The Day I Went Dark, My Family Broke

Two days later, I got a call from Lucian.

He stayed silent for so long that I thought he had dialed the wrong number and was about to hang up when he finally spoke. "Tomorrow is Ryan's birthday."

I was stunned.

In the past, I had handled every detail of his birthdays—baking the cake, buying gifts, decorating the house—all for the joy of seeing his surprise.

But this year, I had forgotten entirely.

"Oh," I replied indifferently.

The air between us instantly turned cold again.

"Come home for dinner. Ryan misses you," Lucian said, his voice rough. Then, he added, "Chloe will be at her tutoring class tonight, so it'll just be us. And... I'll cook."

After some hesitation, I answered, "Alright."

Maybe it would be the last birthday I'd spend with Ryan. He might not like me anymore, but I had carried him for nine months and brought him into this world. This could be my final act of motherhood.

That evening, when I opened the door, Ryan ran up just like he always had on his birthdays, holding out his hands for a gift.

I handed him the toy car I'd picked out. He lit up, clearly wanting to hug me, but I let the moment pass, leaving his little arms suspended awkwardly in the air.

Lucian emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron, setting the dishes on the table.

For a moment, my nose stung.

During dinner, Lucian placed some of my favorite braised beef onto my plate.

Ryan asked me to help him light the candles. As he closed his eyes to make a wish, Lucian reached over and took my hand. "Sarah, Chloe is just an outsider. You're my wife."

Moisture clouded my eyes. While Ryan blew out the candles, I quickly wiped away the tears.

For a brief while, the warmth almost made me forget Chloe even existed.

But near the end of the meal, Lucian finally said, "You should keep your distance from Jacob."

I looked up, puzzled.

"I heard your parents' old project is being restarted. Jacob's name is on the research team. You didn't know? He's using you to get information about your parents' work."

"He wouldn't do that," I replied.

Lucian's temper flared. "Sarah, who's your husband here? Is there something going on between you and him..."

"That's enough!" I slammed my hand on the table. "Do you think everyone is as filthy as you?"

"Watch your mouth!" he snapped back, his voice rising.

The fragile warmth of the evening shattered instantly.

Ryan burst into tears. "Mommy, Daddy, please don't fight!"

Breathing hard, Lucian waved a hand. "Forget it. We're going to Feanland with Chloe tomorrow. We'll talk when I get back. But remember, don't get involved in any research with Jacob, or you're not coming back here."

The dinner ended in tense silence.

When I returned to my apartment, I saw a text from Jacob. "The flight's at 8:00 am tomorrow. Shall we go together?"

I simply replied, "Okay."

The next day, I grabbed my suitcase and headed to the airport.

As the plane climbed into the clouds, the city I had lived in for eight years slowly disappeared from view.