Another Encounter

I crouched down to his eye level, gently pinching his little cheek with a loving smile, "Don't you miss Mommy? Mommy really missed you, Gage."

His lips twitched, but he still didn't say anything.

"Mommy was sick before, always sleeping and unaware of anything. I didn't even know you were sent to Grandma's house. Now that Mommy is almost better, of course, Gage should come home."

I explained softly.

"...Will Sister come home too?"

Finally, Gage spoke, and my nose stung as tears almost fell. I nodded vigorously, my eyes brimming with tears, "Of course! The whole family should be together!"

"Then, from now on... will Mommy pick me up from school?"

He scrutinized me, looking a bit timid.

"Of course, Mommy will pick you up and drop you off at school!"

I couldn't help but kiss him, feeling an intense desire to be close to him. "Would you like Mommy to pick you up?"

He looked at me for a long moment before nodding.

To be honest, I couldn't see any trace of mischief in him, just a hint of melancholy.

At that moment, Sean emerged from inside, dragging a small suitcase. "Son, grab your backpack," he said to Gage.

Gage then withdrew his hand, ran over to pick up his small backpack, and looked up at Sean.

I couldn't shake the feeling that Gage was afraid of Sean, that there was a lack of closeness between them.

Sean smiled kindly and patted the little guy's head nonchalantly, "Let's go!"

Gage, with his big, dark eyes, looked at me fearfully and didn't move.

I walked over, took Gage's little hand, and swung it, "Let's go! We're going home!"

With that, I led Gage out without looking back. From the corner of my eye, I saw Aaliyah come out of the room, her face dark and brooding as she watched the three of us leave. I didn't bother saying goodbye.

Just as we were about to step out, Aaliyah called out from behind, "Send him back after a few days!"

I silently vowed to myself, "Send him back? Not here, that's for sure."

With Gage in tow, I didn't rush home but took him out for a stroll. We first ate his favorite food and then went to the places he wanted to play. He was clearly happy but didn't talk much, frequently glancing at Sean, who was trailing us.

I suspected that Gage didn't have this kind of freedom at his grandmother's house. Intuition told me that there was a distance between him and his father, which meant Sean hadn't been visiting Gage often.

This thought brought back the image of Sean with Elena and their child at the amusement park, a happy family portrait. My heart clenched, a wave of rage surging within me. I wanted to tear apart the suave and refined Sean in front of me.

Grinding my teeth, I swore to myself that I wouldn't give Sean another chance to play the role of a loving father. If he wanted to act, it would only be for my children.

Despite Sean's constant reminders not to tire myself out, I took Gage into a children's clothing store. I wanted to buy clothes for my children. If their kids were well-dressed, why shouldn't mine be? I bought clothes not only for Gage but also for Caroline and Kyle, along with some for myself. Today, I indulged in revenge shopping, packing everything I liked.

Aaliyah said I didn't pay attention to my image? Said I looked like a beggar? And that I didn't look like a Deng family member? It was ridiculous. Before I married into the Deng family, Sean didn't dare bring me home because their situation then was worlds apart from now.

Back then, they slept in bunk beds, and clothes were handed down from one child to the next. Now they have the nerve to say I don't look like a Deng family member! What a vile thing to say. Did they really think the Deng family's current status was a stroke of luck?

I had to change my frugal ways. My savings had ended up in the pockets of mistresses, and even I felt pathetic and cheap. Especially when even his mother looked down on me, calling me a beggar. I needed to correct my ways.

After buying clothes, I dragged Sean into a designer handbag store. If I was buying, it had to be a complete set.

While we were shopping, something unexpected happened. The world is indeed small; we ran into Elena and her son.

It happened in an instant. None of us anticipated it.

We walked straight into each other, and as our eyes met, the three adults froze. Then, the little boy exclaimed joyfully, "Daddy!"

With that one word, Elena and Sean's faces changed instantly. I looked at Deng Jia Zhe with suspicion and asked curiously, "Is he calling you?"

Before Sean could respond, Elena quickly crouched down, awkwardly wrapping her arm around the boy, saying, "Don't call out like that. Your daddy went to get the car! Call him Uncle Deng, not Daddy!"

The next second, the boy's expression turned strange. He straightened his back, staring at Sean with wide, aggrieved eyes.

I suspected that Elena's hand behind him was doing something.

Sean, trying to appear calm, coldly watched the scene, his face slightly dark, his eyes fierce as he looked at the boy.

Elena then stood up, still holding the boy's hand tightly, their intertwined fingers white and purple from the pressure. She continued to act, pointing at Gage, "Say hi! This is your classmate, Gage."

Gage tightened his grip on my hand and stared at Elena without speaking.

Sean's face showed displeasure as he stood there coldly.

Elena, her face plastered with a smile, nodded at me and Sean, "Mr. Deng, Chloe! Long time no see!"