Life Swapped, Sister's Downfall
Ever since I find out that my CEO husband, Rowan Goodwin, is incapable of letting his first love, Megan Dolton—who's divorced and has a child of her own—go, I begin teaching our son, Ryan Goodwin, to address Rowan as "Mr. Goodwin" all the time.
When Ryan is burning up with a fever, Megan chooses to summon Rowan away from us in the middle of the night. As I caress Ryan's scalding forehead, I instruct him to tell Rowan, "Goodbye, Mr. Goodwin."
When Rowan has agreed to attend the teacher-parent conference with Ryan, Megan calls him with tears streaking down her cheeks, claiming that her own son, Nelson Herrera, doesn't have a father to accompany him. So, Rowan doesn't hesitate to ditch us once again.
Without bothering to raise my head, I pass my phone to Ryan so that he can take leave for "Mr. Goodwin" in the parents' group chat.
Every time, Ryan always hesitates for a long time before carrying out my orders.
Later on, Rowan finally realizes that he has owed us far too much. So, he takes the initiative to suggest that we take a family portrait together.
When we reach the photography studio, Megan calls Rowan once again. Her sobs can be heard drifting from the loudspeaker.
"Rowan, can you please come over and pick Nelson up from school? The children at the kindergarten keep making fun of him for not having a father…"
Pity crosses Rowan's expression immediately. He's about to crouch down and explain to Ryan when the latter just waves airily at him without me having to nudge him.
"It's fine, Mr. Goodwin. You should accompany the other child. Mommy and I are the only ones needed for the family portrait."
Chapter 1
As soon as our son, Ryan Goodwin's, words fell, my husband, Rowan Goodwin, and I froze at the same time.
In the 28 days following the realization that Rowan was emotionally checked out of our family, whenever he walked out on Ryan and me for Megan, I had Ryan call him Mr. Goodwin as a reminder to both of us not to waste our tears on someone who wasn't worth it.
Ryan, however, didn't see things that way. He was only seven years old, an age when a boy was most dependent on his father. Every time I asked him to call Rowan that, he would hesitate for a long time before murmuring, "Mr. Goodwin."
Yet, now, he had said it on his own. It was so smooth and natural, as if he had rehearsed those two words countless times in his heart.
Noticing that we were both stunned, Ryan took my hand and told Rowan, "Mr. Goodwin, you should go handle your business."
Then, he looked up at me. "Let's go, Mommy. We're going to miss our appointment." He pulled me along, walking step by step toward the photo studio.
Rowan was the one who suggested the family photo to make up for missing Ryan's parent-teacher meeting, and Ryan had been looking forward to it for half a month.
I followed him stiffly. My chest felt so tight and heavy, like a boulder was crushing it, and I just wanted to cry.
Rowan's affair came to light by pure chance. He had gone to celebrate Megan Dolton's son, Nelson Herrera's, birthday, and when he came home, he forgot the receipt in his pocket—a family ticket for three to Starlight Studios.
On Ryan's sixth birthday, he had made a wish for all of us to go to Starlight Studios to see his favorite Minions. Rowan had called it childish and rejected the idea without a second thought. Yet, only a few days later, he went there with Megan's son.
I found Megan's post on Rowan's phone. "The most magical place must be visited with the best daddy." The photo attached was a picture of Rowan and Megan holding the child between them.
Megan was his first love, who was now divorced and had a child of her own. That night, Rowan and I had the worst fight we had ever had. I insisted on taking Ryan and getting a divorce.
Rowan accused me of being unreasonable and asked how I could bear to let our child grow up without a father. Then, he swore to God that he only pitied Megan.
Looking at Ryan's face, which had turned visibly pale with fright, I bit my lip so hard I nearly drew blood. I knew that if I forced Ryan to leave with me right then, he would never be able to forget Rowan.
But I knew even better that once a cheater, always a cheater. I refused to let Ryan suffer endless grievances just because of Rowan's so-called sympathy. Consequently, I chose a different approach—I tricked Rowan into signing the divorce agreement.
Chapter 2
There was about a month before the divorce would be finalized. During those days, if Rowan could turn his life around, I would pretend nothing had ever happened for Ryan's sake. If not, I would use those days to do everything in my power to desensitize Ryan.
It was the 28th day, and Ryan had taken the initiative to call Ryan "Mr. Goodwin". Holding Ryan's slightly shivering frame, I couldn't find it in myself to feel happy. If anything, my heart felt as though it was being pierced by a thousand needles.
While we were crossing the street, Rowan finally snapped back to reality. He chased after us for a few steps, wanting to ask Ryan what was going on, when Megan's phone call came through again.
Her voice carried that same sweet, whiny tone as she asked, "Where are you, Rowan? Nel keeps crying and saying he wants his daddy. I can't calm him down."
Rowan stopped in his tracks. He stared at Ryan's and my retreating figures before responding, "Alright. I'll be there in a minute."
Right after saying that, he sent me a message that read, "Let's talk tonight." Without a moment's hesitation, he turned and left.
The roar of the car engine sounded behind us and gradually faded away into the distance.
Ryan came to a halt, threw himself into my arms, and soaked my clothes with his tears. "Mommy… We don't need Daddy anymore, okay?"
…
We didn't take the family portrait. I took Ryan straight back home and packed our bags.
While I was booking the plane tickets back to my hometown, Megan sent me a video. The background was another famous photo studio in the city.
Megan and Rowan were wearing matching outfits, holding a boy who was about five years old, and posing for the camera. At the end of the video, she taunted me as usual. "It's just a family portrait. Rowan and I can take one whenever we want."
In the past, I would've clapped back the very second I read Megan's taunts. But now, as I watched Ryan carefully organize his toys, I realized I just didn't care anymore.
I exited the chat and booked two plane tickets to Ivashire for the day after tomorrow. I had just completed the payment when Rowan walked through the door with a strawberry cake.
Both Ryan and I froze for a moment. Rowan used to loathe strawberry cake. Because of that, even though Ryan had inherited my crazed obsession with strawberries, he would usually choose a green tea mousse—Rowan's favorite—for his birthdays.
Why did he suddenly bring home a strawberry cake today? Ryan and I exchanged a look, unable to believe our eyes.
Rowan walked in slowly, and when he saw the open suitcases, his expression shifted slightly. "Nel wouldn't stop crying, so I stayed with him a little longer. On the way back, I remembered you both love strawberry cake, so I bought one. Why are you packing your bags? Are you going on a trip?"
I shook my head before nodding. "Something like that."
There were only two days left before the divorce would be finalized. I didn't want anything to go wrong.
For some reason, he seemed to breathe a quiet sigh of relief when he heard that.
"The photo studio called me and said you didn't show up for the shoot. I asked them to reschedule. How about tomorrow? This time, I absolutely won't break my promise again!" he promised solemnly, crouching down in front of Ryan.
Ryan froze as he put away his toys. He looked at Rowan, then at me. He seemed torn, as if he wanted to believe his father but was afraid to do so again.
Noticing Ryan's wavering heart, my own heart softened. "Alright."
This would be the last time, after all.
Ryan's eyes lit up as soon as I said that. Holding his toys, he ran into his room.
Once he left, I went back to packing our suitcases. Rowan walked up beside me and hesitated before saying, "By the way, about Ry calling me Mr. Goodwin today…"
My heart skipped a beat, and I looked up at him.
Rowan got down on one knee and set the strawberry cake down next to me. He sounded both helpless and affectionate as he continued, "I know what's going on in your head, Gigi. You think I'm treating Meg too well and neglecting you and Ry.
"But I swear, I only pity Meg. She's a single mom. I just don't want her to be too sad."
Chapter 3
Rowan took my hand and solemnly placed it over his heart. "Just give me a little more time. I promise I'll sort things out with Meg and her son. I won't let you or Ry feel neglected ever again!"
I stared at him blankly. I could hardly remember the last time he had looked at me so earnestly.
Perhaps it was during our wedding ceremony in that pristine white chapel, where our hands were laced together as he vowed to love and cherish me for the rest of his life.
Or mayhaps it was the day Ryan came into the world, in the hospital delivery room, when he carefully cradled Ryan in his arms, his lips trembling as he pressed a kiss to my forehead and whispered, "Gigi, from now on, I'll never let anyone or anything hurt you and Ryan again!"
Looking back on those memories, I fell silent for a long while. In the end, I decided to tell him about the divorce. "Rowan, to be honest—"
"By the way, where did you put that limited-edition Lego set you bought for Ry last time? Is it in the study cabinet? Meg said Nel has been into Lego lately, so I'm going to let him play with it for a few days."
With that, he went into the study, dug out that box of Lego, grabbed his car keys, and rushed out the door.
With a loud thud, the front door slammed shut, and Rowan's figure disappeared.
I stared at the door for a long time before whispering the words I hadn't finished earlier, "To be honest… Ry and I don't want you anymore."
There were only two days left until we left for good.
…
At midnight, having finally finished packing everything, I collapsed onto the bed in sheer exhaustion.
Just then, my phone lit up. It was a message from Rowan. "Nel loves the Lego. I spent the whole night building it with him. Meg specifically asked me to thank you."
At midnight, my husband was thanking me on behalf of another woman. I tugged at the corner of my lips, and I jeered out of sheer disbelief.
However, I couldn't be bothered to be upset. After all, the outcome would be the same either way.
I opened the chat box and casually replied, "Don't mention it. I wasn't the one who gave it to her. By the way, that Lego set was Ryan's absolute favorite birthday gift. He's been waiting all this time for you to find the time to build it with him."
After sending that single message, I powered off my phone, closed my eyes, and went to sleep, unconcerned about how Rowan's expression might change upon reading the text on the other end of the line.
…
At 8:00 am the following day, Rowan came home unusually early. After stepping inside and taking off his coat, he froze in his tracks at the sight of several suitcases arranged neatly in the living room.
Without even putting his coat down, he walked into the bedroom and asked me, looking slightly panicked, "Do you really need to pack this much luggage for a trip?"
I was helping Ryan get dressed, so I responded without sparing him a glance, "The place we're going to is far away."
After hearing that, he immediately looked at Ryan. Rowan relaxed after Ryan nodded.
Then, he set his coat aside and pulled out three tickets to Starlight Studios. "Weren't you always mad at me for not taking Ry to Starlight Studios? I bought tickets for today. The three of us can go together as a family!"
He laid them out in front of Ryan and me, as if he were showing them off. In fact, his face was filled with affection.
For a moment, I wondered if I had misheard him. It had been nearly a month since that incident, and he was only remembering it now?
However, I recalled the string of unread messages on my phone when I woke up this morning, and it suddenly clicked. So, this was his idea of compensation.
I didn't say a word as I continued to focus on helping Ryan get dressed. Ryan, on the other hand, was incredibly excited. With wide eyes, he gazed at me. "Mommy, I want to go!"
My eyes crinkled slightly, but before I could say a word, Rowan began to hem and haw. "There is just one catch, though… Meg knows we're going to take a family portrait today, and she's worried that if Nel hears about it, he'll be upset. So… maybe we can put off the family portrait until next time?"
Guilt was written all over his face as the words left his mouth.
Chapter 4
Ryan froze. Bit by bit, the light in his eyes visibly dimmed. "I see…"
Slowly, he lowered his head and fell silent, his eyes pooling with tears.
Completely oblivious, Rowan continued, "Meg only asked for this one little favor, and honestly, I didn't think it was a big deal. We can always take the family portrait some other time. Right, Ry?"
He had no idea that Ryan and I were leaving tomorrow. This was his very last chance.
Yet, neither Ryan nor I said a word. We merely nodded wordlessly.
"Alright."
"Okay."
Rowan breathed a sigh of relief, and a visible smile spread across his face, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "In that case, I'll tell Meg right now. See you at Starlight Studios at 3:00 pm!"
With that, he rose to his feet and left.
When he was almost at the door, he turned back around. "Honey, Ry, you two are the best!"
Neither Ryan nor I made a sound. Once he left, Ryan jumped off the bed and took the backpack he had already prepared from the closet. "I don't ever want to see Mr. Goodwin again, Mommy. Can we leave early?"
…
I changed our flight tickets to 3:00 pm that day. After confirming the passenger information, I immediately started making the final preparations for our departure.
At 9:00 am, I made breakfast in this house for the very last time. The cake Rowan had bought last night was still in the fridge. Ryan took it out and threw it into the trash.
At 10:00 am, I retrieved the divorce agreement Rowan had signed from my lawyer. The first clause stated that I had full custody of Ryan.
While we waited, I came across Megan's new post. "Our family portrait is finally in our hands! My boy and his daddy love it so much. They said it has to be hung right where everyone can see it!"
Ryan was beside me, folding paper airplanes. When he saw the post, he didn't comment on it and merely urged me, "Hurry up and sign it, Mommy!"
At 1:00 pm, after Ryan and I finished lunch, we gathered all of our bags and suitcases and took a cab to the airport. There were still two hours left until our scheduled meeting with Rowan.
Holding an iPad, Ryan quietly looked through the photos of him and Rowan in the album. There was a photo from his one-month celebration party, where Rowan had cradled him and proudly shown him off to everyone.
There was another from when he was three years old, where Rowan held him close as they both threw up peace signs while watching a Minions movie together.
There was also a video from when he turned seven years old this year, right before Megan appeared, of Rowan following close behind him, teaching him how to ride a bicycle.
Ryan watched them over and over again without shedding a tear, yet a heavy, suffocating sadness filled the entire cab. I sat beside him in silence.
At 2:00 pm, we were about to go through security when Rowan called. "Gigi, please tell Ry I'm incredibly sorry. Nel fell and got hurt, and I had to rush him to the hospital. I'm not sure if I can make it by 3:00 pm. If you guys don't see me, just go home. Please tell Ry I'm sorry!"
He hung up on me, missing the boarding announcement echoing through the departure hall.
"Let's go." I took Ryan's hand. He nodded, selected all the photos in the album, and deleted them all with a single tap.
At 3:00 pm sharp, the plane took off. I placed the headphones over Ryan's ears and gazed out the window at the blue sky and white clouds, letting out a long sigh from the very depths of my soul.
Goodbye, Rowan.
…
Meanwhile, ignoring Megan's tearful pleas, Rowan bolted out of the hospital and sped toward Starlight Studios.
qknymufd.comLearn more
