"I’ve already had someone send his favorite fruit cake. What else do you want? Don’t use these underhanded tactics. I’m busy preparing for the next competition. Don’t disturb me!"
I glanced at the cake lying on the floor. It was filled with mango. Lester had been allergic to mangoes since he was a child. The irony of it all was that Kendra claimed it was his favorite flavor.
As the nurse wheeled Lester’s lifeless body out, Kendra's father, who had been cursing just moments ago, suddenly went silent. He choked on his sobs and trembled as he pulled back the white cloth covering Lester’s face, nearly collapsing to the ground.
"It’s my fault. I failed to raise my daughter right. But Joseph, despite the five-year agreement nearing its end, you and Kendra were happy together before Russell returned. The Glover family only recognizes you as a son-in-law. Can you give her another chance? I’ll make sure she breaks up with Russell!"
Five years ago, after my parents passed away, Kendra's father found me—just out of college—pleading for my help with Kendra’s recurring injury. The Glover family had supported me for those five years, and to repay their kindness, I reluctantly agreed to marry into the family. I cared for Kendra, encouraging her daily, and eventually, she returned to the swimming track. I believed that once we had Lester, the agreement would be over. But I never imagined it would end like this. Now, after everything, he still wants me to stay with the Glover family. Without thinking, I gently stroked Lester’s cold cheek and said, each word weighing heavily on me:
"We made a five-year agreement. Now that Kendra is back in competition, the favor between us has been repaid."
"Lester shouldn’t have been brought into this world. I was selfish, and I kept him. Now he’s gone, and so should I."
I stayed by Lester’s side through the night until all the formalities were finished, watching the funeral home take him away. When I returned to Glover's house to pack up his belongings, I was met with an unexpected sight. Clothes were scattered across the living room. I followed the sounds to the pool and saw Kendra in a revealing swimsuit, lying in Russell’s arms, tenderly stroking her stomach.
"You’re my only baby. Wait a little longer, and I’ll be able to bring you home openly," she whispered, her voice soft.
"Weiwei, he’s the only one. What about Lester? He kicked me on purpose today. If he knew you were pregnant, who knows what might have happened? Maybe we should just get rid of the child," Russell suggested, his voice cold.
Kendra gently placed her hand over his mouth but spoke words that cut deep.
"No, Lester’s been spoiled by his father. I don’t like him at all. If I could, I’d rather not have Lester as a son."
Her words felt like a knife in my chest. I clenched my fist so tightly that blood began to trickle from my palm.
After a while, they finally noticed me, but Kendra wasn’t the least bit embarrassed. She casually took Russell’s hand and walked toward me.
With a look of disdain, she addressed me. "So, you’ve finally decided to come back? Where did you spend the night? Out with your son, playing the father's role? You’ve got no backbone, and neither does he. The top beam is crooked, and so is the bottom one."
"I know what you did," she continued, sneering. "You went to my dad’s to cause trouble again, making him deny his grandson and threatening me to keep Russell out."
"If that’s the case, take your things and go back to the old house to be the good son-in-law. Here, I only have Russell as my husband. Where’s Lester? Call him out to apologize to Russell. Don’t think you can escape responsibility by pretending to be sick."
Her words were venomous, and her cruelty knew no bounds.
