I Set Her Free to Have Another Man's Child

When my wife, who once mutually agreed with me to be child-free, has to give birth abroad, I book her a plane ticket. To ensure her baby can be legally registered under the father's family, I suggest we get divorced. She signs the papers and even tries to console me. "Once I've had Diego's baby, I'll come back for you." I nod and watch her board the plane. Then, I buy a ticket in the opposite direction and take off. In my previous life, I've been foolish enough to believe I could ever matter more to her than Diego Ford. I've even threatened to kill myself to make her stay. Until the very last desperate moment of my life, all I ever see is her back as she walks away. Given a second chance at life, I swear not to use my life to hold a woman hostage again when I'm clearly dispensable to her. Six years later, we unexpectedly cross paths at a kindergarten sports day. She struggles to believe I'm no longer in love with her. Chapter 1 I never wanted to send my son, Tyler Cooper, to a kindergarten open exclusively to children from powerful, influential families. Unfortunately, the school belonged to my wife, Alaia Johnston. As her husband, I had no choice but to support her. I stood under the bright sun and watched Tyler put on his little knight's helmet. As he climbed onto his horse for the race, I got to my feet, ready to cheer him on. Then, there she was, standing across from me. I froze. Six years had passed. Jane Lawson had gone from a tall, graceful model to a noticeably heavier woman. Even the delicate skin around her eyes had begun to show faint wrinkles. As for me, I was dressed in a custom-made tracksuit, and everything from my posture to the way I carried myself spoke of someone accustomed to being a leader. "Conrad? What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, glancing around nervously, then pulled me into a secluded corner. "Didn't I tell you I'd come back for you when I'm ready? Do you have no idea where this is? How did someone like you even barge in?" Someone like me? Was I not allowed at the kindergarten my wife had invested in for our son? When she saw me staring blankly at her, panic flashed across Jane's face. "How did you find out Diego's kid goes here? I'm warning you. Don't you dare lay a hand on our child." At the mention of Diego Ford, the worry in her eyes looked almost reminiscent of the past. Back then, when Jane learned that Diego's mother's dying wish was to see her grandson born, she gave up her decision to remain childfree and flew all the way to Astoria to have a baby with him. Ironically, by the time the baby was born, Diego's mother was still very much alive. I was about to say something when realization suddenly dawned on Jane. "I know I've neglected you all these years because I've been taking care of Diego and the kids, but you know this was his mother's dying wish. You understand that, don't you?" I did—very much. That was why I had booked her a ticket to Astoria and suggested that we get a divorce. Wasn't that understanding enough? I sighed and was just about to explain that I was here to cheer on Tyler when an unwelcome guest appeared at the end of the hallway. He carried a girl in his arms, who looked about two to three years old. "Mommy!" The girl's soft voice instantly changed Jane's expression. She shot me a warning look before taking the girl into her arms. "Did you miss Mommy, Tilly?" Diego casually glanced at me, then wrapped an arm around them. "Let's go cheer for your brother, okay? Let's see how Ansel defeats that monster!" No father would be happy to hear anyone call his own son a monster. Still, I simply said, "Please show some respect to the other kid." Chapter 2 As I was getting ready to leave, Jane called out to me, her expression complicated. "Conrad, I'll come back eventually. For now, please stop interfering with my family." I scoffed and walked away without looking back. In my previous life, I had believed Jane's empty promises so wholeheartedly that I convinced myself I was special to her. So, when she told me she wanted to have a child with Diego, I foolishly assumed it was just a phase and gave her the silent treatment. After Jane became pregnant with Diego's child, I even threatened to take my own life unless she got an abortion. I was naive enough to believe I had a place in her heart. Sadly, even with my last breath, I waited in vain for her to turn around and come back to me. Now that I had been given another chance at life, I would never waste it on the same mistake again. Besides, I had a happy family of my own now. Watching Tyler cross the finish line first, I couldn't help clapping excitedly. "Some people just love going against everyone else," Diego remarked coldly. Only then did I realize that his family had somehow taken seats right beside me. "Conrad is really something, Jane. He knew Ansel was our son, yet he cheered for his opponent instead." I casually scratched my ear, having no patience for a man who clearly enjoyed stirring up trouble. When Diego saw the gesture, he froze. He looked almost humiliated. "Conrad, I imagine you had to go to quite a bit of trouble to sneak in here, huh? Security is pretty tight. This isn't somewhere you can just wander in." He opened his wallet, pulled out a few bills, and tossed them at me. "I can't do much for you, but you're still Jane's ex. Take these." I stared at him, stunned. It had been a long time since anyone tried to humiliate me. But when I thought about it, something didn't add up. To give Tyler the best possible learning environment, I had personally interviewed every child and parent behind the scenes before admission. During that process, I had never seen Diego or Jane. That could only mean they had gotten in through a shady way themselves. I frowned and pulled out my phone. "Look into the family backgrounds of the students who enrolled recently, along with the staff who handled their admissions. I want everything in my inbox within an hour." I could overlook a little mischief here and there, but when it came to the environment Tyler was growing up in, I would never tolerate anyone rotten getting through the cracks. After hanging up, I turned toward Tyler on the podium, where he received his award. My expression softened. That little boy had been in poor health since birth, so Alaia and I spoiled him a little too much. She was known for being ruthless and decisive in business, so she had poured nearly all her resources into the education sector so he could grow up healthy and happy. When Tyler noticed me watching him, he beamed and waved. I was just about to wave back when Diego stepped in front of me. "I heard that phone call earlier. Seriously? You think that was necessary? Everyone knows the owner of this kindergarten is Ms. Johnston, a major player in the business world. She's way out of your league. "So, do yourself a favor and take the money and scram. If Ms. Johnston finds out some rando has been hanging around her kindergarten, you won't be nearly as lucky next time." I said nothing and simply straightened my tracksuit. After the parent-child sports day, Alaia was scheduled to give a speech for the upcoming charity fundraiser. She had repeatedly reminded me that Tyler and I had to wait for her so we could all go home together. So, no, I wasn't going anywhere. If anything, I had to find out the rotten apple hiding in her kindergarten. Chapter 3 Perhaps my refusal to move had given Jane the wrong idea. A strange look flickered across her eyes as she stepped forward and took my hand. "Conrad, listen to me…" The trick that had worked on me countless times before finally had no effect. When she first told me she wanted to remain childfree, I reacted strongly. Even then, she simply said, "You need to think about my career. Having a baby will ruin my figure. How am I supposed to make it onto my dream runway?" When she decided to get pregnant with Diego's child, she merely frowned at my desperate attempts to stop her. "Your petty behavior is making me question my choice in you. Don't make me look down on you, Conrad." The memories I had buried long ago suddenly came back. Cold sweat broke out across my forehead. It wasn't until I touched the wedding ring that I finally calmed down. I pulled my hand free from Jane and looked at her indifferently. "Mrs. Ford, know your place. You shouldn't get too close to a married man." She was taken aback. Just as she was about to demand an explanation, a small human cannonball barreled into her and knocked her aside. "Stay away from my daddy!" Tyler stood in front of me like a bull, snorting and glaring at the unwelcome intruder. "Mommy said all women who get close to my daddy are bad!" I didn't know how to feel about his reaction. I had no idea what Alaia had been teaching him. She had always been insecure, convinced other women were after me. To reassure her, we rarely spent time apart unless one of us had to deal with something involving Tyler. "Okay, Tyler. Come on. Let's see if Mommy's here yet." I patted him on the head and took his hand. Just as we were ready to leave, someone blocked us. "You stole my championship! My daddy said you paid off the judges! I should've won!" That would be Diego and Jane's son, Ansel Ford. Before I could react, the riding crop in his hand whipped through the air. My eyes widened. I immediately pulled Tyler into my arms and shielded him. A young boy like Ansel shouldn't have had that much strength, yet the crop was lined with tiny barbs that tore viciously into my back. I hissed in pain, but I ignored it and checked Tyler first. "Are you hurt anywhere?" He was terrified and burst into tears the second he heard my voice. "Daddy, I'm scared…" "It's okay, sweetheart. Daddy's right here." I gently stroked his head, then stared coldly at Diego and Jane. "Is this the kid you've raised? Apologize to my son!" Jane's expression was complicated as her eyes moved between Tyler and me. In the end, she sighed. "Conrad, is this a child you adopted? I don't know why you're lying about it, but this place isn't where you or that boy belong. Once I'm done dealing with things here, we'll sit down and talk. "You can send the kid away, and we can go back to enjoying our time together, just the two of us. What do you say?" I frowned deeply, perplexed at how she had come to the conclusion that Tyler was my adopted son. I pulled out my phone and was about to call Alaia when a large hand came out of nowhere and snatched it away. "Sir, I suspect your phone may contain private information belonging to the parents at our kindergarten. I'll confiscate it for now." The commotion drew everyone's attention. One by one, the other parents looked over. Chapter 4 Diego seized the opportunity to clear his throat. He straightened his clothes and stepped forward, addressing the crowd, "Hello, everyone. I'm Ansel's father. Today, Ansel helped us catch a rotten apple…" He pointed at Tyler and me. "As everyone knows, the only people who can get their children into this kindergarten are prominent and influential figures. Yet somehow, a single father has managed to sneak in. "He even bribed the judges to interfere with the fairness of our parent-child sports day." The parents nodded, looking at me with curiosity and suspicion. I ignored them and simply stared expressionlessly at the burly man who had snatched my phone. "Please return my phone." As if deliberately provoking me, he "accidentally" dropped my phone on the ground, then stomped on it twice for good measure. "Sorry, sir. My hand slipped." Diego noticed what was happening and snorted coldly. "Conrad, that man is the head of security here. I suggest you don't make a scene." So, that was who he was. For a moment, I had thought he was some big shot. "I only speak to the principal. Go get them." The security chief paused, looking me up and down. "Our principal has gone to meet Ms. Johnston. I'm afraid she's not available right now. "I don't know how you managed to sneak your son into this elite kindergarten, but I suggest you leave while you still can. Ms. Johnston cares about this place more than anything. "If she finds out that a scum like you has ruined everything she worked so hard to build, things won't end well for you." At that, I knew exactly what was going on. I pulled out the photo I kept close to my heart and showed it to the security chief. "I'm Ms. Johnston's husband. And this is our son, Tyler." Tyler was still sniffling in my arms. When he heard his name, he lifted his tearful eyes and puffed out his little chest, determined not to embarrass Alaia or me. The security chief was just reaching for the photo when Diego snatched it away and tore it into pieces. "Conrad, there's a limit to how much you can lie. Everyone knows Ms. Johnston hates having her picture taken. None of us have even seen what she looks like. What makes you think you can prove this photo is real?" Seeing the hesitation on everyone's faces, he grabbed me by the collar and looked me up and down, his tone dripping with disdain. "Everyone here is wearing designer sportswear, and then there's you, showing up in some worn-out rags you probably picked up off the street." Even Jane sighed, as if disappointed in me. "Conrad, how did you turn out like this? I know you're trying to make me jealous, but you didn't have to go this far and bring a fake photo to fool us." Seeing how they were lost in their own world, I laughed despite myself. I couldn't be bothered to argue anymore. I picked up Tyler and headed for the door. Before I could even reach the entrance, someone tripped me. I lost my balance and went straight down, taking Tyler with me. At the last second, I twisted my body around and hit the ground with my back, taking the full impact so he wouldn't get hurt. The welts from the riding crop and the fresh scrapes on my back burned together in agony. I could barely wince in pain. Tyler had never seen me in such a state. He burst into tears out of panic. He stood there helplessly, staring at me sprawled on the floor, not knowing what to do. Then a clear, beautiful voice rang out.