He Gives Them Love, Leaves Us Scraps

After his twin brother dies, my husband, Cassian Howell, starts supporting two households, splitting our family's money equally between them. Half goes to our daughter and me, and the other half goes to his late brother's widow, Esther Heaton, and her son, Noah Howell. He says he can't let his nephew grow up without a father figure. When our daughter, Anne Howell, graduates from elementary school, her teacher asks each student to contribute 50 dollars toward graduation photos. Cassian refuses at once, calling it an unnecessary expense. It's the same excuse he used the week before when I asked him for new undergarments. I call him. "I'll go without if I have to, but everyone in her class is getting graduation photos. Anne is the only one who hasn't paid." He sounds annoyed. "Faye, you know I have two households to support. We have to cut costs wherever we can." Before I can answer, he hangs up on me. Moments later, Esther posts a photo in our family group chat: a limited-edition children's camera and a brand-new designer bag. Her caption reads, "Thank you for the gifts, Cassian! I'm so grateful Noah has a father figure in his life, all thanks to you." I stare at the words "father figure" for a long moment before I finally understand. In Cassian's heart, Esther and her son are his real family. Anne and I are just outsiders he can afford to neglect. Chapter 1 Faye's POV Messages kept pouring into the family group chat, all praising Cassian Howell. "Cassian really takes good care of his sister-in-law and nephew." "Exactly! Josh sure didn't spoil him for nothing." Soon, Esther Heaton posted another video. In it, her son, Noah Howell, thanked Cassian. "Dad is the best! I won first place in the essay contest because of you." Noah proudly held up his award certificate. Esther followed up with a voice message and even tagged me. "Faye, Cassian only got Noah a little gift because he won first place. Please don't get the wrong idea." A little gift? I stared at the children's camera sitting behind Noah. I'd seen it in Cassian's online shopping cart a week earlier. Six months ago, he'd promised Anne that exact camera for her birthday and never bought it. I'd thought he was finally planning a surprise for our daughter, but instead, the camera ended up in Noah's hands. My eyes stung. I blinked hard, then slowly typed a message. "So the bag was a gift for Noah, too?" After sending it, I didn't bother reading the replies and closed the chat. Less than a minute later, Cassian called me. His anger came through the phone. "Faye, what the hell did you mean by that message? Are you losing your mind again? How many times do I have to tell you—" I was tired of the same lecture, so I cut him off. "Did I say anything wrong?" His voice softened a little, but he still called me unreasonable. "Noah lost his father. I gave him that camera so he wouldn't feel left out. Do you really have to make a big deal over every dollar?" I dug my fingernails into my palm. "So Noah can't be left out, but Anne can? You won't give me a cent for new underwear, yet you bought Esther a designer bag worth thousands of dollars." I paused slightly before asking, "Cassian, does she have emotional wounds you need to heal, too?" He was silent for a moment, then spoke more gently. "Faye, Noah's getting older. I have to treat Esther well if I want him to accept me as his father. Besides, I'm the one who earns the money for this family. Isn't it only right that I decide how it's spent?" I gripped the phone and said nothing, but my silence only made him more self-righteous. "Alright, just tell Anne to skip that pointless activity. She should focus on studying instead of wasting time, so she doesn't end up handing in another blank essay!" I'd put him on speaker as I paced, and I was still reeling when I turned and found Anne standing behind me. "Mom, don't be sad," she said quietly. "I won't take the graduation photos. Dad's right. It's my fault for not being able to write that essay." Looking at Anne's pale face, my heart ached so badly I could barely breathe. She had always been a good student. The only time she'd ever handed in a blank paper was this year's essay contest, when the topic was "A Day With My Dad". I'd never forget the confused look on her face when she came home that day. "Mom, I couldn't write anything. I've never spent a whole day with Dad." I hurried over, crouched down, and pulled her into a tight hug. "Anne, none of this is your fault. Don't worry. We're still taking your graduation photos." Cassian didn't come home that night. It was Sunday, his regular day with Noah. Before bed, I asked Anne, "If we moved in with Grandma and it was just the two of us from now on, would you be okay with that?" I'd asked her the same question twice over the past year. The first time, she'd whispered, "But I'd miss Dad." The second time, she'd thought about it for a long while before shaking her head. This time, she didn't hesitate. She asked me only one thing. "Does the school near Grandma's house have carrot cake?" Chapter 2 Faye's POV I swallowed the bitterness and nodded. "Yes. I'll buy it for you." After Anne fell asleep, I sent my résumé to a company in Borwick. Cassian didn't come home until early the next morning, wearing a different outfit from the day before. He kept a change of clothes at Esther's house. He'd told me it was simply more convenient to go straight to the office from there whenever he stayed late with Noah. I'd believed him. But over time, he started spending more and more time at Esther's place. He went from saying he was helping his brother's family to openly taking care of her. Meanwhile, Anne called him "Dad" less and less, and Noah grew ever more affectionate toward him. "Faye, where's breakfast?" Cassian asked as soon as he walked in. His tone was as demanding as ever, as if I should be grateful he'd bothered to come home. "I didn't make any," I replied coldly. His expression darkened. "Are you done throwing a tantrum? Esther offered to make me breakfast, but I turned her down to get home sooner. Now I can't even get a bowl of porridge?" I kept packing Anne's clothes without looking up. "You can go back and eat there. I don't mind." Cassian stiffened, his brows furrowing. "You don't earn a single dime for this family, and now you won't even cook? Did I marry you just to sit around looking pretty?" My hands stopped, and I looked up at him. "Cassian, have you forgotten that I gave up that promotion for you?" We'd worked at the same company, competing for a single promotion. Back then, Anne was still small. The nanny's negligence had let her fever turn into pneumonia, and my mother-in-law had only bothered to look after Noah. Cassian had begged me for a whole week. With Anne still not fully recovered, I eventually gave in and resigned. He got the promotion that same day. That night, he bought me a gold bracelet and fastened it around my wrist himself. "Faye," he said, holding my hand. "All you have to do is take care of Anne. I'll handle everything else in this family." Later, Esther "borrowed" that same bracelet. And in Cassian's eyes, I became nothing more than a useless housewife. Maybe because this was the first time in years I'd brought it up, a flicker of embarrassment crossed his face. He looked away irritably and tossed his jacket onto the couch. "Why bring up the past? Besides, haven't you been enjoying an easy life at home for the past five years?" I looked down at my pilled loungewear and worn-out slippers. My voice was soft. "Does having to beg you for money just to buy underwear count as an easy life?" If this was what he called an easy life, I had no intention of enjoying it any longer. He finally lost his temper. "Faye, when did you become so petty?" At the sound of his voice, Anne came running out of her room. "Mom." She stood in front of me, glaring stubbornly at Cassian. He froze, then noticed her pajamas. They'd faded from countless washes, and the sleeves and pant legs were far too short for her. He whipped his head toward me. "Did you make her wear those on purpose just to make me feel guilty? I'm telling you right now. I'm never abandoning Esther and Noah, so stop wasting your breath." I was so angry I almost laughed. I'd brought up buying Anne new pajamas countless times, but he always brushed me off and said he'd buy them next time. That next time never came. I was done arguing about it. I met his gaze. "I have a suggestion," I said quietly. "Why don't we get a divorce? Then it'll be a lot easier for you to take care of them, won't it?" Chapter 3 Faye's POV "Stop talking nonsense in front of the kid!" Cassian reached out to cover Anne's ears, but she just stared at him calmly. "I'm staying with Mom," she said. He froze for a few seconds, then let out a chuckle. "Fine. In that case, I won't give you any money for living expenses next month." He patted Anne on the head, as if amused by her childish bluff. "You'll see soon enough that this kind of threat won't work on me." Just then, my phone lit up with an email notification. It was a reply from the company in Borwick, with the word "interview" in the preview. Cassian caught a glimpse of the screen and snatched the phone out of my hand. "What kind of interview is this?" Before he could tap on the notification, his phone rang with the special ringtone he'd set for Noah. Cassian forgot about me at once, tossed my phone onto the table, and answered the call. Noah was crying loudly on the other end. "Dad... why did you disappear again? I had a nightmare that you didn't want me anymore..." Cassian grew anxious, his voice turning gentle. "Don't be scared, buddy. I'm on my way right now. Where's your mom? Tell her to stay with you until I get there." As he spoke, he grabbed his jacket off the couch and headed straight out. The front door slammed shut, leaving the apartment completely silent. Anne was still standing in front of me, stiff and unmoving. When I stepped closer to check on her, her eyes were brimming with tears. A sharp ache squeezed my chest. I quickly pulled her into a tight hug. "Go ahead and cry, sweetie. You'll feel better once you've let it all out." After a long silence, she finally spoke, her voice muffled against my chest. "Mom, he's gone to be someone else's dad. Can I stop calling him 'Dad' from now on?" My throat tightened so much I couldn't get a word out. I wiped away my own tears when she couldn't see and nodded. I packed our bags that afternoon and booked plane tickets for three days later. The next day, Anne finally got her graduation photos taken. She wanted to say goodbye to a few of her close friends, so I'd reserved a private room a few days earlier. When I arrived and gave the server the room number, they told me the guests had already arrived. That couldn't be right. Anne's friends weren't due for another half hour. My heart sank. Holding Anne's cold hand, I walked over to the room. The door was wide open, and cheerful laughter echoed from inside. Esther and Noah were sitting right in the center. A banner hung behind them that read, "Happy Birthday, Noah!" I'd ordered a custom cake and picked out all the desserts on the table myself. When Esther saw me, she didn't look flustered at all. She even flashed a small smile. "Faye, what are you guys doing here?" she asked. I held tight to Anne's cold hand and said, "I booked this room, and I ordered all that food." Esther set her glass down unhurriedly. "Yes, you made the reservation, but Cassian paid for it. He's using it to celebrate Noah's birthday, so it has nothing to do with outsiders." Anne couldn't hold it in anymore. "You're the outsiders! My mom picked this place for me!" Noah jumped out of his chair and lifted his chin defiantly. "What do you mean, 'your place'? My dad booked it for me!" He pointed a finger at Anne, his voice full of arrogance. "Stop trying to steal my dad! He doesn't love you! You're just after his money and trying to get free food!" Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Dad!" He ran toward the doorway. Cassian walked in carrying two bottles of juice. Esther stood up, her smug expression turning wounded. "Cassian, you're finally back. Faye seems to want to kick us out, but it's Noah's birthday today..." Cassian immediately shot me an irritated look. I stared back at him, my voice raspy. "Cassian, I'm asking you one last time. Who are you a father to?" He glanced at Anne's pale face, a flash of hesitation crossing his eyes. But Noah tugged at his sleeve, looking pitiful. Cassian stepped forward and lowered his voice. "Faye, stop making a scene. Take Anne and book another room. I'll pay for it. It's Noah's birthday. Anne's a good girl. She'll understand." Good girl. There he went again. Because my daughter was a good girl, she was expected to give in every time and sacrifice what mattered to her, over and over. Before I could say a word, Cassian turned to the room and raised his voice. "Today is my son Noah's birthday! Kids, have a great time!" And just like that, he made his choice. He had acknowledged Noah as his son in front of everyone, and Anne was nothing to him. Then he gave me an impatient look. "Take Anne and go." The moment he said that, the kids burst out laughing and started mocking her. "She really doesn't have a dad!" "Showing up to crash someone else's birthday party? How embarrassing." "Her dad's probably too broke anyway!" Chapter 4 Faye's POV Anne's small frame went rigid as she fought to keep her tears from falling. Her eyes were red, but she forced a small smile. "I must have gotten it wrong," she said. "Goodbye, sir." Cassian's expression flickered when he heard her. Anne took two steps back and looked up at me. "Mom, let's go to a different restaurant. I want to say a proper goodbye to my friends." Just as I took her hand and turned to walk away, I saw Cassian start to follow us, but Noah called out behind him. "Dad, it's time to cut the cake!" Cassian stopped in his tracks. Maybe he hadn't understood what Anne meant when she called him "sir". Or maybe he'd understood perfectly well and simply didn't care. Once we stepped outside the restaurant, my phone buzzed with a message and a money transfer from him. He'd sent exactly 50 dollars. "Tell Anne the graduation photos are my gift to make it up to her. And stop teaching her to fight for my attention!" My hands shook with rage. In his mind, even the bare minimum a father should do for his daughter was a favor. But when I saw how disappointed Anne looked, I pushed my anger aside and took her and her friends to another restaurant. After we got home, I forwarded a screenshot of Cassian's message to my lawyer. The lawyer had the divorce papers ready that same day. On the day of our flight, I signed the divorce agreement, left it on the coffee table, and headed to the airport with Anne. After checking in our luggage, I spotted Cassian with Esther and Noah. They were dressed in matching family outfits. Cassian was pushing a suitcase with Noah sitting on top of it. Esther had her arm linked through his, speaking to him in a gentle voice. "Will Faye be upset if she finds out you took us to the theme park?" "She won't," Cassian replied with total confidence. "She wouldn't dare. She'll smooth things over with Anne, too. She barely has any money of her own, so it's not like she can cause any real trouble." Esther's voice grew even sweeter. "You don't care about Faye, but what about Anne? Don't you feel bad for her at all?" Cassian was silent for a moment before answering with a hint of regret. "Esther, if you hadn't chosen Josh over me back then, we could have been a family of three by now." My blood ran cold. So it had never been about doing right by Noah. It had always been about Esther all along. Cassian wrapped his arm around Esther's waist and pressed his forehead affectionately against hers. "Eww, Mom and Dad are being mushy!" Noah suddenly shouted, making them stop just before their lips met. They laughed. But the moment Esther caught sight of me, her expression changed. "Faye?" Cassian followed her gaze and instinctively let go of her waist. Yet the moment he opened his mouth, he blamed me instead. "Faye, are you following me?" I grabbed Anne's hand and kept walking, refusing to waste another breath on him. He was repulsive, utterly disgusting. But I'd barely taken two steps when he grabbed my arm. He sighed in exasperation. "I wasn't trying to hide this from you. Noah just wanted this for his birthday. I'll keep my distance from Esther, okay? It's just three days. Can you stop making a fuss?" I yanked my arm out of his grip and scoffed. "Just sign the divorce papers, Cassian. Then you won't have to deal with me anymore." Esther stepped forward, playing the peacemaker. "Faye, don't say things you'll regret. If this really bothers you that much, we just won't go..." Before she could move any closer, Cassian immediately stepped in front of her. He let out a scornful laugh. "She only came here to threaten me and put on a show. If she divorces me, she won't even be able to afford a single pair of underwear." The more he spoke, the more certain he seemed that I'd back down. "Come on, Esther, let's board the flight. Once she realizes this trick isn't going to work, she'll come to her senses." After they walked off, I took Anne toward our gate. Once we were on the plane, Anne rested her head against my arm. "Mom... can we never come back?" "Yes, sweetie," I whispered. "We're never coming back."