Borrowed Love Has an Expiration Date

For the 37th time, Jonah Bellamy calls me to ask if he can borrow my wife, Celeste Rochester, for a day. His daughter, Iris Bellamy, is having a Family Day at school. Since all the other children have their mothers accompanying them, he doesn't want his daughter to be made fun of. Celeste takes one look at me before grabbing her coat and rushing out the door. Before crossing the threshold, she leaves me with her go-to excuse. "He's divorced and raising his daughter on his own. It must be hard for him. So, don't be so petty." However, that day is also the day our son, Kevin Heathcliff, has been looking forward to for three whole months—his parent-child performance. He sits backstage, clutching his costume, waiting for Celeste to arrive. Even after the event ends, she never shows up. When we get home, we see Celeste on a live broadcast on TV. She's wearing matching outfits with Jonah and Iris, and she lets him drape an arm affectionately around her shoulders. When the host asks how many years they've been married, she doesn't clarify. She simply looks up and adjusts his collar, her eyes overflowing with affection. Iris wraps her arms around Celeste's waist and loudly calls her "Mommy". The camera pans across the audience as applause and hoots erupt from all directions. Kevin stares at the screen quietly for a long while before tearing the drawing of our family of three in his arms in half. "Mommy's always being borrowed by other people, Daddy. From now on, let's stop waiting for her, okay?" I look into his teary eyes, and the last ember of hope in my heart completely dies out. I pull out my phone and send a message to my lawyer, Everett Preston. "Draw up the divorce agreement." Chapter 1 My lawyer, Everett Preston, replied in no time. "I can have the agreement drafted by tonight. You should prepare in advance to fight for your son's custody. Gather and organize all your chat histories from over the years." I had just saved the screenshots when Celeste Rochester pushed open the door and walked in. She was still wearing the light blue matching family dress from the live broadcast, with a smudge of cream on her sleeve. Jonah Bellamy trailed behind her, holding Iris Bellamy's hand. "Is there anything left to eat at home? Iris has been complaining about being hungry ever since the event ended." Celeste draped her bag over the back of a chair and ordered me around as usual. "Make us a plate of spaghetti. Go easy on the basil. Iris doesn't eat it." I didn't budge. Kevin poked his head out from behind me, clutching his drawing, which had been torn in half. "Mommy, why didn't you show up to watch my performance?" It hit Celeste that he was still wearing his costume. She paused for a beat before bending down to stroke his head. "Something came up at the last minute. I'll show up next time." Kevin dodged her hand. "My teacher said today's the final performance." "I can watch the video later. It's the same thing," she said casually before pulling a golden medal out of her pocket. "Look, I brought you a gift." Kevin's eyes lit up. Yet, the moment he took the medal, his smile instantly vanished. Iris' name was engraved on the back of the medal. Jonah immediately appeared contrite. "Oh dear, you took the wrong one, Celeste. That's the medal Iris won at her family day competition." Celeste frowned and took the medal from Kevin's hands. "Since it's Iris', give it back to her. Be a good boy, Kevin. I'll buy you a new one next time." Kevin remained frozen in place. His hands were still held out as though he were holding something. After what felt like an eternity, he withdrew his hands. "But you used to say that you have to earn a medal on your own, Mommy. It doesn't count if you buy it." Celeste's expression stiffened slightly. Iris had already snatched the medal and hung it around her neck. She tilted her head back and made a face at Kevin. "Celeste did the relay with me today, and we came in first place!" Kevin lowered his head and crumpled the ripped drawing in his fists. I stepped in front of him. "We ran out of spaghetti. So, you should eat out." Celeste's expression darkened. "Kai Heathcliff, the kids are right here. Do you really have to behave like this?" Jonah hurriedly stopped her. "Forget it. Kai's still upset. Iris and I'll head home. Even though the water's shut off at our place, we can tough it out for one night." "How are you supposed to stay there without running water?" Celeste pinched the bridge of her nose. "Our guest room is unoccupied. You two can stay here tonight." I looked up at her. "That won't be appropriate." "Why? It's not like we don't have enough room." Celeste glanced at Kevin and softened her tone. "I was wrong not to attend his performance. I'll play with him later. Jonah's only staying for one night. Don't make things difficult for him." Kevin suddenly tugged at the hem of my shirt. "Daddy, I want to go to bed." I took his hand and led him toward his bedroom. Iris spotted the little cape on his headboard. She broke from Jonah's grasp and ran inside. "This is pretty. I want to wear it!" It was a souvenir that the teacher had given to every child after the performance ended. Kevin finally lost his composure and reached out to grab it. "That's mine!" Iris hid the cape behind her back. "Celeste said good things are meant to be shared!" As the two children tugged back and forth, the cape ripped down the middle. Kevin was caught off guard. Celeste walked over and immediately shielded Iris behind her. "It's just a cheap piece of fabric. I'll get you a new one since it's ruined." Kevin looked up at her, tears brimming in his eyes. "This is the second time you've given my things to her today, Mommy." Celeste parted her lips, but she was at a loss for words. Kevin lowered his head and hugged the ripped drawing tightly against his chest, as if it was the only thing he had left to prove that Celeste had once belonged to him and his father. Chapter 2 Jonah hastily bent down to comfort Kevin. "Dry your tears, Kevin. We can always buy you another cape. I see your drawing is torn, too. How about I help you tape it back together?" Right after saying that, he reached out and took the two halves of the drawing from Kevin's arms. Kevin lunged forward to snatch them back. Jonah's grip loosened, and the two halves of the drawing fell into the burning-scented candle on the edge of the table. In an instant, the flames caught the corners of the paper. By the time I put out the fire with my bare hands, a billow of thick smoke had caused Kevin to burst into a coughing fit. He had sensitive airways and mild asthma. He couldn't put up with this. One of the three figures in the drawing had already been burned away. Kevin stared at what was left of the drawing and burst into tears. "Daddy… Mommy's gone!" Jonah hastily grabbed some tissues and handed them to him. "I'm so sorry. It was an accident. Why don't you draw another one, Kevin?" I swatted his hand away. "Get out." Celeste handed Iris to Jonah and said in a low voice, "Take her to the guest room first. I need to have a word with Kai." The moment the bedroom door shut behind us, she seized my wrist. "That's enough. Jonah has apologized." I wrenched my arm out of her grasp. "Can't you see that our son is crying?" "So what if he cries for a little while?" she blurted out before lowering her voice. "Jonah has been emotionally unstable ever since his divorce. What if you upset him by throwing him out in front of Iris?" I gazed at her for a while before inquiring, "What about Kevin?" "He has both his parents by his side. He's grown up with everything he could ever need." Celeste paused for a moment before adding, "Stop coddling him so much. If he makes a fuss over a drawing and a cape, how's he going to get along with other people in the future?" Kevin's cries ground to a halt in the bedroom. I turned around and found him behind the door. He lowered his head, folded the damaged drawing, and tucked it into the pocket of his costume. "I won't make a fuss ever again, Daddy." Celeste looked visibly awkward as she reached out to pull him into a hug. Kevin took a step back and closed the door in her face. … The following day, I received a call from the kindergarten. The teacher informed me that Kevin had locked himself in the bathroom. He'd been bawling his eyes out for hours, and he refused to come out. There was no time for questions. I dropped everything and sped to the kindergarten. I had just reached the office door when I overheard two teachers' conversation. "I saw the live broadcast, too. Iris's dad and Ms. Rochester looked like one big happy family." "But isn't Ms. Rochester Kevin's mother?" "Iris has been going around telling everyone that she's her mother, too. A few kids even made fun of Kevin, telling him his mother likes Iris more than him." When I pushed open the door, Kevin was already in the office. The moment he saw me, he ran over and clutched my hand. The teachers hurriedly broke off their conversation. "My apologies, Mr. Heathcliff. The children don't know any better. We've already reprimanded them." I crouched down and asked Kevin, "Did anyone pick on you?" He shook his head. His teacher, however, hesitated before pulling out a sheet of drawing paper. It showed a woman in business attire holding Iris' hand with one hand while pushing Kevin away with the other. "One of the kids in class drew this. When Kevin saw it, he locked himself in the bathroom and refused to come out." My chest felt tight, as if something were lodged in it. Before I could utter a word, Celeste walked in with Jonah. Jonah looked remorseful. "The live broadcast incident is a misunderstanding, ma'am. Iris has been deprived of her mother's love since she was little, so she got into the habit of calling Celeste that." Celeste picked up where he left off. "It's just a minor conflict between children. There's no need to blow this out of proportion." I handed her the drawing. "Your son's being mocked by his entire class for not having a mother, and you call that a minor conflict?" Celeste took one look at it and knitted her brows. "I'll talk to Kevin." Iris ran out from behind Jonah and took her hand. "My teacher said I'm not allowed to call you that anymore, Celeste." Celeste crouched down. "That's not what your teacher meant." "In that case, can I still call you that?" Iris looked up at her expectantly. Jonah tried to reason with her quietly. "Forget it. Let's not upset Kevin. Iris, from now on, call her Ms. Rochester." Iris immediately burst into tears. "I don't want to call you Ms. Rochester. I want you to be my mommy!" The parents nearby all turned to look. Celeste felt put on the spot, so she turned to Kevin. "Iris only calls me that in private; she's not going to steal me away from you. You're older than her, so you should let her have her way." Kevin gaped at her. "But I'm only three months older than her." Her expression hardened. "Even one day makes you the older one. Stop being so immature!" As soon as her words fell, her phone rang. The principal posted an announcement in the group chat. "Ms. Rochester, to avoid any confusion, please let us know which child you'll be attending tomorrow's Mother's Day event with." Iris snatched her phone and pressed the voice message button. "Of course, she's coming to be with me!" The moment the voice message was sent, Celeste didn't delete it. If anything, she gave her answer right in front of the teachers. "I'll be attending tomorrow's open class with Iris." Chapter 3 Kevin slowly released the hem of Celeste's clothes. "You promised Kevin you'd teach him how to make a kite during the open class," I reminded her. "There'll be plenty of opportunities in the future," she responded flatly. "Iris was just ridiculed by her classmates over the way she addressed me. If I don't show up, it'll only make things worse for her." "So, you're sacrificing your son's dignity to protect hers?" Celeste scanned our surroundings. "Don't argue with me at school. It's embarrassing enough already!" "Kai, I can ask Celeste not to go, but Iris' therapist said she can't be abandoned again," Jonah explained with red-rimmed eyes. I looked him in the eye. "My son had three nightmares last night." "Kevin has you by his side," he said. The moment the words left his mouth, he seemed to realize how inappropriate they sounded. His expression stiffened, and he hurriedly added, "I mean, he's luckier than Iris." Kevin suddenly looked up. "I can let Iris borrow Mommy for a day, Mr. Bellamy. However, she's already borrowed her for so many days." He counted on his fingers. "My birthday, sports day, doctor's appointments, family day, and now… the open class, too. When will she give her back to me?" No one answered. … After returning home, Kevin pulled a kite out of the cabinet. It was one he had made together with Celeste. The swallow's wings were crooked, and all three of our names were written on it. He carried the kite into the living room. "Mommy, can you help me test it just once tonight? I can make one by myself tomorrow." Celeste was busy assembling a model for Iris to use in the open class. Without looking up, she responded, "I'm busy. Go ask your father." "But my teacher said Mommy has to teach me." "Must you take every single thing your teacher says so literally?" Losing her patience, she reached for the glue and accidentally knocked his kite onto the floor. Iris stepped on it with her shoes, snapping the bamboo frame in an instant. Kevin let out a scream and shoved her. Iris fell to the floor and burst into tears. Jonah immediately rushed over and gathered his daughter into his arms. "Iris, are you okay?" Celeste seized Kevin's arm. "Who taught you to push others?" Kevin pointed at his kite, weeping. "She broke it!" "Is an object more important than a person?" "Mommy, you and I made this together." "We can just make another one." "You won't make another with me," he responded softly. Celeste was visibly taken aback. I picked Kevin up. "He shouldn't have pushed her. I'll teach him that. However, she stepped on his kite and broke it, so she owes him an apology, too." After checking on his daughter, Jonah lowered his voice. "Iris didn't do it on purpose. Kevin was the one who got physical first. Why can't he apologize first?" Celeste nodded. "Did you hear that?" Kevin leaned against my shoulder and remained silent. So, she reached out and forcibly took him from me. "Apologize to her right now. Don't make me repeat myself." Kevin stiffened. Drop by drop, his tears fell onto her clothes. "I'm sorry." Iris wiped away her tears and hid in Jonah's arms. "I won't forgive you unless you give me the kite." Celeste picked up the broken kite. "Here, take it. It's already broken anyway." Kevin thrashed wildly. "No! That's mine!" Celeste was afraid he might fall, so she had no choice but to set him down. He lunged at her to snatch his kite back, but a broken bamboo strip slashed a line of blood across his palm. I immediately took his hand in mine. Celeste instinctively reached out, too, but Iris suddenly clutched her stomach and wailed. Jonah panicked and called out to her, "Hurry up and take a look at Iris, Celeste!" Celeste's hand froze in midair. In the end, she turned toward Iris. After applying a Band-Aid to Kevin's palm, I pulled out my phone and forwarded her the digital copy of the divorce agreement Mr. Preston had sent me. "Take a look at it when you have time, Celeste." Celeste glanced at the title and immediately turned off the screen. "Are you threatening me with divorce?" Her tone was full of certainty. "I know you'd never want Kevin to grow up without a mother, and you wouldn't give up on this family either. So, go ahead and throw your little tantrum for a couple of days, but don't take it too far and teach our son the wrong lessons." Having said her piece, she picked up a pair of scissors and, right in front of Kevin, cut off the corner of the kite with his name on it. Chapter 4 On the day Celeste attended the open class, Kevin didn't enter the classroom. He sat at the end of the hallway, clutching his mended kite. When his teacher called me, he only repeated one sentence. "Mommy isn't my Mommy today." By the time I rushed to the kindergarten, Jonah was taking photos of Celeste and Iris with his phone. The three of them stood in front of their parent-child art project. Celeste lowered her head to fix Iris's hair, her expression gentle and patient. When Kevin spotted her, he still ran over. "Mommy." Celeste turned around, her brows knitting together slightly. "Why haven't you gone inside yet?" "My teacher told me to find my own mommy." He held out his kite to her. "Can you hold it for me? It'll only take a moment." Iris immediately wrapped her arms around Celeste's leg. "No, she's mine today!" "Iris, you shouldn't say that. Ms. Rochester is Kevin's mother," Jonah reprimanded her softly. Iris pouted. "But you told me last night that as long as I behaved, Celeste would stay with us forever." Jonah's expression changed instantly. "She's spouting nonsense." I looked at Celeste. "Did you hear that?" She avoided my gaze. "Jonah was only trying to placate her. Don't obsess over every little detail." Kevin held his kite out a little farther. "It'll only take a minute, Mommy." Celeste finally took it from him. His eyes had just lit up when Iris yanked the tail of the kite. "This is mine." The kite ripped in half. This time, he didn't cry. He crouched down and picked up the torn pieces of paper. Jonah held Iris back. "Hurry up and apologize!" Yet, she broke free from his grasp and ran toward the prop room beside the stairs with the kite. "I'm not giving it back! I'm going to hide it." Kevin chased after her. Several minutes later, the parent-child class officially began. Kevin still hadn't returned, so I immediately rushed out of the classroom. "Kevin?" No one answered. His teacher pulled up the surveillance footage in the hallway. Iris shoved Kevin into the prop room, slid the latch shut, and jammed a small chair against the door. Jonah panicked. "Iris is just playing a prank; she doesn't know she's not supposed to lock someone inside." I turned on my heel and bolted toward the prop room. Celeste, however, stepped in front of the security monitor. "Don't make a scene just yet." I stared at her in disbelief. "Kevin's locked inside!" "I know," she whispered. "Jonah's fighting his ex-wife for custody right now. If this footage gets out, she'll use it to argue that he can't even raise his own daughter properly. He could lose Iris." My fingernails dug into my palms. "So what?" "The prop room's on this floor. Kevin'll be fine. First, get his teacher to delete the footage. As soon as we find him, I'll have Iris apologize to him." Jonah grasped my arm. "Kai, I'm begging you; Iris is all I have. I can't lose her." I flung him away. His teacher rushed back with the key, only to discover that the lock was broken. The room was filled with old curtains and stage backdrops. The windows were sealed shut, and Kevin had mild asthma. I pounded on the door, calling out his name. At long last, a faint cough came from inside. "Daddy... I can't breathe." My blood ran cold in an instant. Just then, the principal hurried over with an iPad. "I've backed up the surveillance footage. I'll call the cops right now." The moment she pulled up the footage, Celeste snatched her iPad amid the commotion. "Hold on. We haven't gotten to the bottom of this yet!" In the same breath, her fingers flew across the screen, tapping into the files and hitting delete. The principal looked at the screen, and her expression changed drastically. "Did you just delete the footage?" I whipped my head around. Celeste's hand was still hovering beside the delete button. She looked at me and explained quietly, "I merely wanted to protect Jonah's daughter first." Right then, a dull thud came from inside the room, as if something had collapsed. I snatched the fire axe off the wall and brought it down on the door lock.