The Day Our Son Called Him Mister

The next day, I returned to the company to hand over my remaining work.

Julian approached my desk and placed a beautifully wrapped gift box in front of me.

"Leo's birthday present. I forgot to give it to him yesterday."

I paused for a second, then took the gift and opened it.

It was a complex LEGO Star Wars model.

But Leo was only interested in dinosaurs and simple building blocks.

When he was five, Julian had taken our son to Central Park.

But halfway through their walk, he ran into a friend and absentmindedly let go of Leo's hand.

Our little boy got lost in the crowd.

By the time we found him, he was huddled under a tree, trembling with terror, petrified by a large dog that had been barking at him.

Ever since that day, Leo has been terrified of chaotic places and large animals.

And the man responsible for it all didn't even know what his own son truly liked.

I couldn't tell if I was more numb or disappointed. I set the box aside.

My tone was flat.

"Thank you."

Julian gave me a strange look, then seemed to remember something else.

"Jessica's power is out. I'm planning to have her stay at our place for a few days."

He continued, his tone infuriatingly casual.

"Don't come to work today. Go home, pack some things, and take Leo to stay somewhere else for a bit."

His casual words struck me like a physical blow.

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Are you kicking me and our son out for Jessica?"

Julian frowned.

"Don't make it sound so ugly. It's just temporary."

"Since we agreed to keep the marriage a secret, we have to avoid suspicion in front of our colleagues."

I smiled, a cold, bitter thing.

Were they really just colleagues?

Was he really just trying to avoid suspicion?

Or did he see our son and me as a shameful obstacle in his pursuit of a new romance?

Not wanting to look at his face a moment longer, I sat back down at my desk and resumed my work.

"I understand."

"I'll pack our things and leave with Leo as soon as possible. We won't be in your way."

Since we were leaving for good anyway, a little sooner or later made no difference.

My ready agreement seemed to take him by surprise.

He opened his mouth, his tone softening for the first time in ages.

"I'll make it up to you."

I didn't look up. I said nothing.

The damage was done. No amount of compensation could fix it.

Back home, I had just finished packing our suitcases and was about to leave with my son.

As I opened the door, I ran right into Julian, returning with Jessica in tow.

He was pushing her suitcase with one hand, every bit the attentive gentleman.

The moment our eyes met, I saw a flicker of panic in his.

Jessica gasped, her voice sharp with surprise.

"Ms. Hayes, what are you doing at Mr. Thorne's house?"

At her words, my first instinct was to pull Leo behind me, shielding him from her sight.

"I..."

"She's the housekeeper. She's just staying here temporarily."

I had barely started to speak when Julian cut me off.

My hand tightened on the suitcase handle.

This wasn't the first time he had dismissed me like this, but the sting was just as sharp as ever.

I was about to speak, but Leo's small, trembling voice cut through the tension.

"Hello, Mr. Thorne."

I turned in disbelief to see my son's eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"Mom, let's go."

All the words caught in my throat. I forced a faint smile and replied softly.

"Okay."

Just as we brushed past him, Julian's hand shot out and grabbed my arm.