Fiona frowned.
"Weston is throwing a tantrum and now you are too? Can't you be a little more understanding? He'll naturally become well-behaved as he grows up."
"I'm already exhausted from work every day. Can you please stop adding to my troubles? I don't have the energy to coddle you."
I wanted to tell her that I didn't need coddling, but in Fiona's eyes, that would be pushing my luck. She instantly lost her lust, then slammed the door and left.
"I still have work to do. You can sleep alone tonight."
I can't remember how many times Fiona has left me. It seems that in Fiona's eyes, I am a toy that can be summoned and dismissed at will.
But after tomorrow, this toy of hers won't exist anymore.
That night, I sat at the table, carefully piecing the emerald bracelet fragments back together. Unfortunately, emeralds are hard to mend. I worked all night, only managing to hold it together precariously with super glue.
When I finally looked out the window, the sky was already bright. Cynthia had sent me a message, asking me to come to the Sages' residence.
So, I threw on a coat and went to the Sage family's house.
As soon as I entered, I saw Cynthia sitting in the living room with a worried expression. When she saw me, she sighed with regret.
"I heard what happened yesterday. Weston's taken after his mother's stubborn streak. He's a handful, but you raised him with your own hands. There's no way he doesn't care about you. I believe that once he grows up a little more, he'll understand everything."
"Moreover, are you really willing to give up the family you've worked so hard to keep together all these years?"
I froze for a second, caught off guard.
Was it really a family when there was never any love to begin with?
Cynthia's son, Jayden and Fiona were childhood sweethearts. They grew up together innocently and naturally became a couple as adults, eventually marrying.
Their relationship was excellent, the envy of everyone.
Sadly, Jayden died in a car accident five years ago. Fiona aged a lot overnight and has become silent since then.
Cynthia knew Weston needed a mother, but she didn't trust anyone else to step in. In the end, she came to me and asked me to marry Fiona and raise Weston in Jayden's place.
Over the past five years, I've poured my heart and soul into managing everything within the household and raising Weston into the exceptional child everyone sees. In my spare time, I would also try to ease Fiona's worries and lift her spirits.
Even so, I never received a moment of genuine affection from either of them.
To Fiona, I was nothing but a utility. She'd only come to me when she had physical needs. Other than that, she wouldn't even say a single word to me.
Weston hated me because of things he'd heard from others. He hated me so much he probably wished I'd just drop dead.
To me, a place like this had nothing to do with the word "home."
Unable to persuade me otherwise, Cynthia had no choice but to give up. She handed me the agreement, telling me I would be free once I signed it.
The elation in my heart was hard to contain. I quickly signed my name on the agreement.
By the time I got back home, it was already evening.
I tried to open the door with my key but found the lock had been changed. Confused, I knocked on the door and called out, but no one answered.
Just as I was about to call the housekeeper, Weston walked out with his arms crossed, looking at me with pure disgust.
"You still know how to come back? Why didn't you just die out there somewhere? Then you wouldn't have to cook for me and Mom anymore."
I knew he was angry because I hadn't prepared his three meals that day. After all, Weston had a delicate and picky appetite and very few people could satisfy him without upsetting his stomach. To take care of his health, I had explicitly taken cooking classes and meticulously prepared every meal for him as he grew up.
Back then, Weston would always hug me with a smile and say, "Daddy, you're the most amazing chef! I want to eat your food forever."
I never knew when his attitude towards me started to turn sour. Until now, he would curse me to die every time he saw me.
Suddenly, the sky flashed with lightning and thunder and a heavy rain poured down without warning. I had nowhere to take shelter and was instantly soaked to the bone.
I looked up and said to Weston in a pleading tone.
"Weston, can you let me in? Otherwise, I'll catch a cold."
"What does your cold have to do with me? You brought this on yourself. Since you like it outside so much, just stay out there," Weston sneered.
"Weston, who are you talking to?"
Just then, a crisp male voice came from inside the house. Mason Skyler walked over in leather shoes and gently put his arm around Weston's shoulders.
When Mason saw me, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh, I thought it was someone important. It's just you, Zion. Sorry, Mrs. Claire always said she wanted to spend the evening with me, so you'll have to rough it outside tonight."
"Come on, Weston. Let's go eat. Your mom's waiting."
Weston happily took Mason's hand, beaming.
"Yay! I love eating with Uncle Mason the most! Uncle Mason is the best to me!"
