The Cheater Father who Only Loved His Son

"By the way, what made you decide to take me on this trip to Volkten?"

As the mechanic got to work, I turned back to my mom.

In my last life, I had wondered the same thing. My mom rarely went on long trips. The fact that she left my dad behind and took just me along had to mean something.

At my question, my mom’s face fell. She hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line, like there was something she couldn't bring herself to say.

Seeing my mom’s conflicted expression, I sucked in a sharp breath.

Wait… could it be that my current father wasn't my biological father? Could it be that my real father was in Volkten? Was my mom taking me there to reunite with my true family now that I had become an adult?

Years of watching soap operas had clearly messed with my brain—I had already spun a whole dramatic reunion scene in my head.

And if it were true? That would be amazing.

Moms would always know their daughters best. The moment she saw my eyes darting around, she pretty much figured out what I was thinking.

She smacked my arm lightly, rolling her eyes. "Quit imagining things! I never cheated on your dad, alright?"

"The real reason we're going is because your grandfather is gravely ill—he doesn’t have much time left. Your uncle secretly reached out to me and asked me to come home one last time."

"Back when I married your dad, your grandfather was completely against it. I was so angry that I cut ties with my family and I haven’t been back since."

As she spoke, a hint of sadness crept into her expression. She must have regretted cutting ties with her family all those years ago.

Just as I was about to ask more about my grandfather, the mechanic walked over, looking uneasy.

"Your car needs some serious repairs. Good thing you didn’t get on the highway—this could’ve ended really badly."

"The brake pads are completely worn down. You might be fine driving slow, but if you had to brake suddenly at high speed, you’d probably lose control."

"The engine’s in bad shape too. And on top of that, there’s a slight fuel leak."

My mom stiffened. "That’s impossible!" she blurted. "My husband just took this car in for maintenance a few days ago. How could it have all these issues?"

The mechanic gave a tired sigh. "I’m just telling you what I found, ma'am. If you don’t believe me, take it to another shop. But I’m warning you—this car isn’t safe to drive."

My mom still looked like she wanted to argue, but I stopped her. Instead, I turned to the mechanic and said, "Just fix it. As soon as possible, please."

I looked at my mom, my expression complicated. "Mom, do you remember the life insurance Dad took out on us a while back?"

"I thought it was strange at the time—why would he suddenly buy something like that? But now, it all makes sense..."

Before I could finish, my mom cut me off sharply. Her face had gone pale. Without another word, she pulled out her phone and stepped outside the repair shop, dialing my dad.