When We Met Again Our Son Was Five Chapter 01
After the real heiress stole Tristan Caldwell—the man I was supposed to marry—I decided to throw caution to the wind. I forced myself on him, then fled as fast as I could.
He was roguish yet incredibly handsome. So when I found out I was pregnant, I immediately made up my mind to carry this baby with exceptional genes to term.
After that one-night stand, Tristan flew into a rage. He swore that once he found me, he would make me pay. So I hid, living in fear for five long years.
Then, one day, I went to pick up my son, Lucas Keller, from school. A huge crowd had gathered at the gate. Someone was fighting, they said.
My eyes lit up right away. Curious, I squeezed my way into the crowd, eager to see what was going on.
Sure enough, two figures were locked in a scuffle in the open space outside the school.
The taller one wore a black trench coat. His posture was ramrod straight, every movement clean, sharp, and decisive.
The shorter one wore an elementary school uniform. His little legs kicked like crazy, and even though his fists were tiny, every punch went straight for the weak spots.
I rubbed my eyes, staring at the two figures who looked almost identical.
“Geez, what’s wrong with them?” I thought. “Why would they start fighting the first time they meet?”
***
Tristan tilted his head to dodge Lucas’ punch, his slanted eyes carrying a careless, roguish charm.
That face had haunted me for five years.
I took a deep breath, then another, and then a third one.
Lucas had told me he behaved at school.
But judging from that practiced stance, he looked more like someone who got into fights regularly.
That left hook came in with real force—tricky angle, clean execution. He even knew how to fake before landing the real blow.
A ring of parents had already formed around them. Some were recording with their phones, others cheering them on.
“Whose kid is that? He’s got real skills!”
“Get him, kid! Beat him up!”
I covered my face, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me whole.
Lucas planted his hands on his hips, chin raised high.
“Mister, you’re blocking my way.”
Tristan looked down at him and scoffed.
“So what, brat? Do you own this road?”
“I don’t own it, but you’re blocking the school gate and keeping my classmates from going home.”
Tristan laughed out of sheer absurdity.
“Who’s your mom? How did she raise such a little bully?”
I pressed a hand to my forehead in embarrassment. This kid had completely inherited both Tristan’s and my bad temper.
Everyone knew that whenever Tristan and I met, we had to fight, and whenever we fought, someone ended up bleeding.
On the day I learned I was the child the Keller family had taken home by mistake, Tristan had been the first to show up for the spectacle.
“Well, well, Vanessa. So you’re a fake after all. No wonder you’re so rude.”
I had lunged at him without hesitation and sunk my teeth into his neck.
Despite using all his strength, he couldn’t pry me off.
Blood seeped between my teeth. He groaned in pain, staring at me in shock, disbelief filling his eyes.
“Are you a dog?!”
Only then had I released him, calmly licking the blood from the corner of my lips.
I just hadn’t expected he would end up clashing with Lucas, too.
Tristan reached out and grabbed Lucas by the back of the collar.
“Come on. Let’s go find your parents. I’d love to see what kind of people raised an imp like you.”
My throat tightened, and I got ready to bolt.
Just then, an angry shout came from the school gate.
The homeroom teacher, Monica Reeves, rushed over in high heels, looking furious.
“Sir, who exactly are you? How can you bully one of our students?”
For once, Tristan actually looked a little awkward. He was about to respond when a woman in a cream trench coat walked out from the crowd with poised, graceful steps.
She slipped her arm through Tristan’s like she’d done it a million times and smiled at Monica.
“Hello, Ms. Reeves. I’m sorry. We were out of line.
“We’re investors in this school. We happened to be passing by today and wanted to take a look around. My husband doesn’t really know how to deal with children, so if he offended your student, I’ll apologize on his behalf.”
As she spoke, she gave a slight bow, elegant and refined.
Most of Monica’s anger melted away instantly.
“Oh, you’re investors. Even so, you can’t fight a student…”
Josephine Keller turned to look at Tristan, her tone lightly reproachful.
“Tris, really. You shouldn’t have gotten so worked up. He’s just a kid.”
I looked at their linked arms and clicked my tongue in amazement.
After Josephine—the real Keller heiress—had been brought back, she had targeted me at every turn.
“Tris is also mine, Nessa. Don’t tell me you’re trying to steal him from me, too,” she’d once told me.
I had trembled with anger. Since she claimed I had been occupying her place all along, I’d do just that.
That very night, I’d drugged Tristan, forced myself on him, and run away right after.
Snapping back to reality, I pressed down the brim of my hat.
As long as he didn’t recognize me, everything would still be under control.
Just then, Monica suddenly called out to me.
“Hey, Ms. Keller, you’re here. I was just about to call you.”
I froze.
