My Ex Called Me Cheap, Now I’m a Mogul’s Wife

Leslie's POV

Still insisting, Bradley pressed on.

"Give me your number. I'll transfer the child support now. If I want to see my son in the future, I need a way to contact you."

"That won't be necessary," I responded, my voice flat from trying to keep up with his delusions.

His tone instantly shifted, hardening with that cold, entitled edge I remembered all too well.

"The kid isn't just yours. I'm not allowed to do my part as a father?"

I exhaled sharply and frowned. My frustration was apparent, and honestly, I didn't care who noticed.

"Are you done?" I asked in exasperation. "It's been five years since we broke up, Bradley. What's the point of dragging this out now?"

He blinked as if he hadn't expected me to shut him down so directly. But after a moment, his face hardened into something smug and sharp.

"Don't flatter yourself, Leslie. You think this is about you?" Bradley said, his voice adopting his usual condescending tone used when trying to win an argument. "I just don't want my son growing up under your roof, living that kind of life. This has nothing to do with you."

His gaze shifted between me and my son, his expression gradually becoming more insinuating.

"Relax," he added, like he was doing me a favor. "Even if I had your number, I'd only use it to schedule visits. I wouldn't want Sabrina getting the wrong idea."

Then he paused, just long enough to twist the knife.

"Or is that really what this is about?" Bradley's eyebrow shot up as he asked. "You're still bitter. You're starving my son to get back at me, hoping I'll regret the breakup and come crawling back?"

I stared at him, genuinely stunned by how absurd he sounded.

I nearly laughed.

Waving my hand, I said calmly, "I love Leon. I would never—"

"Leslie!" Bradley cut me off, snapping his voice and rubbing his temples, as if I were exhausting him. "Stop playing the tough girl. I know the breakup crushed you. But I love Sabrina now. And if I'd known you were pregnant back then, I would've made you get rid of it. We wouldn't be in this mess."

I went still. There it was.

No sugarcoating. No pretending. Just raw, ugly truth.

Even if I had been pregnant with his child, he would've treated it as nothing more than a problem—something to erase, a threat to his perfect future with Sabrina.

I didn't need that reminder.

If I had truly been carrying his baby, I never would have kept it because a man in love with someone else didn't deserve to have a child with me.

I didn't say anything for a long moment, and just let the silence hang between us.

Then I calmly pulled out my phone.

"He's not your son," I said. "I'm married. My husband treats me well. Want to see the proof?"

I held my phone like a shield, prepared to put an end to all of this.

But just as I started to unlock it, Bradley reached out and grabbed my wrist.

"Photos can be edited," he snapped, eyes sharp. "If you're lying, of course, you'd come prepared."

I stared at him, completely done. "Think whatever you want, then."

The crowd around us was getting louder. The whispers had grown into a hum of curiosity just beneath the surface.

Right then, I bent down to pick up Leon. My son had seen enough. He was too young to be caught in a mess like this. But before I could lift him, Bradley grabbed my wrist again. He didn't even look at me this time. His eyes were fixed on Leon.

"Leon," he said quietly, "say Daddy."

I froze.

Leon looked up at him with those wide, innocent eyes.

Then, after a tiny pause, he said shyly, "Uncle."

Bradley's face fell in an instant. His eyes reddened, and he looked at me like I had torn him apart.

"Leslie," he said, voice breaking, "you never told him about me? You never even mentioned me?"

Bradley's voice cracked again as he continued, "How could you do that? Other kids grow up with their fathers, and my son has to suffer without one?"

And just like that, I lost all my patience.

"Are you done? Let go of me!"

But his grip only tightened. He stayed silent for a long second before releasing a deep, tired sigh. His voice was soft when he spoke again, as if he was trying to sound reasonable now.

"For our son's sake, I'll compromise."

I gave him a confused look. "What the hell are you even talking about?"

A smug curl of his lip was his response.

"You can come back," Bradley said, as if he were granting me a wish. "That's what you've always wanted, isn't it?"

From the side, I heard a gasp.

"Bradley, what about me?" Sabrina's voice cracked as she turned to him, her eyes wide in disbelief.

He barely glanced her way.

"Sabrina," he said smoothly, "I'll treat Leslie as my son's nanny. My feelings for you haven't changed. It's just I can't abandon my son."

Sabrina's face collapsed. Whatever performance she'd been putting on suddenly slipped away. She turned to look at me as if she wanted to tear me apart.

Then, unexpectedly, Sabrina's eyes welled up, and tears began to fall.