There was a time when Willy would have defended me, at least occasionally. But now, his gaze remained fixed on Sophia, his infatuated expression as if he were admiring the rarest of treasures.
Sophia didn’t even flinch under my stare. Instead, she smiled at me with quiet provocation before turning to my mother-in-law, gently holding her arm.
“Auntie, you mustn’t get upset at your age. If you don’t mind, from now on, let Benny be your grandson.”
Grandmother’s expression instantly brightened, her previous scorn toward me replaced by pure delight as she showered Sophia with praises for her thoughtfulness.
Sophia then pulled the teenage boy beside her forward, her smile never faltering. “It’s been a while, Carol. My apologies—we only just flew in from overseas and didn’t have time to change. But you’re so magnanimous, I’m sure you won’t mind, right?”
She then turned to the boy beside her. “By the way, this is my son, Benny Nelson.”
The boy, a striking resemblance to Willy with about five or six shared features, looked me up and down with open disdain before smirking arrogantly. “Auntie, you’re so ugly.”
Before I could react, he turned to Willy and held out his hand expectantly. “Dad, you promised me a gift when Mom and I returned to Chicago. The day after tomorrow is my eighteenth birthday. Last year, you only gave me ninety-nine presents—this year, I want a hundred.”
His words, his deliberate humiliation, burned like acid. But Willy ignored my presence, his attention solely on the boy as he helplessly chuckled and ruffled his hair. “Got it.”
With that, he pulled out a long-life lock—the same one I had painstakingly believed was meant for my Liam—and gently fastened it around Benny’s neck with an expression full of love and pride. But that wasn’t enough. Willy snapped his fingers and outside the funeral home, a dozen sports cars—each painted in vibrant, blinding colors—rolled into view.
“Here,” Willy said, grinning indulgently. “Dad knows you like bright colors. These are all yours.”
Sophia pouted playfully, clinging to Willy’s arm. “Willy, what about me? You can’t just spoil your son.”
Willy chuckled, gently tapping her nose. “Of course, I haven’t forgotten you.”