The boss stamped her foot, her face tight with agitation. “Angela, you’re confused! Whatever the problem is, talk it out. Why let the child suffer like this?”
Jonathan held Ethan tighter, his arms rocking with the boy’s sobs. His gaze locked on me, and the last flicker of light in his eyes dimmed, leaving only the gray hollow of despair.
“You can even turn your back on Ethan…” His laugh came low and brittle, like shards of ice cracking. “Fine. Isn’t divorce what you want? I’ll give it to you.”
He didn’t look at me again. Bowing his head, he patted Ethan’s back, his voice hoarse. “I’ll sign the divorce papers. Tomorrow at noon, come home. I’ll sign them in front of both our families.”
With that, he turned and walked out, still holding the crying Ethan. His back was straight, but it bore the weight of defeat so heavy it nearly bent him.
The shop went silent behind him. All eyes looked at me, full of shock and contempt, as if I had just done something unforgivable.
I offered no explanation. I only bent down and continued stacking the shelves.
...
The next day at noon, as soon as I pushed open the front door, a flurry of voices rushed at me from the living room.
Both my parents and Jonathan's parents were seated on the sofas. My mother’s eyes were swollen and red from crying, while Sandra sighed over and over, her face etched with exhaustion.
In the corner, Jonathan sat with Ethan in his arms.
The shadows under his eyes were darker than they had been the day before. When he looked up and saw me walk in, his gaze was stripped bare of emotion, like he was staring at a stranger.
“Angela, you still have the nerve to come back?” My father was the first to explode, slamming the table so hard the teacup rattled noisily against the wood. “You won’t even care for your own child just to get a divorce. What on earth are you thinking?”
I didn’t respond. My silence was the only shield I had left.
It was Jonathan who finally broke it, his voice flat, stripped of warmth.
“I’ve already drafted the divorce agreement. The assets will remain with me, and Ethan’s custody will also be mine. You can visit him anytime, but you may not take him away.” He pushed the papers across the table toward me. “If you have no objections, sign it.”
Our parents pounced immediately, their voices loud and sharp.
“That’s the way it should be! She’s so heartless to her own child—she’s not fit to be a mother."