Chapter 5

I went to Friday's family activity anyway.

The classroom was decorated warmly and festively. Each child went onstage to display their drawing of "My Family."

When it was Mason's turn, he proudly held up his drawing.

I wasn't in the picture.

Only him, Gideon, and Lily.

All the parents politely applauded.

Lily, sitting in the front row, had tears in her eyes and covered her mouth, moved.

The teacher hosting the activity looked somewhat awkward and asked gently, "Mason, who did you draw? Why didn't you draw Mommy?"

Mason clutched his shirt hem, his voice loud.

"Mommy always controls me. She won't let me eat candy or watch TV."

"Lily plays with me and buys me good food. I want Lily to be my mommy."

Children's words cut the deepest.

The classroom immediately filled with a few awkward laughs, with some parents making excuses that children don't understand.

I stood up and strode toward the stage, wanting to take Mason home.

But Gideon suddenly grabbed my wrist from the side.

"Sutton Reed, what are you doing?"

In his eyes, even my heartbreak and grief had to happen at a time that wouldn't embarrass him.

I forcefully shook off his hand and rushed out of the classroom.

Just as I reached the stairwell, Lily pretended to chase after me.

"Sutton, don't be angry with Mason..."

While apologizing with her mouth, she forcibly stuffed a photo from the family activity into my hand.

In the photo, Mason stood on his tiptoes kissing Lily's cheek while Gideon stood beside them, smiling tenderly and indulgently.

Lily leaned close to my ear.

"Sutton, actually children are more honest than men. He knows who's more suitable to be his mother."

"Forcing yourself to stay in this family will only make everyone miserable."

I crumpled the photo into a ball, threw it in a nearby trash can, and left the kindergarten without looking back.

Shortly after I got home, Gideon returned with Mason.

He walked straight to the coffee table, pulled a document from his briefcase, and pushed it heavily in front of me.

It was a divorce agreement.

"Sutton Reed, since everyone's unhappy, let's just divorce."

He leaned back on the sofa, his tone as calm as if discussing the weather.

"You can keep living in this house temporarily, but custody of the child must go to me."

"You saw it yourself — Mason is very emotionally unstable right now. He can't be separated from Lily's care."

Looking at that neatly printed agreement, I suddenly found it absurdly ridiculous.

I found it utterly absurd. "Gideon, you're asking me to hand over both my husband and son to a mistress?"

He frowned, his tone full of impatience.

"Don't make it sound so ugly!"

"We've reached this point because you don't know how to manage a family. Even the child rejects you — you can't blame anyone else."

"Just sign it. Let's part on good terms."

Mason hid behind Gideon's legs, tightly hugging the teddy bear Lily had given him.

I crouched down and looked at the son I'd carried for ten months, my voice trembling.

"Mason, are you willing to come with Mommy? I promise from now on..."

"I don't want to!"

Mason hugged the teddy bear even tighter, tears welling up in his eyes.

He kept backing away, shouting at me through his tears.

"Mommy, can you stop forcing me!"

"I don't want to choose you! I want to be with Daddy and Lily!"

In that moment, I suddenly didn't want to cry at all.

I stood up, walked to the bedroom, and took out the three divorce certificates.

And one more thing — a school transfer application I'd already stamped I'd already stamped.

I pushed all these items in front of Gideon.

Gideon looked at the transfer application, his expression finally changing, his brow furrowing tightly.

"Sutton Reed, what do you mean? What game are you playing now?"

I picked up the pen on the table and signed my name decisively.

"It means this time, I'm not coming back."