Her Heart Left Our Home

It's Family Day at my daughter, Hannah Neel's, preschool, but my wife, Samantha Miller, says she has to work and tells both Hannah and me not to go.

Seeing the disappointment on Hannah's face breaks my heart, so I bring her to school anyway.

As soon as we step through the gates, I see Samantha. She's holding her childhood friend—Oscar Barnett's—hand, with a little boy clutching her other.

The three of them look like a perfect family, laughing and chatting, as if they belong together.

When Samantha sees us, her smile fades, and she lets go of Oscar's hand.

"Zach, it's not what you think. Oscar's raising his son alone. Today's his fifth birthday, and he just wanted to give him a little taste of a mother's love," she says quickly.

I study her for a moment, then kneel and gently take Hannah's hand in mine. "Sweetheart, say hello to the lady."

Oscar Barnett quickly scooped the boy into his arms, his expression apologetic.

"Zach, don't be mad. Samantha meant well. The kid's grown up without a mom, and today's his fifth birthday. Samantha was just trying to help him live out the dream of having a mom for a day, nothing more."

I gave him a look, wearing half a smile and half a sneer. "If that's the case, now that Hannah and I are here, shouldn't you be giving Samantha back? We're the real family of three, after all."

Oscar froze, but his son wasn't having it. "Mommy, you promised you'd spend the whole day together with Daddy and me!"

The five-year-old, Neville Barnett, glared at me with surprising fury.

I raised an eyebrow. Mommy, huh?

Before I could respond, Samantha Miller stepped protectively in front of them, as if ready to shield them.

Her voice was already tinged with irritation. "Zach, you're a parent, too. Don't you have any empathy? Oscar and I grew up together, and I'm just spending one day with them. One day! Do you seriously have to make a big deal out of it?"

I let out a bitter laugh. It was as if Oscar's misfortune was somehow my fault.

Just then, other parents and kids started arriving at the preschool. A couple of them walked over to say hi.

"Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Barnett. You two always come together for Neville's Family Day. It's so lovely to see such a tight-knit little family, unlike my husband, who's always 'too busy with work.' He doesn't even care about our kid's growth."

Oscar offered an awkward smile and mumbled a quick greeting, while a flash of panic crossed Samantha's face.

I couldn't hold it in. "Samantha, is this what you meant by just 'one day?'"

Her face flushed red with anger before she grabbed my arm, sharp and firm. "Zach, this isn't the place to cause a scene."

She looked down at Hannah, her voice lowering. "Making a fuss won't be good for Hannah, right?"

At the mention of her name, Hannah Neel looked up, confused.

She still didn't seem to understand what was going on. She just clung tightly to me, her hand wrapped around mine, already warm and sweaty.

I could sense her unease. So, I crouched down, gently tousled her high ponytail, and whispered, "As long as Daddy's here, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Then, I stood and watched Samantha walk off with Oscar and Neville. It didn't take long before a small crowd formed around them.

Someone approached with a flattering smile, showering Samantha with compliments. It was the usual spiel—praising her as a successful career woman, who was one of the city's top power players and already a billion-dollar company's manager in her early 30s.

Samantha, naturally, looked unrelievably smug, practically strutting like a peacock with its tail held high. Meanwhile, Oscar gazed at her with stars in his eyes, basking in borrowed glory.

Then, right in the middle of it all, Neville turned in Samantha's arms and shot me a look, sticking out his tongue in a smug challenge.

I couldn't help the cold smile tugging at my lips. It seemed like Samantha thought she was untouchable now.

Sure, I'd been spending less time at the company lately to take care of Hannah, but I still owned 75 percent of Aviora Holdings. I was the one actually running the show.

As for Samantha, she was just someone who latched onto me back then. I'd given her that manager title out of courtesy, as a favor between spouses.

I pulled out my phone and texted the HR department. "Eugene, reassign Samantha from her manager position. Announce it internally next Monday."

Then, I followed it up with a message to the legal department. "Terry, draft a divorce agreement between Samantha and me."

Since Samantha was going to cheat on me, she should have started by asking whether I was willing to let her.