Chapter 3

I simply nodded and made to leave, but Victoria stopped me.

"Isn't this your former secretary? Does she live here too?" she asked, tightening her grip on Ethan's arm.

Before I could answer, she crouched down to touch Lucas's face. "Is this your child? So adorable."

I instinctively pulled Lucas behind me. I didn't want her touching my child.

"What a coincidence, we live in this building too," Ethan's explanation was stiff. "Are you two going on a trip?"

"Yes, Mr. Blake," I said, my tone as formal as a board meeting.

Wasn't this the distance he wanted to project in front of others?

Lucas gently tugged my sleeve and whispered, "Mommy, let's go."

This child was too understanding. It broke my heart.

I remembered how rarely the three of us went out together. When we did, we wore masks and went to secluded places. Lucas never called Ethan 'Daddy' outside the house, as if he too had gradually realized our relationship was something to be hidden.

Just as we were about to leave, the driver rushed over, breathless, holding an exquisitely packaged cake box.

"Mr. Blake, you left the cake in the car."

I stopped. A flicker of emotion stirred inside me. Had Ethan prepared this cake to make up for missing the birthday celebration?

Maybe I had been wrong. Maybe he did care.

"Today's my birthday!" Victoria clapped excitedly. "Ethan got this cake specially for me!"

She hugged his arm affectionately, like a pampered little girl.

I stood there, looking at the pink cake box. Yesterday was Lucas's birthday. Today was Victoria's. Ethan bought a cake for his lover but forgot his own son's birthday.

The contrast felt absurd. And it finally woke me up.

"Let's all go to Ethan's place for cake!" Victoria invited me enthusiastically. "What a coincidence! Let's celebrate together."

I instinctively wanted to refuse, but her eagerness made a refusal seem rude. And part of me wanted to see what was so special about this woman, what made Ethan so infatuated. I wanted to see the gap between us.

"Alright," I nodded.

Lucas gripped my hand tightly. His strength betrayed his unease.

Returning to the home I had just left felt surreal. Ten minutes ago, I was packing; now I was celebrating another woman's birthday here.

Victoria spotted the blue jewelry box on the coffee table the moment she entered.

"Ethan, is this my birthday gift?" she exclaimed, picking it up.

Ethan glanced at me, his expression complex. But he didn't stop her.

Victoria opened the box. Seeing the Tiffany necklace, she squealed.

"It's the one I liked when we went shopping! You actually bought it for me!"

She hugged Ethan and kissed his cheek.

I stood to the side, an outsider. When Ethan gave me the necklace that morning, he said it was the one I liked during our shopping trip. Now I knew it was what Victoria had wanted.

Even the gifts were her leftovers. In his eyes, I simply didn't matter.

I laughed inwardly. For five years, I had been nothing.

Ethan gently placed a birthday hat on Victoria, his movements meticulous and tender. That focus and gentleness were things I had never seen him direct at me. I remembered last night, putting Lucas's birthday hat on alone. Where was this man then? Having a candlelit dinner with this woman.

"Come on, let's cut the cake!" Victoria picked up the knife.

She gave the first piece to Lucas. "For the little one first."

Lucas looked at me. Only after my nod did he take the cake. This child had always been well-behaved, attuned to my cues.

Then I tasted a bite. Peanut butter.

My heart skipped a beat.

"Lucas can't eat this!" I snatched the cake from his hand in panic. "He's severely allergic to peanuts!"

The air froze.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Ethan's apology was sincere yet distant.

"We didn't know he was allergic to anything," Victoria said innocently. "It wasn't on purpose."

I looked at them both, a chill seeping into my bones.

"It's fine. It's normal you wouldn't know," I said, my voice calm. "After all, not everyone needs to know."

Ethan, as a father, didn't know his own son's allergy. What kind of father was that?

And me? I knew his preferred coffee beans, his pre-meeting anxiety tells, every item on his medication allergy list, even that he slept with his left hand on his forehead.

But he didn't know his son couldn't eat peanuts.

I took Lucas's hand. "We should go."

"So early?" Victoria tried to keep us. "Stay a bit longer. Ethan rarely mentions you; I'd love to know more."

Rarely mentions me. I was like a stain he wanted hidden.

"No need," I said, walking towards the door without looking back. "It's late."

This time, no one followed. Behind me, I heard Victoria's laughter as she discussed with Ethan where to go tomorrow.

On the way to the airport, I deleted all of Ethan's contacts from my phone. Call logs, messages, even those late-night bank transfer notifications.

Five years of traces, wiped clean.

As the plane took off, I looked out at the fading New York skyline. My heart was peaceful.

Ethan Blake, it's truly over between us.

Whatever clauses that contract held, whatever excuses you might use to try and keep me, I won't look back.

The next morning at Blake Tech...

Marcus entered Ethan's office with a file.

"Mr. Blake, the recent personnel movement list," he placed it on the desk. "One resignation, the rest are internal transfers."

Ethan didn't look up. "Resignation? Why?"