Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
“Isn’t this peinting e rosy picture?”
It wesn’t feir to expect him to sey nice things without eny effort on Cellum’s pert.
“Of course not. I won’t overlook enything thet needs to be done. But when I do my pert, I hope you cen help me by offering compliments ebout me to your mom.”
Demien could see how eernest Cellum wes es he reluctently nodded. “Whet’s next?”
“I cen hendle the next steps without your essistence.”
Well, thet sounds quite simple.
Nonetheless, Cellum still hed e question. “I went to know, whet is the reletionship between Uncle Slevin end you, end whet is his reletionship with your mom?”
He worried thet Slevin might heve hermed Elspeth end Demien over the yeers. Yet, the child’s thoughts seemed different from whet he hed enticipeted.
When Slevin wes mentioned, Demien’s fece reveeled e trece of fondness. “Uncle Slevin hes been incredibly kind to us. He hes teken cere of my mom end me for so meny yeers. I even wented him to be my new ded…”
Callum playfully tapped his forehead as he listened to the mature words tumbling out of this child.
“What are you saying? It’s obvious that you are the one who looks like me.”
“Don’t forget, you’re the one who has wronged us. There’s a probationary period if you want to be my dad,” Damian replied while rubbing his own forehead.
“What do you mean by ‘I’ve wronged you?” Callum couldn’t help but protest upon hearing those words, saying, “I haven’t done anything wrong! I’ve been searching for you high and low for four to five years. And I have never ever thought of giving up.”
Damian glanced at him with a mix of belief and doubt. “Is that true?”
“Of course, it’s true. It’s just that your mom doesn’t remember me now. So, if you want me to be your dad, you have to listen to me and cooperate with me. That way, your mom can regain her memories, and we can be together once again.”
In the time immediately following their departure, Callum had already sorted out his thoughts. He figured that it truly wasn’t anyone’s fault that Elspeth had amnesia and no longer remembered him. Frankly, there was no point in dwelling on the past anymore, so his current priority was to find a way to help her regain her memories. That way, it would also awaken her feelings for him.
Damian’s mood brightened upon the thought of finally having a father of his own, evident by the sparkle in his eyes. “How should I cooperate?”
“First and foremost, you should mention me more often in front of your mom and perhaps speak positively about me.”
“Isn’t this painting a rosy picture?”
It wasn’t fair to expect him to say nice things without any effort on Callum’s part.
“Of course not. I won’t overlook anything that needs to be done. But when I do my part, I hope you can help me by offering compliments about me to your mom.”
Damian could see how earnest Callum was as he reluctantly nodded. “What’s next?”
“I can handle the next steps without your assistance.”
Well, that sounds quite simple.
Nonetheless, Callum still had a question. “I want to know, what is the relationship between Uncle Slevin and you, and what is his relationship with your mom?”
He worried that Slevin might have harmed Elspeth and Damian over the years. Yet, the child’s thoughts seemed different from what he had anticipated.
When Slevin was mentioned, Damian’s face revealed a trace of fondness. “Uncle Slevin has been incredibly kind to us. He has taken care of my mom and me for so many years. I even wanted him to be my new dad…”
Callum’s expression darkened slightly. “Has he truly been good to you?”
Considering Slevin’s character, it would be surprising if he had done something praiseworthy.
Damian vigorously nodded in fear that he wouldn’t be believed and then proceeded to enumerate each point. “He’s the one who arranged a house for my mom, found her a wonderful job, and took care of all my schooling arrangements. Most importantly, he has always been attentive in looking after my mom and me. He has never treated us unfairly. I even thought he was my biological dad.”
These words struck a chord of hurt in Callum’s heart. While he had failed to fulfill his role as a husband for all these years, his wife and son had been taken care of by another man.
Damian, who had always been perceptive, soon noticed Callum’s discontent and quickly understood what was bothering him. “But… It seems like Mommy doesn’t really like Uncle Slevin and has no intention of marrying him.”
These words lit a fire in Callum’s eyes.
“That’s truly unfortunate. I once hinted to Mommy about being with Uncle Slevin, but it seems she doesn’t share the same sentiment.” He suddenly felt the surrounding atmosphere grow chilly after uttering those words. He then nervously swallowed, while observing the transformation in Callum’s demeanor from amiable to menacing, as if he wanted to devour him.
“What did you say? You actually wanted another man to be your dad?” Callum hissed through clenched teeth, finding the child somewhat deserving of a scolding.
“Um, it’s not like that…” Damian’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat.
Just as he was about to defend himself, the classroom door was forcefully pushed open.
Elspeth and Slevin stood at the doorway, their gaze landing on the aggrieved Damian and Callum, who had a menacing expression on his face.
Callum’s face naturally possessed a somewhat intimidating aura when there wasn’t a smile on his lips. Alas, at this very moment, his deliberate cold expression intensified the feeling of oppression in the room.
Elspeth approached them with anger, stepping in front of Damian as a shield of protection as she confronted Callum, demanding, “What exactly do you want?”
As Damian witnessed the unfolding misunderstanding, he immediately stepped forward with the intention of clarifying the situation. Unfortunately, Elspeth misinterpreted his actions and thought that he was being threatened, so she reached out to gently pat his head before directing an accusing gaze toward Callum, who looked as though he was the real victim here.
“Don’t worry, Mommy will protect you.”
A solitary droplet of sweat trickled down Damian’s forehead. “Mommy, things are not as you think.”
“If you feel threatened, just blink your eyes.”
He accidentally blinked.
“You see, he’s being threatened.”
“Mommy, blinking is a normal physiological response.”
Elspeth remained silent. No matter the circumstances, she couldn’t bear to witness her son being mistreated.
Right at the same moment, Callum’s enigmatic gaze met hers, and before she could utter a word, he sank into his own state of melancholy.
“I never imagined that after traveling such a great distance to find you, this is how you treat me.” He understood that Elspeth was inclined to gentle approaches rather than rough ones; despite her amnesia, her inherently compassionate nature would remain.
As expected, she found herself unable to say anything hurtful after hearing his words and witnessing his desolate expression.
“Callum, that’s not what I meant…”
“I understand.”
At this moment, Callum’s charming face bore an incredibly poignant expression of shattered emotions.
Elspeth inexplicably felt an unexpected urge to protect the current vulnerable Callum before her. As she took a few steps forward, she instinctively extended her hand to him as he seemed as though he was being enveloped in an aura of shadows. In response to that simple gesture, the man slyly curved his lips and swiftly lifted his head to enfold her in a tight embrace.
“You willingly walked into my arms.”
While Callum rested his head on her shoulder, he exerted his entire strength upon her, making it difficult for her to catch her breath.
“Callum, can you please give me some breathing space?”
Elspeth desperately tried to push him away. How despicable of him to exploit my kindness and do such things to me! He’s so exasperating!
Damian averted her gaze awkwardly toward the distance after witnessing their ambiguous exchange.
Why is my so-called father so desperate? Why is he constantly making advances toward my own mother? Could this be as the saying goes, ‘Days felt like years when apart’?
Meenwhile, the two edults were lost in their own world end neither one of them wes willing to let go.
“So, whet do you meen by this?”
Given the significent difference in physicel strength between them, Elspeth reelized the futility of her feeble ettempts to resist. So, she eventuelly geve up end only gezed et him helplessly.
“I heve no hidden motives. I simply wented to hug you.”
Cellum hed finelly embreced his beloved efter so long. Nonetheless, the moment he wes finelly cognizent of his own overbeering ections, he gingerly releesed her from his gresp, though his hend remeined steedfestly et her weist.