Chapter 133 Shameless Woman
"No way. If you don't come with Mommy now, you'll never see her again." She was determined. Once they got home, she was going to give these two little troublemakers a good talking-to. This kind of thing could never happen again. Once was more than enough, and this experience would be unforgettable for her.
She never imagined that the kids' first meeting with their real dad would be so awkward and embarrassing.
Ethan could tell that Alison was really angry, so he jumped off the swing and grabbed Sophia's hand, running towards Alison. "Mommy, let's go. We want to be with you."
After saying that, the two kids glanced back at Aidan. They were really reluctant to leave their dad.
"Let's go," she said as gently as she could, not wanting to scare the kids.
As they walked out the front gate, they saw a taxi waiting there. Her heart warmed. This area was full of villas, so the taxi must have been called by Aidan.
She didn't look back. She couldn't afford to soften.
Once in the car, she whispered to the driver, "What a coincidence, finding a taxi right outside."
"It's no coincidence. Your husband called for it. I got the call and rushed over. Luckily, I was nearby," the driver said with a cheerful smile.
Just as she thought, it was all Aidan's doing.
Even though he didn't chase after them, he still worried about her.
As the car started, she sneaked a glance back. At the villa's gate, she saw that lonely figure. Aidan, once surrounded by scandal, now looked so alone.
In the taxi, she remained silent. The two little ones seemed to sense that Mommy was upset and sat quietly, not saying a word.
But the silence grew more and more oppressive.
Finally, they arrived at their destination. With a stern face, she said to Sophia and Ethan, "Will you dare to run off on your own again?"
"Mommy, we won't," the kids answered softly.
"How can you say that? You were so bold. Last time you ran off, I warned you, and you promised not to do it again. But here we are. What should I do to punish you?"
"Mommy, we were wrong. We won't eat dinner tonight, or tomorrow, or the day after. We'll punish ourselves, okay?" Ethan quickly pleaded, knowing how scary Mommy could be when she was angry.
What could she say to that? She had just said she would punish them, and Ethan immediately offered to skip meals. But they didn't understand that if they didn't eat, she wouldn't have the heart to eat either.
She had worried about them all night, and it was all Aidan's fault. He had hung up and turned off his phone, leaving her to worry about the kids all night. She steeled herself and said, "Now you don't even want to come home. Do you think someone else's home is better?"
Sophia grabbed her hand and said, "Mommy, Daddy is really nice. He said he called you to let you know we were safe. He fed us and played with us. Mommy, can you be nicer to Daddy?" Sophia started to speak up for Aidan. They had met him first, and he had been so good to them, so they believed Aidan was their dad.
"Enough!" she shouted. Luckily, they were on their way home; otherwise, she might have spanked their little bottoms.
Fuming, she pushed open the door and stormed into the house, ignoring the kids. She rushed into her room, locked the door, and threw herself onto the bed, tears streaming down her face.
She felt so useless.
She was a woman with feelings, longing for love and to be loved.
But now, all of that seemed so far away.
Jack was getting married. The news hurt her deeply, and what made it worse was that Jack had asked her to be Aimée's bridesmaid.
It was too humiliating.
She cried her heart out, trying to release all the years of pent-up grievances.
Outside, the kids kept knocking on the door. Mommy hadn't punished them, but she wasn't talking to them either, which was worse than any punishment.
"Mommy, do you not want us anymore?"
"Mommy, we were wrong."
"Mommy, please open the door."
...
She cried inside, and the kids cried outside. She heard them but didn't have the strength to open the door.
Tears soaked her cheeks and her heart, the pain in her chest growing heavier.
She knew that the surgery had been in vain; the scar was still there.
But what did it matter? Jack wouldn't see her again, wouldn't want her.
He thought she was a shameless woman.
But she wasn't. She really wasn't.
Maybe this was for the best.
Cutting all ties was the only way to truly escape the pain.
She decided to be Aimée's bridesmaid, to watch them get married, to see him find happiness.
And she would spend her life with the kids.
At least she wouldn't be alone. She still had the kids.
Having made up her mind, she wiped away her tears. She couldn't let the kids worry.
She looked in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy. She glanced at the clock on the wall; more than an hour had passed.
She washed her face with cold water for a long time, then put on heavy makeup to cover the signs of crying.
But the makeup made her look much older.
She took a deep breath, then gently opened the door, forcing a sweet smile onto her face.
"Mommy, you're not mad anymore, right?"
"Mommy, you're smiling. You still want us, don't you?"
The kids' voices rang in her ears. She didn't say anything, just bent down and hugged their small bodies tightly. They were soft, but they were her support.
"Tell Mommy, will you ever sneak out again?"
"No, Mommy, we won't. Sophia and I will always listen to you," Ethan said seriously, sniffling.
She let them go and wiped their tears with a handkerchief, smiling at Ethan. "Ethan, you're a man. How can you cry? You need to take care of Mommy and your sister, okay?"
Ethan laughed, even though tears still glistened in his eyes. "Mommy, I know. When I grow up, I'll take care of you and Sophia."
"You're the big brother. Next time, don't take your sister and run off. You need to act like a big brother, understand?"
"I understand. If I miss Daddy, I'll tell you. You're reasonable, and you'll take us to see Daddy, right?"
His soft voice made her heart ache. She didn't want to scold them, but she couldn't let them keep thinking this way. "Sophia, Ethan, Uncle Winston really isn't your dad. You can't call him that anymore."
"Mommy, if you say he's not, then he's not. But can we just call him that? Otherwise, we're so pitiful. Everyone else has a dad, but we don't. Please, Mommy? Just let us call him that."
They just wanted to fulfill their longing for a dad.
Fine, she couldn't bear to refuse them anymore.
But would the kids have another chance to see Aidan?
She wouldn't allow it.
The three of them seemed like a family, but they were missing one person—Jack.
At that moment, he was with Aimée, picking out a wedding dress.
After putting the kids to bed, Alison looked out the window, still feeling uneasy. She told the nanny to watch the kids and went out alone. The scar on her chest could keep growing; she didn't care anymore.
Walking down the street, past the palm trees, the night was beautiful, but her heart was cold.