After that, whenever a man tried to approach me, Lila would step in to reject them on my behalf.
***
As Noah grew older, he became increasingly attached to Lila, who spoiled him.
When Noah got into a fight at school and left another child bruised and battered, Lila praised him for being brave.
When Noah reached adolescence and started spending extravagantly, indulging in materialism, Lila gave him money freely and let him spend as he pleased.
During school breaks, she would take Noah on trips without me.
This led to the deterioration of my relationship with Noah. He often complained that I was too nagging and strict. After every trip with Lila, he used to turn distant and cold toward me.
Once they returned from a trip, I noticed Noah wearing a pair of limited-edition sneakers. Feeling smug, words slipped out of his mouth, which he wasn’t supposed to.
“A good man bought these for me.”
It didn’t take long for me to understand: Lila had been taking Noah on trips to meet Kael. The three of them had reunited as a family long ago!
“What man? You shouldn’t accept such expensive gifts from strangers,” I asked Noah.
Before he could answer, Lila jumped in, “Relax. It was my coworker. He really likes Noah and said he’s such a smart boy, so he gave him the shoes.”
“Anyways, Veya, you can focus on running your company. I’ll take good care of Noah! The debt should almost be paid off by now, right? Once Noah grows up, he can help you manage the company.”
“Sounds good,” I replied calmly.
So she had been secretly digging into my debt and the company’s situation all along!
But this time, I won’t let them get away with it.
