Chapter 68

Layla felt as if her heart had been shredded into pieces at Benjamin's plea. It was hard for her to imagine what it must have been like for him four years ago—running a high fever and waiting for his mother to come home, only to hear that she didn't want to care for him anymore. He was only three years old, but he was forced to bear with the lies that the adults had woven for him. It caused him to develop such resentment toward the mother he had always loved. Layla's eyes reddened as she gently stroked Benjamin's head. "Okay, I won't leave. But your temperature is too high, and I need to cool you down, so bear with me." Benjamin grasped her hand tightly and looked at her with tears in his eyes. "Promise me you won't leave when I fall asleep?" A rush of bittersweetness and surprise surged in her heart when she saw how Benjamin still clung to her like he used to. She had the strong urge to hold him tightly in her arms and to tell him that she had never stopped thinking about him in