Ten Years Raising Someone Else's Son

During the half minute she stayed silent, I finally understood.

This lavish New Year's Eve dinner had never been a family gathering.

It was a trap.

I slowly set down my fork, about to speak, when my wife had already pulled the deed to the old apartment out of her bag and stuffed it straight into Michael Payne's hands.

I froze.

What she was holding was the old version of the property deed.

A while back, when the neighborhood was being registered for demolition and relocation, I had searched everywhere and still could not find it. In the end, I had to ask the office staff to issue a replacement property title for me.

I never expected she had taken it long ago.

Only then did Natalie Walters turn toward me.

"Gerald Hensley, when you married me, you promised that apartment would belong to me eventually. Since that's the case, how it's handled should be my decision too. Michael is my only son. Now that he's getting married, of course I have to help him."

The moment Michael took the deed, his entire face lit up.

"Thanks, Mom! Knew you loved me the most!"

His fiancée, Hazel, smiled too and wrapped herself around his arm.

"Thank you, Natalie. Since the wedding apartment is settled now, let's go register our marriage on the eighth."

I looked at the happy little family in front of me and slowly clenched my fists.

I had raised him for ten years.

From helping him clean up trouble back in middle school, to sending him three thousand dollars every month throughout college without fail.

And yet, in all those ten years, he had never once called me Dad.

Even now, whenever he needed something from me, it was always 'Old Man' this and 'Old Man' that.

He had never even called me Uncle.

"This apartment is not happening.

"It's a school district property in the old city. Yes, I once said it would be left for your mother's retirement, but that was under the condition that I was dead and she had no one to rely on. Besides, this place is supposed to be kept for Jean when she goes to university."

Jean Hensley was my biological daughter. She had just turned eighteen and was currently in her final year of high school, the exact stage in life where expenses piled up the fastest.

The moment Michael heard Jean's name, his face darkened instantly.

"She's just a girl. What's the point of sending her to university? Even if she graduates, she'll just end up warming some man's bed anyway. Once she gets married, she belongs to someone else's family.

"Besides, my mom has me taking care of her. Why would she need your crappy apartment?"

I almost laughed from anger.

"You failed seven courses in four years of university, changed three jobs within six months after graduating, and can't even support yourself right now. What exactly are you planning to use to support your mother?"

Bang!

Michael slammed the table so hard the soup splashed out of the dishes.

Natalie immediately came over and tugged on my arm.

"Gerald, Michael getting married is a major life event. Jean's education can wait. Worst case, she can just take out student loans. She can work part-time and finish school that way."

Make my daughter borrow money for university, so her son could use my apartment as a marital home?

At that moment, the very last trace of warmth in my heart died completely.

Just then, the front door opened.

Jean had come home from her evening study. The moment she saw the atmosphere inside, she froze.

"Dad? Mom? What's going on?"

The instant Michael saw her, malice flashed across his face.

"Perfect timing. The little bad-luck charm is back."

He waved the property deed in his hand.

"Just letting you know, this apartment belongs to me now.

"There's no place for you there anymore. If you want somewhere to live, go stay at school and stop being an eyesore at home. Looking at you is bad luck."