Wide awake, he spent the night sitting by Jackson’s bed.
Remorse and guilt filled him as he stared at the familiar brows and eyes on the small face.
His heart felt like it had been stabbed as he thought of how difficult Niamh must have had it when she was pregnant with Jackson.
The day finally brightened and Kendrick heard activity from downstairs.
His heart raced, knowing that Niamh had returned.
Walking downstairs, he found Niamh bustling in the kitchen just as he had imagined.
Kendrick felt his gloom lift considerably, but he did not dare disrupt her for she was most likely here for Jackson.
Not wanting to give Niamh more reason to be angry at him, Kendrick waited for Jackson to wake before helping the boy wash up and change. Then, he took him downstairs.
Seeing the father-son duo appear hand-in-hand, Niamh ignored Kendrick to smile at Jackson.
“I made you breakfast, Jack. Would you like me to send you to kindergarten after breakfast?”
Jackson responded with a hopeful smile, “Can I have both Mommy and Daddy send me to school?”
“Of course,” Kendrick replied, sighing a breath of relief at Niamh’s lack of protest.
When breakfast was over, Kendrick then drove the three of them to the kindergarten.
Reaching the kindergarten, Jackson tugged on a young female teacher and pointed a finger at Niamh and Kendrick. “Look, Ms. Laurens, that’s my mom and dad! My mom’s a beauty!”
His classmates exclaimed innocently as their gazes landed on Niamh, “Jackson’s mom is so pretty.”
“His Daddy is so handsome too.”
A proud smile graced Jackson’s boyish features at their praises.
It was a smile that comforted Niamh.
Her child would no longer be as gloomy as he used to be.
Niamh turned to leave after she watched the child enter only to have Kendrick follow behind. “Where are you going, Eveline? I’ll send you.”
A car stopped in front of Niamh just as his words fell.
Alighting the car was Felipe who merely spared Kendrick a faint glance before he turned around to open the passenger seat door for Niamh.
Realizing Niamh was about to leave with Felipe, Kendrick stepped forward to loop his arm around her slender waist decisively. He then pulled her toward himself. “Please leave, my wife will not sit in your car.”
Niamh was taken by surprise when she found herself being held tightly in Kendrick’s arms. She had not the chance to avoid him.
A smudge of anger tinted Felipe’s gentle features. “Let go, Kendrick. Stop bothering her. Vera’s my fianceé.”
“You’re very well aware who exactly I’m holding in my arms, Felipe, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that Niamh and I are still legally married. Don’t become a homewrecker.”
Felipe’s expression darkened.
Kendrick tugged lightly on Niamh’s waist with a faint smile. “Let’s go, darling.”
“…”
Niamh had half the mind to struggle only to realize that several parents were watching her and Kendrick.
Remembering how happy and proud Jackson was as he introduced her and Kendrick moments ago, Niamh relented.
Sparing Felipe and his cold eyes a glance, Niamh followed Kendrick into his car.
It was only after they had left the kindergarten perimeters that Niamh requested Kendrick to stop his car.
He listened and stopped by the roadside.
Niamh gave him a cold look. “I would never have gotten in your car had it not been for Jack, Kendrick. Stop bothering me, please. I’m not your wife anymore.”
Kendrick’s grip tightened around the steering wheel.
He turned around when he heard Niamh push open the car door. “You are. You still are the wife of Kendrick Waldburg.”
Niamh turned back with a scoff. “Did you forget how you forced me to sign the divorce papers three years ago? I said no, but you held my hand and forced me to sign just so you could marry Nevaeh Delgado, that evil woman. How could you still call me your wife?”
Kendrick’s brows furrowed slightly when he remembered how heartless he had been.
His gaze was remorseful when he looked at Niamh.
Yet, Niamh saw a tint of relief in Kendrick’s eyes.
He opened his mouth to speak, “Indeed, you signed the papers. But I’ve never formally gone through the divorce procedures.”
“…” Niamh was stunned. “What did you say?”
“I told you then, didn’t I? I don’t have an ex-wife. You’re the only wife I’ve had, ever since the beginning.”
“…”
“We’re still legally married, Eveline. Be it the past or the present, you’re still the only wife I, Kendrick Waldburg, have ever married.”
“…”
Niamh’s expression was no longer calm.
Balling her fists, she stared at the man’s gentle and happy expression in disbelief.
“What do you want, Kendrick? You forced me to agree to a divorce, only to tell me that you’ve never completed the procedures?”
The absurdity of the situation had Niamh losing control over her emotions.
“Fine. Since we haven’t divorced yet, then we can divorce for real now!”
She alighted the car decisively and gave the man in the car an indifferent glance.
“I’ll draft up the divorce agreement and give it to you as soon as possible. I don’t want to have anything to do with you anymore.”
Niamh slammed the door with a bang and strolled away.
Kendrick gripped the steering wheel harder, his heart in pain as his gaze locked on the figure that was walking away. A bitter smile tugged on his lips.
Who would have thought? History was repeating itself.
He had forced a divorce back then.
Now, she was the one who would place the divorce papers in front of him.
He had done this to himself.
…
Half an hour later, Niamh arrived at the shop on First Crystal Street.
Locking herself in the office, she began to search for reference materials to draft the divorce papers.
However, every draft she made ended up being deleted.
She was unable to calm herself down, for she could not wrap her head around why Kendrick had not divorced her.
She was still his wife!
Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the office door.
Looking up, Niamh was met Felipe who wore a warm and small smile on his lips.
After clearing her table, she opened the door for Felipe to enter and made him a cup of black tea.
Felipe took a light sip before going straight to the point. “Why did you turn your phone off the past two days? Did Kendrick say something that day in front of Waldburg Corporation?”
At the mention of this topic, Niamh beamed with a beautiful smile. Her eyes were filled with joy.
“I found my child.”
Felipe trembled. “Yours and Kendrick’s first child?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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