My Boyfriend's Old Flame Returns with a Child

2

Ryan Kendrick didn't contact me all night. Things were heading in the direction I dreaded most.

After a sleepless night, I emerged from my bedroom with dark circles under my eyes. My phone rang. It was Ryan Kendrick.

Over the phone, his voice was utterly cold, like a boss speaking to a subordinate.

"Come to my place after work today. My mom wants to see you."

"Okay." In the past, I would always ask his mom if she needed anything before visiting. But not today.

This whole thing was Ryan Kendrick's fault. I had no reason to be subservient.

After work, I bought some fruit and went to Ryan Kendrick's place. It was a townhouse, and his car was parked in the driveway.

The click of my heels on the marble floor couldn't drown out the sounds of cheerful laughter coming from inside.

My vision went dark for a moment when I heard a child's voice.

I steadied myself and pushed open the front door.

The scene inside—a happy family moment spanning three generations—was a dagger to my heart.

My entrance shattered the joyful atmosphere. The entire Kendrick family turned to look at me in unison, their gazes distant, as if I were a complete stranger.

"Vera, you're here. Come, have a seat." Mrs. Kendrick's expression darkened as she pulled the little boy into her arms.

'It was Sylvie Sloan's child. So he's already been officially accepted into the family. That was fast.'

Ryan Kendrick didn't say a word to me. He just sat down across from me with a grim expression.

"Hello, Mrs. Kendrick. Am I interrupting something?" I asked, my voice laced with self-mockery. It was a pointless question; the unwelcoming looks on their faces were proof enough that I was utterly out of place.

Maisie Kendrick, sitting beside her mother, said cuttingly, "At least you have some self-awareness. He's here with his wife and child, all cozy. If I were you, I'd be too embarrassed to stick around."

I didn't stoop to her level. Maisie Kendrick had never liked me, not from the very beginning. For years, I had swallowed my pride and tried to win her over for Ryan's sake. Hearing her say that now, I realized all those designer bags and clothes I'd given her had been a complete waste.

"Ryan, don't you have any explanation for this?" His attitude was what mattered most to me, yet he just sat there, silent as a stone.

Since I had called him out, Ryan Kendrick finally spoke. I never expected that after something like this, he wouldn't offer a single word of explanation. Instead, his first words were full of blame.

"Explain what? Sylvie told me everything. The whole company saw you go after a little kid! I know it wasn't right for her to bring the child to my office today, but have you ever considered her side of things? She raised him all by herself. She wouldn't have come back like this unless she was in serious trouble! I could almost overlook you getting physical with her, but with a child... That's my son!"