Chapter 3

Layla slowly turned around, her lips still curled in a faint smile. "If you doubt it, Mr. Parker, I can give you a strand of Daisy's hair. You can do a paternity test." Her calm and composed demeanor left Seth with an inexplicable sense of disappointment and disbelief. "We've been divorced for four years, and she's already three. How could you move on so quickly? This doesn't sound like the Layla I know." In his mind, Layla had always loved fiercely. She had loved him so deeply back then. How could she have given another man a child so soon? Faced with Seth's accusations, Layla sneered. "Not even a week after I left, you got engaged to Clarissa. Why couldn't I find someone else? "Did you expect me to remain loyal to you forever? Seth, what makes you think I'd stoop so low?" Seth frowned. "Are you trying to get back at me?" Layla's voice was cold. "You're not worth it." Those words left Seth with a bitter taste in his mouth. His deep, dark eyes rippled with emotion as he replied, "If that man really loves you, why hasn't he married you even after having a child together? That's just irresponsible." Layla countered, "Indeed, we were married when I was pregnant with your child, but didn't you also betray me in the end? What right do you have to question anyone else?" With that, she returned to her seat with Daisy in her arms. Seth's gaze lingered on the scene of Layla and her "family", who seemed happy together. His hands clenched into fists. He couldn't deny it—Layla had changed. She no longer had any affection for him. All the tenderness she had once shown him was now given to the man in front of her. The more he thought about it, the heavier the weight on his chest grew. Mark handed Layla a glass of water when he saw her grim expression. In a low voice, he asked, "Do you want to go to another restaurant?" "There's no need," Layla replied. "We're in the same city, so we're bound to cross paths. Sooner or later, I'll have to face him." "But he's already suspicious of Daisy's lineage. If he digs deeper, I'm worried he might fight for custody. Have you forgotten how he took Benjamin from you back then?" Layla's chest tightened. Back then, she had a good relationship with Benjamin. He was well-behaved and obedient. However, once he started kindergarten, her mother-in-law insisted on helping to take care of him, claiming that Layla was too exhausted from work. At the time, Layla was busy with a major project that required her to travel for two months, so she had reluctantly agreed. But when she returned, she discovered that her son was incredibly close to Clarissa and had grown distant from her. Only when Seth handed her the divorce papers did she realize what had happened. The offer to "help her with childcare" had been a ruse. The real goal was to alienate her son from her. To help Clarissa get married to Seth, they had all colluded to drive a wedge between her and Benjamin. When they got divorced, Layla didn't even have the right to fight for custody because her son had chosen his father over her. The pain from those memories still lingered. She thought time had healed those wounds, but when faced with the situation again, she realized that they were merely covered in a thick layer of dust. When the dust was blown away, she could feel the pain again. Layla gently patted Daisy's head and said with certainty, "I acted so composed earlier. He won't investigate. The more you try to hide something, the more it draws attention." Mark handed her some steak that he had cut into pieces. "I hope so. Once Daisy's illness is treated, we'll leave this place." The three of them sitting together painted a picture of a harmonious family. Mark was always either serving Layla food or tending to Daisy. Even the air around them seemed to radiate happiness. Seth found himself glancing over more often than he cared to admit, his hand gripping his utensils until his knuckles turned pale. He had to admit that Layla had moved on. Not only that, but she seemed to have found happiness. The more he dwelled on it, the heavier the weight on his chest grew. Just as he was about to step outside to smoke, he heard Clarissa's voice from behind. "Seth," Clarissa called. Seth turned around and was met with the sight of Clarissa smiling at him. Before he could say anything, Benjamin darted into her arms and clung to her affectionately. "Mommy Clarissa, I've ordered your favorite meatballs!" Clarissa kissed his cheek with a laugh. "What a thoughtful boy. How can I not love you? Look! I got you the latest toy. Do you like it?" "Yes! Of course! I'll like anything you give me, Mommy Clarissa." Benjamin glanced at Layla's table. He had spoken loudly on purpose to try to get her attention. However, Layla didn't so much as look over. She stayed focused on tending to Daisy. Benjamin grew frustrated and tugged on Clarissa's arm. "Mommy Clarissa, when you marry Dad, you'll be my favorite mom!" Clarissa was visibly moved as she cupped Benjamin's face with a smile. "Then, I'll make sure to be the best mom in the world." She walked over and sat beside Seth. She sensed the unusual tension in the air and asked with a smile, "Seth, what's wrong? Did Benjamin's teacher complain again? He's just a child. Don't mind him." Seth shot her a cold glance. "Stop indulging him. Look at him now. He's causing trouble in class and fighting with his classmates. The teacher's called us three times this week." Clarissa quickly soothed him, saying, "Alright. I'll keep a closer eye on him. Don't be upset. Let's just eat, okay?" She tugged at Seth's arm, trying to hold his hand, but he casually avoided her touch. The two tables weren't far apart, and Layla could hear their conversation clearly. She knew that Clarissa was doing it on purpose—trying to flaunt how close she was to Benjamin and how she was now Seth's fiancée. Years ago, this would have infuriated Layla. But now, she found Clarissa's tactics childish. Just then, Daisy accidentally spilled her drink on Layla. Layla regained her senses and stood up, intending to go to the restroom to clean herself up. As she turned to leave, she found Clarissa standing behind her, a smug smile plastered on her face. "Ms. Jenkins, long time no see," Clarissa said. Layla responded coolly, "Thanks to you, I'm doing just fine." Clarissa smirked. "Layla, why are you pretending? Your ex-husband and son are mine now. Don't tell me you're not angry." Layla tossed the paper towel into the trash, and her tone was calm as she replied, "Why would I be? You're doing me a favor by taking out the trash. I should be thanking you." "Layla, once I marry Seth, your son will be calling me 'Mom.' Let's see if you can still be so smug then." Layla scoffed. "Ms. Price, instead of wasting time trying to get a rise out of me, maybe you should focus on actually marrying Seth. It's been four years since I left, and he still hasn't made you his wife. It seems like you don't hold much appeal to him after all." Clarissa was livid. "Do you really think you were ever appealing to him? Your child was just the result of some drunken mistake!"