Chapter 6
In that moment, Knox’s eyes blazed red.
Seemingly oblivious to Commander Ryker and his fellow soldiers, he rushed forward to me and confronted: “Aria, how could you marry someone else?!”
My emotions remained perfectly controlled as I looked at him and countered, “Why shouldn’t I remarry now that my husband is dead?”
Upon hearing my words, he looked like a fish out of water–face flushed crimson, mouth opening and closing without producing coherent words. Finally, he managed to force out:
“But you said… you’d remain faithful to Knox, that you’d never remarry…”
I just smiled coldly: “I was mistaken before. Knox’s spirit would surely want me to find happiness again. Besides, my son adores his new father.”
As if to confirm my words, Jayden nearby immediately hugged Ryker’s arm and sweetly called him “Dad.”
No man could bear to hear his biological son call another man “father.” Knox was no exception.
Hearing the sweet “Dad” from Jayden’s mouth, he suddenly lost his composure completely, lunging forward to separate Jayden from Ryker.
But his disruptive behavior quickly caught the attention of his fellow soldiers, who dragged him away while profusely apologizing to me.
I didn’t spare him another thought and continued with my wedding ceremony.
Meanwhile, as he was pulled farther from the chapel, Knox hung his head in despair, unable to process this explosive revelation–I had actually remarried and taken our son with me!
And the most painful thing was that, as the “uncle,” he had no right to object.
He wandered home in a daze, completely unable to understand why I had suddenly changed my mind.
How could I betray him after spending three full years in mourning for him?
14:27
Three Years a ‘Widow‘… Until I Found His Secret!
3.7%
Chapter 6
In his distracted state, he accidentally knocked over the memorial photo of “himself,” along with the
prayer candle beside it.
The candle broke instantly, scattering wax across the floor.
That’s when he noticed that the photo–which I had always kept meticulously clean–was now
covered in a thick layer of dust, clearly untouched for days.
He suddenly remembered that since his “death,” I had caressed that photo daily and lit a fresh
candle.
This neglect could only mean one thing… I had discovered the truth that he wasn’t actually dead.
As this realization hit Knox, his pupils dilated in shock and disbelief. Yet my recent behavior left him no choice but to accept it.
Of course I would find the truth.–Jayden had consistently called him “Dad” from the beginning. If I’d been paying attention, how could I not have noticed?
But what had he done? He had repeatedly pushed his son away, refusing to acknowledge him.
He had devoted all his energy to caring for Vanessa and her daughter, thinking it was a way to make up for his brother’s responsibilities, to atone for his own unfulfilled first love, and to compensate for the fact that he had fallen for Vanessa the moment he first saw her in college, only to see her brought
home by his brother later on.
But he forgot that the price of all this was three years of suffering for his own wife and child.
His parents were right–why had he performed such a clumsy charade? He had treated me like fools, and now he could only watch helplessly as his wife and son built a new family with someone
else.
What right did he have to expect me to remain a widow for the rest of my life?
The memories struck him like a slap across the face.
He fell to his knees, trying to gather the broken candle pieces, but like the wax–our relationship could never be put back together again.
Staring at the mess on the floor, Knox was finally engulfed by belated regret.
14:27
