled Jack’s guardianship application. We had agreed that the date for the guardianship change would be Lucas’s birthday. I had promised to take him to meet his father. Now it seems I’ll have to break that promise. The next second, Jack’s call came in. “Emma, why did you cancel the guardianship application?” “You think I’m that free? To play family drama with you?” “If you don’t want the kid to recognize me, get lost! I won’t pay a penny in child support!” His barrage of accusations made my fingers go numb. When I accidentally got pregnant back then, I was both anxious and excited. The relationship without status between Jack and me made me too eager to hold onto something. I thought Lucas was a gift from heaven, so I carefully cherished this stolen happiness. It turns out I was able to give birth to Lucas not because I was smart, but because of Jack’s careful arrangement. He wanted to use my child’s life to exchange for Olivia’s child’s life. The image of Lucas’s obedient face floated in my mind, and my heart felt like it was being sliced by countless blades. “Lucas has been sick these past few days, so the guardianship matter can only be delayed for a few days.” I answered with a straight face, but heard a woman’s voice from the other end of the phone: “Didn’t you say that child was very healthy? How could he be sick? She must be lying to you!” The voice was soft, but I guessed it was Olivia. “Jack, do you have a woman with you?” He obviously panicked and stammered: “I’m just worried that I’ll be on a business trip in a few days, and the timing won’t be good.” “Suit yourself.” Jack had always been hot and cold towards me, giving a slap followed by a piece of candy. For the past decade or so, I had been foolishly content with this treatment. I didn’t pursue the matter further and just calmly hung up the phone. Before Lucas was born, I had bought a two-bedroom apartment in the complex where Jack lived. My mom had always been helping to take care of Lucas. I sent a message to my mom, planning to pick up Lucas after school and go straight back to our hometown. But I didn’t receive a reply, and no one answered when I called. Just as I was thinking of going over to check, I bumped into Jack who had just returned as I opened the door. “A gift I bought for you on my business trip.” Jack threw a bag in front of me with an air of condescension. I looked at the bag in my arms and smiled bitterly. This was the third time he had given me this same bag, not even changing the size or color. In the past, I could still comfort myself that he was too busy, and it was already good that he remembered to buy a gift. But now, I couldn’t fool myself anymore. I coldly looked at Jack, his loose collar revealing several hickeys. There was a lipstick stain on the back of his shirt collar. Over the years, Jack would go on business trips every so often, lasting from three or four days to half a month. Now I knew that every so-called business trip was actually him accompanying Olivia and her child. “By the way, Olivia is back in the country.” His somber voice struck my heart. For the past decade, this was the first time I had heard Olivia’s name from his mouth.
Olivia was a year ahead of us in school, a campus beauty. She and Jack were the acknowledged golden couple of the school, everyone said they were meant to be together. Unfortunately, as soon as Olivia graduated, she dumped Jack and married a high-level executive at a foreign company. Jack hated her but couldn’t let her go. He drank excessively, got into fights, skipped classes, the works. It was I who quietly helped him organize his coursework, attended classes for him, wrote his papers, so he barely managed to get his diploma. At the graduation party, Jack and I had a drunken one-night stand. From then on, I became his hidden lover. I thought that someday Jack would see my goodness, but I never imagined he would only scheme to ruin me, and our child. Now that I’ve woken up from the dream, I should come to my senses too. “She’s here to treat her child’s illness, I heard it’s leukemia,” Jack continued, with a hint of regret in his voice, “She might need to stay at my place for a few days.” I nodded, “This is your home, you can let whoever you want stay.” Jack’s eyes flashed with surprise, just as he was about to ask further. At that moment, my phone rang, and I saw a message from my mom: [Lucas is in the hospital] A buzzing filled my head, and I didn’t care about anything else. I grabbed my coat and headed out: “I’m going out for a bit.” Jack blocked me, his eyes probing: “Where are you going so late?” I really didn’t have the energy to explain, so I pushed past him and rushed out the door. At the hospital, I saw my mom crying uncontrollably. “Emma, I don’t know what happened, he just ended up in the hospital…” “When I picked him up from school, the teacher said he had a stomachache. I went to the clinic to get some medicine, and he felt much better after taking it.” “In the evening, we were playing in the garden of the complex. I walked away for a moment, and he fainted…” Mom was both remorseful and frustrated, her tears unstoppable. I comforted Mom while looking at Lucas in the emergency room. His usually rosy little face was now completely pale. My heart clenched into a knot. Fortunately, the doctor said it was just mild food poisoning, and he would be fine after the IV drip. “Mom, when he’s done, go pack some things. I’m taking you and Lucas back to our hometown.” Mom looked at my grave expression and didn’t ask much, just nodded repeatedly. “Mommy…” Lucas lay on my shoulder and asked weakly, “Why are we going back to our hometown? Didn’t you say you’d take me to see Daddy on my birthday?” “Daddy, he…” “Emma!” Jack’s voice was like a summons from hell, sending a shiver through my body. “You’re delaying the guardianship because you want to take the child back to your hometown?!” “You dare lie to me?” Jack was furious, striding towards us. Lucas and Jack looked very much alike, the kind of resemblance where you could tell they were father and son at a glance. “Daddy…” Lucas cried out, wanting Jack to hold him, and refused to leave with me no matter what I said. My eyes grew hot, my nose stung, and tears fell. Lucas, meeting his father for the first time, made a fuss, insisting on going home with him: “Mommy, I want to see your home.” “Mommy, please?” Before I could answer, Jack was already coaxing Lucas to go home. No matter what I said, Lucas was determined to go with him.
What I didn’t expect was that Olivia and her daughter were waiting for us at home. “Jack, you’re finally back…” As soon as she saw Jack, Olivia clung to him like a bee to a flower: “Lily has a fever again… When can we schedule the surgery?” Her voice was soft, but I still heard it. I carried Lucas back to the room, and he kept asking when Daddy would come to tuck him in. But even late into the night, Jack didn’t appear. “Mommy, the day after tomorrow is my birthday,” Lucas said expectantly, “Is it true that Daddy will throw me a birthday party? I heard from my classmates that birthday parties are so much fun…” I couldn’t refuse a five-year-old child’s longing for fatherly love. Before this, Lucas had never asked about his father, but because of my promise last time, he now had expectations. I hugged Lucas tightly, my heart aching. “It’s true, Lucas’s birthday party will definitely be the best birthday party in the world.” I cried while comforting him to sleep. As soon as we get through the birthday, I’ll take Lucas away from here forever. I swore silently in my heart, not knowing that the next day I would experience an even bigger shock. “Horsie ride! Horsie ride!” I was woken up by a child’s laughter, and as soon as I opened the door, I saw Lily riding on Lucas’s back. She was waving a toy whip in her hand, urging Lucas to crawl faster. “Hurry up! If you don’t go faster, I’ll tell my daddy to beat you!” “That’s my daddy!” Lucas heard this and angrily straightened up to retort. “Jack is my daddy! Not your daddy! My mommy said you were born just to cure me!” “He’s not your daddy!” Lily cried as she swung the whip, leaving a bloody mark on Lucas’s face. “What are you doing!” I rushed forward and snatched the whip from her hand. Lily’s cries grew louder, and I heard a door opening behind me. Olivia saw the whip in my hand and immediately ran over to pick up her daughter. “Emma… how could you hit a child?” Jack followed closely behind, grabbing me and Lucas, his eyes bloodshot: “Emma, who told you to bully her?! Don’t you know this child is in poor health? If something happens to her, will you take responsibility?” “Apologize right now!” Jack forced me to apologize to Lily. “Mommy, if I apologize, will Daddy stop disliking me?” Lucas bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes, and quietly apologized. Lily looked smug, which broke my heart. “Daddy, will you still throw me a birthday party?” Lucas asked cautiously. Jack was still angry and had forgotten all about the promised birthday party. He shook off Lucas’s hand impatiently and said, “What birthday party for a little brat? You’re just as troublesome as your mother.” Lucas’s crying stopped abruptly, and the light in his eyes completely disappeared. That day, Lucas didn’t cling to Jack anymore. He just sat quietly beside me, watching Jack play with Olivia and her daughter. In the evening, Lucas hugged my neck and suddenly said, “Mommy, he’s not my daddy, is he?” “He’s different from the daddies of other kids in kindergarten. He never smiles at me or hugs me.” “Mommy, is my daddy in that hometown you talked about?” “Let’s go back to our hometown!” Lucas said all this without crying, but it made me burst into tears. I held him tightly, comforting and soothing him. It was I who gave him hope, and then made him face the cruel reality. In the darkness, my phone lit up. [Legal documents are done. Meet at the airport tomorrow at 2 PM.] My anxious heart finally settled. I could finally take the child away without any worries. At this moment, I heard the sound of keys outside the door. I alertly got up and met Jack’s eyes. He made a gesture to keep quiet: “Emma, I was wrong about today. How about this, I’ll throw Lucas a birthday party tomorrow, okay?” “Don’t be angry anymore.” This was the first time Jack had been so patient in coaxing me. I knew he was just trying to keep us here. To avoid raising his suspicions, I nodded in agreement.
Early the next morning, the apartment was decorated for a birthday party. But the style was all girly, with a Frozen princess theme. The blue and white decorations were full of Jack’s love for Olivia and her daughter. The name on the backdrop wall was Lucas’s, but I could see at a glance that it was wrong – “Gu Yangyang” instead of “Gu Yanyang”. “Do you like it? Lucas, this is what Daddy specially arranged for you. There will be many little friends coming to celebrate your birthday later!” Jack smiled and pinched Lucas’s cheek. Lucas said he liked it, but secretly grabbed my hand and whispered, “Mommy, when are we leaving?” Seeing the disappointment on the child’s face, my heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. This was even more painful than when I discovered Jack’s betrayal. Just as I was about to answer, the door suddenly opened. Olivia and Lily came in with a group of children and parents, obviously Lily’s classmates. They greeted each other warmly, and Jack politely responded. He and Olivia looked every bit like a married couple, and the whole birthday party turned into Lily’s show. I sat with Lucas in the corner, texting my mom to wait for us directly at the airport. “Wait a bit, we’ll leave after Lucas blows out the candles, okay?” Today is Lucas’s birthday, and I don’t want to deny him even the chance to make a wish. But as Lucas stood in front of the cake, he was forcefully pushed away by Lily: “Who told you to stand here and blow out the candles!” “Get away from here!” Lily pushed hard, and I pulled Lucas away to dodge. She missed and fell to the ground, her foot catching on the table corner, overturning the entire dessert table. Lily, covered in cake, cried and screamed. Olivia shrieked for Jack: “Jack, Lily… she fainted!” Hearing this, I immediately pulled Lucas towards the door. But Jack grabbed us: “You can’t leave!” “Only he can cure Lily’s illness!” Jack picked up Lucas and rushed to the hospital with Olivia and Lily. “Mommy! Mommy! I want Mommy!” I chased after them closely, my heart shattering with Lucas’s cries. “Dr. Zhang! Arrange the bone marrow transplant immediately! My daughter is dying!” The hospital seemed to be prepared. As soon as Jack appeared, everything was arranged. I finally understood that the originally scheduled date for the guardianship change was the surgery date. Lucas had been given a sedative and was already asleep. “Jack, I beg you, don’t hurt Lucas!” I knelt in front of Jack, grabbing his pants leg and pleading: “I know you want to use Lucas to save her, but Lucas is a life too! He’s our child!” “Let’s find another way, please?” The immense fear made me incoherent. Jack looked down at me coldly: “Emma, I have no other way!” Jack’s outright refusal left me completely desperate. I rushed to the operating room door trying to stop the doctor. But Jack held me back, kicking me in the stomach several times. As the operating room door closed, my breathing stopped. “This surgery can’t be done!” Hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor, and a doctor wiping sweat opened the operating room door. Jack looked bewildered and stepped forward to question: “I’ve paid all the money, why can’t it be done?” The doctor looked Jack up and down angrily and said, “Mr. Gu, is this your child? Non-guardians have no right to sign for surgery! Do you know this is illegal?”
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