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Chapter 6
Chapter6
I would often stop him from eating too much candy, and I’d firmly educate him when he was being willful.
Kids can’t tell right from wrong; they just know I frequently put restrictions on him, so it was no surprise he didn’t want to be close to
me anymore.
That day, Charles took him out for a day of fun. After they got home, Aaron boldly declared,
“I don’t want you to be my mom anymore! I want Vanessa to be my
mom!”
“You’re not worthy of being my mom! Get out! This is my home!”
Doris has asked me in private whether it would be alright if she didn’t befriend Aaron, as she isn’t fond of him.
“Of course, you can,” I said, tone flat but a bit curious. “Why don’t you
like him?”
Doris is a big–hearted child. She rarely expresses dislike for anyone outright. Most of the time, she is just lukewarm.
“He’s hurt you,” Doris replied flatly. “You always look sad when you see him.”
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I was taken aback.
“He knows it makes you sad, yet he keeps showing up in front of you,” Doris continued, lowering her head a bit glumly. “Can I hit him?”
“I can’t take on Charles yet, but I can handle Aaron,” Doris thought for Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.
a moment. “Mom, can you take me to learn Taekwondo?”
“I’ll become really strong, Mommy. I’ll protect you.”
I agreed to enroll Doris in Taekwondo classes.
She takes it very seriously, and the instructor says, “Doris can withstand more challenges than many older children.”
I recall the time Charles pointed at me and mocked, “Who would love a woman like you?”
That’s not true, Charles.
Grandma Samantha loved me, and Doris loves me.
And now, I love myself.
Charles would sometimes drop by, always arriving looking worn out.
He’d spend some time in my café, order a few dishes, and after
finishing his meal, he’d pick up Aaron and head home.
Neighbors keep asking if Charles is wooing me.
They don’t know he is my ex–husband. They just see a wealthy
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bachelor chasing after a divorced woman with a child.
I always laugh and deny it:
“He’s not blind; why would he be interested in me?”
“He’s just here to pick up his kid, not to court me.”
In the past, I would have speculated about the motives behind Charles’s actions.
But now, I have no curiosity about him whatsoever.
Whether he comes or goes, I couldn’t care less.