Perhaps my approach to raising Kylo has been too strict. Since he was old enough to remember, he’s never been close to me.
Instead, he’s always been closer to Evelyn. Every time she visits, he clings to her, listens to her more than he ever listens to me.
Just like now. I spoke to him, but Kylo didn’t even glance up, completely ignoring me as he continued to play with his little toy car.
“Kylo, it’s breakfast time. How about you wait to play with your car until after you’ve finished eating?”
Evelyn gently patted his head, and as soon as she spoke, Kylo immediately set down his toy car and began eating breakfast seriously.
She turned to me and smiled, a look in her eyes that was both teasing and triumphant. “Vivian, look how well Kylo listens to me.”
It wasn’t the first time this had happened. Evelyn’s words always had a much greater effect on him than mine.
I had never noticed anything strange before, but now it seemed clear that Kylo probably already knew Evelyn was the one who should be his mother.
I sneered inwardly but kept my face neutral.
“Kylo listens so well to Evelyn. Why don’t you let her be your mom instead?”
Kylo, being a child, couldn't hide his emotions or thoughts—they were all written on his face.
The moment he heard my words, his eyes lit up, and his face broke into an unmistakable expression of joy, ready to agree immediately.
Evelyn and Damian exchanged a glance, their faces suddenly panicked.
Before Kylo could speak, Evelyn quickly covered his mouth, forcing a dry laugh. “Vivian, why would you say something like that?”
“Yeah, Vivian, what do you mean by that?”
Damian’s face was full of caution, as though he was terrified I had uncovered something.
I lowered my head, feigning hurt, and spoke in a tone full of sadness:
“I just feel like Kylo isn’t very close to me, and I’m a little sad about it.”
As soon as I said that, Evelyn and Damian both breathed a sigh of relief and started to comfort me.
“Kylo is still young; kids are easy to teach.”
“Yeah, Vivian, don’t be too strict with Kylo in the future.”
I lowered my head, hiding the cold smile in my eyes, and after finishing breakfast, I left for the hospital.
I had arranged an appointment for a full body checkup early in the morning through my assistant Nathan.
Although I felt fine physically, I wanted the reassurance of a checkup.
The results came quickly, and the doctor said that my blood sugar and blood pressure were a little high, and emotional stress could lead to heart problems.
But thankfully, I was still young. With proper care, and by maintaining a good diet and lifestyle, there shouldn’t be any major issues.
This result wasn’t a surprise, and I let out a sigh of relief.
I kept the medical report safe, but as I was leaving the hospital, I ran into my uncle Lawrence and his wife, Clarisse.
Seeing me, the couple looked at me with concern. “Vivian, is something wrong with your health?”
Looking at Lawrence, who had become a bit rounder with age, I felt a lump in my throat.
Clarisse and Lawrence had originally been migrant workers. My parents, understanding their hard work, arranged a small managerial position for Lawrence at the company—basically a desk job.
Since my parents’ tragic passing, the couple had treated me like their own daughter, sometimes even better than they treated Evelyn.
Whenever I was wronged, Lawrence and Clarisse would always take my side.
Seeing their concerned eyes, an absurd thought suddenly crossed my mind.
What if they already knew about—perhaps even tacitly accepted—the relationship between Evelyn and Damian?
“My health is fine, just a minor cold. I came to the hospital to pick up some medicine.”
I began to casually probe, maintaining the same calm smile I always wore.
