Chapter 9
Lillian stumbled back
1-1 didn’t say anything. You heard wrong.
Jacob’s expression softened just enough for her to latch on.[]
“This day means so much to Tyler.”
“Let’s just go together, okay?”
He pulled his arm from her grip.
His voice was flat.
“I’ve said it already. I’m not going.
“And I won’t be going in the future, either.”
His mind flashed back-
To me, begging him in the freezing wind.[]
Just like her.
And he’d chosen her.
The pried my hands off him,[]
And in doing so, shoved his son one step closer to death.
A shadow crossed Lillian’s face.]
Something was shifting.
Slipping out of her control.]
Before she could react, Jacob shut the door in her face.
And in that moment, she knew-
She’d lost him.
Completely.
Anger surged up behind the rejection.
Ste stomped her foot and hissed,
“If you weren’t the damn unit commander, you think I’d be groveling like this?”
“You’re not the only guy who can play daddy.”
Tyler’ll have ten other volunteers by tomorrow.”
Inside, jacob leaned against the door.
The brief flicker of guilt in his heart?
Cone
He clutched his head, appalled at himsel
How could he have betrayed his own wife and child-
Over someone like
her?
He sat in silence, swallowed whole by shame.
The next day, he packed fresh meat and dry goods into his bag.
He was heading home.
But LiBian came running up in a
panic
Tyler had stolen a classmate’s new backpack at school-
Then threatened to beat the kid senseless if he told anyone.
This wasn’t the old neighborhood.]
The other kids spoke up.
The teacher called it–Tyler was getting expelled.)
Lillian came straight to Jacob
Begging Jum to pull ranki
To make it disappear.]
But he wasn’t the same man anymore
the listened calmly
Then said.
Chapter 9
“School has its own rules. I can’t interfere.”
She grabbed his hand like a lifeline, eyes welling with tears.]
Jacob, please please help us.“]
“You’re the only one who can.“]
“If they kick him out, Tyler’s life is ruined.“]
What are we supposed to do?“]
TII do anything you ask, just get us through this!“]
Jacob looked at her, tear–streaked and desperate.
He felt the old irritation rise again.
She always did this.
Used tears like weapons.
Used him.
And he always let her.
er.0
Always abandoned us for her.
And 1-
I was never like that.
Even when the world fell apart, I still smiled at him and said,
“We’ll be fine. Someone stronger will carry the weight.”
I was his sunshine.
Until the day it all went dark.]
Until Ethan was gone.
The thought chilled Jacob.
His face hardened.
“You break the rules, you face the consequences. I’m not helping.”
“And I won’t be helping with Tyler ever again.”
Then he turned and got on the bus.
Didn’t look back
All he wanted now-
Was to see me.
Just once.
Even if I’d never forgive him.]
A
ampic
