Chapter 5
“Change your clothes and come with me. I brought Yara and Stellan back today so that you could spend time with them.”
When I didn’t move, he frowned, grabbed a jacket at random, and forced it onto me, zipping it up himself. He even made a point to remind me, “And don’t talk nonsense again. I’ll explain the situation with Stellan’s name another time.”
When we arrived, Benson gave Stellan a gentle push toward me. “Spend some time getting to know Stellan first.”
Then, he bent down, speaking with the same soft, indulgent tone he used with Yara. “Stellan, play with Ms. Winters for a while, okay? Daddy and Mommy are going to buy you new clothes and toys.”
Stellan beamed with joy and agreed immediately. I followed him numbly as he tugged me toward the food court. Like all kids, he was drawn to fried snacks. Not knowing if he could eat those, I took out my phone to call Benson.
He didn’t answer. And for the first time, seven–year–old Stellan bared his teeth at me.
“My mom and dad are on a date. Why are you even calling them? You’re not my mom, so why do you care what I eat? Daddy said you’re supposed to take me out and let me have fun, so just buy me whatever I want to eat or play with! Everything else is none of your business. You’re just an outsider!”
I froze. I couldn’t even argue back.
Later, on the way back, Stellan suddenly clutched his stomach and started crying. His face went pale from the pain.
Yara was in tears, and Benson was terrified. He floored the gas pedal and rushed to the hospital.
After running a few tests, the doctor diagnosed him with acute gastroenteritis. It was serious. He recommended an IV drip and hospital observation. Stellan lay weakly on the bed, sobbing and calling for his mom. He looked at me in fear.
“I told her my stomach was weak and I couldn’t eat fried treats like donuts, but Ms. Winters said she wanted to eat them. She bought some and gave me a big one, the size of a fist, and made me eat it. After I did, the pain started…”
Yara wept too, her face stricken as she turned to me pleadingly. “Ms. Winters, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have fallen in love with Benson. I shouldn’t have come into your life. If you’re angry, take it out on me. Please, don’t hurt Stellan. I carried him in my stomach for ten months. He’s my life!”
I realized something was wrong and quickly tried to explain.
But Benson’s slap landed on my face first. His eyes were wide with rage, as if he wanted to kill me.
“I told you, if you have a problem, take it out on me! I never thought you’d stoop so low as to hurt an innocent child!”
I lifted my chin and argued back, “I didn’t! He wanted to eat it himself! I even tried calling you to ask if he could eat it, but you didn’t pick up!” “Enough! Shut your mouth!” Benson glared at me coldly. “I remember how much you used to love donuts. Yvonne, you were never meant to be a mother.” That one sentence was a verdict. It left me speechless.
He looked at me in disappointment, then pulled the folded divorce agreement from his pocket. He used the hospital pen to sign it without hesitation. “Haven’t you been asking for a divorce? Let’s get it over with. I don’t feel comfortable letting you stay with them while you’re this emotionally unstable. Once you’ve calmed down, we’ll talk about getting back together.”
A sudden sense of relief washed over me. I stopped arguing and calinly picked up the divorce agreement from the floor, folded it, and put it away. Before leaving, I looked calmly at Benson. “Benson, I stopped eating donuts ten years ago. I started getting toothaches from sweets. You forgot that.”
He opened his mouth, stunned. His face twisted in disbelief, but not a word came out.
I went home alone and walked back to the house where I had spent ten years of my life with Benson. After we achieved success in business, we moved back into the Locke residence. We even renovated the old house together.
