Chapter 2He Hated Me Until He Learned I Was Dead

“Then tell her to come out of here and face me! I want to ask her how she dares to look at me! Every one of my son’s fingers is frozen and swollen. Does she even deserve to be a mom?”

“Corinne isn’t ignoring him, it’s just that she already—”

Before she could finish speaking, Leander had already lifted Cassian up and walked away in long, fast steps.

“It’s just that she’s already gone…”

Aunt Florence watched his leaving figure and let out a deep sigh.

“Corinne, Aunt can only help you this far. Maybe this really is destiny…”

Her eyes slowly turned red, and tears fell without stopping, one drop after another.

I panicked and wanted to wipe her tears away.

My fingers passed straight through her face, leaving behind only a bitter smile.

How could I forget again? I’m already gone.

I know I have no right to blame her.

Being able to help raise Cassian for eight years, she had already done all she could.

Maybe Florence was right. This was fate.

Cassian lost me, and now being taken away by Leander might not be a bad thing.

At least, he wouldn’t suffer like this anymore.

It was just that the person inside Leander’s home…

Leander took Cassian into the car. The warm air inside, compared to the freezing outside, felt like a totally different space.

Cassian looked around at everything with interest. Since the day he was born, he had never known what the inside of a car was like.

I felt ashamed and full of regret, for the first time thinking that I should not have fought to keep Cassian with me.

I had been too selfish.

Leander sat behind the driver’s seat and lifted his hand to pull a cigarette from his pocket.

He brought it near his lips but didn’t smoke. He only held it close, breathed in the smell, and then put it back into the box.

I couldn’t stop myself from feeling a bit surprised

When I was expecting a baby, I had argued endlessly about his giving up smoking, yet no matter what I said, he wouldn't agree.

Now eight years had gone by, and he had changed a lot.

Sure enough, only real love could make someone let go of their rules.

The car went straight into the residential complex.

The villa was brightly lit.

As soon as they entered, Georgina Sutherland, dressed in a nightgown, happily stepped forward to welcome them.

“Husband, you’re back! Hazel is just saying Dad must still be busy at work tonight.”

The moment I heard the name Hazel, my heart turned painfully tight.

That had been the name we picked together for our second child before the divorce.

One Cassian, one Hazel, meant to show that our family would never fall apart.

Now that name had been given to his child with Georgina.

The girl who once looked plain had already been raised by him into someone calm and well-mannered, so much so that I almost failed to recognize her.

But when her eyes fell on Cassian, her smile stopped in place.

“This is…?”

“Husband, whose kid did you bring back?”

Seeing Cassian’s brows and eyes that looked like mine, nearly eighty percent, Georgina clearly felt uneasy.

“Could it be Sister Corinne’s…?”

“Yes.”

“I happened to meet him while shopping for food. The kid was wearing clothes that were far too light, and in a burst of anger, I brought him back. Please don’t be upset.”

Jealousy showed on Georgina’s face. When she lifted her head again, she had already returned to her usual soft expression.

“How could that be? Just listen to what you are saying. Your son is my son as well.”

“It’s only that back then, Sister Corinne fought hard to take the boy away. You brought him back this time without telling her first. I’m worried she’ll make trouble withvyou…”

When my name came up, Leander instantly grew angry.

“Make trouble? She’d need to have the nerve for it!”

“Look at what she turned Cassian into! If I hadn’t taken him back, I think he wouldn’t even make it through this winter!”

Cassian broke free from behind him and rushed forward.

“My mom isn’t like that! You’re not allowed to say things about her!”

My eyes burned hot.

Before the words fully came out, Cassian suddenly lost balance and fell to the side.

I wanted with everything I had to shield my child, but my hand slipped straight through him.

Leander pulled Cassian close into his arms and reached out to feel his forehead.