Chapter 4 — After Divorce, I Have a Family Again

7

In the evening, I arranged for Bui Du Mac to sleep in the living room. The room is very spacious, with a balcony overlooking the sea. It seemed to really enjoy it, running around the room endlessly. I got him some pajamas and told him to take a bath. Waiting for him to finish showering, he came out, his hair still wet, wearing my old T-shirt, which was baggy, making his figure even smaller. I used a towel to dry his hair. Its hair is very soft and pleasant to the touch. It obediently sat still, not moving.

“Does your father… treat you well?” I couldn't help but ask.

He was silent for a moment, then replied in a low voice: "My father is very busy."

“Did he tell you stories?”

It shook its head.

“Does he eat with you?”

It still shook its head.

“So did he… hold the baby?”

This time, it was silent for a long time, so long that I thought it wouldn't answer. Finally, he said in a voice so low that it was almost inaudible: "Since mother passed away, there is no more." My heart felt like someone was squeezing it. I put the towel down and reached out to hug it. Its body stopped. After a while, he slowly relaxed, his little head resting on my shoulder. I could feel the shoulder of my shirt quickly becoming wet. The person rumored to be the little crown prince of the Bui family with one hand covering the sky is actually just a child longing for warmth and love. I hugged it and gently patted its back.

“From now on, mom will tell you stories and eat meals with you.”

“Is that okay?”

He buried his face in the crook of my neck and nodded vigorously.

“Yes.”

At that moment, I made a decision. Before Bui Thua Da finds us, I will give him a truly happy time. Consider it... making up for the mistake my ungrateful child made.

8

A few days later, I took Bui Du Mac around this small coastal city. We went to the beach to dig for clams and collect seashells. The first time he saw the sea, he was extremely excited, running and jumping on the sand without getting tired. The ocean waves wet his pants, he didn't care, he smiled like a little idiot. We went for snacks at the night market. Grilled oysters, teppanyaki grilled squid, octopus cakes... He ate every dish with gusto, completely without any of the manners of a rich boy. I also took him to play ring toss - my favorite game as a child. He was very lucky and hit a large stuffed Pikachu. He hugged a teddy bear that was taller than him, smiling so much that his eyes squinted into a line. At night when I got home, I told him a story before going to sleep. From Grimm's Fairy Tales to One Thousand and One Nights. He always listened attentively, sometimes falling asleep halfway through listening. When sleeping, the corner of the mouth still carries a smile. I looked at its sleeping face, my heart softened. These days, I deliberately do not think about Bui Thua Da, nor do I think about the La family. It was as if we were really just a normal mother and daughter couple, enjoying a long vacation. But reality, always cruelly breaks the beautiful illusion. That night, after putting Bui Du Mac to sleep, I returned to my room. As soon as I opened my phone, I saw an outstanding hot news story. 【The most wealthy group in city A - the Bui family issued a search notice, offering a reward of one hundred million to find the sole heir of the group - Bui Du Mac.】 Below the article is a photo of Bui Du Mac. It's a frontal photo, the face in the photo is expressionless, and the eyes exude a cold look pale and not suitable for the age group. Completely different from the smiling, mischievous puppy that is next to me now. My heart immediately jumped into my throat. They still came. Offer a reward of one hundred million. Enough to make the whole country crazy. I scrolled down to see comments. 【I fainted! One hundred million! It would be a fortune to find him!】 【This kid is so handsome, it's a shame he's been kidnapped.】 【I heard that Bui Thua Da is about to go crazy, mobilize all his connections, both white and black are looking for him.】 【If I meet him, I'll call the police immediately, that's a hundred million, live happily ever after.】 Looking at those comments, my palms were full of cold sweat. I know, our peaceful days are over. I turned off the phone and went to the balcony. The night wind blew, bringing with it a bit of coldness. I looked at the deep black sea in the distance, my heart was empty and dark. What should I do now? Return it? But when I thought about its dependent eyes, I couldn't bear it. Besides, now that I bring it back, how am I supposed to explain what happened over the past few days? Are you saying I identified the wrong person? Will Bui Thua Da believe it? He just thought I was joking with him. At that time, the bad luck is not only me, but also my whole family. The more I thought, the more scared I became, my whole body was engulfed in great panic. At this moment, my room door was gently pushed open. Bui Du Mac wore pajamas, rubbed his eyes and stood in front of the door.

“Sister, what's wrong with you?”

He walked over and grabbed my hand. His hand is very warm.

“I... I had a nightmare.” I made excuses.

It looked up at me, eyes full of worry.

“Don't be afraid, I will protect you.”

As he spoke, he stretched out his tiny arms to hug my legs. At that moment, all my fears and insecurities seemed to be soothed by this small hug. I squatted down and hugged it tightly.

"Mac Mac, if... if one day, your father comes to pick you up, will you blame me?"

It froze, then shook its head like a drum.

“No way.”

"I like you, I want to be with you forever."

My tears, unable to hold back any longer, fell.

9

Finally, I decided I couldn't sit around waiting to die. The next morning, while Bui Du Mac was still sleeping, I called my ex-husband - La Minh Dao. The bell rang for a long time before someone picked up.

“Hello?”

His voice was cold as always.

“La Minh Dao, it's me.”

The other end was silent for a moment.

“What's going on?”

“Where is La Can Du?” I asked directly.

“It's at home, what's wrong?”

“Let him answer the phone.”

There was another silence, followed by La Can Du's voice full of annoyance.

“What else?”

“La Can Du!” I gritted my teeth, "Did you take the necklace my mother gave you in exchange for a game console?"

“That's right, so what?” His voice was extremely pleased, "That broken necklace isn't as good as my game console."

I was so angry that I was shaking all over.

“Do you know who you switched with? Do you know how big a problem you caused?”

"Isn't it just the kid from the Bui family? What's so terrible."

“His father is looking for him, do you want to die for your mother?”