Zachary looked up at Steven. His tear-filled eyes reflected a child's innocence and confusion, evoking pitiness.
Steven crouched down, allowing Zachary to gaze directly into his eyes.
"Please say okay, Daddy," Zachary whimpered between sobs.
"You're still just a kid." Steven was always fond of Zachary. He reached out to tousle Zachary's hair affectionately. "If you keep throwing tantrums at Mommy, you're going to regret it when you're older."
"No, I won't!" Zachary shook his head vigorously. As if to reassure Steven, he wiped away his tears and declared, "Daddy, I want to live with Ms. Jessie. I dream about her being my mom every night!" Each word he spoke was resolute, leaving no room for doubt.
Steven didn't respond. He merely patted Zachary's shoulder before standing up.
I turned around, struggling to meet Zachary's gaze.
I had always thought that his desire to become a family with Jessica was just a fleeting whim. But with his repeated outbursts, it was clear he wasn't joking. He genuinely longed for Jessica to be his mother. What about me, his mother, who had unconditionally devoted myself to him? Was I just meant to be cast aside?
Pain welled in my heart, as if countless ants were gnawing at it.
"Honey." Steven wrapped his arms around me. His large hand softly patted my back to comfort me. "Don't be upset. Zachary is still young. He doesn't really understand what he's saying."
I had often told myself not to take Zachary's words to heart. He was just a child, and I should be more forgiving. Yet, his innocent but blunt remarks always managed to pierce right through me.
I struggled to let out a hum while in his arms. Once my emotions stabilized, I finally stepped out of his embrace. "Let's eat."
Steven released me, and I turned to the kitchen to place the dishes on the table. Concerned I might burn myself, Steven took the initiative to handle the heavy pot.
Zachary, clearly disappointed at not getting his way, exclaimed, "Daddy!"
"Time to eat!" Steven said firmly. "Don't make me say it again."
Only then did Zachary reluctantly comply. He held his spoon and took small slips of the oatmeal.
With the glass shards scattered across the floor, I feared someone would get hurt, so I began cleaning while they ate.
As Zachary chewed, he swung his legs and muttered, "I hate Mommy! I hate Mommy!"
My hand froze mid-sweep.
Before the ache in my heart settled, I reminded myself that I had anticipated this.
During the initial period when I prevented Zachary from contacting Jessica, he would undoubtedly react with intense resistance, and his words would become increasingly harsh. I just needed to hold on a little longer. After sweeping up the last shard of the glass, I returned to find them finishing their breakfast. Steven guided Zachary toward the door, reminding him, "Say goodbye to Mommy."
"No!" Zachary huffed and turned his head away from me.
I stood inside the house, watching the two of them. The intense pain in my heart seemed to finally subside.
"Honey." Steven took my hand and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on my lips. "Don't take it too personally. This phase will pass."
"I know."
...
Zachary's kindergarten was a daycare center. Every day, he had to be dropped off before 8:00 am and picked up by 6:00 pm.
Steven typically said he was too busy to bother me. So, he would pick up Zachary after work.
But today, I decided to reclaim the responsibility of picking up our son. I believed that spending more time together might strengthen our bond.
I didn't inform Steven about my decision. I thought it would be a nice surprise for our family to go home together.
To free up time to pick up Zachary, I hurriedly finished my chores and even left an hour early. I arrived at the kindergarten entrance ahead of schedule. After waiting for several minutes, school was finally over.
As the electric gate opened, the teachers held back the children. They confirmed each parent's name before allowing them to leave with their families. "Zachary Pelham!" a teacher shouted. "Is Zachary's guardian here?"
"I'm here!" I raised my hand and stepped forward.
At the same moment, another figure rushed to my side.
I instinctively turned around and found Jessica in a striking red dress with her wavy hair cascading over her shoulders. She wore elaborate makeup and radiated a warm, confident smile. "I'm here, Ms. Dawson." I was stunned.
Why was Jessica here to pick up Zachary and even claiming to be his guardian? Had Steven been deceiving me?
He had told me he would pick up Zachary on his way home from work, but in reality, he had sent Jessica to create opportunities for her to bond with him.
The thought left me frozen in place, and my heart ached fiercely.
"Mrs. Pelham." As Zachary's teacher, Holly Dawson, talked to Jessica, she kept a wary eye on me. "When I called for Zachary's guardian, she answered as well. Do you know her?"
What? Holly was actually referring to Jessica as Mrs. Pelham? My mind was in chaos.
It slowly dawned on me that no one in this kindergarten knew I was Zachary's mother. Instead, they all assumed Jessica was his mom. This meant Jessica had come here to pick up Zachary multiple times without my knowledge. But who had brought her here to pick up Zachary that made Holly assume she was the mother?
The truth loomed over me like a sharp knife, mercilessly stabbing at my heart.
Was it Steven?
Jessica had never met me before, so when she finally laid eyes on me, there was a flicker of surprise in her expression. She reached out to Zachary. "Sweetie, why don't you come over and see if you recognize this lady?" Was she talking about me?
I felt laughter bubble up at the irony.
"This lady"? I had carried Zachary for nine months, yet she was referring to me as some random lady.
Just as I was about to retort, I watched as Zachary walked over to Jessica and took her hand while keeping his gaze fixed on me from a distance.
After a long moment, he finally shook his head and said, "I don't know her, Mommy."
Upon hearing that, I felt like lightning had struck me. My smile evaporated, replaced by a buzzing in my ears that drowned out everything else.
Zachary, my flesh and blood, had just declared that he didn't know me while calling Jessica "Mommy".
His cruel choice shattered my heart into pieces. Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to contain them.
Jessica maintained her poised demeanor. "Perhaps she has mistaken you for someone else."
"I haven't mistaken anyone!" I frantically wiped my tears. "Come here, Zachary Pelham!"
"No!" Zachary hid behind Jessica and peered at me with distrust. "You think I'll come with you just because you call my name?"
Jessica exchanged a glance with Holly.
Holly cautiously asked, "Could she be a human trafficker?"
"I'm not sure." Jessica shook her head.
To ensure the children's safety, Holly decided to call the police.
I paid no heed to them and simply marched over to Zachary. "I'm your mother, Zachary!"
"You're not!" He desperately tried to stay behind Jessica. "She's my mom!"