Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 91: Chapter 91

Lane came to a dead stop when she saw who was sitting on the floor outside her condo. She instinctively tightened her grip on her son’s hand.

The man slumped against the wall was none other than Ethan.

Seeing him like that, it was hard to believe he was the same guy who ran a massive corporation. The almighty Ethan Blackwood looked completely vulnerable in that moment.

Had he been there all day? He was wearing the exact same clothes he’d had on this morning. It looked like he hadn’t even gone home, choosing instead to wait right there until they returned.

Lane couldn’t help but wonder if he’d really been waiting that long. They had been out for almost eight hours.

First, they’d visited the orphanage they used to support, where Calvin had a blast playing with the other kids. Afterward, they headed straight to Noah’s place. He’d given them gifts from his recent trip, and they ended up hanging out there until he finally drove them home.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Calvin tugged his hand away.

"Mommy, why is Uncle Ethan sitting on the floor?" he asked, looking up at her.

She started to answer but stopped when she saw Ethan stir. He looked up, seemingly jolted awake by the sound of the boy’s voice. The second he saw them, he scrambled to his feet. A wave of visible relief washed over his face at the sight of them both.

He started to step toward them but froze when he saw what Calvin did next.

Following Noah’s lead from earlier, the little boy stepped in front of Lane, physically blocking Ethan as if he were a tiny bodyguard.

Calvin spread his arms wide.

"Uncle Ethan, don’t come near my Mommy," he warned.

Ethan’s jaw dropped, and a flash of pure agony crossed his eyes.

"Uncle Ethan, I changed my mind," Calvin continued.

"I don’t want you dating my Mommy anymore. I don’t want you around because you tricked her."

Lane’s eyes went wide. She was stunned. She’d assumed Calvin had forgotten all about Noah’s warning because he’d been so distracted at the orphanage, but she was dead wrong.

"Calvin, buddy... what are you talking about?" Ethan asked, his voice shaking.

The boy looked back at Lane, his arms still outstretched.

"Mommy, Uncle Noah said I have to protect you from him because he’s going to hurt you. I don’t want you to get hurt, Mommy. Since Daddy isn’t here to protect us, I’ll do it for now," he told her. Then, he turned back to Ethan.

"Don’t hurt my Mommy, Uncle Ethan. If you do, I’m never talking to you again. You lied to us. You said you liked her, but you don’t really like her because you already have a kid and a wife."

Ethan stood there in a stunned silence for a moment before finally finding his voice.

"Calvin, that’s not true," he said, shaking his head frantically.

"I would never hurt your Mommy, and I’m not tricking her. I promise."

"You’re a liar!" Calvin shouted.

Lane gasped as her son suddenly charged at Ethan, swinging his little fists and hitting him in the leg.

"You’re a liar! You’re gonna make her cry!" Calvin sobbed, the tears finally breaking through.

Ethan immediately knelt down, trying to wrap the boy in a comforting hug.

"Calvin, listen to me. I would never, ever hurt your mom. That’s the last thing I would ever do," he pleaded. But Calvin just kept pushing him away, his crying intensifying.

Lane stood frozen for a split second, paralyzed by the raw emotion of the scene. When she finally snapped out of it, she rushed over to them.

She grabbed Calvin by the shoulders and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Calvin buried his face in her neck, sobbing uncontrollably.

"M-mommy, I don’t want him courting you anymore. He’s bad. He’s gonna hurt you."

"Shh... it’s okay, Calvin. It’s okay," she whispered, trying to soothe him.

When she looked up, she was floored to see Ethan’s eyes were bloodshot and brimming with tears. Before he could stop them, they began to track down his face.

It was the first time she had ever seen him cry. In all the time she’d known him, even when they lived under the same roof, she had never seen him shed a single tear.

Even when Olivia walked out on him after finding out she was pregnant, he’d remained stone-faced. She had honestly thought crying wasn’t even in his vocabulary, but she was wrong.

Watching him now, she felt a familiar, painful tightening in her chest.

She took a shaky breath. "J-just go home for now, Ethan," she said.

He shook his head, looking like he wanted to argue, but she cut him off. "Please," she whispered.

"Let Calvin get some rest."

He was silent for a long moment before finally giving a reluctant nod. It was obvious he didn’t want to leave until he’d cleared the air, but he knew he had to listen.

He took a deep breath. Before he walked away, he stepped closer one last time and gently stroked Calvin’s back.

"I’m not going to hurt her, Calvin," he said softly to the boy.

Then he looked up at Lane, his gaze intense and unwavering. "I am never going to hurt you again, Lane. I promise you that."

____________

"Mommy..."

Lane stopped what she was doing the moment she heard her son’s voice. When she turned around, she saw him shuffling toward her, rubbing his eyes and still looking half-asleep.

She hadn’t woken him up when she got out of bed earlier that morning.

She’d left the door cracked so she could hear him if he called for her or cried when he realized she wasn’t there. But it looked like he didn’t bother crying or calling out. Instead, he’d just climbed out of bed and come looking for her.

Lane turned to Mae, who was standing beside her helping with breakfast.

"Mae, can you take over for a second?" she asked. The food was almost done, just waiting for the pot to come to a boil.

Mae nodded. "Yes, Ma’am."

Lane stepped away to meet her child and scooped him up as soon as she reached him.

His small arms immediately locked around her neck, and he buried his face in her shoulder. Based on how tight he was squeezing her, she knew something was up.

Taking a deep breath, Lane carried him back to their room. She sat Calvin down on the edge of the bed and stood in front of him. She needed to know what was on his mind. Looking at him, she noticed his expression was incredibly sad.

Is he looking for his father again? she wondered.

"Calvin, what’s wrong?" she asked softly.

"Mommy..."

"Hmm?"

She saw him biting his lower lip. " I’m bad ," he whispered after a moment.

Lane frowned, totally confused. "What? Why would you think you’re bad, honey?"

"I-I’m bad because I fought with Uncle Ethan. And then I punched him. I’m bad," he repeated.

His words brought back everything that had happened last night. Calvin had been so angry with Ethan because he thought Ethan was just playing games or planning to hurt her, just like Noah had suggested.

It was clear Noah’s warnings had stuck in the boy’s head, because the second he saw Ethan, he’d lost his temper.

Lane sat down beside him and pulled him onto her lap.

"You aren’t bad, Calvin," she said gently.

She wanted to reassure him, but she also knew she had to address his behavior.

"But honestly, son, what you did last night wasn’t right. You shouldn’t have done that."

She had wanted to have this talk last night, but she’d decided to let him sleep on it first. As it turned out, he beat her to it.

"I’m sorry, Mommy. I won’t do it again," he promised.

"Is Uncle Ethan mad at me? Does he hate me now because I fought with him? Is he never coming back?" he asked, his voice thick with worry.

"Uncle Ethan isn’t mad at you, Calvin," she assured him.

"Really, Mommy?"

She nodded. "Really."

"Mommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you call him? I want to talk to him and say I’m sorry," he said.

Lane smiled warmly at her son. He was so kindhearted and quick to forgive.

"Actually, do you want to come to work with me? Your Uncle Ethan will be there. You can apologize to him in person," she suggested.

She watched his eyes light up. It was amazing how quickly his feelings shifted. Last night he was furious because of what Noah said, but now he already realized he’d made a mistake and wanted to fix it.

"Okay, Mommy! I’ll go so I can tell Uncle Ethan I’m sorry," he agreed.

Lane felt a sense of pride. Even though she had plenty of her own grievances against Ethan, she never wanted to turn Calvin against his father.

She wasn’t that kind of person, and her conscience wouldn’t allow her to do that to Ethan. She felt it would make her a terrible mother.

Once they finished their talk, they headed back to the kitchen. Breakfast was ready and Mae was already setting the table.

Lane got Calvin settled in his chair and made him the milk he’d asked for. He ate his rice and drank his milk, and before long, they were finished.

They left Mae to the dishes while Lane took Calvin to get him washed up and dressed for the day.

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