Exit the Substitute: Walking Out of Her World

"Maybe Will wanted to play for a while longer and refused to head home," I thought.

As I comforted myself, I shook my throbbing head and made my way toward the playroom. Then, I took out the parts of Will's new toy and started assembling them.

Time slowly passed by. When I rubbed my aching neck and got to my feet, I realized that it was already 1:00 am.

Despite how late it already was, Celine and Will still hadn't come home. I frowned and gripped my phone.

"I've finished assembling your toy for you, Will. When are you coming home?" I muttered as I glanced at the toy next to me. "Do you think that I did a bad job?"

Eventually, Celine called me before I could contact her. I let out a breath of relief. But once I picked up the phone, I immediately froze.

"Hey, James. Will has a terrible stomachache. My place is relatively close to the amusement park, so the two of them decided to drop by. Don't worry too much about it."

Robert's gentle voice and the warm laughter in the background rang out from the other end of the phone. The noises felt painful to listen to, and I instinctively hung up the call.

Once I realized what I had done, I couldn't comprehend why I had behaved so anxiously. I was Celine's husband and Will's father.

Had Celine's unsent message been right all along? Was Robert the only man she'd ever love?

I couldn't accept this. I needed to get my family to come home!

Once I had made up my mind, I opened the door and dashed out of the house. But once I got to Robert's place, my vision went dark, and I collapsed right in front of his home.

By the time I opened my eyes again, I found myself in an unfamiliar and rundown house. I cautiously lifted my head. Nearby, a stranger was carefully tending to something on the stove.

"Oh, you're awake."

The bright-eyed figure turned around and brought me a glass of water.

"I found you in the neighborhood," she said. "I asked the security guard about you, but he said he didn't know who you were. So, I had no choice but to bring you to my home."

Her small frame seemed surprisingly strong. She stared at me with big, wide eyes and flashed me a kind smile.

"Thank you," I said sincerely.

I was touched by her actions. She was a relatively small girl. It must've been incredibly difficult for her to move someone of my stature all the way here.

"I'm just glad that you're okay," she replied with a smile.

The sight of her dimples seemed to brighten my mood.

Afterward, I bid her goodbye and hastily returned home. Upon checking the time, I realized that I had been unconscious for two whole days. Celine and Will must've been worried sick.

To my dismay, the house was empty when I returned. In fact, even the slippers I tossed beside the shoe rack were still exactly where I had left them.

Had my family been away from home for the last two days as well?

I took a seat on the sofa and leaned against the backrest. Then, I took out my phone. I wanted to make a phone call, but I found myself navigating to Robert's social media page instead.

I stared at his most recent post and instinctively clenched my fists. In the photo he had posted, Celine was beaming as Robert and Will leaned against her.

"Gorgeous company, great food, beautiful sights, and good vibes!" Robert's caption read.

As it turned out, the two of them had been spending the last two days with Robert. In comparison, Celine had never celebrated my birthday with me before.

At this point, everything became perfectly clear. Celine was never too busy with work—she just didn't love me.

My wife didn't love me, and my son didn't love me either. Memories of our past flashed through my mind before they faded away.

I felt heartbroken. Despite the smile on my face, my eyes had already welled up with tears.

"It's time to let go of this ridiculous farce, James Sawyer," I said inwardly.