When She Changed, My Love Faded

Part 1

On my daughter's third birthday, I canceled all my evening appointments and left work early. This day was too important. Last night, I made plans with Skyler to celebrate our daughter's birthday together, just the three of us as a family. No guests, no distractions—just Aria, Skyler and me.

As I stepped up to the door, I felt a rare anticipation. I punched in the code and the familiar click of the lock followed. But as soon as I pushed the door open, something was off. At the entrance, a pair of sleek black leather shoes caught my eye. A pair that definitely didn't belong to me. My heart clenched tightly in my chest, my thoughts spiraling into dark places. There's another man in the house.

Anger rushed through me like a wildfire, scorching any rational thought. Skyler had been seeing other men on and off for the past six months, but she rarely brought anyone home. Especially not on a day like today—our daughter's birthday. This wasn't just some casual fling. This was someone important.

I stormed inside, my feet heavy against the hardwood floor as I made my way toward the kitchen. The living room was empty, but laughter—light, innocent and carefree—spilled out from the other room. A chill raced down my spine.

"Aria, how's this little bunny I made? Does it look good?"

"It looks great! I also want a kitty."

"Okay, I will make one for you."

"Jasper, you're really spoiling her..."

The name dropped like a stone in a bottomless well and for a moment, it felt like time had stopped. My breath caught in my throat, my entire body stiffening. I hadn't heard that name in years. Jasper Blackthorne. The name echoed in my mind, dragging me back to a past I'd fought to forget.

He was back. Skyler's first love. The man who had left her shattered and broken. The man she had never truly gotten over, despite all the men who came and went afterward. Despite me. The truth I could never admit clawed its way to the surface. I had only ever been a replacement—a stand-in for a ghost she could never let go of.

The kitchen was only a few steps away, but I didn't have the courage to step forward. If it had been any other man, I could have kicked him out as the legitimate husband. But the man inside was Jasper...

And now that ghost was standing in my kitchen, playing with my daughter, filling the space that was supposed to be mine.

I was frozen just outside the kitchen door, listening to their conversation as my world unraveled. Jasper wasn't just anyone. He was the man Skyler had always wanted, the heir to a wealthy family that my mother and I had served.

Suddenly, the crushing weight of my inferiority washed over me. The years of bowing and catering to every Jasper's whim as his servant had ingrained in me a deep sense of submission. In his presence, I was nothing. Just a shadow of the man he once was.

I stood there for what felt like an eternity, paralyzed by the realization of how small I had always been in Skyler's eyes. How small I still was.

The door swung open and there he was, holding Aria in his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world. His warm, charming smile was plastered across his face, but his eyes were cold, void of any real emotion. Skyler followed closely behind him, carrying a cake, her eyes filled with joy—a joy I hadn't seen in her for years. Not directed at me, anyway.

When Jasper saw me, he paused for a moment before offering me that same hollow smile. “Edward, long time no see.”

The sound of his voice sent a shiver down my spine. His presence had always unnerved me, even back when I worked for him. Now, standing in my home, he was even more terrifying.

"Young Master Jasper," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper, "why are you here?"

The words tasted bitter on my tongue. Even now, I couldn't shake the habit of calling him Young Master. Old habits die hard, especially when they've been drilled into you for years.

Jasper barely acknowledged me, walking past as if I were invisible. "I missed Skyler," he said casually, his tone light but laced with a quiet menace. "So, I came back."

As he passed, a cold gust seemed to follow him, brushing against my skin and leaving a chill in the air. Skyler, radiant and full of life, didn't even spare me a glance. She trailed behind him like a moth to a flame, her focus entirely on him.

They placed Aria in a chair, setting the cake in front of her with gentle hands. “Happy birthday, Aria darling,” they said in unison, as though they had rehearsed it.

Aria beamed, her innocent smile a beacon of light in the suffocating darkness that had descended upon me. “Daddy, come over and blow out the candles with us!” she called, her small hand waving at me.

But I couldn't move. Jasper's eyes had locked onto mine, a silent challenge, daring me to step forward. I felt the weight of his gaze pinning me in place, suffocating me. My legs were heavy as stone, unable to carry me toward the family that was no longer mine.

And then Skyler said it.

She stroked Aria's hair, her voice soft and sweet. “Aria, Young Master Jasper is your real daddy.”

Part 2

I felt as if I had been struck by lightning. The air in the room seemed to thicken, suffocating me, as Skyler's words echoed in my mind. My entire body went numb, but my heart throbbed painfully in my chest.

My gaze fell on Aria, whose small face was painted with confusion. She looked at me, then at Skyler and finally at Jasper, her bright eyes scanning the scene, trying to make sense of it all. After a moment, she shook her head, her tiny lips pressing together in defiance. With unsteady steps, she clambered off her chair, her chubby legs wobbling as she ran toward me.

She hugged my leg tightly, her arms barely reaching around. Her big, innocent eyes met mine, filled with a kind of determination that both surprised and moved me. Her small voice rang out, firm but tinged with that babyish lisp, “I only have this one daddy.”

For a moment, the room went still. A tense silence hung in the air as Skyler and Jasper exchanged displeased glances. My heart felt like it might burst from the surge of emotions, the warmth of Aria's embrace grounding me even as everything else spun out of control.

Skyler's earlier words kept hammering at my mind, but the feeling of Aria tugging at my pants brought me back. I glanced down at her. Her little nose was red and her eyes were slightly watery as if she feared she might lose me.

That look—so vulnerable, so desperate for reassurance—melted my heart in an instant. I bent down and scooped her up, holding her close. Her small arms wrapped around my neck and I felt the softness of her cheek pressed against mine. The scent of her baby shampoo, so familiar, so comforting, filled my senses. It was a fragile moment, but in that embrace, I found my strength.

With Aria in my arms, I walked back toward the dining table. Jasper's icy gaze followed my every step, the tension in the room so thick it was hard to breathe. His eyes were sharp, like a blade, cutting into me as though I had no right to be here, no right to hold his daughter.

Jasper reached out, as if to take Aria from me, but I shifted slightly, keeping her close. My voice was steady, though my insides were shaking. "Young Master Jasper, Aria is my daughter and you are a guest in my home."

The atmosphere in the room darkened. Jasper's face twisted, his polite mask slipping for a moment to reveal a flash of cold fury. Skyler, standing beside him, looked as though she was about to say something, but Jasper silenced her with a glance.

Jasper's voice, when he finally spoke, was low and venomous. "Edward, you know very well whose child Aria is. I don't want to drag this out in front of her, but you need to face reality. You know your place. You're nothing more than a stand-in. Skyler has never been yours."

His words hit me like a sledgehammer, each one cracking the fragile shell of denial I had built around myself. For three years, I had clung to a lie, convincing myself that Aria was mine. I had watched her grow, had marveled at the way she picked up my habits, my mannerisms. The more she resembled me, the more I convinced myself that she was truly my daughter. But deep down, I had always known. Skyler and I had never shared a bed. Aria was never truly mine.

But none of that mattered now. Aria had become my world. She was my daughter in every way that counted. And the thought of losing her, of Jasper stepping in to take her away, was more than I could bear.

Aria, sensing the tension, leaned back in my arms. Her small hand reached up and patted my head, mimicking the way I used to comfort her when Skyler didn't come home. Her innocent gesture brought tears to my eyes. I forced a smile, but it was weak, broken. She frowned, her tiny brow furrowing in concern. Then, with surprising force, she turned to face Jasper and Skyler, her little voice trembling with anger. “You're bullying my daddy! You're both bad people! Get out!”

Her words, full of childish defiance, cut through the room like a knife. Jasper's face hardened and Skyler looked momentarily stunned, her hand frozen mid-reach toward Aria. Without another word, they left, their expressions dark and unreadable.

As the door closed behind them, the weight of everything crashed down on me. I held Aria tighter, her warmth the only thing keeping me from falling apart. But deep in my heart, a cold, gnawing fear had taken root. I knew Jasper wouldn't give up so easily. His love for Skyler had never truly faded and now that he was back, he would do whatever it took to reclaim what he believed was his.

The next day, my worst fears were confirmed. My mother showed up at the door, her face lined with fury. Aria was napping in her room, so I led my mother into the study, trying to keep my voice calm. But the moment the door closed, she slapped me—hard.

“Edward, Young Master Jasper is back now and you're still trying to take his place?!” she hissed, her voice dripping with contempt. “Miss Hawser never loved you! Can't you have a little dignity and stop ruining their relationship?”

Her words cut deep, but the pain of the slap was nothing compared to the humiliation. She glared at me, her eyes filled with disgust, as if I were a stranger—an intruder in her life. “How could I have raised such an ungrateful beast?” she fumed, her finger jabbing at me like a weapon.

I turned my face away from her, the sting of her words burning more than the slap. I was her son and yet, from childhood until now, she had always favored Jasper. Sometimes, I even wondered if he was her real child and I was merely the afterthought.

Part 3

My throat tightened. Emotions swirled inside me, but I refused to let the tears fall. "It was you who begged me to marry Skyler so she'd feel secure enough to have the baby," I said, my voice trembling slightly. "And now it's you pointing at my face, telling me to leave. Mother, I'm your son. Why do you always side with Jasper?"

My voice cracked on the last words, a mix of anger and sorrow choking me. Jasper had always known my weak spot. Ever since we were kids, all he had to do was say a single word and my mother would bend over backward for him.

Going against her was like fighting an invisible force. No matter how hard I tried, I could never win. She was my only family left in the world, yet it always felt like I was an outsider in my own life.

Her eyes flickered for a moment as if a shadow of guilt crossed her face, but it was gone in an instant. She took a deep breath, her voice steady but cold. "He is our master, Edward. We are the servants. The only reason I pushed you to marry Miss Hawser back then was to preserve his bloodline."

The words felt like acid burning through my veins. I could barely stand to look at her, my heart heavy with disappointment.

She reached out and grabbed my hand, her eyes softening as she looked at me with what I could only describe as misplaced tenderness. "Edward, I know you're resentful, but Miss Hawser doesn't love you. You've suffered for so many years. It's time for you to start your own life again."

Her fingers brushed my swollen cheek, her touch cool and gentle. "I'm sorry, Edward," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. "I can't control my emotions sometimes. Does it hurt?"

I felt a strange warmth at her gesture, like a child being offered a small piece of comfort after being scolded. But it was fleeting, leaving behind a heavy sense of helplessness. She had done this before—slap me and then try to soothe the wounds with a few kind words, as if that could make everything right.

It was always the same pattern. One moment she wanted me gone and the next, her tone would shift as if she actually cared. My feelings toward her were so tangled that it was hard to distinguish between the love and the resentment I harbored. She was my mother and deep down, I wanted to believe that she did care, that her heart was just twisted by years of loyalty to a master who wasn't even her child.

I gently held her hand and shook my head, forcing a smile. "Mother, don't worry. I will leave."

She sighed with relief, her shoulders relaxing. She smiled at me, as if my decision had lifted a great weight off her chest. Before she left, she turned to me, her face serious again. "Edward, obey Young Master Jasper. Don't make things difficult. It's the only way."

I nodded, the words bitter on my tongue. I agreed, but inside, a cold fury was brewing. I was done being pushed around. Jasper might have been her favorite, but he was still the man who left Skyler shattered, leaving me to pick up the pieces. And now, after all this time, he thought he could waltz back in and take everything. I looked forward to seeing how this would play out.

After Jasper left years ago, Skyler became a serial dater, drifting from one man to the next, trying to fill the void he left behind. And I... I was just a quiet little fish swimming in her pond, always there when she needed me. She would drink herself into oblivion most nights and when she was too drunk to function, I would be the one to clean up after her, no matter how much it hurt to see her with someone else.

Whenever she rented a hotel room with a new lover, I'd be the one bringing her contraceptives and a fresh change of clothes—sometimes even for the guy. When she found out she was pregnant and wanted to get rid of the baby, I signed the consent form, my hand trembling with a mixture of fear and sorrow. If my mother hadn't been there that day, reminding her of the importance of having Jasper's child, Aria might never have been born. And I would have remained in the shadows, never rising to the position I held now.

When Aria was finally born, Skyler changed, cutting off all her lovers and devoting herself to motherhood, or at least pretending to. But about six months ago, she cornered me in the study, her eyes hollow with desperation. "Edward, I'm tired of living like this," she had confessed, her voice raw with longing. "I miss Jasper. I miss him so much, it's driving me insane. I need distractions, other men, anything to make me forget him."

That night, I kissed her. Pressed her against the desk, my lips crashing into hers with a passion I'd never allowed myself to show before. "I'm a man too, Skyler," I whispered, my voice filled with all the yearning I had kept buried.

For a brief, fleeting moment, I thought she felt something for me too. But then she pushed me away, her rejection as cold as a blade slicing through my chest. "Edward, I can sleep with anyone... but not you. I can't stand the idea of being with a man who looks so much like him."

Her words broke me, every syllable carving deeper wounds into my heart. I stood there, frozen in disbelief, as she walked away without a second glance. From that moment on, my hatred for Jasper grew into something monstrous, consuming me from the inside out.

Skyler, meanwhile, began staying out late, sometimes not even coming home for days. I turned a blind eye. Whatever she did, however she lived, I could accept it. All my focus shifted to work and Aria, who became the only light in my life.

Eventually, she brought home one of her lovers to dine with us. I remained detached, my heart shielded by walls I had built. My love for her had faded into something cold and distant, but the embers of my hatred for Jasper still burned brightly.

Part 4

That day, when she brought home a man, I stood at the door, watching as Aria giggled with this stranger. He bore a striking resemblance to Jasper, albeit younger and more vibrant. His laughter echoed through the house as he played with Aria, his tall frame leaning over her with an easy smile. The sight twisted something within me.

After a while, the man noticed me standing there. His smile faltered, but he quickly masked it with polite curiosity. He extended a hand and said, "Hello, Mr. Quinn, I'm Jason Gilbert."

I looked at his outstretched hand, my own hand tingling with discomfort. His fingers were long and graceful, reminding me of what I once aspired to be. A pianist. I glanced down at my hand—the one missing a ring finger—and instinctively hid it behind my back.

Skyler, who had been watching from the sidelines, her arms crossed, caught the hesitation in my movement. Her eyes darkened with frustration. "Edward, where are your manners?" she snapped, her tone as cold as ever.

I clenched my fist, my nails biting into my palm, but in the end, I forced myself to extend my right hand. "Hello, Jason," I said, my voice tight.

Jason's eyes drifted down to my hand and the moment he saw the missing finger, he recoiled slightly, taking a step back. "Mr. Quinn, what happened to your finger?"

Jason's words struck me like a gut punch, my face paling as the memories I had buried deep resurfaced. He had unwittingly dragged me back into the most painful moment of my life.

I was 17, filled with hope and ambition, preparing for a prestigious piano competition. The rumor was that a renowned virtuoso would be a guest judge, scouting for new talent. For me, it was the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to escape the grip of the Blackthorne Family and build a life of my own. But Jasper had other plans.

My mother, loyal to the Blackthornes, forced me to withdraw from the competition. For the first time in my life, I stood up to her. I told her how much I loved the piano, how I dreamed of becoming a great pianist and taking her away from this life. I thought she would understand, maybe even support me. But instead, she exploded in fury.

I can still hear the deafening crash of my second-hand piano as she smashed it before me, her voice laced with venom. "A pianist?" she sneered. "You think you can become a virtuoso? You were born into mediocrity, Edward. How dare you dream of fame? Do you think you can handle it? You'll be like me, a loyal servant to the Blackthorne Family. That's your place."

I stood there, frozen, as she destroyed the only thing that mattered to me. My second-hand piano, bought with years of hard-earned savings, was reduced to splinters.

After that, she locked me in the house, denying me food or water for days. It wasn't until I was on the brink of collapse that Jasper came to “save” me. He told me he had changed his mind, that he wanted to compete fairly, even letting me practice on his piano. For a brief moment, I felt hope again. But it was all a cruel trick.

The night before the competition, I was practicing late on Jasper's piano when, without warning, it collapsed beneath my hands. Panic surged through me as I examined the damage, wondering how this could have happened. And then, just as I began to piece together what was going on, Jasper appeared with his parents, my mother following closely behind.

She rushed to me like a storm, her hand cracking across my face before I could even react. The force of the slap sent me crashing into the piano bench, the sharp edges digging into my skin. I was dizzy from the blow, but before I could regain my bearings, she dragged me in front of Jasper and his parents, her nails digging into my wrist.

"Kneel down and apologize to Master Harold!" she commanded, her voice shrill with desperation.

My vision blurred with blood and pain, but all I could see was the cold indifference in Jasper's eyes as I was forced to bow repeatedly, the humiliation burning like fire in my veins. I could hear their voices, their concern not for me, but for the expensive piano I had supposedly ruined.

After his parents left, Jasper's icy voice broke the silence. "Margarete, this piano is worth thousands of dollars. You know how to compensate, right?"

My mother nodded eagerly, a sickening smile spreading across her face. And then, in a swift, brutal motion, she grabbed my right hand. The grip on my wrist was like iron and I had no time to react before she touched my ring finger.

The sickening crack of bone breaking echoed in the room, followed by my own scream, a sound of pure, raw agony.