Chapter 4 What.More to do

Chapter 4

What More To Do

At the school gate.

In front of so many parents...

My own son denied me, again and again, as his mother.

Over and over, he insisted that Martha Janet was his mom.

Even though my heart was already shattered and bleeding, I forced myself to stay composed-he was still young, after all. He couldn't possibly understand the weight of his words. "Paul!"

"I'm giving you one last chance to choose!"

"Look at me carefully. Calm down and think. Between me and her-who do you really belong with?"

All eyes turned to Paul.

He ducked behind Martha Janet, pressing his forehead against her back. "Of course I choose my mom."

The moment he said it, Martha Janet shot me a strange look before scooping him up to leave. "What a lunatic."

I couldn't let her go. Frantic, I tried to chase after them, to stop them-

But someone blocked my path.

I nearly lost control. "That's my child! You can't stop me!"

Around me, murmurs of judgment rose like a tide.

"Kidnappers these days are getting more and more creative, huh?"

"Look at how frantic she looks. Anyone would think she's the child's real mother."

"Tell me about it!"

"This just goes to show we all need to be more careful."

"..."

Their disgusted stares burned into me.

I had no time to argue-I was desperate to catch up, but no matter which way I ran, someone would step in front of me, blocking my path.

Until...

The police arrived.

And Martha Janet had vanished.

Only then did the crowd finally part.

A few concerned citizens rushed up to the officers, eager to report. "Officer, you wouldn't believe how bold kidnappers are these days!"

"She had the nerve to try snatching a child right outside the kindergarten-right in front of the real mother!"

"Even after the mother ran off with her kid, this woman still tried to chase them down!"

"If we hadn't stopped her, who knows what might've happened!"

"..."

I never imagined that even when I personally went to pick up my child from kindergarten...

She could still be taken away right before my eyes-by Martha Janet.

I stood frozen in place, utterly stunned.

An officer approached me and said, "We've received a report accusing you of child abduction. You'll need to come with us to the station."

There was no point in chasing after them now.

I complied numbly. "Alright."

...

At the police station, once my identity was verified, they quickly discovered that Peter was my husband.

And Paul-my son.

The officers clearly hadn't expected this outcome and immediately apologized. "We're so sorry for the misunderstanding..."

"It's not your fault," I murmured, but tears spilled down my cheeks uncontrollably. "Even I never thought..."

My child.

The child I'd poured my heart and soul into raising...

Had deliberately called another woman "Mom" in front of the kindergarten gates-and left with her.

Seeing my distress, the officer tried to console me. "Kids don't always understand what they're doing."

They kept talking, but didn't know how to persuade him further.

After all, they'd seen their fair share of unruly children.

But someone like Paul, who refused to acknowledge his own mother-that was a first.

I wandered out in a daze.

Noticing my distress, an officer stepped forward. "Do you need us to take you somewhere?"

"No."

...

I didn't know where Martha Janet lived. If I wanted to bring Paul home, I had no choice but to find Peter.

And while I was at it, I needed to ask him...

Why the kindergarten teachers didn't recognize me.

But they knew Martha Janet.

Peter's company wasn't far from the police station-just a ten-minute drive.

I hailed a cab, gave the driver the address, and then sat quietly in the backseat, turning to stare out the window.

I'd thought those ten minutes would be enough to calm me down...

But the more I dwelled on it, the worse I felt.

The tears I had barely managed to hold back came streaming down once more.

Paul, do you really love Martha Janet that much?

Enough to...

Abandon your own mother without a second thought?

When I arrived at Peter company, I didn't hesitate-I strode straight toward his office.

Just as I was about to push the door open, I overheard the people inside talking about me.

"Mary is old and haggard now, a total frump. Aside from being patient and loving you, she's got nothing going for her."

"Exactly. Look at Martha Janet-same age, but she dresses like she's barely twenty."

"And personality-wise? Mary just stays cooped up at home, obsessing over chores. Dull as dishwater."

"Martha Janet's different-vivacious, warm-hearted, full of passion for life!"

"If I were you, I'd divorce Mary in a heartbeat and be with Martha Janet."

My steps froze.

In the eyes of Peter's friends... was I really that worthless?

Someone seemed to lean in closer to Peter and ask, "Dude, what's really going on in your head?"

"If you're not into Martha Janet anymore, we're gonna make our move!"

Their eager tones made it abundantly clear-even after divorce and with a child in tow, Martha Janet remained utterly captivating.

"Heh."

The room fell silent.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for his answer.

Peter voice was icy, detached: "Being with Mary was purely because Martha Janet had abandoned me back then."

"But Mary-because she loved me-traveled thousands of miles just to find me."

"When I was at my lowest, she was like a lifeline to a drowning man..."

"Like a light appearing in the darkness when you're walking alone."

"I truly was grateful to her."

"Before Martha Janet returned, I really thought Mary and I would spend our lives together."

The office was dead silent.

I could even hear the faint breaths of those around me.

So...

Peter chose to be with me-not because he loved me?

But simply because he had been dumped by Martha Janet?

So I just happened to show up at the wrong time?

His words carved deeper wounds into my already battered heart...

The pain was so sharp it nearly knocked me unconscious.

"Did you know?" Peter voice was chillingly detached, as if analyzing a case. "All these years, I thought I'd forgotten Martha Janet."

"Even though I loved her desperately-begging her through letters to take me back before my wedding, calling her repeatedly after she refused..." His tone grew distant, lost in memory. "Back then, a single word from her could've made me call off the entire ceremony."

"But when Martha Janet reappeared in front of me, I realized the truth." His voice dropped, raw with emotion. "I never stopped loving her."

Every doubt I'd ever harbored suddenly made sense.

So this was it.

After all these years of marriage, after all my silent sacrifices...

His heart still belonged to her.

And here I was, foolishly believing that if I just let the past go, we could reclaim what we once had...

My hands trembled as I wiped away tears.

Someone in the crowd voiced the question burning through me: "Then why don't you divorce Mary?"