The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven) novel Chapter 1

"Mommy, can you please divorce Daddy?"

It was 9:00 pm, and I was trying to get my son to sleep. Just when I thought he was drifting off, he suddenly asked me that.

That one sentence hit me like a ton of bricks, leaving me momentarily stunned. My hand froze on his back. A sharp pain pricked at my heart.

Over the years, my relationship with his father had been pretty good. By all accounts, a child nurtured with love should feel happy living in such an environment. So, how could he have such a thought?

I couldn't wrap my head around it, so I asked, "Why do you say that?" I tried to keep my voice gentle, afraid of scaring him.

"You never let me eat fast food or ice cream."

He was nearly falling asleep. His voice slurred and was laced with the innocence typical of his age. It left me feeling both amused and exasperated.

He wanted me to divorce his father over trivial things like this? Kids really were naive.

As I listened to his breathing slow and steady, I knew he had fallen asleep.

Just as I was about to get up and leave, a notification sound came from his bedside. I turned back and saw light from under his pillow.

After lifting the corner of the pillow, I spotted a tablet hidden underneath and couldn't help but sigh.

My son was still young, and I was worried about his eyesight, so I had set strict limits on his screen time.

Though he often grumbled about it, he had always followed my rules. But tonight, he had secretly stashed the tablet away.

As I pulled it out and prepared to shut it down, I was caught off guard by the bright screen displaying a group chat.

The group was named "Happy Family" with a smiling emoji. It was clearly named in my son's playful tone, as that was his favorite emoji. The group avatar looked like a family portrait with four people.

I zoomed in on the photo and saw a cheerful woman cradling two children.

One of them was my son, Zachary Pelham. He held a giant ice cream cone, beaming with joy. And behind her stood my husband, Steven Pelham.

His gaze at the woman was so tender. It was the same way he used to look at me when we first started dating.

My heart felt like it was being pierced with a needle. A wave of uncontrollable pain washed over me. Yet, my eyes couldn't help but fall on the woman's name.

The contact name Zachary had given her was "Mommy".

I felt as if I'd been struck by lightning. Trembling, I clicked on her profile. To my shock, her nickname read, "Jessica".

Jessica... Steven's first love, Jessica Shardlow?

In an instant, I felt a surreal absurdity wash over me, as if I were dreaming.

My husband and son had formed a family group chat with his first love. And I was the only one left behind. They had built a new home together.

It felt as though someone had a vice grip on my heart, making it almost impossible to breathe.

The group chat was filled with messages. They overwhelmed my mind as my fingers numbly scrolled up.

In fact, the three of us had our own family group chat. But apart from me occasionally asking Steven when he'd be home for dinner, it was as silent as a ghost town.

Suddenly, "Mommy" in the group sent a video.

My hands shook as I clicked it open. The video was clearly meticulously edited.

The one-minute video flashed through countless moments—fried chicken, Coke, a Ferris wheel, a carousel, and many more.