Two years ago, his classmate died, and Vince appointed himself surrogate "father" to the man's family.

At first, I understood. But soon he was caring for them constantly, even staying overnight. When I confronted him, he'd dismiss me as "narrow-minded," insisting "they're all I have left from my school days."


Three months ago, after promising our son for half a year, Vince bailed on taking Elise to the Underwater World for his birthday. He claimed a court hearing, so I took our son alone.

Then we spotted him there with Sansa and Danny.

"Uncle Vince, you're so nice—even nicer than my real dad was!"


Danny perched on his shoulders, voice bubbling with joy.

"Would you like Uncle Vince to be your dad?"


Sansa asked playfully while fanning herself, her eyes fixed on Vince.

"Yes! I'd love that so much!"

"What about you, Vince?"

They drifted away, laughing together. I couldn't hear Vince's answer.

He wasn't busy—he was saving his time for others. Elise watched the scene unfold, tears streaming down his face.

"Mom, why does Dad always spend time with other people? Am I not his son?"

My heart shattered. That night, Vince and I had our worst fight ever.

After that, my son grew unnaturally mature—no longer begging to play outside, no longer the mischievous boy he once was.

Though I'd decided to divorce Vince, I had no right to deny Elise his father's love. Seeing the hope in my son's eyes, I couldn't say no.

"Let's go together."

When getting in the car, I automatically reached for the passenger door. A sign reading "Reserved for Princess Sansa" was stuck to the seat, alongside her photo framed with hearts.

The old me would have exploded, demanding to know why another woman's photo decorated what should be my seat. Now, I merely glanced at it and looked away.

"Should I sit in the back?"

I asked calmly, eyeing the photo.

Vince's expression tightened as he followed my gaze.

"Danny insisted on putting it there. His classmate's dad keeps his mom's photo there, and Danny felt bad for his mom."

"You're not upset, are you? You know Danny doesn't have a father, and his dad and I were—"

"I'm not upset. You two are adorable. I just wondered if you wanted me in the back seat."

I cut him off, irritation bubbling up. I'd heard this excuse countless times over the past two years.

Vince frowned at my response.

"Rosa, don't be passive-aggressive. If you're upset, just say so."

When we were dating, he could spot manipulative women a mile away. Now he couldn't recognize the same tactics being used on him? He was in too deep.

"Let's go. Elise is waiting."

I dropped the subject, slid into the back seat, and motioned for him to drive.

Throughout the drive, Vince kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror, attempting conversation. I barely responded.

While waiting to enter Ocean World, Elise bubbled with excitement, chattering nonstop. I couldn't remember the last time we'd gone out as a family.

Suddenly, Vince's phone rang—Danny's voice singing as the ringtone.

"Vince, Danny has a terrible stomachache! What should I do?" Sansa's panicked voice came through the speaker.

Vince immediately tensed, comforting Sansa while already turning to leave.

I grabbed his arm, glancing meaningfully at Elise—he owed our son an explanation.

Vince hung up with a sigh and gave Elise's head a perfunctory pat.

"Son, Dad has an emergency. Go in with Mom, and I'll catch up later."

He stuffed the tickets into Elise's hand and walked away without looking back, not waiting for our son's reaction.

Elise clutched the tickets tightly, watching his father leave. Then he lowered his head, kicked a fallen leaf, and began to cry.

I watched my heartbroken son, at a loss for words. This scene had played out countless times over the past two years.

"Mom will go in with you. It'll be just as fun, okay?"

"Mom, let's give these to that mom and kid over there. I don't want a dad anymore. I just want to be with you."

My eight-year-old son looked up at me, tears streaming down his face, his voice stubborn yet determined.

"Okay," I whispered, kneeling to wrap him in a tight hug.

We spent the entire day at Ocean World. Vince never showed up.