My Husband Made Our Son Call Him Uncle

It was Friday, the day Ethan's first love, Evelyn Ward, returned to the country. They were college sweethearts and had gotten engaged right after graduation. But just a month before their wedding, Evelyn fell head over heels for a French man she met at an art gallery. She abandoned Ethan without a second thought, flying to France to pursue her "true love." And just like that, they parted ways. Ethan was devastated and fell into a deep depression for a long time. It was during that dark period that I became his executive assistant. One night, after too many drinks, we ended up in bed. I got pregnant. I became his secret wife, and because of that, both I and my child were deeply resented by him. After printing out the divorce agreement I had drafted yesterday, I started writing my resignation letter. Unlike my son, I was used to Ethan’s coldness. I was no longer foolish enough to wait for a heartless man to suddenly change his mind. Seven years was more than enough to crush all my fairy-tale illusions. "Chloe, are you really resigning?" My coworker, Sarah, glanced at my screen and whispered in shock. I smiled faintly, using the excuse I had prepared beforehand. "Yeah. My husband is working abroad. I’m planning to take Leo and join him. It’s time for our family to be together." Sarah nodded understandingly. "That makes sense. It’s been so hard on you raising a kid alone here." "To be honest, we all secretly thought you were a single mom." Hearing that, I couldn’t help but chuckle. But the laugh was bitter. I wasn’t a single mom, yet my life was worse than one. My eyes started to sting, but I quickly put on my practiced, professional smile, refusing to let anyone see my pain. Right after I submitted my resignation, Ethan walked into the office, accompanied by Evelyn. The woman walked ahead, a sweet, elegant smile on her face. Ethan followed closely behind her, his eyes locked onto her, unable to look away for even a second. Sarah nudged me, whispering, "Chloe, look at that. Our cold boss is finally showing some emotion. The ice king has melted." I forced a tight smile, though a storm was raging in my chest. Even the coldest winter eventually turns to spring. But for Ethan... Even if I waited a lifetime, I would never get him to look at me that way. As they walked past my desk, I couldn’t stop myself from calling out. "Eth—" Just as the first syllable left my lips, Ethan shot me a freezing glare. "Ms. Carter, is there something you need?" His tone was detached and carried a sharp warning. He was warning me to shut my mouth. Warning me to remember my place as a mere assistant. I lowered my eyes, using every ounce of strength to hold back my tears. "My apologies, Mr. Vance." Ethan gave a curt nod and immediately turned his attention back to Evelyn, as if she were his entire world. He was my husband. The father of my child. Yet, right in front of me, he made no effort to hide his deep devotion to another woman. It was humiliating, but it was also a wake-up call. I laughed at myself. Originally, I wanted to tell him in person that I was resigning. Now, it seemed there was no need. After all, he never cared. He didn't care about my feelings, he didn't care about our son. And he certainly didn't care about this marriage, which existed only on paper. Back at my desk, my phone buzzed. It was a FaceTime call from my son’s smartwatch. "Mom, there's a parent-teacher conference tonight, so we're getting dismissed early." "Marcus is driving me to your office now." I blinked, instinctively getting up to walk to the lobby. But as I stepped out, I saw Ethan gently reaching out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Evelyn’s ear. And not far from them stood my son, carrying his heavy backpack. The tiny boy stood by the elevator doors, staring blankly as his father tenderly interacted with a strange woman. That gentleness, that patience... Neither I nor my son had ever received it. Just as I was about to rush over and pull Leo away, Ethan noticed him. Ethan’s body went stiff, and he quickly pulled his hand back. But in the next second, he shielded Evelyn and walked right past Leo with steady, cold steps. He acted as if he didn't even know his own son. My heart ached fiercely. I rushed over, grabbed Leo’s hand, and led him back to my desk. Before I could even think of an explanation, Leo’s eyes filled with tears. He looked up at me. "Mom, is that the woman uncle Ethan loves?" At that moment, I lost all strength to speak. I could only nod through my tears. Leo didn't ask anything else. He quietly sat down and pulled out his homework to write. But his tears kept falling, soaking the paper. I held him tight. He was my entire world. Ethan, you have two chances left before we walk away.

After packing my things, Leo and I headed home. On the way, Leo asked me quietly, "Mom, can uncle come to the parent-teacher conference tonight?" In seven years, Ethan had never attended a single school event for Leo. Looking at my son's hopeful eyes, I didn’t have the heart to refuse. I pulled out my phone and sent Ethan a Snapchat message. [Leo has a parent-teacher conference tonight. Are you free?] The message was sent. And just like always, it was met with silence. Leo lowered his head, clutching his backpack. "He's not coming, is he?" Then, he forced a mature, understanding smile. "It's okay. He is a busy CEO. I understand." Hearing his polite, too-mature words, I felt as if a heavy boulder was crushing my chest. The pain made it hard to breathe. Just as I was about to comfort him, my phone buzzed. It was a reply from Ethan. [I’m free. I’ll be there.] A surge of joy rushed through me. I instantly shoved the phone in front of Leo’s face. "Leo, look! Your dad said he's coming!" Leo gasped, and a brilliant, radiant smile lit up his face. This was the first time in seven years that Ethan had agreed to show up for him. With Ethan’s promise, Leo was ecstatic the entire way home. He chirped happily, telling me how many times the teacher had praised him this semester, how many straight A's he got, and how many certificates he had won. He even told me he had been elected class president, and the teacher was going to officially announce it tonight. At that, Leo looked up at me eagerly. "Mom, once uncle knows how good I am at school, he’ll like me more, right?" I froze, my heart aching even more. I silently prayed that Ethan wouldn't break his promise. Before we left this place, I wanted my son to have his wish fulfilled, even if it was just a temporary illusion. The clock ticked away, and the time for the meeting drew closer. But Ethan still hadn’t shown up. Meanwhile, Evelyn's Instagram updated. In the photo, Ethan was sitting next to a young boy, patiently teaching him how to build a Lego set. The caption read: [The perfect future dad. ] I turned my head to look at the living room. My seven-year-old son was sitting quietly on the carpet, playing with his toys. It was the exact same Lego set, with a boy of the exact same age who also needed his father's company. But Leo had never had Ethan by his side. Sensing my gaze, Leo seemed to realize something. He asked cautiously, "Mom, is Ethan busy again?" I stared into my son's innocent eyes, unable to bring myself to tell him the truth. Your father isn't busy. He’s just busy being a dad to another woman's child. I couldn’t say it. I could only pull him into my arms and whisper, "It's okay, baby. You have Mom. Mom will always be with you." Leo didn't ask further, but his eyes turned red. On the way to school, we both tacitly avoided mentioning Ethan’s name. It was as if he had never promised to come, and as if our family had always consisted of just the two of us. Ethan, you have one last chance.

After parking the car, I walked into the school holding Leo’s hand. But the moment we stepped into the classroom, I froze. "Uncle?" "Dad?" Ethan was sitting by the window. Hearing our voices, he looked up, his eyes widening in shock. "What are you guys doing here?" His genuine surprise made my heart sink. A terrible dread washed over me. Leo had been at this school for six months, but Ethan didn't even know which grade or classroom he was in. Leo, however, didn't notice the coldness. He ran over excitedly. "Dad, you—" Ethan frowned. "What did you just call me?" Leo’s smile instantly vanished. He quickly corrected himself, a practiced numbness on his face. "Uncle Ethan. You're sitting in the wrong seat. My desk is in the front row." He still looked at Ethan with hope. This was the first time Ethan had ever come to his school. He thought Ethan had kept his promise to him. But before his excitement could last, Ethan looked away, avoiding his gaze. "I’m not in the wrong seat. This is where I’m supposed to sit." Leo was stunned. Before he could speak, a small figure rushed over and shoved Leo aside. "Get away from him! He's my dad!" Out of pure motherly instinct, I rushed forward and pulled Leo into my arms. Ethan stood up quickly, but when his eyes met Evelyn’s surprised gaze, he froze. Pulling his hands back, he shielded the other boy, Toby, behind him and said stiffly, "Toby didn't mean it. I apologize on his behalf." Both Leo and I were stunned. That kind of protection, that kind of care... Leo had never received a single ounce of it. "Who is he?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. Ethan looked at me, a brief flash of guilt crossing his eyes. "A friend's kid." "Is that so?" I murmured, though my heart already knew the truth. This was the boy from Evelyn’s Instagram post. The boy Ethan was willing to spend his precious time with. Sure enough, Evelyn walked in holding a bottle of water. She gasped when she saw us. "Chloe? You're here for the school open house too?" "Where's your husband? Why isn't he with you?" Hearing her question, I instinctively looked at Ethan. He quickly shifted his gaze, refusing to make eye contact. I understood. He was terrified I would expose our marriage in front of Evelyn. In a daze, my mind drifted back to the night Evelyn returned. That night, the cold, emotionless billionaire got drunk for the first time. And for the first time, when Leo called him "Daddy," Ethan had smiled. Leo and I thought we were finally going to have a happy family. But in the next second, Ethan mumbled Evelyn’s name in his sleep. He had only hugged Leo because he mistook him for someone else. My grip on Leo’s hand tightened. Just as I was about to speak, Leo beat me to it. "My dad is working in another country. He’s very busy, and I don't want to bother him." His words left both Ethan and Evelyn speechless. I looked down in disbelief, only to see Leo's eyes pooling with tears. He looked at Ethan and forced a polite, distant smile. "We should go, sir. Have a good night." An overwhelming sadness blocked my chest. As we turned to leave, Ethan suddenly reached out and grabbed my wrist. "What did Leo just say?" Ethan asked, his voice trembling as if he was trying to confirm what he just heard. Was he shocked because the child who used to cling to him desperately was now actively pushing him away? I pulled my hand back, feeling nothing but cold irony. "Nothing, Mr. Vance. The meeting is about to start." I broke free from his grip and led Leo to our seats in the front row. Even after sitting down, I could feel his burning gaze on our backs. But no matter how intense that gaze was, it could never warm a heart that had already turned to ice.