Chapter 4
Damien was sitting by the window.
When he heard us, he looked up–startled.
“What are you doing here?”
His surprise stopped me cold.
A terrible feeling settled in my gut.
Our son had been in this school for half a year-
and Damien didn’t even know his class.
Lucian didn’t catch it.
He just ran over, beaming.
“Dad, you-”
Damien cut him off with a frown.
“What did you just call me?”
Lucian froze,
then quickly corrected himself, like it was muscle memory.
“Uncle Damien.
You’re in the wrong seat,
Mine’s up front.”
He looked up at Damien, grinning.
So happy.
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At Parent–Teacher Night, My Husband Took Another Boy’s Seat
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Chapter 4
Just for this one small moment.
His first–ever parent–teacher night.
The first time Damien showed up.
The first time he kept a promise.
But it didn’t last.
Damien glanced away and muttered,
“I’m not in the wrong seat.
This is my seat.”
Lucian blinked, confused.
He was just about to speak when someone bumped into him-
hard.
“Get outta the way! That’s my daddy, not yours!”
Instinct took over.
I grabbed Lucian and pulled him behind me.
Damien shot up too-
but when he met Isolde’s surprised stare,
he stopped.
His hand dropped.
And instead,
he pulled the other boy protectively to his side.
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At Parent Teacher Night My Husband Took Another Dove Seat
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3.00
Chapter 4
“Dorian didn’t mean it,” Damien said stiffly.
“I’m sorry on his behalf.”
Lucian and I stood there, stunned.
That kind of protectiveness,
that kind of care-
my son had never known it.
I got to my feet and asked quietly,
“Who is he?”
Damien hesitated.
Then met my eyes and looked… guilty.
“Friend’s kid.”
“Really?” I murmured.
But I already knew.
That was the same boy from Isolde’s post.
The one Damien was willing to be a father to.
Just then, Isolde walked in with two bottles of water.
She looked genuinely surprised to see us.
“Seraphina?
You guys came too?”
“Where’s your son’s dad?”
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At Parent Teacher Night My Husband Took Another Boy’s Seat
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Chapter 4
I looked at Damien automatically.
But all I saw was his eyes darting away.
He was afraid I’d say the truth.
And just like that,
I was taken back to the night Isolde came back from Paris.
The night Damien–cold, distant Damien-
got so drunk he could barely stand.
The night he smiled for the first time in years…
because Lucian called him Dad.
And then whispered Isolde’s name.
He’d mistaken us.
He didn’t smile for us.
He smiled because he thought Lucian belonged to her.
My grip on Lucian’s hand tightened.
I opened my mouth-
but Lucian spoke first.
“My dad’s not in the country.
He’s really busy.
I don’t want to bother him.”
Two heads snapped toward him in shock.
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At Parent Teacher Night. My Husband Took Another Boy’s Seat
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Chapter 4
I looked down.
His eyes were red.
But he smiled anyway-
trying so hard to act like he was okay.
“Uncle Damien,
Mom and I are heading out.”
At that moment,
the pain in my chest became unbearable.
I turned to leave.
But Damien grabbed my arm.
Night
