He was the original Erika’s son, after all. I couldn’t just ignore it.
“I’ll go with you,” Ethan said immediately. “Just in case you need backup.”
I considered it and nodded. An extra person couldn’t hurt.
Ethan seemed even more worried than I was. “Does he need a doctor? I have a friend who’s a doctor, I can call him to meet us
there. Why isn’t he at a hospital if he’s sick?”
I shook my head. “The Kartalians have their own private physician.”
Tim was a premature baby. The original Erika had gone into early labor after getting into a car accident, triggered by the stress of seeing Jack on TV accepting an award with Sophia by his side. Born at seven and a half months, Tim had always been frail. The original Erika had poured her entire being into nursing him to health.
It was a bitter irony that once he was old enough to talk, he’d only ever wanted Sophia.
The two of them, father and son, had systematically broken her heart, driving her to the brink of despair. If it were up to me, I’d
resent them both. But they were, for now, my husband and son.
Ethan drove me to the villa.
The moment Tim saw me, he ran over, crying my name. For all his bluster, his eyes betrayed a deep longing for me. He was only nine, and no matter how much he idolized a stranger, he couldn’t sever the bond with the mother who had raised him.
“Mommy,” he whispered, his lips pale and his cheeks flushed with fever.
But as I moved toward him, Sophia stood up, blocking my path and pointing an accusatory finger.
“Look who finally decided to show up. While your son is burning up with a fever, you’re out gallivanting with… whoever this is. Have
12:42
12:42
Chapter 2
you no shame?”
“Lady, you should look in a mirror before you start throwing words like ‘shame‘ around,” Ethan shot back, stepping in front of me.”
Last I checked, the homewrecker doesn’t get to lecture the wife.”
“And who are you supposed to be?” Sophia spat, her eyes turning red as she looked pleadingly at Jack. “Jack…”
“Both of you, shut up!” Jack roared, silencing the room. “If you can’t be quiet, get out.”
It was the first time I had ever heard him speak to Sophia that way.
“Jack…” she whimpered.
“Get out!” he snarled, shrugging her off. He walked over to me. “He’s seen you now. He needs to rest. Eril
study.”
Thinking of the divorce, I nodded,
**Call “Call me if you need anything,” Ethan whispered as I left. “I’ll be waiting in the car.”
ed to talk. In my
I followed Jack into his study, a room I had never been in before. On his desk, a framed photo of him and Sophia smiled back at
- me.
He walked to the desk and placed the wedding ring I had left behind in front of me.
“Stop this nonsense, Erika. I’ll get Sophia to move out soon. Just come home.”
“Let’s get a divorce.”
