Chapter 7,
Damien collapsed into his chair, completely drained.
Flashes of the past started racing through his mind.
Seven years ago, out of a sea of qualified candidates, Damien picked me to be his assistant.
Back then, I was just a clueless rookie.
No connections, no impressive background, and I wasn’t exactly a knockout either.
I didn’t even understand half the terminology in my own contract.
People in the office whispered that I must’ve slept my way into the job.
So I worked like hell to prove I belonged by his side.
I’d swallow my pride and ask senior staff for advice, even when they looked at me like I didn’t
belong.
I kept a notebook on me 24/7, jotting down every task and every one of Damien’s preferences.
After hours, I taught myself French, German–hell, even Esperanto.
I was determined to become his go–to problem solver.
Even at business dinners, I could rattle off what every client liked to drink.
I had a knack for reading the room and helping him handle even the trickiest negotiations.
No matter when or where, if he needed me, I showed up.
Eventually, I became someone he couldn’t work without.
His right hand at the office–and outside of it too.
People envied him for having a rockstar assistant like me, and he was clearly proud of it.
But then…. everything fell apart that night.
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At Parent–Teacher Night. My Husband Took Another Boy’s Seat
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Chapter 7
In his eyes, I went from “gold standard” to some scheming woman who seduced him for a
promotion.
All my hard work suddenly became a calculated move to get closer to him.
The more he used to admire me, the more he now hated me.
And now, even our kid meant nothing to him.
He thought, “If it had been Isolde beside me instead… things wouldn’t have turned out like this.”
Well, now he got what he wanted.
But thinking back to today, he couldn’t help feeling a little… regret.
Today, Isolde looked cheap and gaudy–nothing like the perfect dream girl he’d built up in his head.
And suddenly, he wasn’t so sure he felt the same way about her anymore.
Maybe his feelings had changed a long time ago.
Maybe… he never really loved her to begin with.
He rubbed his temples, trying to shut down that ridiculous train of thought.
But all he could picture was Lucian-
He could hate me all he wanted, but our kid didn’t do anything wrong…
Damien pulled out his phone and quickly typed out a message:
“Get ready, I’ll pick you two up later.”
He frowned at how stiff it sounded and rewrote it:
“Let’s take Lucian out for KFC tonight.”
He reread it twice, inhaled deeply, and hit send.
The rest of the afternoon, the text might as well have vanished into thin air.
Damien kept checking his phone, only to put it back down in disappointment.
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Chapter 7
Isolde walked in with a cup of coffee and set it on the desk.
“Damien…” she said softly.
Without looking up, he replied, frustration creeping into his voice,
“Just leave it and go.”
“And from now on, call me Damien in the office.
I don’t care if I brought you in–keep it professional.”
Tears welled up in Isolde’s eyes, threatening to spill.
She looked like the picture of heartbreak.
Damien finally looked up and frowned.
He picked up the desk phone and buzzed his secretary.
“Isolde’s new. She’s still getting used to things.
Have her rotate through the departments.
If she passes her probation, she can come back.”
As she was led out, still looking pathetic, Damien felt nothing.
By the end of the workday, there was still no reply from me.
But strangely, this time, he wasn’t angry.
Maybe it was the memory of all those times he’d ditched me halfway through dinner…
For once, he made the effort.
He waited in line at KFC for half an hour, ordering one of everything Lucian might like.
f Lucian tried it, he’d remember his favorite flavor.
He walked into the house, excited, arms full of food-
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At Parent–Teacher Night, My Husband Took Another Boy’s Seat
Chapter 7
But the big living room was completely empty.
No Lucian playing with his building blocks.
No smell of dinner from the kitchen.
He headed to the fridge and grabbed a Coke.
When he shut the door, he noticed it-
The front of the fridge was covered in stickers.
All of them family portraits.
His heart sank.
In every one of Lucian’s drawings…
There was no dad.
His mind flashed back to the first time Lucian ever asked to draw him.
Lucian had brought over his sketchpad, careful and hopeful.
“Dad, can I draw you?”
What had he said back then?
He hadn’t even looked up, still texting Dorian, and muttered,
“I’m busy. No time.”
Now, the memory made him sick to his stomach.
It’s fine, he told himself.
Next time Lucian asks, he’ll say yes.
He unpacked the food and laid everything out on the table.
Then he carefully arranged the fries and used ketchup to draw a heart on a white plate.
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At Parent–Teacher Night, My Husband Took Another Boy’s Seat
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Chapter 7
Once everything was ready, he sat down and stared at the front door.
Lucian’s preschool had let out ten minutes ago.
Factoring in the walk home, they should’ve been here by now.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
Then twenty.
Still no sound.
No knock.
No text.
The silence wrapped around him like a vice.
By the half–hour mark, his nerves were completely shot-
Then came a faint knock on the door.
Damien practically jumped to his feet.
Lucian! Guess what Daddy got you tonight…”
10:49
