A Son's Last Lesson

It would be Timmy's birthday in a few days. In the past, I would take him to the amusement park before we headed home to have cake and blow out the candles after making birthday wishes. Each time, Timmy would ask why Brenda wasn't with us yet.

I would check my phone repeatedly. There would be no information on the flights she claimed to be on, yet she would tell me that she'd just landed.

I knew about all the lies, and they hurt like hell. However, I had no choice but to hide the pain and comfort Timmy.

I was brought back to reality at the thought of this year being Timmy's fifth birthday. Even if Brenda and I were going to divorce, I knew Timmy would still want her to be with him.

Ultimately, I decided to seek her out again, hoping that she would grant Timmy's wish this once.

As I stepped out of the elevator, I heard party poppers and saw the ribbons from streamers strewn across the floor. The door was open, and things seemed lively inside. There were many people—they seemed to be celebrating something.

Had they already started celebrating Timmy's birthday? I inched closer to the apartment, feeling doubtful.

Linda stood by the door, so she was the first to see me. Her expression darkened, and she snarled, "What are you doing here?"

Brenda turned to look at me. "Who said you could be here? You're not welcome!" she said with a snort.

It turned out they were celebrating Josie. She wore a pretty pink dress, and a gold medal hung from her neck. There was a huge poster on the wall that wrote, "Congratulations to Josie for being first in her year!"

There were also flowers everywhere in the apartment. I recognized them—they were the ones that had caused Timmy's allergic reaction.

The sight of all of these things cut deep.

Just then, my phone rang with a call from the doctor. He anxiously told me that Timmy's condition had worsened and that family was needed to sign some documents.

I turned around and glared at Brenda, saying, "Timmy's condition has become worse, and I'm going to the hospital now. I'll ask you one more time—are you coming with me or not?"

Before she could say anything, Cameron approached her and said, "Brenda, maybe you should go see what's happening, since Harry made the situation sound so dire. What if he's telling the truth?"

"That's impossible, Dad! Timmy is known for being a liar at kindergarten, and nobody likes him! His dad must be just like him!" Josie pouted and ran to Brenda in her pink shoes, clinging to her arm. "I don't want you to go anywhere, Brenda. I want you to be with me! Timmy is a liar, so we can't believe him!"

Their words were like ice, making my blood run cold.

I held myself back as I looked at Brenda again. All she did was lift Josie into her arms and kiss her cheek affectionately. Then, she said, "You see how things are. I can't go anywhere. You've always been the one to raise Timmy. He likes you more, so I'll just stay here. I need to be with Josie."

After that, everyone else pushed and shoved as they chased me out. They acted like I was nothing.

I slumped against the door and slowly slid to the floor, burying my face in my hands.

I secretly swore to make them pay for everything they'd done.