Chapter 1
On our seventh wedding anniversary, my husband Archer Leonel stood me up and sent me an “anniversary gift” instead-a newborn baby, still covered in amniotic fluid.
I ignored the crying outside my door and dumped the cold dinner straight into the trash-just like the last bit of love I had.
Archer’s call came through. “You got the kid, right? Stop giving Hayley such a hard time anymore. She’s already given you her child! What the hell else do you want from her?”
“Jesus, Karen, can you be more understanding? if you weren’t useless in bed and couldn’t give me a child, I wouldn’t need another woman?”
“We’ve carried the Leonel name for seven generations. Just take care of mine and Hayley’s baby. Once I finish helping her with her studies abroad, I’ll come back and throw the wedding you’ve been begging for.”
I responded calmly, “Fine.”
Then I immediately contacted a couple from the slums of Africa. “Hey, I heard you’re looking to adopt a child?”
At that moment, a text message popped up on my phone: “Karen Silkisia, if you don’t marry me, I swear to God I’ll kill myself!”
I took one last look at this hollow house and replied, “I do. I’ll marry you.”
He called back immediately, practically bouncing with excitement. “I’m picking you up right now!”
Three years later, I returned to New York with my child for a business expansion.
At JFK, I ran straight into Archer and Hayley Corbella, fresh off their flight back to the States.
Archer shoved his suitcase at me like it was expected.
“Well, look who’s being thoughtful for once. How’d you know we were coming back today?”
Before I could answer, he frowned with irritation. “And why have your texts been so damn weird these past few years? Only time you made sense was asking for money!”
I almost smirked.
When I left New York, I’d tossed my phone to some homeless guy on the street-God knows who’d been texting him back.
Not bothering to engage, I shoved his suitcase right back at him.
“Wrong person.”
I turned to leave, but Hayley spotted the sleeping child in the stroller and burst into tears, lunging forward.
“My baby! Mommy’s back! I’m so sorry Mommy met your daddy too late to be there for you properly.”
She pushed past me and scooped up my son despite my protests.
The kid-who definitely inherited his bio-dad’s cranky wake-up attitude-immediately let out a wail.
He thrashed around, his little feet kicking Hayley in the face.
Crying “Mommy!” while reaching for me, which made panic and jealousy flash across Hayley’s eyes.
I rushed over to take him back, about to explain, “Look, he’s not your-”
But Hayley stepped back, tears streaming down her face.
“Karen, you promised you’d take good care of my baby. Why is he still so skinny and small at three years old?”
Then she cooed to the struggling child, “It’s Mommy’s fault. Mommy wasn’t there for three years-I even didn’t know you were suffering so much!”
I was ready to roll my eyes, opening my mouth to say, “You’ve got it wrong, he’s only two-”
SMACK
The next second, my face exploded in pain. I stared at Archer in disbelief.
His face was twisted with rage. “Karen Silkisia, I never thought you were this fucking evil. You promised us, and then you spent three years abusing mine and Hayley’s child!”
‘I sent you nearly a million dollars over three years, and you couldn’t even feed him right?”
‘Look how skinny and dark he is-this is supposed to be the Leonel heir!”
A crowd had gathered around us, shaking their heads and whispering.
Someone even pulled out their phone to livestream, “Holy shit, y’all! Rich family catches their nanny abusing their kid!”
frowned, watching my still-crying child, and protectively yanked him away from Hayley.
While I was busy comforting him, unable to explain to the crowd, Hayley suddenly shrieked, “Karen, how could you give him a down pillows? You now I’m allergic to goose down!”
No wonder he’s so weak-he’s allergic just like me! Didn’t you notice at all?”
Poor baby couldn’t even talk to tell you-he suffered for three whole years. I guess it’s different when it’s not your own flesh and blood…”
he dropped to her knees, full dramatic grieving mom mode.
Please, just give me back my son! I almost died bringing him into this world!”
wanted to laugh. That baby had been dumped at my door still covered in amniotic fluid, dumped at my door as a gift.
hese two had immediately fucked off to Europe for their romantic getaway, posting lovey-dovey pics on Instagram while I became everyone’s avorite joke.
f I hadn’t heard the crying, that baby would’ve frozen to death outside.
hey couldn’t even be bothered to feed their own child back then, and now they wanted to play loving parents?
set my jaw and put my son back in his stroller.
rcher was livid. “Karen, give Hayley back her kid. You can’t even take care of a child-you don’t deserve to be Mrs. Leonel anymore!”
smiled coldly. “Like I ever wanted that bullshit title. I’ve been remarried for years!”
15:04
He Flew to Fu
