Months passed and Ethan's dedication to becoming a better businessman was driven by his desire to protect me. He often said he needed to be powerful to do so. I once asked him, "How long will you protect me?"
His response was both indulgent and sincere, "As long as you need."
I pondered and asked, "Is a lifetime okay?"
With a shy smile, he replied, "Sure."
I believed our lifetime together would be long, but everything changed when Bella entered the picture.
"You can celebrate your birthday anytime, but Bella is sick, and I can't ignore her."
"I'm not coming home tonight. Bella's in a bad mood and needs company."
"Christmas is just a ceremony. Celebrate it with Gavin. Bella is alone..."
No matter the occasion, he would leave me at Bella’s call. Our home became secondary to him.
His unwavering attention to Bella slowly eroded my faith in him, yet I remained grateful for Gavin, our smart and exceptional son, who inherited the best of Ethan's genes.
For Gavin’s sake, I endured over a decade of disappointment and neglect.
But now, Gavin was dead. He died because of Ethan’s indifference and negligence. There was nothing left for me to hold on to.