My Son’s Secret,A Divorced Mom’s Comeback Chapter 1

When it came to our divorce, Daniel wanted custody of our son.

My ex-husband said,

"How about we ask him what *he* wants?"

Lucas, my son, held his phone, calmly glancing at me. "Are you really going through with the divorce?"

"Yes." I nodded, firm in my decision.

"Alright then."

Lucas, still engrossed in his game, casually spoke to Daniel.

"I'm with Mom. But you need to give her more assets; I'm worried she won't be able to afford me otherwise."

Daniel dragged Lucas into his study.

I started to follow, worried, but the door slammed shut with a "bang" right in front of me.

Daniel's furious voice echoed from inside.

"Lucas Miller, I'm asking you one more time, are you really sticking with your mom? Don't say I didn't warn you, your mom's just a homemaker. Do you seriously think she can take care of you?"

Lucas's indifferent voice replied,

"Dad, honestly, it doesn't really matter who I live with. The main thing is, Chloe Johnson is pregnant with my little brother. If I stayed with you, I'd just be afraid of upsetting her."

Having his dirty laundry aired by his own son, even Daniel, with all his nerve, probably felt a little flustered.

The voices inside quieted down.

I couldn't make out what they said next, reaching up to wipe my tears, only for more to stream down.

I don't know how long passed, but the study door reopened.

Daniel walked up to me, and seeing me hunched over, crying, he seemed to feel a flicker of remorse.

He handed me a tissue and slowly said, "Lucas will stay with you."

I lifted my tear-streaked face.

My ex-husband continued, "The car and the house are yours, plus five hundred thousand dollars. If you agree, we can file the papers tomorrow."

I stared at him blankly.

To be honest, I was the one who pushed for the divorce.

But when it came to the actual divorce settlement, I hadn't the faintest clue.

"Don't give her the car." Lucas suddenly spoke up.

I snapped back to reality, a bitter laugh catching in my throat.

Of course, the father-son bond ran deep; he was clearly siding with his dad.

But then he continued, "Seriously, Mom's driving? She'd either never use it, or she'd cause an accident. Let's just cash it out.

"Your car must be worth seven or eight hundred thousand, minimum. So, a hundred thousand on top of the house, I think that's fair."

Daniel's gaze turned heavy as he looked at Lucas.

Lucas shrugged indifferently.

Daniel looked away.

"Alright, we'll do that. Tomorrow at nine, meet at the divorce attorney's office."

The front door closed.

My heart clenched with it.

Daniel was gone, likely never to return.

We had been together since college.

Our young love, so genuine, so pure.

I thought we'd grow old together.

But somehow, we'd ended up like this.

"Mom."

Lucas's voice pulled me back from my sadness.

"I'm hungry. Did you make dinner?"

I quickly got up, wiping away my tears. "I'll go buy groceries right now."

A hint of grievance crept into his voice. "Mom, you're about to have a million dollars. Can't you just treat me to a big dinner out?"

I took Lucas to the barbecue joint downstairs.

He handed me a large piece of beef.

"Mom, it's an all-you-can-eat buffet. You gotta eat a lot to get your money's worth."

"Oh."

I took it and put it in my mouth, finding it tasteless, unable to swallow.

I thought of all the online articles about how divorce traumatizes children.

I carefully began, "Son, even though your dad and I are getting divorced, he's still your father. I might hate him, but you don't have to."

"I don't hate him." He flipped a chicken wing.

"You shouldn't hate him either. Hating someone is exhausting."

He sat across from me, and through the rising smoke, I could barely make out his face.