he Day He Chose Her Over Our Dying Son, I Chose Vengeance - Chapter 22: Chapter 22
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I wiped my tears in a panic, awkwardly trying to change the subject.
"Why are you back?"
"Shouldn't you be with Lillian?"
Jacob shot me a suspicious glance, then casually set a brown paper bag down on the table.
"Where's our son?"
"I brought him his favorite peanut butter cookies."
Jacob's a team commander—always out on missions for weeks at a time.
Every time he came home, he'd bring a bag of peanut butter cookies for our son.
And every time, as soon as our son smelled them, he'd light up and run outside to meet him.
But Jacob never knew—our son had asthma and hated dry, crumbly cookies.
What he really loved was having his dad come home safe.
I swallowed the ache in my chest and managed a small smile.
"Thanks."
Jacob let out a breath of relief, then after a pause, said,
"Ellie, I wanted to talk to you about something."
My heart skipped.
"What is it?"
He sat down next to me and pulled me into his arms.
"I know you want our son to go to school."
"I do too. So I talked to Lillian."
"Tyler will use the school spot first, and after he's done for the day, he'll come to our place and tutor our son."
"What do you think?"
I said nothing, but inside me, whatever light was left… went out.
Jacob must've sensed something was wrong.
He looked away but kept talking.
"I didn't have a choice."
"Lillian just got divorced—she's in a tough spot and needs support."
Right.
A tough spot.
And what about our kid?
He's only seven.
Isn't that vulnerable too?
But you didn't even blink before handing his chance over to someone else.
I shut my eyes, and when I opened them again, I was ice-cold.
"He can have the spot."
"But you need to do one thing for me."
"Tomorrow night, you come home and celebrate our son's birthday with him."
Jacob nodded immediately.
"Consider it done."
On the third day, I made all our son's favorite dishes.
I set his photo on a chair at the table… and waited quietly for Jacob to come home.
My grandmother used to say that on the seventh day after someone dies, their soul comes back.
Just to take one last look at the people they love.
I hoped that when our son came back, he'd see me and Jacob.
See us celebrating his birthday—one last time.
The clock on the table chimed over and over.
Eight o'clock. Jacob still wasn't home.
I couldn't wait any longer—I ran straight to the base.
But just outside the gates, I heard fireworks going off on the street.
In the dead of winter, the crackle of fireworks echoed sharp and clear through the cold night.
I was about to go around them when I heard Lillian's voice.
"Careful, Jacob!"
"Don't let Tyler get burned!"
She stood beneath a tree, her voice soft and playful.
Jacob answered her, striking a match to light a sparkler in Tyler's hands.
I heard him say,
"Tyler, congrats—tomorrow's your first day of school!"
Lillian cupped her ears and shouted with a laugh,
"Happy first day, Tyler!"
I stood in the shadows, watching as my heart shattered again and again.
Tomorrow really is the first day of school.
But not for my child.
Jacob, did you forget?
Today's the seventh day.
You promised you'd come home and celebrate his birthday.
So why are you out here celebrating someone else's kid?
Do you even remember our Ethan?
He was supposed to start school tomorrow too.
I didn't disturb them.
I turned around… and went home in silence.
The apple pie on the table had already gone moldy.
I took a bite anyway, looked at Ethan's picture, and forced a smile.
Tears blurred my vision.
"So salty."
"Even saltier than that hospital dinner."
"Ethan… happy birthday, sweetheart."
"And… Mommy misses you."
That night, Jacob spent the evening lighting fireworks for Lillian's kid.
I spent it eating every last bite of that moldy apple pie with my son's picture.
The next morning, I went to pack my bags.
That's when Jacob finally came home.
"Ethan! Daddy's home!"
"There was a last-minute mission at the base—I didn't get to tell you, I'm sorry I missed your birthday."
"But look, I got you a present—a brand-new backpack. Try it on—"
The words died in his throat.
His eyes locked onto the black-and-white photo on the chair.
"Why are you back?"
"Shouldn't you be with Lillian?"
Jacob shot me a suspicious glance, then casually set a brown paper bag down on the table.
"Where's our son?"
"I brought him his favorite peanut butter cookies."
Jacob's a team commander—always out on missions for weeks at a time.
Every time he came home, he'd bring a bag of peanut butter cookies for our son.
And every time, as soon as our son smelled them, he'd light up and run outside to meet him.
But Jacob never knew—our son had asthma and hated dry, crumbly cookies.
What he really loved was having his dad come home safe.
I swallowed the ache in my chest and managed a small smile.
"Thanks."
Jacob let out a breath of relief, then after a pause, said,
"Ellie, I wanted to talk to you about something."
My heart skipped.
"What is it?"
He sat down next to me and pulled me into his arms.
"I know you want our son to go to school."
"I do too. So I talked to Lillian."
"Tyler will use the school spot first, and after he's done for the day, he'll come to our place and tutor our son."
"What do you think?"
I said nothing, but inside me, whatever light was left… went out.
Jacob must've sensed something was wrong.
He looked away but kept talking.
"I didn't have a choice."
"Lillian just got divorced—she's in a tough spot and needs support."
Right.
A tough spot.
And what about our kid?
He's only seven.
Isn't that vulnerable too?
But you didn't even blink before handing his chance over to someone else.
I shut my eyes, and when I opened them again, I was ice-cold.
"He can have the spot."
"But you need to do one thing for me."
"Tomorrow night, you come home and celebrate our son's birthday with him."
Jacob nodded immediately.
"Consider it done."
On the third day, I made all our son's favorite dishes.
I set his photo on a chair at the table… and waited quietly for Jacob to come home.
My grandmother used to say that on the seventh day after someone dies, their soul comes back.
Just to take one last look at the people they love.
I hoped that when our son came back, he'd see me and Jacob.
See us celebrating his birthday—one last time.
The clock on the table chimed over and over.
Eight o'clock. Jacob still wasn't home.
I couldn't wait any longer—I ran straight to the base.
But just outside the gates, I heard fireworks going off on the street.
In the dead of winter, the crackle of fireworks echoed sharp and clear through the cold night.
I was about to go around them when I heard Lillian's voice.
"Careful, Jacob!"
"Don't let Tyler get burned!"
She stood beneath a tree, her voice soft and playful.
Jacob answered her, striking a match to light a sparkler in Tyler's hands.
I heard him say,
"Tyler, congrats—tomorrow's your first day of school!"
Lillian cupped her ears and shouted with a laugh,
"Happy first day, Tyler!"
I stood in the shadows, watching as my heart shattered again and again.
Tomorrow really is the first day of school.
But not for my child.
Jacob, did you forget?
Today's the seventh day.
You promised you'd come home and celebrate his birthday.
So why are you out here celebrating someone else's kid?
Do you even remember our Ethan?
He was supposed to start school tomorrow too.
I didn't disturb them.
I turned around… and went home in silence.
The apple pie on the table had already gone moldy.
I took a bite anyway, looked at Ethan's picture, and forced a smile.
Tears blurred my vision.
"So salty."
"Even saltier than that hospital dinner."
"Ethan… happy birthday, sweetheart."
"And… Mommy misses you."
That night, Jacob spent the evening lighting fireworks for Lillian's kid.
I spent it eating every last bite of that moldy apple pie with my son's picture.
The next morning, I went to pack my bags.
That's when Jacob finally came home.
"Ethan! Daddy's home!"
"There was a last-minute mission at the base—I didn't get to tell you, I'm sorry I missed your birthday."
"But look, I got you a present—a brand-new backpack. Try it on—"
The words died in his throat.
His eyes locked onto the black-and-white photo on the chair.
End of he Day He Chose Her Over Our Dying Son, I Chose Vengeance Chapter 22. Continue reading Chapter 23 or return to he Day He Chose Her Over Our Dying Son, I Chose Vengeance book page.