Curling my lips into a cold smile, I flipped open the agreement and sneered,
“Custody? Jason, are you blind? When did I ever say I wanted custody of Ethan?”
A son who sides against his own mother? I hadn’t wanted him for a long time.
Ethan seemed startled by my expression and quickly hid behind Jason.
The smug look on Jason’s face froze instantly.
He probably never imagined that I, who had always treated Ethan as my whole world, would so decisively give up custody.
When he saw me sign the agreement without hesitation, the contempt in his eyes finally turned into shock and fury.
He jumped to his feet, raising his voice,
“Rachel, what the hell are you doing? Just because I didn’t take you to see a Broadway show, you’re acting like this? Is it really worth it?”
“Besides, do you even understand that kind of high art? Bringing you along would be a total waste of a ticket!”
“If you can’t handle Ethan saying a few truths, then you’re way too sensitive! He’s just a kid! What kind of mother bickers with her own child like this?”
After speaking, he drew in a deep breath, forcing down his anger, and turned sharply toward Ethan, his tone harsh,
“Ethan! Go apologize to your mom! Say you’re sorry! Otherwise, she’ll hold this over you forever!”
“Do you still want to see the Broadway show or not?”
Ethan flinched under his father’s roar. His lips trembled, his eyes welling with tears.
Reluctantly, he shuffled toward me.
“Mom… I’m sorry…”
The words carried no sincerity—just the empty compliance of a child being forced.
At that moment, Emily’s voice chimed in from the video call,
“Ethan’s mom, I’m so sorry. This really was my oversight—I didn’t ask carefully beforehand, so I didn’t get your ticket. I never meant to cause such trouble, and I truly apologize.”
“It’s too late to buy one now, but next time, I promise I’ll visit you personally to make it up to you.”
She paused, her voice laced with just the right touch of grievance,
“Ethan is such a sweet, thoughtful boy. I genuinely care about him, so of course I tend to look after him a little more. But I swear I don’t mean anything else… you really don’t need to feel so insecure…”
Jason’s face softened slightly, and he looked at me with an exasperated impatience, as if to say: See how considerate Ms. Emily is?
“You hear that? Ms. Emily already apologized, and Ethan did too. What more do you want? Isn’t that enough?”