Chapter 118


    Liam was perched, disying a seriousness that mirrored a little man hard at work on his artistic


    endeavor.


    “What’s that you’re drawing?” Hazel inquired, walking up to her son and gently rubbing his hair. Liam


    grunted in disapproval, adjusting his hair back. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, recognizing his aversion to


    head rubs the gesture was reserved only for Ethan.


    “You’re just so adorable,” she remarked, squishing his cheeks, eliciting giggles from the young artist.


    “That’s a pretty picture,” Hazelplimented, peeping over to catch a glimpse.


    “I’ll let you see it when I’m done,” he dered suddenly. Hazel was pleasantly surprised. “You will?” she


    asked.


    “Yes,” he assured her.


    “I would love that very much, thank you,” she replied with a smile, observing her son. Liam’s willingness


    to share his paintings was a rare urrence.


    Curiosity sparked, Hazel couldn’t resist asking, “Howe you want to show Mommy today?”


    Liam, still engrossed in his paintings, answered confidently, “Because they’re really good. I’m so


    talented.” He spoke confidently with a toothy grin.


    “Yes, you are!” Hazel eximed joyfully. Liam had grown more confident about his drawings, he used


    to be really conscious and avoided people looking at his drawings but today he was willing to share.


    “I’ve always told you that you were. Took you this long to realize it, huh?” she teased, cherishing this


    precious moment of her son’s budding artistic confidence.


    “Mr. Princess said I’ve got so much talent. That my paintings are wonderful gifts, wonderful artworks


    like there’s should be shared, as a gift to the world,” he proudly recited, recalling Ethan’s encouraging


    words. Hazel blinked, her smile faltering. Was this all because of Ethan? It felt so unfair. She had spent


    years trying to instill confidence in Liam, and Ethan had seemingly achieved it overnight.


    “He said that?” she asked slowly. Liam nodded. His newfound confidence was a result of Ethan’s pep


    talks, not hers. She sighed, a mixture of pride and frustration.


    “He even showed me how to draw a nice eye,” he stated happily.


    15:11 Tue, 9 Jan A


    “You really like him, don’t you?” Hazel muttered.


    “Yes,” he nodded firmly. “I just wish you wouldn’t fight with him anymore,” Liam added, his innocent


    plea tugging at Hazel’s heart.


    This was going to be really hard.


    She was about to probe more when he interrupted. “It’s ready!” he eximed, turning the painting to


    show his mom. Her breath hitched.


    “This is so good, baby!” she eximed. “Can I take a picture?” she asked, seeking permission. He


    nodded, then got busy with more paintings.


    “Baby” Hazel cooed gently after a moment of silence, breaking the concentration in the room filled with


    the soft strokes of Liam’s paintings.


    “What do you think about Nathan?” she asked him, curious to know his perspective. Liam paused for a


    moment, his young eyes staring contemtively downwards.


    “Do you wanna marry him, mummy?” Liam asked after a few thoughtful minutes. Hazel couldn’t help


    but smile; Liam’s perceptiveness had always been impressive.


    “I don’t know, Liam,” she replied honestly, releasing a sigh. Liam, seemingly unfazed, shrugged.


    “If he makes you happy,” he dered matter-of-factly before standing up to retrieve more colors for his


    paintings. Hazel pondered his words, contemting her own feelings.


    “Does it make me happy?” she mused quietly to herself.


    She was conflicted.


    The world was so big, that had to be why she never got to find her mate, still was Nathan the right


    choice? She sighed wearily.


    As she continued to grapple with her emotions, Hazel decided to delve into a topic that had remained


    untouched for a while.


    “Howe you’ve never asked about your dad, Liam?” she gently inquired as she stroked his cheek


    when he returned with fresh colors. Liam paused his painting, his head falling slightly, his long hair


    dancing around his face.


    “Why not?” she continued.


    15:12 Tue, 9 Jan


    “Because I don’t have one?” Liam responded, his tone more like a question. After a moment, he sighed


    and turned to face his mom.


    “Look, mama, I know you’re not Mother Mary, and I know how babies work,” he began, surprising Hazel


    with his mature understanding.


    “Okay,” she nodded slowly, intrigued by his insights.


    “But, you never mentioned him. I and Daisy don’t want you to be sad, so we never asked,” Liam


    exined with a nonchnt shrug.


    “It means he doesn’t want us, right?” he inquired, looking at her with innocence. Hazel felt a pang in her


    chest. Ethan wanted them, but her own fears and selfishness were keeping them apart.


    A sigh escaped Hazel’s l*ps.


    Daisy scooted over going to sit on her mom’sps.


    “I hope you and Mr. Princess make up soon, Mama,” Daisy chimed in, touching Hazel’s hair lightly.


    “Yeah,” Liam agreed immediately


    “I don’t like it when you guys fight.”


    “Why do you and Ethan always fight?” Liam asked turning to face his mom.


    Hazel sighed deeply.


    Because mom’s a liar.


    “I don’t know baby.” She said quietly.


    Liam sat deep in thoughts and in a world of his own, Ethan hadn’te visiting them for several days


    now, ever since that day they walked in on his mom and him having a fight. Thr little boy was missing


    him badly. When Hazel wasn’t looking, he quietly sl*pped away to the reception.


    “Hello, miss, can I please use your phone?” he pleaded with the woman at the reception desk. She


    chuckled, looking down at the adorable round-faced little boy. “Why do you need my phone?” she


    asked.


    “I want to call my friend,” Liam asserted. “May I use your phone?” he requested


    once more.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    app and


    “Of course.” She handed it over to him. Liam went straight to the call entered Ethan’s number, having


    memorized it by heart. The first ring went unanswered.


    Ethan, just returned from the bathroom, nced at his phone to see a call from an unknown number.


    Usually calls from unknown numbers would be filtered from his phone, but he has set it to general and


    had Liam memorize his number so he could always reached him in case of any emergencies.


    He stared at the phone as it rang for the third time, only few people had his phone number, it would be


    Liam. He has a dad, Ethan argued with himself. It took an inward struggle not to pick. Then it rang


    again and he grabbed it picking instantly.


    He would just pick to hear his voice and make sure he was okay so he picked.


    Liam’s breathy voice went through the phone. The tense look on Ethan’s face softened instantly.


    Liam’s eyes lit up when the call connected. “Mr. Princess?” he called happily. “Where have you been?


    Why wouldn’t youe to see us anymore?” he inquired.


    “Mr. Princess?” he called again, but silence greeted him. “Are you there? Say something,” Liam


    sobbed, upset. Sniffing, he continued, “Mr. Princess?” he called again, his voice cracking.


    “Mr. Princess? It’s me, Liam.” Liam said once more, but he was greeted with a haunting silence that


    resonated through the phone. “Are you there? Say something.” He sobbed, his voice breaking under


    the weight of his emotions. “Mr. Princess?” He called again desperation evident in his small voice.


    “Mr. Princess?” Undeterred, he continued, pouring his innocent heart out. “Can you forgive my


    mommy? Today I made a painting of all of us, and I didn’t hide it this time; I showed it to everyone. You


    said my paintings are wonderful gifts, so I stopped hoarding them. I drew several pictures of you; I wish


    you’de see it.“ Liam started conversing, unaware of the pr****nd impact his words were having on


    Ethan.


    Ethan held back his tears, inhaling a sharp breath. The emotional turmoil within him was palpable, torn


    between his longing to respond and the painful reality he needed to enforce. “Mr. Princess?” Liam


    called again, a sense of hope in his voice. “Sorry, little one,” the woman who had borrowed him the


    phone sighed, seeing the raw distress in the child’s eyes.


    “Liam?” Daisy called as she walked up to her brother, who still had the phone pressed to his ears. The


    sound of her soft voice met Ethan’s ears, intensifying the


    heartache within him. At that moment, he badly wanted to talk back to them, tomunicate with


    them. To hug them and inhale their baby scent. Yet, he reminded himself; he didn’t have any right to.


    He had to stop getting attacked immediately, the sooner he got detached from Hazel’s kids, the better


    for him.


    “Did he pick up? What did he say?” Daisy asked curiously, disying a mix of concern and curiosity.


    “He won’t talk to us,” Liam said sadly, his young heart grappling with the confusion of rejection. “But


    why?” Daisy asked, her voice filled with innocence. “He doesn’t like us anymore?” “Mr. Princess? I miss


    you.” Daisy said softly, expressing the longing for a presence they held dear.


    “Thank you, miss,” Liam said returning the phone back to thedy and with that, the phone line went


    dead. Ethan put the phone down from his ear, his heart breaking into shards.


    “I miss you too, Liam, Daisy.”


    “I’m sorry.” It was for the best. He sank down into his chair, wrestling with the internal conflict. It had


    taken a serious battle before he picked the phone, and another war with determination and discipline to


    not reply to them. At that moment, he hated Hazel passionately.


    Ethan’s arm went to the wallet on his table; he brought out the painting he kept there. Liam’s painting,


    neatly folded. He never threw it away. At that moment, he felt a searing pain, as if his heart was being


    stabbed continuously. He clutched at his chest as the pain intensified bing almost suffocating.


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