Three Days to Goodbye

Joseph tried to act fine, but I saw his little shoulders trembling as he walked faster, his hand secretly wiping away tears.

He was only five… and yet he had to learn what rejection felt like from his own father.

Just as my chest tightened, my phone rang.

It was David.

I answered instantly, barely breathing.

He spoke only two words. “I’ll be there.”

Then the line went dead.

I froze for a second, then shouted after Joseph, my heart bursting with relief.

“Joseph! Dad says he’s coming to your sports day tomorrow!”

He turned, his eyes widening in disbelief before his whole face lit up.

“Really? Dad’s coming? I knew it! I knew Dad wouldn’t break his promise this time!”

The rest of the day, he wouldn’t stop talking.

He held my hand the entire way home, telling me about his games, his friends, his award.

“Mom, if Dad sees me win tomorrow, do you think he’ll like me more? Maybe he’ll tell everyone I’m his pup!”

My chest ached as I smiled and hugged him.

“He will, baby. You’re his only pup.”

He grinned so brightly it hurt to look at him.

And for a fleeting second, I wanted to believe it too.

The next morning, Joseph was up before sunrise.

He dressed neatly, hair brushed, and waited by the window.

Every few minutes, he’d peek outside.

Cars came and went.

But not David’s.

Minutes became hours.

The sports day was about to begin.

Then my phone buzzed.

It wasn’t a message from David—but a post from Sophia Sinclair.

She’d uploaded a photo of David sitting beside a little boy at a piano, smiling as he guided the boy’s hands over the keys.

Her caption read:

“What’s it like to have an Alpha for a dad?”

My hand went numb around the phone.

When I turned, Joseph was still staring out the window.

Our eyes met through the glass.

He already knew.

He turned slowly, his voice quiet but far too mature for his age.

“Mom… Dad’s not coming, is he?”

I forced a smile, walked over, and hugged him tight.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. Mom’s here. I’ll go with you.”

He nodded wordlessly, slipping his small hand into mine.

We walked to the school in silence, each step heavy with everything unspoken.

No one mentioned David again.

Maybe that was for the best.

But in my heart, something had already broken beyond repair.

Just as we reached the school gate, Joseph froze.

His eyes lit up. “Dad!”

I followed his gaze.

David stood by the entrance, tall and perfect as ever, looking like the Alpha everyone admired.

“Dad!” Joseph ran toward him, laughter spilling out as he wrapped his arms around David’s waist.

But instead of hugging him back, David stiffened.

He peeled Joseph’s hands off and asked coldly,

“What are you doing here?”

Joseph blinked, confused. “Dad… you promised—”

David’s voice was like a whip.

“Who’s your dad?”

The light in Joseph’s eyes shattered. He stepped back and whispered, “Sorry, sir. I must’ve mistaken you for someone else.”

I bit down on my trembling lip, watching my son’s small hands curl into fists.

Before I could move, another little boy ran up and shoved Joseph.

“Hey! He’s my dad! Back off!”

Joseph turned pale. “You’re lying! He’s my… my uncle.”

The boy pointed at Joseph smugly. “He’s not your uncle! He’s my dad! I’m going to be his heir one day!”

David stepped forward protectively, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Lucas is just a child,” he said, tone soft and indulgent—the kind of tone he’d never used with Joseph.

“He doesn’t mean what he says. Don’t make a scene.”

I looked at the two of them—David and the boy from Sophia’s photo—and suddenly it all made sense.

The way David smiled at Lucas, the tenderness in his eyes… it was everything Joseph had ever longed for.

And I finally understood.

David never hated me.

He simply loved someone else—so completely that there was no space left for us.