he Day He Chose Her Over Our Dying Son, I Chose Vengeance - Chapter 23: Chapter 23
You are reading he Day He Chose Her Over Our Dying Son, I Chose Vengeance, Chapter 23: Chapter 23. Read more chapters of he Day He Chose Her Over Our Dying Son, I Chose Vengeance.
"What… what the hell is this?"
I glanced at the photo, then gave a hollow little smile.
"What do you think? Ethan's gone…"
The backpack slipped from Jacob's hands as he stared at me, stunned.
"What do you mean he's gone?"
"That's impossible."
"He was totally fine! How could he just… be gone?"
Yeah.
Just a few days ago, he was calling me "Mommy" with that big bright smile, so excited to start school.
He shouldn't have died.
Not if he had a father who actually cared.
"Say something!" Jacob grabbed my shoulders and shook me, completely forgetting what he'd done.
"Do you even remember what Ethan looked like the last time you saw him?"
"Seven days ago?"
That day, he was burning up in my arms, barely able to breathe.
But Jacob?
He glanced at him once and called it fake.
Said Ethan was faking it.
If he hadn't ignored him… if he'd just helped…
Ethan wouldn't have died.
He was killed by his father's indifference.
Right now, if looks could kill, I'd rip him to pieces.
Jacob saw the hatred in my eyes and blinked, confused and shaken.
His brows furrowed as he replayed that day in his head, his face slowly draining of color.
The day it happened, he'd been busy cutting up an old calendar to make a kite for Tyler.
Paper scraps were floating everywhere.
And then he turned around… and saw Ethan lying on the floor. I ran in seconds later.
But he'd already made up his mind.
He thought I was using Ethan to stall him.
He didn't think the kid was actually sick.
Until now.
The realization hit him like a gut punch.
He slumped into a chair, all the strength gone from his body.
"Why didn't you tell me? Why would you hide something like this?"
His eyes were red, his voice hoarse.
"Ellie… I'm your husband. Ethan was my son. Why…"
I let out a bitter laugh and cut him off.
"You remember you're my husband now?"
"You remember he was your son?"
"I went to your unit."
"They said you were out on a mission."
"But then I saw you at Lillian's house, playing horsey with her kid."
"Ethan was lying in a hospital morgue, and you were there… laughing with them."
"You ever think how that would've made Ethan feel?"
That day, I stood behind the fence, watching Jacob smile and carry Tyler on his shoulders, spinning in circles while Lillian giggled and chased them.
Just one wall between us, and it felt like a thousand knives in my chest.
Jacob was always the strict dad.
Once, he caught Ethan playing tag with the other neighborhood kids—laughing, running, having fun.
He marched over, grabbed Ethan by the arm, and dragged him home.
"All you do is mess around."
"How are you ever gonna amount to anything?"
Ethan cried his eyes out that night.
He never joined the other kids again.
Jacob opened his mouth.
Tried to say something.
But nothing came out.
The man who'd never shed a tear, not even on the battlefield, had tears welling in his eyes.
He sat there for a long time before finally whispering,
"Where… where is he buried?"
"I want to see him. Just once."
I turned away, my voice flat.
"He's not buried."
"I had him cremated."
I glanced at the photo, then gave a hollow little smile.
"What do you think? Ethan's gone…"
The backpack slipped from Jacob's hands as he stared at me, stunned.
"What do you mean he's gone?"
"That's impossible."
"He was totally fine! How could he just… be gone?"
Yeah.
Just a few days ago, he was calling me "Mommy" with that big bright smile, so excited to start school.
He shouldn't have died.
Not if he had a father who actually cared.
"Say something!" Jacob grabbed my shoulders and shook me, completely forgetting what he'd done.
"Do you even remember what Ethan looked like the last time you saw him?"
"Seven days ago?"
That day, he was burning up in my arms, barely able to breathe.
But Jacob?
He glanced at him once and called it fake.
Said Ethan was faking it.
If he hadn't ignored him… if he'd just helped…
Ethan wouldn't have died.
He was killed by his father's indifference.
Right now, if looks could kill, I'd rip him to pieces.
Jacob saw the hatred in my eyes and blinked, confused and shaken.
His brows furrowed as he replayed that day in his head, his face slowly draining of color.
The day it happened, he'd been busy cutting up an old calendar to make a kite for Tyler.
Paper scraps were floating everywhere.
And then he turned around… and saw Ethan lying on the floor. I ran in seconds later.
But he'd already made up his mind.
He thought I was using Ethan to stall him.
He didn't think the kid was actually sick.
Until now.
The realization hit him like a gut punch.
He slumped into a chair, all the strength gone from his body.
"Why didn't you tell me? Why would you hide something like this?"
His eyes were red, his voice hoarse.
"Ellie… I'm your husband. Ethan was my son. Why…"
I let out a bitter laugh and cut him off.
"You remember you're my husband now?"
"You remember he was your son?"
"I went to your unit."
"They said you were out on a mission."
"But then I saw you at Lillian's house, playing horsey with her kid."
"Ethan was lying in a hospital morgue, and you were there… laughing with them."
"You ever think how that would've made Ethan feel?"
That day, I stood behind the fence, watching Jacob smile and carry Tyler on his shoulders, spinning in circles while Lillian giggled and chased them.
Just one wall between us, and it felt like a thousand knives in my chest.
Jacob was always the strict dad.
Once, he caught Ethan playing tag with the other neighborhood kids—laughing, running, having fun.
He marched over, grabbed Ethan by the arm, and dragged him home.
"All you do is mess around."
"How are you ever gonna amount to anything?"
Ethan cried his eyes out that night.
He never joined the other kids again.
Jacob opened his mouth.
Tried to say something.
But nothing came out.
The man who'd never shed a tear, not even on the battlefield, had tears welling in his eyes.
He sat there for a long time before finally whispering,
"Where… where is he buried?"
"I want to see him. Just once."
I turned away, my voice flat.
"He's not buried."
"I had him cremated."
End of he Day He Chose Her Over Our Dying Son, I Chose Vengeance Chapter 23. Continue reading Chapter 24 or return to he Day He Chose Her Over Our Dying Son, I Chose Vengeance book page.