Buried and Forgotten

I secretly married my husband for six years, and then his first love came back. I decide to leave with my child and let his first love take her rightful place. Chapter 1 Six years after getting married, James Hudson picked up his daughter and lifted her high for the very first time. Five-year-old Celeste burst into laughter and waved at Naomi Sloane. "Mom, Mr. James made me fly!" Naomi smiled bitterly as she watched the two of them. James had been drinking that night and didn't seem to know what he was doing. He didn't love Celeste, and he didn't love Naomi either. His joy that night came from something entirely different and unrelated to them. The woman he truly loved, Sophia Hadley, had finally returned. Six years ago, James and Sophia had been deeply in love. However, Sophia had abruptly left. While chasing after her, James got into an accident and lost the ability to walk. Naomi had been his personal assistant at the time. She stayed by his side day and night. She endured his mood swings, encouraged him, and helped him through rehab. The day he stood up again, joy clouded his mind. In his drunken haze, he mistook her for Sophia and made love to her through the night. Soon enough, Naomi got pregnant, and James agreed to marry her. However, she later learned that James didn't love her. Worse still, he didn't marry her out of a sense of responsibility either. He married Naomi because he learned that Sophia had started a new relationship from her social media. After their marriage, he was almost always absent from Naomi's and Celeste's lives. On the day Celeste was born, he deliberately flew out of town on a business trip. And when she started to speak, he gave her a cold look and wouldn't let her call him "Dad". One time, Celeste lost control of her skateboard and cried out "Dad" in fear. In response, James just stood by icily. He watched indifferently as she fell and knocked her head hard on the ground until she bled. But now, the drunken James looked at Celeste with tender, fatherly love in his eyes. After hugging her, he set her on the couch and beamed at her. He said, "I'll be a good father." "I believe in you, Dad!" Celeste excitedly said. James didn't seem to hear her. Still smiling, he turned around and muttered a name—Liam. So what he meant was that he was going to be a good father to Liam. Naomi's heart sank because Liam was Sophia's son. But Celeste only heard the first part. She ran over to Naomi happily and said, "Mom, Dad likes me, right? I can call him Dad now, yes? He hugged me and said he'd be a good father!" Her eyes were filled with longing. She longed for a clear, affirmative answer. Celeste yearned to be like the other kids. She wanted to be able to throw herself into James' arms, call him "Dad", and act spoiled with him. Naomi's heart ached. She knelt and held Celeste tightly, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't want to crush Celeste's hopes, so she avoided answering her. She didn't want Celeste to know that this fleeting happiness had only come to her thanks to another woman and her child. "Would you be willing to leave this place with me, Celeste?" Naomi asked, holding back her tears. "Why are we leaving, Mom?" Celeste's smile faltered as confusion took over her features. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears immediately. She muttered sadly, "You, me, and Dad are a family. I want to stay with him." Naomi reached out to wipe her tears and replied in a choked voice, "It's because the woman Mr. James truly loves has come back. It's time for us to go." "But… Dad loves me…" Celeste's voice trailed off. Perhaps deep down, she already knew that James didn't love her. "Mom, can we wait until after my birthday? Let's give Dad a few more chances. Maybe he'll start to love us. If he's willing to stay with us, then we don't have to go, okay?" Celeste pleaded. Naomi nodded through her tears. "Okay. You decide how many chances to give him." They would give him a few more chances. If he still let them down, then they would leave and no longer be a part of his world. "Thank you, Mom." "It's time to sleep now." After putting Celeste to bed, Naomi returned to her room. Her marriage to James was in name only. They no longer even bothered to maintain appearances. The next morning, James woke up and came downstairs. Celeste was eating her breakfast. But the moment she saw him, she put down her food and ran toward him excitedly. "You're awake, Dad!" James' face immediately darkened. He coldly asked, "What did you just call me?" Celeste's outstretched arms froze in midair. She was frightened by his stern tone and expression. "Mr. James…" She corrected herself and lowered her arms, feeling a sense of hurt. "I'm sorry, Mr. James." Naomi held back her sorrow and walked over to pick Celeste up. "Eat up. You'll be late for school." She knew full well that James' attitude toward them wasn't going to change. Last night had just been a drunken mistake because he was overjoyed that Sophia had returned. James' demeanor softened a little after that. He went to the dining room, took a sip of his coffee, and left without saying a single word. "Bye, Mr. James," Celeste called after him like always. As usual, he didn't bother to respond. On the way to school, Celeste kept her head down in silence. As they approached the entrance, she finally looked up at Naomi. "Mom, that counts as one chance, right? Let's give Mr. James three more chances," Celeste said, her eyes teary. Naomi felt a pang in her heart as she replied, "Okay. We'll do whatever you say." Chapter 2 Naomi watched as Celeste entered the kindergarten. Then, she turned and headed to the law firm. She took out the divorce settlement agreement James had drafted and asked if it was legally valid. When James married her back then, it was under the condition that he could ask for a divorce at any time, and she wasn't allowed to refuse. The agreement had been prepared before the marriage. It was undated, with only James' signature. Once its validity was confirmed, Naomi signed it and asked the lawyer, Arthur Langford, to handle the divorce procedures. "Please mail the divorce decree here," Naomi said, leaving the address of the villa before getting up to leave. Her nose stung as she tilted her head back. She tried not to let the tears fall. She had loved James. After they got married, she had tried her best to make it work. She had dreamed of a life with him. But after she was ignored and neglected again and again, her once-passionate heart had grown cold. Now that Sophia was back, it was time for her to go. Unfortunately, Naomi ran into James and Sophia again on the first floor of the mall right after her trip to the law firm. Sophia was a gorgeous woman. Her beauty was strikingly bold and arresting. At the moment, her arm was linked with James', and she was smiling radiantly. James held Liam with his other arm, his eyes full of affection. Naomi's breath hitched. Once, she had also dreamed of James walking through the streets with her and Celeste. She couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks as she stared at them, her heart breaking into pieces. She forced herself to turn and leave. Back at the villa, she prepared a résumé with her portfolio and sent it to several companies in Aberford that she admired. Then, she printed her resignation letter and brought it to the office. After Naomi married James, he immediately switched her to another department so that she wouldn't be by his side. Now, she was just an ordinary secretary. Hence, resigning was a relatively simple process for her. Once she had handed over her duties, she could leave at any time. Soon after tendering her resignation at the HR department, Naomi returned to her office and began packing her things. Barely a few minutes had passed before she heard footsteps and flattering words coming from the doorway. Upon looking up, she saw several top executives walking in with James and Sophia. Sophia had changed into another outfit. Gone was her bold, hot look. She now wore a sharp, professional suit, which immediately drew everyone's attention. James kept his arm protectively around her waist. His eyes were glued to her. Obviously, he was unwilling to look away for even a second. Naomi's heart throbbed painfully. She looked at James, but he remained stoic, showing no sign of acknowledging her. So, she lowered her gaze. The next moment, they were standing in front of her. "Ms. Sloane, this is Ms. Hadley. She is Mr. Hudson's girlfriend. She'll be taking over your position, and you'll be transferred to the marketing department. Please finish the handover as soon as possible." Naomi raised an eyebrow slightly at the mention of "Mr. Hudson's girlfriend". However, James didn't deny it, causing Naomi's eyes to sting as tears welled up. She clenched her fists tightly. Without a thought for either her or Celeste's feelings, James was impatient to restore Sophia to her position. Naomi looked at him and called out, "James…" But before she could finish speaking, the piercing and cold gaze James directed at her made her clam up. "Ms. Sloane, if you're unhappy with the reassignment, talk to your immediate supervisor," he said, frowning. He clearly did not want her to bring up their relationship. Then, he quickly added, "Sophia's more suited to this role than you are." Naomi understood that he wasn't just talking about the job. She could feel her heart shattering painfully, but she kept her expression detached and professional. As she had expected, James didn't care about her at all. "Alright," she said, nodding as she turned to shake Sophia's hand politely. James looked pleased and turned back to Sophia. The coldness in his eyes was instantly replaced by warmth and tenderness. He had never looked at Naomi or Celeste with such an affectionate gaze. Naomi thought, "So this is the difference between love and indifference. Fortunately, I'd stopped expecting anything long ago." The company hastily arranged a dinner to celebrate Sophia's first day that evening. Although Naomi had resigned and was reluctant to attend, Sophia just wouldn't let her go and kept pestering her. Sophia asked, "Ms. Sloane, are you mad that I took your job? Is that why you don't want to come to my welcome dinner? I didn't mean to take anything from you. James made the arrangements. "I just joined today and would love to get to know you better. I don't know many people here. Can't you attend the dinner with me?" Naomi caught the subtle glint in her eyes. In response, she plastered a slight smile on her face and rejected Sophia's invitation by explaining, "You're overthinking it. I need to pick up my daughter. Sorry." "What about your husband? Can't he pick her up?" Sophia asked, not giving up. Her husband? "I don't have one," Naomi replied lightly, even though her heart ached deeply at that moment. James had never acknowledged their marriage; their lives were completely separate, making his presence as a husband irrelevant. "I'm sorry. I didn't know," Sophia apologized, but still wouldn't let it go. "Why not bring your daughter along? My son's coming too. They're the same age. They can play together." "No, thank you. My daughter doesn't like socializing." But as they spoke, a small figure came running toward Naomi. "Mom! Mr. James picked me up from kindergarten today!" Celeste ran into her arms cheerfully. "And he brought me here to you!" Naomi's heart skipped a beat. James didn't even know which kindergarten Celeste attended. Why would he suddenly pick her up? She looked up and saw James strolling over from a distance, smiling as he gazed at Sophia but not sparing even a glance at her. "James, do you know Ms. Sloane's daughter?" Sophia asked in confusion. "I ran into her while picking up Liam, so I brought her along. She's Ms. Sloane's daughter. She's been to the company a few times," James explained, afraid that Sophia would misunderstand. His tone was distant as he talked about Celeste and Naomi. It was as if they were strangers, and he was afraid of being associated with them. Celeste was about to call out to James. Naomi looked at her daughter and shook her head discreetly. Celeste caught her signal and lowered her gaze in disappointment. Sophia spoke up with understanding. "Oh, I see. You probably didn't know, but this young girl doesn't have a father. Maybe you shouldn't reassign Ms. Sloane to the marketing department. It's not easy for her to raise a child alone." James frowned slightly as he glanced at Naomi before saying, "Alright. It's your call." Sophia was pleased and nodded sweetly at him. Their eyes met in a way that suggested an intimate, personal exchange between them. It was as if no one else existed in their world. Celeste clung to Naomi and buried her face against her leg. "Hey, Mommy. Hey, Daddy," Liam greeted, breaking their tender exchange. He rushed over with pattering steps and hugged James' leg playfully. "Daddy, pick me up!" Chapter 3 Celeste froze. She looked up at James and Liam incredulously. James picked Liam up, and his eyes were filled with a tenderness Celeste had never seen before. When he noticed Celeste looking at him, his arm jolted slightly as he held Liam, but he showed no other reaction. Tears welled up in Celeste's eyes. James turned his gaze away to avoid meeting hers. "Liam, you're being naughty again. You're always asking James to carry you. Come down now," Sophia chided and tried to get Liam to come down. However, the young boy clung tightly to James' neck. "No way! I like to be held by Daddy, and Daddy likes holding me too," Liam said. He kissed James' cheek loudly and stated, "I'm hungry. I want cake." "Alright. We'll get you some cake. James, let's head in." Sophia smiled and followed James inside. After taking a few steps, she turned back and called out. "Ms. Sloane, come on." Naomi crouched down to check on Celeste, whose face was covered in tears. She tilted her head up and asked, "Mom, are they the people Mr. James loves?" At that moment, Naomi could no longer hold back her sorrow. She pulled Celeste into her arms, and they cried together. The scene was so cruel that Naomi could barely bear it, let alone a child like Celeste. Naomi didn't answer, but Celeste already knew the truth. "Mom, I want to take one more look." Celeste wiped away her tears and took Naomi's hand. "I want to see if the people Mr. James likes are nice." "Can't we just go home, Celeste?" Naomi couldn't bear to let her get hurt again. Celeste stubbornly shook her head. "I want to go." "Alright." Naomi held her hand and entered the banquet hall. The hall was lively, packed with people. James, Sophia, and Liam were at the center of attention. Naomi and Celeste quietly sat in a corner. All the time, Celeste's gaze never left James. The gentleness and care he showed Liam were everything Celeste had longed for but had never received. When she saw James feeding Liam fruit himself, she stood up. "Mom, Mr. James loves them. He looks so happy. Let's go. We shouldn't stick around," Celeste said softly. Naomi was immensely saddened to hear those words coming from Celeste. The overwhelming misery was so suffocating that it knocked the breath from her lungs. "Let's go home then," Naomi said. Celeste nodded. They held hands and walked toward the door. "Ms. Sloane, please wait." James' assistant, Oliver Brown, intercepted them. "Mr. Hudson said he wants to take Celeste out. Please hand her over to me." Oliver was the only person in the company who knew about their relationship. "Mr. James wants to take me out?" Celeste's eyes lit up instantly. She looked past the crowd, searching for James. Oliver nodded. "Yes, that's what Mr. Hudson said." At the same time, James messaged Naomi, saying he wanted to take Celeste with him to watch the fireworks. It was the first time he had ever taken the initiative to do anything with Celeste. Naomi felt uneasy. She didn't want to let Celeste go with James. But upon seeing Celeste's hopeful face, she couldn't bring herself to refuse her daughter. She reminded, "Celeste, take care of yourself. If anything happens, call me." Celeste was excited to go with James. She replied, "Don't worry, Mom. I'll behave and make Mr. James like me." "Okay." Naomi stroked her head, her heart heavy as she quietly sighed at how Celeste still longed for James' love. She glanced in his direction, praying that Celeste wouldn't be disappointed. And so, Naomi left alone. She had just gotten home when her phone rang. It was Celeste calling her. "Mom! M-Mr. James left me behind!" Celeste sobbed helplessly. Naomi's heart sank to her stomach as Celeste continued pitifully, "I'm so scared, Mom…" "Where are you?" Naomi asked anxiously. "I… I don't know…" She sniffled. "Don't be afraid. I'm coming to get you right now. Don't hang up. Talk to me. I'll be there soon," Naomi comforted. She tracked Celeste's smartwatch location and rushed over in her car. When she found Celeste, the latter was sitting alone by the roadside and covered in a thick layer of snow. She was freezing there! Naomi couldn't hold back her tears. It felt like all the strength had been drained from her body. She scooped Celeste into her arms. "Don't be scared, Celeste. I'm here now," Naomi said reassuringly. "Mom, I was so scared. I'm so cold," Celeste sobbed uncontrollably as she curled up in Naomi's arms. Her whole body was burning up, and she had already started muttering deliriously before they even got to the hospital. "Mr. James, I'm sorry… I shouldn't have called you Dad… Please don't leave me… Please don't leave me…" Naomi's hands trembled, and she was so overcome with grief that she was unable to speak. James had heartlessly left her alone by the roadside because she called him "Dad". She couldn't believe he had done that. Celeste was only five! "Don't cry, Celeste. I'll always be with you. I'll never leave you." Chapter 4 By the time Naomi arrived at the hospital, Celeste had already lost consciousness. The doctor scolded Naomi, saying that she was a terrible mother for letting her child end up in such a state. Naomi didn't defend herself. She blamed herself for what happened to Celeste, too. She had known that James didn't love Celeste, yet she had still let him take her. So, this was all her fault. "Dad… I want Dad…" Celeste called out for James as her fever worsened. "Mom, I want Dad to hold me, too. I'll be good." She kept crying. Her face and hair became sticky with her tears, causing Naomi's heart to ache terribly. Even in that moment, Celeste was still thinking about James. Naomi clutched her phone and reluctantly called James. Of course, he didn't answer. She sent him a message. "Celeste is running a high fever. Please come to the hospital to see her." But even as dawn broke, there was still no reply from James. Meanwhile, Sophia updated her social media with photos of herself, James, and Liam enjoying the night view together. This meant that James had left Celeste behind without the slightest hint of remorse or concern. The last shred of hope Naomi held out for James died completely. To him, Celeste had never mattered. So, she mattered even less. Naomi stayed by Celeste's side all night. Finally, Celeste woke up. She said softly, "Mom, I'm sorry for making you worry." Her thoughtfulness made Naomi feel even more heartbroken. "Silly girl. There's nothing for you to be sorry about," Naomi said, holding back her tears. If anyone should apologize, it was her. She had failed to let Celeste have her father's love. "Mom, don't cry. I'm okay now," Celeste comforted her. "Okay. I won't cry anymore," Naomi said, holding Celeste and feeding her medicine and food. Celeste stayed in the hospital for three days. On the day she was discharged, James finally replied to Naomi's message. He wrote, "Are you still at the hospital? I'll come pick you up." Celeste read the message just as the notification popped up. She smiled brightly and said exuberantly, "Mr. James said he's coming to pick us up!" The moment she learned that James was coming, she couldn't help but feel a little hopeful again. Naomi nodded and silently prayed that he wouldn't break his promise. Even if it was just out of guilt for abandoning Celeste, she hoped that he would at least follow through this one time. As time passed, Celeste's smile began to fade. From morning till noon, she kept watching the door to her hospital room intently. Naomi glanced at the clock, then at Celeste. Celeste noticed and said softly, "Mr. James isn't coming, is he? He must have gotten too busy that he had forgotten to pick me up. Let's go, Mom." She forced a smile, pretending to be okay. Then, she jumped out of bed to tug on Naomi's hand. Naomi's chest tightened, and she nodded. "Okay. I'll take you home." They walked out of the hospital room together. When they reached the elevator, they saw James. "It's Dad…" Celeste immediately corrected herself and said, "It's Mr. James. He came to pick us up!" But in the next moment, Sophia stepped out of the elevator. Naomi tightened her grip on Celeste's hand, which was beginning to pull away. James turned and saw them. The moment he did, he frowned slightly, and his expression became uneasy. "Is Liam alright?" Sophia asked, looking at him. He shook his head. "He's fine. It's just a scrape." Then he turned away and didn't look at Naomi or Celeste again. Naomi understood that James hadn't come to pick them up. He was only there for Sophia and Liam. Even if she and Celeste had been in danger, it wouldn't stir the slightest concern in him. There were no words to describe the complicated emotions that were coursing through her at that moment. She looked down and smiled gently at Celeste. "Come on, Celeste." Celeste smiled back. "Let's go home, Mom." The ride home was quiet. Celeste stared out the window, sniffling from time to time. When they got back to the villa, she locked herself in her room. Naomi didn't disturb her. She just stood silently outside to keep her company. Chapter 5 Two hours later, Celeste opened the door and came out of her room. She was holding a teddy bear, and her eyes were all swollen. The teddy bear was the only gift James had ever given her. Celeste treasured it more than any of her other possessions. "Mom, I don't want this anymore." Celeste held out the bear, pretending to smile as she pushed it into Naomi's hands. "Mr. James only has two chances left." "Okay." Naomi didn't know how to comfort her. "I want to have a birthday party and invite my friends. Can I, Mom?" Celeste asked, looking at Naomi hopefully. Naturally, Naomi couldn't bring herself to say no. Every year, Celeste celebrated her birthday at home with only her. James had never shown up, as he had never cared. Naomi agreed, knowing that Celeste was giving James another chance by doing this. Celeste kept coughing. Naomi was worried about her health, so she decided to let Celeste take a few days off from kindergarten. Over the weekend, Naomi brought Celeste to an amusement park. While Celeste played, Naomi sat nearby, looking at potential venues for the party. Suddenly, she heard Celeste crying. She looked up and saw Liam trying to snatch something from Celeste. Liam was aggressive and spoiled. He insisted on taking the toy from Celeste's hands. When she wouldn't give it to him, he shoved her hard to the ground. Naomi rushed over and picked Celeste up. "Apologize!" she demanded, glaring at Liam. Liam turned his head away and lied, "Why should I apologize? She fell by herself!" "I saw you push my daughter. You must apologize," Naomi insisted. Liam looked defiant and ready to argue. But when he saw someone who was approaching from behind them, he suddenly dropped to the floor and burst into loud sobs. "Liam!" James hurried over to check on him. He had never before looked at Celeste with such urgency and concern. Naomi let out a bitter laugh. Liam clung to James' arm and complained, "Daddy, they bullied me. They stole my toy and hit me." James' expression darkened in anger. He turned around to confront the party that had offended Liam. But when he saw that it was Naomi and Celeste, he briefly froze. His gaze instantly shifted from concern to coldness. "What happened?" he demanded. "Mr. James, he pushed me," Celeste said earnestly. "Mom and I didn't bully him. Mom just wanted him to say sorry." She stopped crying when she saw James, hoping to get his attention. James frowned and said, "I see. Are you hurt?" "No." Celeste shook her head, smiling slightly, thinking that James was showing some concern. To her disappointment, he merely nodded indifferently and left with Liam. Celeste's eyes dimmed. A deep sorrow filled Naomi's heart. James' favoritism toward Liam had gone too far. He didn't have to love them, but Naomi thought that it was unfair of him to keep hurting Celeste. "Stop right there," Naomi said through gritted teeth, stepping in front of them. "He needs to apologize." James' expression soured. Her behavior, which he deemed unreasonable, irked him. He sternly warned, "Don't make a scene. He's just a child." Naomi's heart sank, but she didn't back down. "Mr. Hudson, a child should still answer for his or her actions. He pushed Celeste, so he should apologize. The store has security cameras. We can take a look at the footage if it's necessary." It was the first time she had ever gone up against James. He looked at her in disbelief, his irritation deepening. But Naomi stood firm. Celeste had already endured too much. She had to stand up for her daughter this time. Even if James didn't care, she did. She wouldn't let him side with someone else's child at Celeste's expense. "I'll apologize on his behalf," James said coldly when Liam refused to say sorry. "He didn't do it on purpose." "Why, you…" Naomi felt her blood run cold. Was James seriously protecting another woman's child to such an unreasonable extent? "It's okay. I forgive you. Let's go, Mom." Celeste tugged at Naomi's hand, forcing a smile. But as she turned around, tears fell silently down her face. Naomi felt the same piercing pain that Celeste was feeling in her heart. She croaked, "Okay." Chapter 6 After that day, James never came home again. It was like Naomi and Celeste had somehow reached a tacit agreement. Neither of them brought him up in their conversation. As Celeste's birthday drew closer, Naomi helped her prepare invitation cards to hand out at the kindergarten. Celeste happily told her that all the classmates she invited had agreed to come. Two days before the birthday party, Naomi ran into James and Sophia at the kindergarten. Liam stood between them, crying with his head down. James and Sophia were comforting him. It turned out that Liam had gotten into trouble, and James had been called in as the parent. Naomi found the scene ironic. James had never once taken responsibility for Celeste. Yet, he was doing his best to play the role of a good father to someone else's child. It seemed that when one loved another person, they would also love their children unconditionally. Naomi looked away and turned toward the classroom door just as Celeste walked out. As she passed by James, Celeste hesitated for a second and politely greeted them. "Mr. James, Ms. Hadley." James heard her and looked up to glance at her. "Are you here to pick up your child, Ms. Sloane?" Sophia greeted Naomi warmly. Naomi nodded and said, "Yeah." Sophia sighed and lamented, "I envy you, Ms. Sloane. Your daughter is so well-behaved, unlike my son… He's always causing trouble. They're both kids without fathers. How did you raise her so well?" Naomi stayed silent, but Celeste spoke up first while looking directly at James. "Doesn't he have a dad? Let his dad take better care of him, then," she remarked. James felt diffident and didn't dare meet Celeste's gaze. "Please don't say that. James and I are just friends," Sophia said shyly. Celeste's eyes reddened. She didn't want to hear anymore and quickly said goodbye to them. "Goodbye, Mr. James. Goodbye, Ms. Hadley." She then led Naomi away briskly. Naomi could feel James watching her. Even after they had gone far, he was still staring at their retreating backs. "James Hudson, you have one last chance left," Naomi thought. That evening, James returned home. Celeste was feeling dejected. So, Naomi had been keeping her company. They were drawing pictures together. When they heard the door open, both looked up at the same time. "Mr. James," Celeste greeted. "You're back," Naomi said. They greeted him first. But James merely gave a cold nod and handed a wrapped box to Celeste. "Is this for me?" Celeste was surprised. This was the second gift she had ever received from him. "Yes," James replied curtly. "Thank you, Mr. James." Celeste couldn't hide her excitement and opened the box right away. Inside was a small toy car built from blocks. Naomi frowned. She had seen the same gift on Sophia's social media page. It was one of the many presents James had given to Liam. It turned out that this was something Liam didn't want. "Teach your child properly and make sure she doesn't speak nonsense again," James scolded Naomi. "And stay away from Sophia." James had only returned home to issue a warning. He was worried that she might say something she shouldn't to Sophia. Naomi let out a cold laugh. "Sure." Noticing that he was still standing in the same spot, she asked dismissively, "Anything else?" James looked at her. "Transfer Celeste to another kindergarten. She can go anywhere she wants. I'll have someone take care of the admission." Naomi's heart sank. It seemed that he wanted to sever all ties with them completely. She looked at Celeste, who had her head down. Soundlessly, her tears fell onto the newly acquired toy car. "Okay." Naomi knew that there was no point in saying no. After achieving his goal, James was prepared to leave. Suddenly, Celeste stood up and ran to him. Mustering all her courage and with tear stains still fresh on her face, she asked, "Mr. James, the day after tomorrow is my birthday. Can you celebrate it with me? Just this once, please." Naomi turned her head, unable to bear the sight of the scene before her. James remained silent as Celeste looked up expectantly, waiting for his answer. Chapter 7 After a long pause, James finally nodded and said, "Alright." Celeste beamed with joy and wiped away her tears. She ran to the table to grab an invitation card and gave it to him. "The address and time are on here. Please don't be late." she reminded him over and over again. James put away the card and turned to leave. "Mom, Mr. James said yes!" Celeste ran over, practically bouncing with excitement. "I heard him," Naomi said, her smile faint. Celeste loved James. Just a few simple words from him could make her happy for the entire day. Before bed, she retrieved the teddy bear she had thrown away from her room and placed it beside the toy car. Naomi was deeply worried, wondering if James would really show up. If he wasn't going to show up, she would have rather he said no from the start. It was better than raising Celeste's hopes only for them to be brutally crushed again. James took the invitation card to Sophia, so Liam saw it. Right away, he burst into tears. "What's wrong?" James and Sophia asked at the same time. Liam held up the invitation card and said between sobs, "Celeste invited a-all our classmates… b-but she didn't invite m-me." "Stop crying. If she didn't invite you, it's probably because you bullied her the other day. Apologize to her, and she'll invite you next time," Sophia said as she held Liam and glanced at James. "No! I want to play with the other kids. I also want to have a birthday party on that day. I want it! I want it!" Liam wailed in Sophia's arms so hysterically that he was almost gasping for breath. "But it's not your birthday that day," Sophia said helplessly. "Then let's not make it a birthday party but something else. Please, Mom. I just want to play with my classmates," Liam insisted. "Be good. Don't cry." Sophia couldn't calm him down, so she started crying herself. "Stop crying. I'll throw you a party," James said, picking him up. "We'll do it on that day and invite the whole class." "Really?" Liam wiped his tears and looked at James excitedly. James nodded. Liam broke into a grin and hugged him while cheering repeatedly. Naomi and Celeste were unaware of James' decision. They continued preparing for the birthday party together. The day before the party, Naomi withdrew Celeste's enrollment from the kindergarten. Once they got home, Celeste kept checking the time, hoping the day would pass faster. As the birthday drew closer, Naomi's anxiety increased. She feared that James would break his promise again. That morning, she sent James a message to remind him. It read, "The party starts at 5:00 pm. Don't be late." This time, James replied almost immediately. "Okay." Naomi looked at Celeste, who was playing a game on the tablet nearby, and let out a small sigh of relief. If James actually came, should she still leave? After lunch, Naomi brought Celeste to the hotel, and they began decorating the suite together. "Mom, do you think Mr. James will come?" Celeste asked. She was starting to worry, too. Subconsciously, she glanced toward the window every now and then. Naomi showed her the message from the morning and said, "He probably will." Celeste smiled and went back to playing with the balloons. Once the decorations were done, Naomi received a call from a parent. They said that something had come up, and that their child couldn't make it. They exchanged a few polite words before hanging up. To Naomi's surprise, more and more parents started calling. "Mom, are none of them coming?" Celeste asked after overhearing the calls. Her cheerful expression faltered, but she said, "It's okay. As long as Mr. James comes, I'm fine. I just want to spend my birthday with Mom and Mr. James." Naomi's heart went out to Celeste because of her understanding nature. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. She sent another message to James. But this time, he didn't reply. The time for Celeste's birthday party to start came and went, yet not a single one of her classmates showed up. Naomi glanced at her phone and saw that Sophia had updated her social media account. She had thrown an enrollment celebration for Liam and invited the entire class. The photos showed all the children and parents together, with James standing in the center. Sophia's caption read, "Thank you, James, for organizing the party. Liam was thrilled." Naomi's hand trembled, and her phone slipped to the floor. James had known it was Celeste's birthday, yet… Celeste picked up the phone and stared blankly at the photo. This time, she didn't cry. "Let's eat, Mom," she said, placing the phone on the table and pulling the cake closer. "Help me light the candles." Naomi's heart hurt so badly that she could hardly breathe. She lit the candles and turned off the lights. "I hope Mr. James will always be happy. Mom and I have each other. I hope we'll stay together forever," Celeste mumbled. Listening to Celeste's wish, Naomi couldn't hold back anymore and let her tears flow. When the candles went out, she quickly wiped her face and smiled at Celeste. "Let's eat." "Mom, from now on, I only want to celebrate my birthday with you. After we finish eating, let's leave." Celeste took a bite of the cake and finally broke down in sobs. Naomi pulled her daughter into her arms. "Don't cry. I'll take good care of you from now on." James had exhausted all his chances. She and Celeste would no longer look back. That night, Naomi and Celeste packed their things and left the villa. They booked the earliest flight to Aberford. Before boarding, Naomi sent one last message to James. "James Hudson, I wish you a happy life." Then, she turned off her phone and boarded the plane with Celeste. From that moment on, they had nothing to do with him anymore.