Thalia's pov

I didn't know how I slept off while looking after Ianth on the hospital bed.

My red eyes opened slowly, only to find Ianth staring at me with a hard glare.

"Sweetheart, you are awake." I sauntered to my feet, hurrying to check his body.

I reached out to his hands, trying to see if the fever had reduced a little. But Ianth pulled his hands away with so much force that I would have thought he wasn't the same person sick yesterday.

"What are you doing here?" Ianth fired, "Why are you here?"

I took out a handkerchief from my purse and wiped the beads of sweat on his face but he pulled away again.

"You were hospitalized, Ianth. Am I not supposed to be here as your mommy?" I didn't understand why he was asking the questions.

Throughout the night when he had a fever, I had to use cold water on him. The fever eventually broke a few hours later and that was when I slept off.

"How many times am I going to say that you are not my mommy?" He shouted.

My feet staggered backwards. Not from his loud voice but from the intensity of his gaze.

Hate. Detest. Anger.

That was all I could see in those innocent eyes.

I wondered what I had done for a child to hate his mother this much. Everything I had ever done was because of him. Now, he blatantly refused me as his mother.

I sniffed, trying to regain myself. "Ianth, what did you eat last night?" I asked, changing the topic instead.

"It was Aunty Mirelle's birthday so I ate some of her cake." He responded.

That was it. That was why his allergy resurfaced. That was why he was hospitalized again.

Cake? Mirelle's birthday. Was it so hard to make sure a child is fine? For goodness sake, Eirik knew Ianth is allergic to these things. Why would he watch him eat it and then call me when the trouble arrives again?

"Ianth!" Mirelle rushed towards my son on the bed, "You are awake. God, I was scared and worried about you. Don't do that again." She slapped his arm playfully while ruffling his hair.

Eirik came in after her. His gaze locked onto mine.

"Why did you give Ianth cake to eat? You knew very well it is what he is allergic to." I muttered slowly.

Mirelle made a pretentious face. "It is all my fault. It was my birthday and I wanted to celebrate it with my family. I didn't know it would affect Ianth's health." She explained, tears streaking her face all of a sudden.

"Family?" I chuckled bitterly.

"You don't need to apologize, Aunt Mirelle. I chose to eat the cake." Ianth added, taking her hands into his small ones.

He has never spoken so softly with me like that before. He has never held my hands in his tiny ones like that before. What exactly did I do wrong?

"Thalia, stop creating a fuss over these things. It was just a birthday celebration. He only took a bite of the cake." Eirik interrupted.

"That one bite led him here!" I snapped at him in anger, "He is laying on the ward bed because of a cake bite!"

Why couldn't they just understand? Why is Eirik so blinded about these things? He has been the one to take notice of them when Ianth's sickness started at first. How did he suddenly get blinded now that Mirelle was here?

"Children eat these sweet things. Why can't you understand and allow your son to enjoy it a little?" Eirik insisted, staring at me like I was the one who changed.

Who was the one who rarely came home because of another woman? He didn't come to check on me in the hospital and the next day, our son was hospitalized because of his nonsense.

I breathed in. "You didn't even know I was in the hospital two days ago and that's because you are busy with her."

A flicker of surprise crossed Eirik’s features. But it disappeared into a frown.

"Stop trying to dwindle the situation because you want me to feel pity for you. I checked for you in the house. The maid said you went out." He said,

I scoffed, shaking my head. "Can you swear on your name that you truly met a maid who told you that I went out?"

It took him aback. "Are you saying I am telling lies?" He shouted slightly.

"If you aren't lying, you'd have sworn by now." I met his hard gaze defiantly.

I had collapsed after the lavish anniversary dinner was ruined. He left without checking on me. He was so focused on another woman that he totally forgot his wife.

"You two should just stop it. Ianth is still here. Don't upset him." Mirelle interrupted.

I hated her guts. She was the reason I was in this position. She was the real reason I had lost the love, support and respect from my family.

I turned to her. "Learn to keep your mouth shut when a couple is arguing. Just because he spent one night on your bed doesn't mean you have the right to stick your nose into our business."

Mirelle glared at me under her lashes. I watched her nails dug into her palms. She was the devil pretending to be the saint so she wouldn't dare lose control in the presence of my husband and son.

"What is the meaning of this, Thalia? Are you insinuating that I slept with her?" Eirik raised his voice again.

My eyes were bloodshot. I clutched the handkerchief from earlier in my hands fiercely. What? He wants to tell the lie right in my face? Right in front of his mistress?

"Exactly what you heard, Eirik or will you try to deny it in front of the only living witness?" I smirked lightly, referring to Ianth.

Eirik’s jaw tightened. For the first time, I could see the anger beneath those perfect eyes. I found out about his real affair and he is mad about it?

"That's enough, Thalia!" Ianth suddenly yelled, "You are hurting my ears. Stop shouting at my mom and dad."

The atmosphere froze. Time stopped.

My eyes widened in shock.

Unknown emotions crawled up my throat as I fought to breathe.

It could be a panic attack. Or maybe everything was just too freezing.

My legs couldn't move. I couldn't blink. My eyes rested on my son in Mirelle's arms.

Ianth. The boy I gave birth to. He just – did he just –

"W–what did you – call me?" I stuttered, my bag falling to the floor in shock.