Jenifer's POV
The shock hit me like ice water, sending chills racing through my entire body.
I stared at Romano, but the child before me felt like a stranger.
"Promise me, okay? Mommy!" When I stayed silent, Romano pressed again, hope lighting up his eyes.
A bitter smile twisted my lips, heavy with defeat.
Here he was—the son I'd carried for nine months.
Yet his loyalty lay elsewhere, and now he was practically begging me for another woman. Years of devotion suddenly felt like the cruelest joke.
I couldn't stop the harsh laugh that escaped me.
Romano's head tilted in confusion.
"Romano, come here," I motioned him closer. "We need to talk."
Romano wavered before stepping toward me.
He stopped a few feet away and said, "Mommy, just tell me."
My eyes lingered on him as my mind drifted to Lorelei's earlier post.
The video showed Romano nestled in Lorelei's embrace, transformed into a perfect little angel.
Romano had inherited Reed's nature—distant and controlled. Even his smiles were measured and polite. But with Lorelei, he'd been giggling wildly, arms flailing, even calling her "Mommy".
Lorelei had corrected him then: "Romano, I'm not your mommy."
How had Romano responded?
Devastation had crept across his face as his smile died. "I wish you were my Mommy."
And Reed? He'd stood there exactly like tonight—silent, watching.
The memories churned like a tempest.
The sharp contrast between those moments and Romano's defiance now only hardened my determination.
"Romano, happy New Year."
My completely unrelated response crushed the hope in Romano's eyes.
I could see the hope in Romano's eyes die, replaced by a familiar frustration. His small face contorted with disappointment, and I knew he was thinking of all the times I'd made him do things he hated—the bitter medicine, the painful injections, the meals he didn't want. I could practically hear Lorelei's voice in his head, confirming everything she must have told him about me.
Romano's small hands balled into fists before he jerked away from me and bolted.
I watched him disappear, my expression settling into calm. I dragged a suitcase from beneath the bed and started throwing things inside. As the hours passed, my painkillers faded, making every movement an ordeal.
Staring at the mess I'd created, I remembered moving back to Oakwood. Reed and Romano had helped me settle in then.
But in the years since, neither had lifted a finger around the house.
A flawed father breeds a flawed son.
That thought sparked sudden rage. I shoved everything into trash bags, barked orders at the maid, then snatched the untouched black card from my drawer and called a taxi, fleeing the Gould Villa.
I chose Oakwood's most exclusive postpartum center, booking their premium recovery package. "Keep my information confidential," I told the nurse.
My generous payment for multiple packages earned enthusiastic promises of discretion.
Once alone, I hesitated endlessly before dialing a familiar number.
The phone rang only briefly before a bright voice answered. "Jenifer?!"
"Is it really you, Jenifer?!"
Tears spilled down my cheeks at that sound.
First came quiet sobs, then uncontrollable weeping.
The woman waited patiently before laughing with dark humor. "Ha! Finally figured out your dense, worthless husband is trash, did you?!"
Her colorful curses made me laugh through my tears as I called out with wounded desperation, "Natalia..."
The tirade stopped instantly, replaced by gentleness. "Don't worry, Jenifer."
"I know you've been through hell. Come home now."
"I'll cook your favorite meatballs with mashed potatoes. Sound good?"
Home?
That word left me reeling. My lips curved in a pained smile.
Did I even have a home anymore?
After everything I'd sacrificed for Reed, and still...
——
Reed's POV
Lorelei sank against the couch cushions, hand pressed to her chest, looking apologetically at me. "Sorry, Reed... I felt awful after the broadcast. I didn't mean to bother you with that call... Thank you for rushing over to check on me."
I methodically prepared her medication, speaking quietly, "Don't mention it."
Lorelei's lashes fluttered before she asked softly, "I'm sorry for disturbing your New Year's Eve... Jenifer wasn't upset, was she?"
My hands stilled.
Jenifer's strange behavior tonight flickered through my thoughts.
"Buzz buzz—"
My phone vibrated insistently.
I refocused. "Just some minor friction."
Lorelei ducked her head to mask her expression, though her mouth curved in satisfaction.
I offered her the pills while ignoring my phone's continued buzzing.
Only when it became relentless did I finally check it with irritation. A stream of purchase alerts filled my screen. Scrolling to the bottom, I saw they'd been charged to my secondary card, raising my eyebrows in surprise.
I'd given Jenifer that black card on our wedding day, but she'd never touched it.
The first transaction, however, had occurred in the early morning hours, totaling one hundred fifty thousand dollars.
Combined with Jenifer's bizarre behavior tonight, an unexplainable anxiety crept into my chest.