Chapter 1.

Ding dong! Ding dong!

The doorbell chimed severally as little Raiden was riding his 16-inch bike around the large luxurious living room, enthusiastically giggling along.

Ding dong!

"Momma!" His voice was sharp when he called. "Momma! Someone's at the door!"

"I know, honey!" Elodre answered from the kitchen. "Stop screaming please, Jeez! Your voice is deafening." She turned off the stove and dried her hands with a towel.

In her short sleeveless free-gown, she swiftly walked across the living room and opened the door.

"Hey, darling," she smiled up at her husband, taking a few steps backward so that he got in.

Tall, and elegantly dressed in a white polo neck, blue slacks, and high-top sneakers, Cayden got into the living room, holding a portable mart bag. He dropped the bag on a nearby sofa.

"Sweetie," Gazing down at her, he smiled back, taking her tiny hands. "My love," cuddling her, he pressed his lips against hers. He sniffed and asked, "What are we having for dinner? I'm perceiving a delicious meal right here…can't wait, honey."

However, all the while his parents exchanged pleasantries, Raiden didn't show any concern as he was still busy with his bike. The pain was gleaming in Elodre's gray eyes as she was watching him climbing and falling off his bike severely while playing and talking to himself.

God! She didn't want to cry. No! No!

Overwhelmed by sad memories that had just been evoked in her mind, she felt her body trembling and tried her hardest to compose herself as she was still in Cayden's arms. She wouldn't have an explanation if he noticed she was weeping. And for the life of her, she didn't want to put a shadow on his smile.

Clenching onto his strong arms, she swallowed hard, suppressing the outburst of tears that were about to escape from her trembling lips.

He wanted to let go, but the passion with which Elodre grasped his arms, gluing her soft body against his, and burying her thin face in his polo told that she needed more cuddles. Stroking her back, he poked her white stringy hair backward and pressed kisses on her forehead as she looked up at him.

The four years of Raiden's life had been full of hostility toward his dad. As tender as he was, he never took gifts from his dad, nor talked with him like father and son do. And each day of Elodre's life, a pang of guilt and perplexity swept up her body whenever Raiden acted this way.

The worst was how he occasionally denied being Cayden's son for reasons she'd been struggling to understand for years now. Thanks to Cayden who had been able to put up with this insolence till now, but the anxiety of the future made her sick. She was afraid her husband would flare up someday, especially as she'd been noticing his agitation lately.

God! That would be terrible as hell.

Gazing down at that mart bag on the sofa, she was sure her hubby had brought a package for his son. Oh God! She already knew what Raiden's response would be.

"Raiden?" Elodre called, hoping her voice didn't quiver. "A…aren't you gonna say hi to dada?"

Raiden cast a glare at Cayden briefly, "No, momma." He said with his arms folded, shaking his head.

Elodre's heart skipped a beat for a while. She lifted her flickering gaze, meeting Cayden's.

Was it her or the guilt she was feeling that made her consider his gaze grave? She could swear his gaze had never been this intense, dark, and speculating.

"Why don't you wanna say hi to dada??" Cayden's voice was rather calm and his stern look softened when he spoke to Raiden. " Dada loves you." He smiled, walked a few steps to the sofa, and grabbed the mart bag. "I've got a surprise for you."

The fact that Raiden wasn't giving a damn about his dad made her eyes burn, she wanted to burst out crying right now.

Ignoring his dad's offer, he was still riding his bike around, intentionally avoiding him.

"Comm'n, kiddo," Cayden called, dangling the mart bag to attract him. "Surprise! Surprise!"

Still, the boy played deaf. Cayden called several times but Raiden wouldn't listen.

"Raiden?"Elodre snapped in frustration. "Raiden?! Stop! What's wrong, honey?" She went to him and grabbed his little arms, trying her hardest to be calm. "Go get your surprise package from Dada." She lifted him from the bike but he struggled, crying. " What the…"

"I don't want his gift!" He cried. "And stop calling him dada…"

Cayden had heard this a thousand times, so that didn't surprise him anyway. What he didn't know was the reason his son hated him so badly. He'd tried his very best to please the kid but it just wasn't working and as much as he hated to admit it, he was beginning to get fed up with these bullsh*ts.

"He's not my da…"

"Raiden!!" Shaking his arm, Elodre interrupted him so that he didn't complete his word.

But Cayden had already gotten the message, and it hurt so badly to hear his own four-year-old matter-of-factly saying he wasn't his dad.

Frustrated, Cayden got up and tossed the mart bag on the sofa. He stared at the kid for a while before casting a deep glare at Elodre.

Was he mad at her? She was distressed by his glare upon her. It made her guilty of what she was so confused about for years now. This was a hidden pain she'd been battling with. Not that she did anything wrong.

Cayden walked off and hopped up the stairs.

Although he didn't say a word, his reactions gave her shivers, increasing her anxieties. She didn't need any explanation, anger, and frustration were written in his face.

---

As soon as Elodre got into the kitchen, she burst out crying. She couldn't hold It back anymore. Her eyes had been tickling her even before her hubby returned.

What if Cayden was fed up with this whole stuff? God! How…how would she cope? What would she do? She wasn't guilty… she was sure she did nothing wrong but why was she so insecure? Why had she been living with panic attacks?

She was doomed for life, but would she blame Raiden?

She wept uncontrollably for a while before feeling quite relieved. She got up from the tiled floor and grabbed a towel from the silver crotch by the cupboard, wiped her tears, and started gathering dishes for dinner.

A few minutes later, she got out of the kitchen carrying a tray of hot meals to the dining room and carefully dropped it on the table.

Head aching and eyes itching, she walked up the stairs to their room. Arriving at the door, her right hand trembled as she grasped the doorknob. Hesitantly, she opened the door, and it creaked.

The sight of her husband drove chills down her spine as she felt the tension in the room.

He had not taken off his clothes yet…and this was even worse. Which meant he'd been sitting on the bed, facing downward all deep in thought.

She swallowed, walked to him, hesitated briefly, and opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find her voice. What she felt were tears tickling her eyes, but the last thing she wanted to do was to cry. Not now, but when she blinked the tears spilled down her cheeks rapidly, and she swiftly wiped them off with her palm.

"B…baby," The word escaped from her lips shakily. "Di… dinner is ready."