Seven Years a Shadow: The Stand-In's Escape novel Chapter 67

When he saw the cake on the table, a flash of regret appeared in his eyes.

"Sorry, I forgot."

I found it laughable. He had reminders on his phone, one after another.

Could he really not see them?

Or was his indulgence in his lover's arms so overpowering that he could forget everything?

I took out the divorce application and turned to the last page. Trying to stay composed, I handed it to him.

"Please sign this..."

Before I could finish, his phone rang.

Jenny's voice, tinged with panic, came through.

"Mr. Martin, there's a power outage at my place. Could you come and keep me company? I'm scared."

Emerson immediately stood up, his eyes filled with urgency.

"I'm coming. Wait for me."

After hanging up, he signed the document without even glancing at it.

I stepped aside and quietly watched him leave.

Emerson, always remember.

This family is one you chose to discard.

The next day, I returned to the company to hand over my work.

Emerson personally found me and handed me a beautifully packaged gift box.

"It's Lucas's birthday gift. I forgot to give it to him yesterday."

I froze for a moment, then opened the gift. Inside was a small dog toy.

My son is terrified of dogs.

When he was five, Emerson took him to an amusement park.

But during the visit, he got distracted after running into a friend and let go of my son's hand.

The young child got lost in the crowd.

When they found him again, he was crouching on the side of the road, trembling, scared by a stray dog.

Since then, dogs had become my son's lifelong nightmare.

And the person responsible was giving him a dog toy as a gift.

I couldn't tell if I was angrier or more disappointed. I casually set the box aside.

"Thank you."

Emerson looked at me strangely and seemed to think of something before speaking again...

Emerson stared at me strangely for a moment before saying something, as if he had thought of something else.

"Jenny's home has a power outage. I plan to have her stay at my place."

"Don't go to work today. Go back and pack your things. Take the kid and stay out for a couple of days."

His casual words felt like a heavy hammer hitting my heart.

I looked at him in disbelief.

"Are you saying that to kick me and the kid out for Jenny?"

Emerson frowned.

"Don't say it so harshly. It's just temporary."

"Since we agreed to keep our marriage secret, of course we need to avoid suspicion in front of colleagues."

I smiled, feeling bitter.

Is it really just about being colleagues?

Is it really just about avoiding suspicion?

Or does he think that me and the kid are a hindrance to his pursuit of love, something that can't be exposed?

I didn't want to look at him anymore, so I sat back at my desk and continued working.

"Got it."

"I'll pack up and take the kid away. I won't disturb you."

As we brushed past each other, Emerson grabbed my arm.

He looked at me in disbelief.

"Lucas... called me what?"

I smiled bitterly, finding it ironic.

"Isn't this exactly what you've always wanted? Mr. Martin?"

After six years of a secret marriage, Emerson not only kept our marriage hidden, but he had also never allowed my son to call him "Dad."

The only difference now was that before, he had forced my son to call him "uncle."

Now, my son was actively trying to distance himself.

I lowered my eyes, trying to yank his hand away, but I couldn't.

Emerson looked at me, his gaze complex.

"Wait a few days."

"I'll explain it to Lucas."

I reminded him.

"Jenny is waiting for you. Let go."

It was as if he just realized it, reluctantly loosening his grip.

I sneered, holding my son's hand and ready to leave.

But Emerson suddenly called after us.

"Wait a moment."

He ran to the car, grabbed a box of cake, and handed it to me.

"Lucas, happy birthday."

Jenny spoke up just at the right moment.

"This was originally a cake Mr. Martin bought for me, but it turns out it's your son's birthday."