Confrontation
"We're just a small music studio. There are many things we don't have the power to decide for ourselves. Please don't make things difficult for us."
As I listened to Jason's words, the very last trace of hope in my heart shattered completely.
Jessica had been using me from the very beginning.
She had turned everything that belonged to me into stepping stones for Christian, while I had been moved by her supposed devotion and making excuses for why she kept postponing marriage like a fool.
Now that I had connected all the dots, I practically rocketed out of the studio.
There was only one thought in my mind. I wanted answers from the woman herself.
…
By the time I arrived at the company, I ignored the secretary's alarmed attempts to stop me and charged straight toward the CEO's office.
"Mommy, I want ice cream!"
A child's voice made my footsteps come to an abrupt halt.
Inside the office, Jessica sat in the chair with a little boy cradled in her arms. Christian, who was dressed in a tailored designer suit, stood beside her with one arm affectionately around her shoulders.
Judging by the tilt of his head and the smile on his lips, he was speaking to her in a low, intimate voice.
Even though I had already learned of the child's existence, seeing him in person still struck me so hard that my chest tightened with unbearable pain.
Christian noticed me first.
His expression stiffened instantly. He hurriedly rose from the sofa, causing the child in his arms to wobble unsteadily.
Jessica sensed something was amiss, so she turned.
When she saw me, surprise flashed through her eyes before she instinctively stepped in front of Christian and the child protectively. "Why are you here?"
I tugged at the corner of my lips into a stiff smile, but there was no hiding the despondent look in my eyes. "You're right. I shouldn't have come and interrupted a wonderful family time. It really was unnecessary of me."
When Jessica heard my words, she frowned and snapped in irritation, "Christopher, what are you up to now? Do you have to ruin a perfectly good day?"
Christian quickly stepped forward and grabbed Jessica's arm. "Jessica, don't be angry at Mr. Thomson. He's just misunderstood things. I'll explain it to him."
"I wasn't talking to you." I shot Christian a cold glance.
The gentle look on Christian's face slipped. He even had the audacity to look at me as though I'd pointed a blade at his neck.
The little boy wriggled out of his arms and toddled toward me. Then, he raised his hands and shoved me hard. "Bad guy! Stop bullying my daddy!"
The child was too young to possess much strength.
The moment he pushed me, he lost his own balance and fell onto the floor with a thud. His nose immediately scrunched up as if he were about to cry.
Christian cried out in alarm and rushed over, scooping the child into his arms. When he looked up at me again, he was already on the verge of tears.
"Mr. Thomson, if you're angry, take it out on me. My child is still young. How could you bear to hurt him?"
Jessica strode forward and tightly shielded Christian and the child in her embrace. The look she gave me turned stone cold.
"Christopher, that's enough! How can you argue with a child?"
I stood there motionless, watching the fiercely protective way she guarded them. All I felt was absurdity and heartbreak.
Everyone had ditched Jessica at the curb when the Sullivan Group went bankrupt. Still, Christian, who was her fiancé at the time, had been the first to tear up the engagement, seize their assets, marry someone else, and flee overseas.
He had even joined forces with outsiders to crush the Sullivan Group completely, driving Jessica into despair.
It was I who stayed by her side.
I gave up my future, left my home, and followed her across the ocean to Tylen when she had nothing. I lived with her in a basement apartment, surviving on instant noodles soaked in cold water.
I handed over all my savings to her and stayed by her side as she slowly rebuilt everything from the ground up.
However, I now understood that all those years of companionship could never compare to her childhood sweetheart.
At that moment, every question I had wanted to ask suddenly felt ridiculous.
I slapped the payroll card down in front of Jessica. "Fine. Since you are so kind-hearted, I won't stop you from taking care of them."
