The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Stella stopped and turned to face Keen.

"Is something wrong?"

Her tone was calm, her expression unruffled. She wasn't especially warm, but she wasn't cold, either-just neutral.

Keen stood there, a little stunned.

Lately, Mom seemed different again.

A while back, her indifference had made him angry, left him feeling miserable and unwanted. Now, though, there was something else—something heavy and cold pressing on his chest, as if a stone were weighing him down.

Children are keenly perceptive. Keen could sense it: his mother didn't love or care for him the way she used to.

He blurted out, voice anxious, "Mom, about just now-it wasn't me who told Dad. I promise."

Stella just nodded lightly. "I know."

Her calmness washed over him like a bucket of cold water, dousing whatever hope or excitement he'd carried.

His eyes went red. "Mom, do you... not want me anymore?"

Stella looked at him and spoke, steady as ever. "No. Even if you live with your father, I'm still your mother. That won't change. I'll always have responsibilities toward you—nothing will take that away."

But her words didn't bring Keen any comfort.

He looked up at her, hesitated, then said softly, "Mom, I... I don't want to live with Dad. I want to stay with you."

Stella seemed surprised.

"You mean, you want to stay at my place for a while?"

He shook his head. "No, I want to live with you. I want to be with you all the time."

There was a brief pause.

"Your father and your grandma won't agree to that."

Keen's voice was earnest, hopeful. “But I talked to some other kids at school- they said when parents get divorced, we're allowed to choose who we want to live with."noveldrama

He stared at Stella, searching her face for a sign of hope.

"I want to choose you, Mom..."

Stella looked down at him quietly. "But what about Rachel? If you live with me, you might not get to see her as often."

Keen blinked, caught off guard. He hadn't thought of that.

He didn't answer right away-not because he didn't know, but because he couldn't. He wanted to be with his mom, but he didn't want to lose Rachel, either.

Rachel was the one person, besides his parents, who had always been good to him. She'd even risked her life to save him, even though Mom didn't like her.

Stella didn't push him. She just said, "Your custody is with your father now. If you really want to live with me, you'll need to talk it over with him. I have to go. We'll talk later."

Keen watched as she walked away, his lips quivering, sadness etched all over his small face.

Just then, the hospital room door opened again and Haynes stepped out.

He noticed Keen's red eyes and his own softened, a trace of concern flickering in his gaze.

"Does your mom think you were the one who told me about what happened earlier?"

Keen shook his head, looking lost. "No... she never even asked. When I tried to explain, she didn't really say anything..."

He looked up at his father. "Dad, do you think Mom really doesn't want me anymore?"

Haynes knelt beside him, reassuring. "Of course not. If she didn't care about you,

she never would have risked her life to save you."

After a moment, Keen frowned,

troubled by a new thought. "Is Mom mad at me because she thinks I told you everything? Dad, could you explain things to her? Tell her i

wasn't me-it was that bad man who left a recording."

Everyone had found out that Stella knew the kidnapper because a recorder with their conversation had been discovered in Lind's room.

Haynes had gone to ask Rachel about it, but Rachel had been evasive, claiming it must have been a misunderstanding. Keen, too, had dodged the question, saying he wasn't sure what had happened.

But Haynes knew his son. The moment he saw Keen's face, he knew he was hiding something. Still, he didn't push-he couldn't force a five-year-old to accuse his own mother. That would be too cruel.

Instead, he took out the recorder and questioned Rachel directly.

Before that, Keen had quietly asked Rachel about it himself.

Rachel had reassured him, "Keen, I believe your mom isn't that kind of persone There's probably been some sort of misunderstanding. Since that's possible, let's just not mention it to your dad for now, okay?"

That was exactly what Keen had hoped to hear. Rachel always seemed so kind.

And, true to her word, Rachel kept quiet-until Haynes showed her the recording and she realized there was no more hiding it. Only then did she tell the truth.

But Mom misunderstood Rachel.

Keen had wanted to explain to Stella, but when he saw how upset she was, the words stuck in his throat. He could only hope to try again when she was in a better mood.

Thinking back to his conversation

with Stella, Keen suddenly looked at

his father and said, "Dad, I'm five

now. There are some things I can decide for myself... I want to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" Haynes asked gently.

Keen lowered his voice. "I want to live with Mom."