Chapter 3

3

Archer had changed into his pajamas and looked like a little angel. I reached out to touch his cheek, but he slapped my hand away.

The last bit of my maternal warmth flickered and died.

"Daddy said we're going out for dinner. It's Auntie Mina's birthday."

Mina's birthday. I checked my phone and let out a hollow laugh.

Today was also my wedding anniversary with Kaden. In previous years, I would have spent weeks picking out the perfect gift. Now, I couldn't care less.

He probably wouldn't even want anything I bought him anyway.

"Mommy knows. You can go now," I said quietly.

I didn't argue with Kaden. I just changed my clothes and followed them out like a shadow.

Archer was glowing. He held Kaden's hand on one side and Mina's on the other, skipping down the sidewalk.

"What a beautiful family. They look so in love," a passerby remarked.

"Yeah, look at that little boy. He's gorgeous. Good genes from both parents."

Archer heard them and ran over, pointing at me and then at Mina.

"Hey! Who do you think I look more like?" he asked with a cute, calculated tilt of his head.

The crowd laughed at his playfulness.

"You definitely look like your mommy over there," a woman said, gesturing to Mina.

Kaden's face stiffened for a second. He looked at me with a fake, apologetic smile.

"He's just a kid, Hattie. Don't take it to heart."

"Actually, Hattie, everyone says Archer looks just like you," Mina added, her voice just loud enough for the strangers to hear.

In an instant, the atmosphere changed. The people nearby started looking at me with judgment.

They didn't think the child was wrong. They assumed I must be a terrible mother if my own son preferred a stranger over me.

"It doesn't matter," I replied.

I was used to this. I was already halfway out the door. But my son's attitude still stung. He was mine, yet he was publicly erasing me.

The dinner was a disaster for me. I couldn't focus on the food and kept staring into space.

Kaden's annoyance boiled over. He glared at me across the table.

"If you didn't want to come, you should have stayed home. Stop acting like someone died."

Archer joined in, kicking my leg under the table. "It's Auntie Mina's birthday. Don't be a buzzkill, Mommy. My friends say you never smile."

He whispered the last part, but I heard it perfectly.

I had only gone to his preschool once, for that field day. I wasn't invited, but I saw the notice in the parents' group and rushed over.

Mina was already there. Archer was introducing her to everyone as his mother.

When Mina saw me, she called out my name loudly, making the whole situation awkward. Archer had been mortified.

Now, apparently, I was the reason he felt embarrassed to have a mother who didn't smile.

"I'm sorry, Archer. Mommy is sorry."

I apologized sincerely. I didn't fight back or cause a scene. Kaden looked surprised.

Usually, I would have lectured Archer about respect and boundaries. He hated that. He thought I was always in "teacher mode" and couldn't turn it off.

Now that I was silent, he just snorted. "Stop acting so dramatic."

He turned back to laugh with Archer and Mina. I sat there like a ghost, watching a celebration that had nothing to do with me.

"Auntie Mina, when did you first meet Daddy?" Archer asked, leaning into her. He wanted to hear their "love story."