“I doubt it. Tell me, Dad, are you gonna marry your assistant now?”
Silence wafted in the air. My son’s question was direct, unfiltered, and a jab to his innocent heart. I was hurt by the raw pain I saw in his eyes, yet I had to compose myself.
Zach cleared his throat. “It’s complicated, Liam.”
“I’m sick and you made Mom cry.” Liam sobbed, eyes misting from tears. “I hate you, Dad!”
Zach opened his mouth, but no words came out. He tried to step inside the foyer but I stopped him.
“You should go now.”
Zach’s jaw clenched. “Arianne, he’s my son.”
“Exactly.” My voice shook, but I held the line. “He’s not your PR redemption arc. He’s not your pity project now that your scandal broke into a million headlines. He’s a child. And you don't get to drop in like this and pretend like you didn't torch our entire lives.”
He shifted slightly, one foot still on the welcome mat like he couldn’t decide if he was intruding or entitled. “I didn’t plan for it to happen like this. Celine—she’s a wonderful woman—”
I raised a hand, stopping him curtly. “I don’t care about your spin. I care about my son’s heartbeat not rising every time he hears a car in the driveway.”
He looked down, sighing, and finally dropped the envelope on the shoe bench beside the door. “Fine. I’m not here to ask for forgiveness anymore. Just read the terms.”
I watched him strode toward his car. Once I locked the door, my phone vibrated in my pocket. A message from an unknown number.
You believed he’s there for closure?
You should read the fine print, Arianne.
I fumbled for the envelope Zach left earlier. I’d assumed it held divorce papers. But when I ripped it open and pulled out the stack of documents—it had two documents inside. One was for divorce petition and the other was a petition for full custody of Liam.
Filed by Zachary Hatton. And co-signed by Celine Lovelet.
My world lurched sideways. My knees buckled against the edge of the counter as reality sank in. They were never going to stop at betrayal. They weren’t just playing house.
They were planning to steal my son!
The bile in my throat rose so fast I nearly choked on it. I flipped through the pages, hoping this was some cruel mistake. But every line was deliberate.
Zach’s signature, the request for primary physical custody, and a clause buried halfway through: Co-guardianship requested with Ms. Celine Lovelet, long-term partner and medically authorized caretaker.